Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Available every Tuesday & Thursday - Book a 30-minute virtual office hour with a marketing and sales expert through Ann Arbor SPARK’s Entrepreneurship Resource Studio.

This free session is ideal for businesses looking to grow their audience, improve conversions, and build a sustainable sales engine.

What We’ll Cover:

• Target audience and channel strategy (who to reach and where)
• Offer positioning and messaging that converts
• Low-cost marketing tactics (email, social, partnerships)
• Lead generation, pipeline, and follow-up systems
• Simple metrics to track ROI and optimize campaigns

Schedule to speak with a Subject Matter Expert here!

NEW for 2026! Lightning Rounds connect startups with corporations
Michigan Tech Week continues to take shape, and we’re excited to share a closer look at a new programming element coming this year: Lightning Rounds.

Lightning Rounds connect startups and corporations for mutual growth. They are designed to spark corporate innovation connections such as pilot projects. We encourage all startups to apply, as well as corporations looking to engage with startups in the coming years. Pilots, partnerships, direct investment: everything is on the table, it’s simply a matter of finding the right match.

Click here to get all the details: Lightning Rounds at Michigan Tech Week 2026

How Lightning Rounds Work

Lightning Rounds are high-intensity, 15-minute, 1-on-1 pitch sessions between startups and corporate innovators, held at MTW on May 20th, 2026.

Lightning Rounds in four simple steps:

1. Apply: Startups and investors submit a brief application.

2. Match: Corporations review a curated list of startups and select who they want to meet.

3. Schedule: The MTW Lightning Rounds team manages the logistics and builds personalized meeting schedules based on mutual interest and availability.

4. Meet: Participants take part in focused, one-on-one meetings to explore potential next steps.

Note: Application does not guarantee any meetings. Corporations review all applications and select the startups with whom they would like to meet. Startups may be selected by multiple corporations and have several meetings or have just one meeting that could change everything.

Monday, April 27, 2026 - 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Free Online Workshop

 

Get ready to build your credit score, learn how to protect yourself from scams and how to plan for emergencies.

For more information contact: brook.ratliff@operationhope.org - (313) 737-4796

 

Event registration form

DARPA and the University of Michigan invite you to Mission Connect: Ann Arbor, MI — a one-day event focused on industrial transformation and connecting innovators to emerging national security challenges and opportunities.

Event Details
Date: May 7, 2026
Time: 8:15am – 4:00pm ET | Networking reception to follow
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (virtual option available)
Register Here: https://events.bizzabo.com/MichiganMissionConnect

Why DARPA?
DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is the U.S. Department of War’s premier R&D agency, pursuing breakthrough innovations across artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, autonomy, and more.

Known for turning bold ideas into real-world capabilities, DARPA plays a critical role in delivering advanced technology to the warfighter at speed.

What is Mission Connect?
Mission Connect is a new DARPAConnect event format focused on where DARPA is going next — including how the agency is driving industrial transformation to rebuild and scale critical capabilities. This is not just “how to work with DARPA.” It is how to align your work to mission needs, emerging priorities, and real opportunities.

You will leave with a clear understanding of:

• Where DARPA is investing
• What technical areas are gaining momentum
• How to position your work for impact

What to Expect
This full-day event brings together industry, academia, and emerging businesses to engage directly with DARPA leadership and Program Managers driving industrial transformation efforts. You will:

• Explore DARPA Portfolios: Understand active research areas and emerging directions, including efforts tied to reindustrialization and advanced manufacturing
• Engage with Program Managers: Learn how to align your work with mission needs and evolving technical priorities
• Identify Opportunities: See where your technology fits within mission needs and capability gaps
• Experience Demos: Participate in technical discussions and see emerging capabilities shaping the future industrial base
• Build Connections: Network with DARPA and regional innovators contributing to industrial transformation

Program Managers will share how their portfolios align to mission needs and where they are seeking new ideas and performers.

Space is limited. Secure your spot today

https://events.bizzabo.com/MichiganMissionConnect

Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided for all in-person participants.