The next New Enterprise Forum monthly forum event happens on Thursday, March 20, at Ann Arbor SPARK. The evening will kick off at 5:00 p.m. with food, drink and networking, with programming starting at 5:45 p.m..
We will begin the evening with a continuation of our Annual Awards celebration in February by presenting Alexa Turnage and Johnnie Turnage, co-founders of Black Tech Saturdays, with the NEF Startup Community Champion Award. Alexa and Johnnie are a husband-and-wife powerhouse that are not just reshaping tech, but fundamentally shifting the trajectory of Black, Brown and underestimated founders in America. What began as a single event has transformed into a nationwide force, drawing nearly 20,000 visitors across six states and generated over $30 million in economic impact. At the heart of their work with BTS is belonging – a radical belief that access to opportunity should not be determined by zip code, background or network, but by vision and determination. NEF salutes and honors them with this well-deserved award.
We will then move on to a showcase investor presentation by Krishnan Kandasamy, founder and CEO of ZenHedge, a FinTech (Finance + Technology) startup based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ZenHedge offers peace of mind by protecting shippers from the financial impact of tender rejection, freight rate volatility and other supply chain disruptions – risks that were once hard to “hedge” against. Krishnan recently complete the NEF coaching process and we are proud to have him present at this forum event.
But that’s not all! NEF is thrilled to present an engaging fireside chat with two early-stage investors on the topic of “Pre-Seed Fundraising: Strategies for Success” to close the evening. They will discuss what it takes for early-stage startups to be truly investment-ready. This conversation will provide founders, as well as investors looking to support high-potential startups, with critical insights into the pre-seed fundraising journey. Stay tuned for more here, as well as our announcement of the participants.
It will be a full evening of networking, celebration, insight and fun. You will not want to miss it.
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