Special Presentation: 2024 Michigan Business Challenge Innovation Track winner Milieu

Milieu is dedicated to revolutionizing skincare through cutting-edge science and personalized solutions. It believes that every person’s skin is unique, and their skincare should be too. By analyzing your skin’s microbiome, Milieu creates custom formulations that work with your body’s natural processes, not against them.

Expert Panel: From Representation to Empowerment: Cultivating Inclusive Cultures

Representation is just the beginning! Our panel discussion will explore how businesses can move from symbolic diversity to meaningful inclusion where diverse voices influence outcomes, drive strategy, and lead with impact. Understanding the real value of diversity isn’t just ethical - it’s profitable.

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Showcase Presentation [read more]

Pitch Pit Competition

Selected entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business plan to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format.  PowerPoint slides are not permitted. Think of it as the proverbial “elevator speech.”

After all of the pitches are completed, the judges will give detailed feedback. At the end of the evening, the person with the highest score will receive the opportunity to receive a Business Readiness Assessment coaching session with New Enterprise Forum coaches. Interested in pitching your own idea? Apply here!

Participants [read more]

NEF Startup Community Champion Award

This award recognizes two individuals who have made a huge positive impact by devoting their time and energy to building a robust startup community in our region and who have directly and indirectly fostered the growth of numerous entrepreneurs. The NEF Startup Community Champion award for 2024 goes to Alexa and Johnnie Turnage, Co-Founders of Black Tech Saturdays. 

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NEF ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION

Join our members and celebrate the accomplishments of the outstanding startup entrepreneurs being recognized by New Enterprise Forum.

NEF Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The NEF Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given to an individual who is not only changing the world in a good way through their entrepreneurial accomplishments, but is also inspiring others with their vision, leadership and achievements. The 2024 winner is David Zacks, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ONL Therapeutics.

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Showcase Presentation [read more]

Special Presentation: 2024 Michigan Business Challenge Innovation Track winner MeetYourClass [read more]

Alumni Updates

Hear news and progress about past Showcase Presenters Electric Outdoors (Oct. 2023) and Innsightful (Oct. 2022).

Pitch Pit Competition

Selected entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business plan to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format.  PowerPoint slides are not permitted. Think of it as the proverbial “elevator speech.”

After all of the pitches are completed, the judges will give detailed feedback. At the end of the evening, the person with the highest score will receive the opportunity to receive a Business Readiness Assessment coaching session with New Enterprise Forum coaches. Intereste

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Showcase Presentation [read more]

Pitch Pit Extravaganza!

Selected entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business plan, an “elevator speech”, to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format.  

After all of the pitches are completed, the judges will give detailed feedback. At the end of the evening, two individuals will receive the opportunity to receive a NEF Startup Investment Readiness Assessment coaching session with NEF coaches. Interested in pitching your own idea? Apply here!

Participants [read more]

Showcase Presentations [read more]

Showcase Presentation [read more]

Showcase Presentation [read more]

Showcase Presentation [read more]

NEF ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION

Join our members and celebrate the accomplishments of the outstanding startup entrepreneurs being recognized by New Enterprise Forum.

NEF Startup Community Champion

This award recognizes an individual who has made a huge positive impact by devoting their time and energy to building a robust startup community in our region and who has directly and indirectly fostered the growth of numerous entrepreneurs. This year, the NEF Startup Community Champion award goes to Dug Song.

[read more]

Pitch Pit Competition

Selected entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business plan to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format.  PowerPoint slides are not permitted. Think of it as the proverbial “elevator speech.”

After all of the pitches are completed, the judges will give detailed feedback. At the end of the evening, the person with the highest score will receive the opportunity to receive a Business Readiness Assessment coaching session with NEF coaches. Interested in pitching your own idea? Apply here!

Participants [read more]

Showcase Presentation [read more]

Pitch Pit Competition

Selected entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business plan to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format.  PowerPoint slides are not permitted. Think of it as the proverbial “elevator speech.”

After all of the pitches are completed, the judges will give detailed feedback. At the end of the evening, the person with the highest score will receive the opportunity to receive a Business Readiness Assessment coaching session with NEF coaches. Interested in pitching your own idea? Apply here!

Participants [read more]

New Enterprise Forum is proud to have the September forum meeting be part of a2Tech360, Ann Arbor’s week-long celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship! Click here for more information, and to learn about all that is happening there during the week. 

Showcase Presentation [read more]

Pitch Pit Extravaganza!

Selected entrepreneurs will each give a four-minute pitch of their business plan to a panel of investor judges in a “Shark Tank” format.  PowerPoint slides are not permitted. Think of it as the proverbial “elevator speech.”

After all of the pitches are completed, the judges will give detailed feedback. At the end of the evening, the person with the highest score will receive the opportunity to receive a Business Readiness Assessment coaching session with NEF coaches. Interested in pitching your own idea? Apply here!

Participants [read more]

Showcase Presentation [read more]

Entrepreneur Panel: Highs and Lows on Startup Road

Several founders who received NEF coaching in past years will rejoin us to share inside stories of their journeys down the path of entrepreneurship. They will share their initial visions for their companies and how those have grown or evolved over the years of interacting with their customers and investors.

Moderator

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Lifetime Achievement Award: Skip Simms

New Enterprise Forum will be presenting Skip Simms, former Ann Arbor SPARK vice president and Michigan Angel Fund managing member, with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his substantial contributions to the startup ecosystem in the state of Michigan. This award will be presented by Rick Snyder, Co-Founder and CEO of SensCy and the former Governor of Michigan. Skip and Rick will share stories about their early days of working together at

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Panel Discussion: How to Pick the Right Startup Accelerator Partner

Our panel will explore the different kinds of startup accelerator and incubator partners, and how founders and entrepreneurs can identify the right one for their business.

Moderator

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AWARDS PRESENTATION

Join our members and celebrate the accomplishments of the outstanding startup entrepreneurs being recognized by New Enterprise Forum.

Best Showcase Presentations

From among the entrepreneurs who were coached by NEF and delivered a Showcase Presentation at a Forum in 2022, we will recognize the best performers in three categories: 

• Best Business Model
• Best Technology
• Best Presentation

Join us to find out who the winners are!

Rising Stars

Our Rising Star Awards recognize startup founders who are in the early growth stage but have already demonstrated significant traction and are making a name for themselves in the Michigan entrepreneurial community. Winners this year are Katie Hall and Prashant Salla.

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