Investments
Glidance
Founder(s): Amos Miller, Luke Buckerrough, & Kyle Buzzard
Website: glidance.io
Glidance is revolutionizing mobility with Glide, the world’s first AI-powered, self-guided mobility aid for people who are blind or have low vision. Using advanced sensors and real-time navigation, Glide intuitively guides users through indoor and outdoor spaces—avoiding obstacles, identifying key landmarks, and empowering independence at every step. At Glidance, we believe mobility is a right, not a luxury.
What has happened recently:
Motmot
Founder(s): Demetris Coleman & Elliot Smith
Website: motmot.ai
Motmot is a Water and GovTech startup revolutionizing how municipalities manage drinking water infrastructure. By deploying Autonomous Underwater Robotics (AURs), Motmot maps pipeline systems, detects defects, and delivers comprehensive risk assessments—helping communities make smarter, data-driven decisions. Their mission is simple: advance communities through intelligent, future-ready infrastructure.
What has happened recently:
Motmot
Founder(s): Demetris Coleman & Elliot Smith
Website: motmot.ai
Motmot is a Water and GovTech startup revolutionizing how municipalities manage drinking water infrastructure. By deploying Autonomous Underwater Robotics (AURs), Motmot maps pipeline systems, detects defects, and delivers comprehensive risk assessments—helping communities make smarter, data-driven decisions. Their mission is simple: advance communities through intelligent, future-ready infrastructure.
What has happened recently:
CircNova
Founder(s): Crystal Brown
Website: circnova.com
CircNova is a pioneering biotechnology company harnessing the power of its proprietary AI platform, NovaEngineTM, to design and develop circular RNA (circRNA) therapeutics for previously undruggable diseases. By combining deep-learning RNA structure prediction with high-throughput synthesis, CircNova is advancing a new frontier in RNA-based therapies—offering
innovative solutions for critical unmet clinical needs like triple-negative breast cancer.
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Stunio
Founder(s): Adam Green
Website: stunio.com
Stunio is an on-demand hiring platform that connects businesses with reliable, local student talent for jobs big or small—instantly. Through smart matchmaking and university partnerships, Stunio helps businesses tap into a pipeline of skilled students for gigs, micro-internships, or full-time roles, creating real-time solutions and long-term workforce connections.
Stunio
Founder(s): Adam Green
Website: stunio.com
Stunio is an on-demand hiring platform that connects businesses with reliable, local student talent for jobs big or small—instantly. Through smart matchmaking and university partnerships, Stunio helps businesses tap into a pipeline of skilled students for gigs, micro-internships, or full-time roles, creating real-time solutions and long-term workforce connections.
PaPa’s Brittle
Founder(s): Doreen Gardner
Website: papasbrittle.com
Sweet-making is a science, but for Ms. Doreen Gardner, it’s also a legacy. Rooted in her mother’s recipe and powered by generations of love, PaPa’s Brittle has become a regional favorite—growing from a home kitchen to shelves in 42 locations across Michigan. Doreen’s grit, vision, and unapologetic excellence embody what it means to scale with purpose. Now armed with a new commercial kitchen and a deep belief in generational wealth, she’s proving that Kalamazoo-made really can mean Midwest-wide.
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RJ’s Printing
Founder(s): Sean Hollins
Website: rjsprinting.com
At RJ’s Printing, quality isn’t just a standard—it’s a philosophy. Owned and operated by Sean Hollins, this Kalamazoo-based print shop has become a local institution known for its union-certified work, quick turnaround, and creative edge. But it’s Sean’s unwavering commitment to integrity, community, and legacy that sets RJ’s apart. Whether it’s printing flyers for grassroots campaigns or designing materials for local leaders, this is a business that doesn’t just deliver—it uplifts.
What has happened recently:
RJ’s Printing
Founder(s): Sean Hollins
Website: rjsprinting.com
At RJ’s Printing, quality isn’t just a standard—it’s a philosophy. Owned and operated by Sean Hollins, this Kalamazoo-based print shop has become a local institution known for its union-certified work, quick turnaround, and creative edge. But it’s Sean’s unwavering commitment to integrity, community, and legacy that sets RJ’s apart. Whether it’s printing flyers for grassroots campaigns or designing materials for local leaders, this is a business that doesn’t just deliver—it uplifts.
What has happened recently:
Nunchi
Founder(s): Trista Van Tine
Website: heynunchi.com
Nunchi is the first AI-powered platform designed specifically for membership networks, helping teams move beyond spreadsheets, sales-focused CRMs, and shallow chat threads. With a relationship-first approach and built-in People Intelligence, Nunchi makes it easy to understand your network, surface meaningful connections, and deliver personalized member experiences. It’s not just about managing contacts—it’s about unlocking the power of real relationships to drive retention, referrals, and community growth.
