Co-Founder Matchmaking - How to make the marriage work

Panel Discussion: Co-Founder Matchmaking - How to Make the Marriage Work

Starting a new venture is exhilarating, but beneath the excitement lies a crucial decision that can make or break your startup: choosing your co-founders. It’s often likened to a marriage, and for good reason – you’ll be spending countless hours, navigating intense challenges, and making pivotal decisions together.

Join us for an insightful panel discussion where we’ll delve deep into this critical early step in startup formation. Our moderator, Luke Donahue, a seasoned startup founder with extensive experience in new business development, will lead a conversation with local entrepreneurs and ecosystem providers. Luke, having been through the startup journey multiple times, understands the nuances and challenges of building a strong founding team.

This panel will explore why selecting the right co-founders is paramount, examining the qualities that contribute to a resilient and successful partnership. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a “napkin idea” or contemplating your next venture, this discussion will provide invaluable insights and practical advice on building a founding team that sets your startup up for success. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from those who have navigated these waters and gain a clearer roadmap for your own entrepreneurial journey.

Panelists

Charlie Childs and Madeline Eiken, co-founders of Intero Biosystems. Charlie Childs, PhD, is the co-founder and CEO, where she is advancing adult stem-cell-derived miniature human organs to improve drug safety and efficacy testing. She holds a BS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan. Charlie is driven by a mission to reduce reliance on animal testing and bringing safer drugs to patients in need.  

Madeline Eiken is the co-founder and COO of Intero Biosystems. She has a BS in Bioengineering from Santa Clara University and will be defending her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan this fall. Prior to her PhD, she worked at a start-up company taking a cell-based product to market. Madeline is passionate about making clinical trials live up to their promise to patients through better preclinical models.  

Matt Bower, Partner at Varnum LLP. Matt is serves as outside general counsel to a wide range of emerging and middle market companies. His industry concentrations include software, SaaS, information technology, IoT, data analytics and other technology-based companies, as well as manufacturing, automotive, advanced materials, pharma, medical devices, publishing, digital advertising and media, retail, and food and beverage. Matt’s emerging companies practice focusses on, among other things, corporate formation and organization, capital fundraising, and securities law compliance. He works closely with companies from cradle (formation and organization) to liquidity (sale or merger) and all stages of development in between. Matt is a member of Varnum’s Business and Corporate Services Practice Team, and participates in the Intellectual Property, the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, and the Startup and Emerging Companies practice teams. He is also the lead partner of the firm’s Ann Arbor office.

Showcase Presentations

Meegan Winters with AbleVu. AbleVu is a leading provider of accessibility information services, dedicated to improving accessibility awareness and inclusion. By providing businesses and organizations with an affordable platform to share accessibility information, AbleVu empowers individuals with disabilities to access essential information and services with ease.

Ana Timoficiuc with MinaRosa Technologies. MinaRosa Technologies is a women-led health and wellness startup pioneering portable, non-invasive light therapy for pelvic, bladder, and urogenital pain, starting with urinary tract infections (UTIs). Ana has led MinaRosa through clinical collaborations with Harvard and University of Michigan urologists, secured over $200K in funding, and is preparing to launch a stigma-breaking product that restores dignity, freedom, and control to women’s lives.

Special Thanks to our Partner