Show Me The Money

MFF Member Highlights

• CircNova, founded by Crystal Brown; JustAir Solutions, founded by Darren Riley; and Motmot, founded by Elliott Smith each received $50k from the Detroit Startup Fund!
• Stock Pal, founded by Michael Polk and WhatsEatLike (Goodpluck), founded by Chening Duker each received $15k in funding from the Detroit Startup Fund!
• Elliott Smith, founder of Motmot, was inducted to the Michigan Section AWWA Board of Trustees!
• Kall Morris, Inc., founded by Adam Kall, Troy Morris, and Austin Morris, will be featured on Meet the Drapers!
• Jake Yurek, co-founder of Pearl Edison, was a speaker at New Climate Futures at Newlab Brooklyn during Climate Week!
• CircNova, founded by Crystal Brown, was named the Up-and-Coming Company of the Year by the Michigan Venture Capital Association!
• Trip Slip, founded by Achsha Jones, won 1st place and $50k and 'Round Here, founded by Matt Burnett, won 2nd place and $30k at the Big Bet Competition by Black Tech Saturdays!
• Adrenaline Interactive, founded by Max Albert, won PitchMI Ann Arbor!

MFF members: Send us your wins!

The MFF Pre-Accelerator is in full swing with the 3rd cohort of 2025! These early-stage founders will receive $15k in grants and 7-weeks of focused mentoring and support from MFF, gener8tor, and the wider MFF community.

We’re proud to welcome this cohort's founders:

Phyllip Hall
- AppFactory: No-code automation platform modernizing workflows for enterprises and institutions.

Opeyemi Adeyemo - Rekognize AI: Bias-reduction facial recognition platform built on one of the largest African image databases.

Jordan Morgan - Spin Travel: Corporate travel booking platform reducing costs and streamlining group bookings.

Stella Safari - Zapenda: Fashion brand and tech platform connecting U.S. customers with Congolese artisans through custom clothing.

Shantonio Birch - ThermoVerse: Smart ceiling tile system reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings.

You can catch a glimpse of their 7-week progress at the next MFFPA Founder Showcase, which will be Nov. 20. RSVP Now.

Recap: VC + Founder Roundtable & Founder Lounge @ Comerica Park

Thank you to all founders who came through either our VC + Founder Roundtable and/or Founder Lounge at the Tiger Club on Sep. 30! We wanted an intentional founder gathering amongst all of the other packed fall activities, and right before the Tigers' playoff run.

The evening at Comerica Park featured:

• Small-group conversations between Michigan founders and VCs across the midwest, sparking real dialogue about what’s working, what’s next, and how we can grow stronger together.
• Authentic connections and actionable insights to strengthen Michigan’s startup ecosystem.
• Informal conversations & light bites with founders, overlooking Comerica Park — no pitches, just candid exchanges.

We’re grateful to everyone who joined and made the night meaningful. Events like this show the power of coming together in a low-key, high-trust environment.

One founder said it best: “Thank you for hosting such a great meetup. I left with actionable feedback... Insights that weren’t even on my radar before tonight. Grateful for a community where founders can connect, learn, and grow.”

Welcome to our new MFF Operations Director: Delaney Keating!

Delaney Keating is a seasoned leader, entrepreneur, and change agent who believes deeply in the power of ideas, the people behind them, and the places they shape. For more than a decade, she's been designing and leading startup systems that build trust, expand opportunities, and help founders and communities thrive. Known for her human-centered approach, Delaney helps organizations transform how they communicate, strengthen their culture, and inspire leadership at every level. Whether guiding founders, coaching teams, or shaping strategy, she is driven by a commitment to unlocking potential and creating conditions where people and communities can thrive.

A recent immigrant from Colorado, Delaney lives in northern Michigan, where she has most recently served as the Director of Entrepreneurship at 20Fathoms, expanding its services throughout northwestern / lower Michigan. Her career highlights include helping Pando Telecom scale tenfold in under a year, launching Startup Colorado’s first statewide rural startup network, and co-founding the Catapult Outdoor Industry Accelerator to connect emerging entrepreneurs with industry leaders. She also served on Governor Hickenlooper’s Brand Colorado team, led a successful exit from her creative firm RoShamBo by cultivating new leadership, and continues to coach founders and organizations toward greater clarity and impact.

Read a letter from Delaney >

"As someone newer to Michigan, I have the benefit of being a novel outsider — for now. I come with questions, curiosity, and a few hypotheses. My perspective is shaped by watching Colorado’s entrepreneurial landscape evolve over the past two decades — full of both hard-won lessons and cautionary tales. I'm grateful to be living in Northern Michigan now and serving this state — every chapter of my work has centered on people and culture."

— Delaney Keating, MFF Operations Director

Join MFF Members from Kall Morris, Syncurrent, and more as they convene both Founders and Creatives this Thursday in Marquette... then stay for the Fresh Coast Film Festival!

Ecosystem Events + Deadlines

• Oct 16 — Marquette Speakeasy @ the Speakeasy
• Oct 21-23 — Motion + Power Technology Expo
• Oct 29 — A2 Mobility Tech Meetup
• Oct 29 — NextCycle Michigan, app deadline
• Oct 30 — Hustler, Founder, CEO, app deadline
• Oct 30 — Emerging Tech Connect Career Fair
• Nov 5 — Accelerate Blue Foundry, app deadline
• Nov 6 — Michigan Sustainability Conference
• Nov 6 — Place Matters Summit GR
• Nov 6 — Sustainable Urban Design Summit
• Nov 18 — TC NewTech
• Nov 20 — Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator Founder Showcase
• Dec 3 — Midwest House Summit
• Dec 5 — Indigipitch
• Dec 13 — Black Tech Saturdays Holiday Celebration

Michigan Founders Fund (MFF) is a vibrant hub for peer engagement that enables high-growth founders to turn business success into positive community impact.

Interested in learning more? Please contact us at community@michiganfoundersfund.org.