[Traverse City, MI – July 2, 2022] TCNewTech in Traverse City put five Michigan investors in
the hot seat to pitch their firms to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in the
Northern Michigan area. The unique format was intended to educate local entrepreneurs and
startups, about who the players are and what they are looking for when investing in young
companies.
Jody Trietch, from Northern Michigan Angels, won the audience vote by a resounding margin.
She graciously donated the $500 winner’s check directly back to TCNewTech after pitching
about angel investment.
Jody provided excellent insights into NMA’s funds and the types of companies that angels are
looking to invest in, and left the audience with several questions to ask themselves as they
prepare for their angel pitches.
Representatives of other participating investment firms included in this “reverse” pitch event:
- Josh Hart presented on Venture Capital and discussed how to maximize your chances
of getting picked. Josh was representing Sweater Investment. He drew attention to the
number of applications that the firms receive and the common denominator which
typically differentiated an applicant. This ultimately boiled down to relationships and
name recognition. - Thomas Coke discussed Incubators and Crowdfunding. Thomas is the Entrepreneur-In-
Residence at GSVU and CEO of VarsityGems. Thomas provided fantastically honest
insight into the statistics and options available to companies around these two concepts. - Broc W. Edwards pitched Seed and Pre-Seed Funding and represented his venture firm
Pronoia. Broc brought an impressive amount of Wall Street experience to the stage.
Broc advocated advancing Michigan investors, working with Michigan companies, rather
than out-of-state funding flowing into Michigan. - Lowell Gruman took the stage in stride, representing a local favorite, Boomerang
Catapult LLC. Lowell, a local powerhouse VC was pitching Series Round Funding A-C.
He broke down what each stage’s goals and outcomes were and provided valuable
insight and advice.
About Northern Michigan Angels (www.NorthernMichiganAngels.com)
Northern Michigan Angels (NMA) was founded January 2012 and is a 501 (c) 6 non-profit.
Members invest in scalable entrepreneurial companies whose potential success will have an
economic and quality of life impact in Michigan, especially in northwestern Lower Michigan.
Each member makes their own investment decision. NMA is not a fund and does not provide
investment advice. NMA is a member of the Angel Capital Association (ACA).
About TCNewTech (https://tcnewtech.org)
Up to 5 presenters highlight the new tech product or business venture each month – 5 minutes
to present and 5 minutes of Q&A. Between presenters the audience is allowed to make brief
announcements for things such as job openings, persons seeking employment, other events
happening in the area related to technology. The audience is typically made up of technology-
minded people, tech companies looking for staff, individuals looking for investment opportunity,
start-up founders looking for investors, and tech geeks that just like learning about new
offerings. There is no charge to attend or to present.
