Ara Topouzian is a longtime Oakland County economic development official and a 2012 Kresge Artist Fellow recognized for his work playing a 76-string kanun harp in Armenian and world music bands. As of March 25, he’ll also be the new director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, which works to advance the state’s VC ecosystem. … Continue reading “Topouzian Brings Economic Development Perspective to New MVCA Role”
Tag: EntryPoint
Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of posts sharing thoughts from industry and technology leaders about 2018 trends. A few trends come to mind that continue to shape and define the startup ecosystem in Detroit: —Marketplaces continue to evolve and attract funding (initial and follow-on), and gain traction that has to be recognized and respected. … Continue reading “Detroit Trends in 2018? More Traction, Diversity, and Collaboration”
How 3 Detroit Founders Built Tech Startups Despite City’s Bankruptcy
On July 18th, 2013, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, becoming the largest city in American history to do so. Just four years earlier, Chrysler and General Motors—automobile companies that were long a staple of the Detroit economy—had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. “You hear stories about the Great Depression in the … Continue reading “How 3 Detroit Founders Built Tech Startups Despite City’s Bankruptcy”
Lack of Diversity Isn’t a “Pipeline Problem,” It’s a Network Problem
Recently, I was in Chicago for Paradigm IQ’s D&I Lab: Data-Driven Strategies to Attract & Hire Diverse Talent, a one-day workshop designed to equip attendees with new strategies for designing an inclusive organization. In a room full of people with titles like chief people officer, director of diversity and inclusion, and director of leadership and organizational … Continue reading “Lack of Diversity Isn’t a “Pipeline Problem,” It’s a Network Problem”
EntryPoint Aims to Increase Inclusion, Diversity in Startup Ecosystem
The tech industry and the investment community that funds it are notorious for being, shall we say, safe spaces for white men. The myth of meritocracy persists in the tech world even in the face of data indicating a longstanding lack of diversity and inclusion. Innovation benefits from different perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas, but it’s … Continue reading “EntryPoint Aims to Increase Inclusion, Diversity in Startup Ecosystem”