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.
GLOBAL STARTUP GRIND AWARDS
šš„ GLOBAL CHAPTER DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 2021 ššŗ
š Overachiever Award at the Global Director's Summit 2021
š The Most Fun to Work With Award at the Global Director's Summit 2021
š The Bull Award at the Global Director's Summit 2021
š Chapter Director of the Year at the Global Director's Summit 2021
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:
Through our event series Hunting for Silver Linings, we check in with ecosystem builders, investors, thought leaders from around the world.
Our goal 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.
There is no shortage of programming around founders, startups, and investors, but not much about ecosystems and those who make them work. We fill that gap.
Since April 2020, we've hosted over 150 conversations, and have been able to make meaningful connections between investors, companies, founders, and ecosystem support organizations.
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Y G Katsanos | Associate
Beneventure Partners
A former investment banker, Yorgo (George) has experience in advising companies, financial institutions, institutional investors, and governments on innovation, change management, and growth.
Corey Hart | Chapter Director
Startup Grind
As an investor, incremental CxO, and advisor, Corey helps firms and entrepreneurs move from ideation to market, and market to scale. Learn more here and find him on ALL socials, Telegram & WhatsApp at @coreythehart.
WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
If you're a Startup Grind Chapter Director, ecosystem support organization, domain expert, or investor interested in speaking, click here to schedule.
OUR ECOSYSTEM BUILDERS & THOUGHT LEADERS
Some of our favorites SG Chapter Director discussions so far include check-ins with:
And Some of our favorite thought leader conversations around ecosystem building are:
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.
You can also find a searchable and sortable list here.
We need:
Reach out to the Chapter Director, Corey Hart at corey@startupgrind.com.
Join Startup Grind Grand Rapids as we interview Stephanie Scott-Kolakowski about the Women Owned Enterprise Business Certification information sessions that kick-off on May 30th for just 3 cohorts in this year. We want to know all about the why and how for becoming a certified. Join as we find out from Stephanie about where the idea came from to certify 100 businesses. Imagine you, certified!
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May 18, 2022
Cross Promoted
SG Women's Summit: Female Fundraising, Leadership, and the Future of the Web
Grand Rapids
Apr 11, 2022
Cross Promoted
Global Conference 2022
Grand Rapids
Nov 18, 2021
In-Person Event
Know Vember: Funding & Finding growth
Grand Rapids
Oct 20, 2021
Virtual Event (Free)
Fireside Chat with Grand Rapids Chamber DE&I Epic Award Finalist Jessa Challa
Grand Rapids
Sep 16, 2021
Virtual Event
Empowering the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs w/ Katrina Begrow (JA of the Michigan Great Lakes)
Grand Rapids
Sep 15, 2021
Cross Promoted
North America Summit
Grand Rapids
Aug 19, 2021
In-Person Event
Startup Grind Grand Rapids presents the 2021 Summer Party, in partnership with Varnum LLP
Grand Rapids
Jul 20, 2021
Virtual Event (Free)
Hunting for Silver Linings w/ Roshanay Asif Sheikh, Startup Grind Chapter Director of Sialkot, Pakistan
Grand Rapids
Jul 9, 2021
Virtual Event (Free)
Hunting for Silver Linings w/ Farouq Hassan, Startup Grind Chapter Director of Cairo, Egypt
Grand Rapids
Jun 29, 2021
Virtual Event (Free)
Hunting for Silver Linings w/ Shabeta Kumar, Startup Grind Chapter Director of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Grand Rapids
Jun 28, 2021
Virtual Event (Free)
Hunting for Silver Linings w/ Faris Alami, Chapter Director of Startup Grind Detroit & ISM CEO
Grand Rapids
Jun 24, 2021
Virtual Event (Free)
Hunting for Silver Linings w/ Filip KomnenoviÄ, Chapter Director of Startup Grind Novi Sasd, Serbia
Grand Rapids
Startup Grind
Chapter Director
Startup Grind Grand Rapids
Co-Director
