Abike Martins didn’t set out to build a company. While pursuing her doctorate in Business Psychology, a research project idea compelled her to solve a problem that kept her up at night: Why were so many talented, motivated adult students enrolling in community colleges across Michigan, taking out loans and making sacrifices, and then not finishing degrees or certifications? She wanted to understand the kinds of support that would keep adult students engaged and on track in higher education.
“I thought this was just going to be a project,” Abike admits. “I just wanted to have some conversations, bounce some ideas around, figure out what would help adult learners finish degrees and earn certifications. I reached out to the Michigan SBDC and Small Business Support from Ann Arbor SPARK with my ideas. Then I realized, ‘This isn’t just a project, it’s a business!’”
That shift in perspective transformed Abike’s vision into Rise Michigan, a company whose mission is simple: To increase graduation rates at community colleges by creating engagement opportunities for adult students. Support from the Business Coaching Program led by Millie Chu, with coaching delivered by T.Rose Malone through the Michigan SBDC, and Small Business Support resources from Ann Arbor SPARK, has been instrumental to her progress.
Abike’s path to entrepreneurship winds through computer repair at the University of Michigan’s physics department, software coding for HR startups, human resources management, workforce research, and now a doctorate in business psychology.
When she launched Rise Michigan, all those experiences clicked into place. “Nothing gets wasted,” she says. “I’m now using skill sets from all of those different roles.”
Michigan’s Evolving Labor Landscape
Abike’s HR experience revealed a troubling trend: Michigan needs a robust workforce for the coming years, but community colleges aren’t graduating enough students to meet that need.
Colleges are marketing aggressively to adult students. Enrollment is up. But graduation rates aren’t following.
“The system is not really designed to support adult learners,” Abike explains. “Rise comes in and says, ‘Okay, what do adult students need? How can we take the environment that we have and make it so that adult students can be successful and supported in the way that they really need to be, not what the college thinks they need?'”
Research Reveals the Real Story
When Abike connected with the Michigan SBDC and Small Business Support from Ann Arbor SPARK, one message came through loud and clear: Data matters. So this past spring and summer, she launched an in-person interview series with adult students: “We’re getting really good quality by doing it in person, rather than by surveys,” she says. She discovered that there’s currently no qualitative research on adult community college students’ actual experiences and needs.
Abike set out to fill that research gap.
The interviews revealed unexpected insights. When she asked one home health aide why she was pursuing nursing, her answer seemed obvious: “I’m always taking care of people. It’s what I do well.” But by the end of their conversation, the student recognized other skills and desires she hadn’t considered.
The preliminary data from these interviews has already opened doors. Rise Michigan was invited to present at five conferences this year throughout Michigan and in the southern United States. “People were saying yes, left and right,” Abike says.
The Pitch Competition That Changed Everything
Abike’s Rise colleague Yolanda pushed her to enter SPARK’s pitch competition. That leap of faith paid off. She won $10,000 in funding that launched the qualitative study, covered marketing and branding costs, and funded the prototype for an app (Rise Michigan later pivoted to a more cost-effective web-based portal based on student feedback).
But the money was just the beginning. The pitch competition connected her with potential partners and validated her vision. “So many people came up to me,” she recalls. One parent waited in line to share how his daughter thrived at an Ivy League school only after finding peers who understood her background. “He said, ‘That’s why you get my vote.'”
Building the Solution
Rise Michigan tackles the isolation that derails adult students through peer support groups facilitated by in-house advisors at each college. “We see a big resource with adult students: knowledge and experience,” Abike explains. “Getting them together in a peer group environment gives them an opportunity to support each other and exchange resources.”
The company is also developing specialized groups for students with ADHD, led by Yolanda, who works in education and adult ADHD support. These groups will launch across multiple schools simultaneously to provide tools to as many adult students as possible.
Beyond peer support, Rise Michigan will connect students with organizations to help them understand workforce needs and explore career paths they might not know exist. “There are certifications that can yield almost immediate work after graduation. Students don’t know about it,” Abike says.
What’s Next
Abike’s immediate goal is to launch pilot programs at two of three target schools this spring: Washtenaw Community College, Henry Ford Community College, and Schoolcraft Community College. She’s being strategic, choosing schools with strong infrastructure and relationships where she can maintain close contact.
Looking five years ahead, Abike sees Rise Michigan at the forefront of workforce development, providing essential data on how adults learn best and how to retrain workers whose jobs have been replaced or disrupted. “We’re going to have to figure out really how to retrain, retool, and ignite passion for people,” she says.
About Small Business Support
Small Business Support from Ann Arbor SPARK provides no-cost coaching, mentorship, workshops, and resources to help entrepreneurs in Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw Counties start and grow their businesses. Through a collaborative network of Business Support Partners, we offer expert guidance, technical assistance, and tools designed to strengthen local entrepreneurship, fuel innovation, and build long-term business success.
