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Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting more than 4,500,000 entrepreneurs in over 700 chapters. We nurture startup ecosystems in 125+ countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Amazon Web Services, Silicon Valley Bank, American Express for Startups, and more.
The cornerstone of our global community are monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share lessons learned on the road to building great companies.
Founded in Silicon Valley, Startup Grind has helped millions of entrepreneurs build their businesses, connect with strategic partners, and secure funding.
OUR MISSION
To educate, inspire & connect area entrepreneurs.
OUR VALUES
Help others before we help ourselves, give before we take, make friends not contacts.
Founded in December 2019, the West Michigan / Grand Rapids chapter of Startup Grind acts as the connective tissue between all the great resources in our community.
As such, we are here for those who are trying to navigate the landscape of great resources available.
We also serve to contribute to the conversation as we all work to grow our entrepreneur and startup ecosystem.
GLOBAL STARTUP GRIND AWARDS
🎉🔥 GLOBAL CHAPTER DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 2021 🚀🕺
🚀 Overachiever Award at the Global Director's Summit 2021 🦾
🚀 The Most Fun to Work With Award at the Global Director's Summit 2021 🎉
🚀 The Bull Award at the Global Director's Summit 2021 🐂
🚀 Chapter Director of the Year at the Global Director's Summit 2021 🎉🔥🚀🕺
🚀 Overachiever Award at the Global Director's Summit 2022 🦾
🚀 The Bull Award at the Global Director's Summit 2022 🐂
🚀 The Lion Award at the Global Director's Summit 2024 🦁
There are some incredible people, public and private organizations, and nonprofits working very hard to ensure the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem in the Great Lakes is well supported.
Whether you're in the ideation stage, fundraising, looking for talent, or whatever stage of your endeavor, there's some incredible support available.
Need help navigating? Reach out!
ABOUT OUR REGION
The Great Lakes region is no longer the best-kept-secret in tech.
Encompassing great talent and capital hubs around the Great Lakes, we've got powerful tech cities like Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, St. Louis, Detroit, Buffalo, Traverse City, Ann Arbor, Waterloo, Toronto, among others.
According to the 2021 Michigan Venture Capital Association Report:
We highlight local CEOs, Founders, ecosystem builders, thought leaders for Fireside Chats. We also host workshops from expert practitioners around branding, scaling, leadership, pitching, mindset... and also on to develop skills you can use IN the business.
Here's a list of some of our greatest events featuring those from our Michigan ecosystem:
We need:
Reach out to the Chapter Director, Corey Hart at corey@startupgrind.com or the Co-Director Renee De Haan at renee@startupgrind.com.
🚀 Need help raising your next round? Join the Startup Exhibition at the SG Conference in Silicon Valley on April 27-29, 2026! Our top 100 exhibitors from past years have raised over $1.5B, and we can't wait to see what deals come from the 2026 batch. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your startup to 5,000+ entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators. Apply now as a startup or scaleup for 2026!!
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Past Events
26 jun 2025
Virtual Event (Free)
Beyond the Seed: How to Conquer Your Series A
The jump from Seed to Series A is one of the most defining moments in a space startup’s journey. It marks the shift from vision to scale, from being a promising technology to becoming a credible, invest-able business. In this virtual event, Steve Simon from DQM Advisory delivers a tactical guide to Series A readiness, specifically tailored for early-stage space companies.
31 jul 2025
Virtual Event (Free)
The Handshake Between Sales & Marketing: Real-World Tactics that Work
Marketing and business development are often treated as separate functions, but in space startups and small companies, they’re deeply intertwined. When they don’t work together, you burn time, confuse customers, stall growth. This virtual session is designed specifically for founders and small teams navigating long sales cycles, complex technologies, and limited resources.
11 sept 2025
Virtual Event (Free)
Built to Scale: The Ops Playbook
When it comes to launching rockets, the space industry leads. But when it comes to launching internal systems that scale, many founders are still stuck in survival mode.
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This is Startup Grind. We are the world’s largest startup community.
Our Mission
To give startups everywhere the education and opportunities they need to build, grow, and scale their companies.
Our Values
We believe in making friends, not contacts. We believe in giving first, not taking. We believe in helping others before helping yourself.
Tools & Discounts for Startups
Take advantage of resources and offers provided by organizations we know and love, designed to help you navigate the startup journey.
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