Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting more than 3,500,000 entrepreneurs in over 600 chapters. We nurture startup ecosystems in 125+ countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Amazon Web Services.
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.
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 2020 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:
Through our event series Hunting for Silver Linings, we check in with ecosystem builders, Startup Grind Chapter Directors, investors, and business leaders from around the world.
Our goal here is to provide deeper context around challenges and opportunities found in markets around the world, as well as mine the insight that can better inform our biases about regions, their talent, and potential for investment.
Since April 2020, we've been able to make meaningful connections between investors, companies, founders, and ecosystem support organizations.
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Y G Katsanos
Beneventure Partners, LLC
A former investment banker, Yorgo (George) has experience in advising companies, financial institutions, institutional investors, and governments on innovation, change management, and growth.
As an incremental CxO and advisor, Corey helps firms and entrepreneurs move from ideation to market, and market to scale.
WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
If you're a Startup Grind Chapter Director or ecosystem support organization interested in speaking, click here to schedule.
If you're an investor, family office, fund, VC, etc. interested in speaking, click here to schedule.
Some of our favorites so far include check-ins with:
The complete list of events is found below, and they're all incredibly insightful in uncovering great detail into what it's like on the ground and an intro to how to build network and leverage opportunity in each.
Want to speak?
Want to host, partner with or sponsor one or more of our events?
Want to help coordinate our events?
Reach out to the Chapter Director, Corey Hart at corey@startupgrind.com.
Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids’ Chapter Director Corey Hart and Beneventure Partners Managing Director Yorgo Katsanos as we host an event series featuring check-ins with investors and Startup Grind Chapter Directors from all corners of the world. Joining us for this event: Laryx Ochieng of Startup Grind Eldoret, Kenya
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Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids’ Chapter Director Corey Hart and Beneventure Partners Managing Director Yorgo Katsanos as we host an event series featuring check-ins with investors and Startup Grind Chapter Directors from all corners of the world. Joining us for this event: Anele Cele of Startup Cape Town, South Africa.
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Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids’ Chapter Director Corey Hart and Beneventure Partners Managing Director Yorgo Katsanos as we host an event series featuring check-ins with investors, innovators and ecosystem builders from all corners of the world. Joining us for this event: Marissa Spano of Ensyde.
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Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids’ Chapter Director Corey Hart and Beneventure Partners Managing Director Yorgo Katsanos as we host an event series featuring check-ins with investors and Startup Grind Chapter Directors from all corners of the world. Joining us for this event: Mych Richardson of Startup Grind Birmingham, Alabama.
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Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids’ Chapter Director Corey Hart and Beneventure Partners Managing Director Yorgo Katsanos as we host an event series featuring check-ins with investors and Startup Grind Chapter Directors from all corners of the world. Joining us for this event: Damu Winston of Startup Grind Dubai
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Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids’ Chapter Director Corey Hart and Beneventure Partners Managing Director Yorgo Katsanos as we host an event series featuring check-ins with investors, innovators and ecosystem builders from all corners of the world. Joining us for this event: Daniel Goebel, Founder of CoCoHub & Digital Nomad Association Malta.
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Startup Grind
Chapter Director
STARTUP GRIND
Development Director
Start Up Grind Grand Rapids
Chief of Staff
STARTUP GRIND GRAND RAPIDS
Social Media & Events Manager
Events Manager
Startup & Venture Capital Intern
Membership & Development Intern
Marketing & Development Intern