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EliteCare
Founder(s): Darin Patmon
Website: elitecaretec.com
EliteCare is redefining post-acute care management by bridging the gap between healthcare and technology. Their intuitive platform streamlines care coordination, automates workflows, and enhances communication between providers, reducing complications after discharge and improving patient outcomes. Founded by a physician with firsthand experience, EliteCare empowers medical teams to focus on what matters most—the patient’s journey to better health.
What has happened recently:
EliteCare
Founder(s): Darin Patmon
Website: elitecaretec.com
EliteCare is redefining post-acute care management by bridging the gap between healthcare and technology. Their intuitive platform streamlines care coordination, automates workflows, and enhances communication between providers, reducing complications after discharge and improving patient outcomes. Founded by a physician with firsthand experience, EliteCare empowers medical teams to focus on what matters most—the patient’s journey to better health.
What has happened recently:
Meknology
Founder(s): Daniel Hodges
Website: meknology.com
Meknology, born out of a desire to address issues like the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, creates sustainable technology to turn wastewater into salable products. Currently focused on the beverage and agricultural industries, their wastewater management systems turn grains and other organic wastes into potable water, distillers’ dried grains, and phosphorus enhanced biochar soil enhancement. They then resell the products and offer profit sharing to their customers. This creates new revenue from waste, avoids fines, and protects local aquaculture from toxic bacteria and algae blooms. Protecting people, the environment, and the bottom line… that’s not technology, it’s Meknology!
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Bogan Developments
Founder(s): Jamauri Bogan
Website: BoganDevelopments.com
Bogan Developments is more than a real estate development firm—it is a mission-driven organization committed to elevating the living standards of children, families,and individuals. Founded on the belief that communities are built with people at the center, we specialize in creating affordable and workforce housing paired with thoughtfully designed community amenities. From revitalizing blighted neighborhoods to developing inclusive spaces that foster hope and opportunity, our approach is rooted in collaboration, care, and long-term thinking. We don’t just invest in buildings; we invest in lives. Through strategic public-private partnerships and a commitment to ELITE standards—Effort, Leadership, Impact, Teamwork, and Execution—we are transforming urban communities one project at a time.
What has happened recently:
Bogan Developments
Founder(s): Jamauri Bogan
Website: BoganDevelopments.com
Bogan Developments is more than a real estate development firm—it is a mission-driven organization committed to elevating the living standards of children, families,and individuals. Founded on the belief that communities are built with people at the center, we specialize in creating affordable and workforce housing paired with thoughtfully designed community amenities. From revitalizing blighted neighborhoods to developing inclusive spaces that foster hope and opportunity, our approach is rooted in collaboration, care, and long-term thinking. We don’t just invest in buildings; we invest in lives. Through strategic public-private partnerships and a commitment to ELITE standards—Effort, Leadership, Impact, Teamwork, and Execution—we are transforming urban communities one project at a time. .
What has happened recently:
Intero Biosystems
Founder(s): Madeline Eiken & Charlie Childs
Website: interobiosystems.com
Intero Biosystems is revolutionizing preclinical drug testing with GastroScreen, the world’s first stem-cell-derived human intestinal organoid featuring functional neurons, blood vessels, muscle, and intestinal lining. Designed to mirror the complexity of human organs, GastroScreen enables accurate drug testing on human tissue before clinical trials—dramatically reducing risk, cost, and time to market. As regulatory agencies around the globe push for alternatives to animal testing, Intero stands at the forefront of a new era in human-relevant, scalable, and predictive preclinical models.
What has happened recently:
- SVP of Business Development and Strategy Don Sobell for being named Entrepreneur of the Year by Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business!
- Won Rice Business Plan Competition
- Intero Biosystems Closes Oversubscribed $2M Pre-Seed Round to Advance Human Intestinal Organoid Platform for Drug Discovery
JustAir
Founder(s): Darren Riley
Website: justair.co
JustAir is a comprehensive air quality management company that empowers communities, governments, and health institutions with accessible, reliable, and actionable air data. Through an easy-to-use platform that integrates multiple monitoring devices and automated QA/QC tools, JustAir delivers deep insights and culturally-responsive community resources to drive meaningful change. Their mission is simple but powerful: protect the 20,000 breaths we take each day by putting clean air data into the hands of the people who need it most.
What has happened recently:
JustAir
Founder(s): Darren Riley
Website: justair.co
JustAir is a comprehensive air quality management company that empowers communities, governments, and health institutions with accessible, reliable, and actionable air data. Through an easy-to-use platform that integrates multiple monitoring devices and automated QA/QC tools, JustAir delivers deep insights and culturally-responsive community resources to drive meaningful change. Their mission is simple but powerful: protect the 20,000 breaths we take each day by putting clean air data into the hands of the people who need it most..
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