Let’s catch up on news from around Michigan’s innovation clusters:
—The Midwest Growth Capital Symposium, held just outside of Ann Arbor on May 14-15, is in search of companies in the life sciences and tech sectors to pitch investors. The 36 selected companies will each have 10 minutes to present to an audience of potential backers from across the country. To qualify, companies should be privately held, have a connection to the Midwest, and planning to seek funding between $1-$20 million within six months of the symposium. Application deadline is March 12; click here to apply.
—Ara Topouzian as been named the new executive director of the nonprofit Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA). Topouzian comes to the organization after a nearly six-year stint as CEO and president of the Troy Chamber of Commerce. Former MVCA director Maureen Miller Brosnan left the organization at the end of 2018 to pursue new opportunities, reports Crain’s Detroit Business. Topouzian will officially begin leading the organization on March 25.
—In other personnel news, the American Center for Mobility, a public-private venture to advance the development of mobility technologies, has a new president and CEO. Last month, the organization announced that Michael Noblett has replaced interim CEO Kirk Steudle, who in October took a job as senior vice president at Econolite Group in Anaheim, CA. Before ACM, Noblett worked as the global segment lead of automotive industry sales for Intel.
—One more person on the move: Fusion Coolant Systems, maker of advanced automotive coolant and lubrication systems, has hired former Linamar Corporation executive Brian Ahlborn as its president and CEO. Ahlborn has previously served in a number of leadership positions within the auto industry, including at Transonic Combustion and McLaren Performance Technologies.
—Applications are now open to pitch at and attend the annual MedHealth Summit, which seeks to highlight the cross-border region’s healthcare cluster and connect companies to investors, customers, and other stakeholders. The event will be held on April 18 in Detroit at Ford Field’s Hall of Legends. Register here to take part in investor speed-dating, a fast-paced matchmaking session for startups and potential backers; deadline is March 15. To register to attend the summit, click here.
—Michigan Women Forward, an organization working to accelerate the state’s progress by advancing equality and opportunity for women and girls, is hosting an educational summit on March 15 at Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business. Titled “Woman Up & Learn,” the event will focus on launching and growing successful businesses. The keynote speaker will be Candice Simons, serial entrepreneur and founder of Brooklyn Outdoor, the Detroit-based outdoor marketing firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. To register to attend, click here.
—Genomenon, the Ann Arbor-based search engine startup that combs through public genomics publications to improve diagnoses, has entered into a new partnership with Diploid, an artificial intelligence-based software provider for rare disease diagnostics. The purpose of the collaboration is to boost genome interpretation for rare disease diagnostics. The new integration allows users of Diploid’s Moon software direct access to Genomenon’s Mastermind engine to see which genomic variants are mentioned in relevant publications.
—TechTown Detroit has named Marlo Rencher its diversity and inclusion entrepreneur-in-residence. Rencher will work with the tech incubator and members of the city’s startup ecosystem to marshal new resources to, and increase engagement with, women and minority tech entrepreneurs. Rencher has more than two decades of experience in entrepreneurship and marketing, and most recently served as vice president for innovation, entrepreneurship, and diversity at Cleary University.
