Made At Michigan Magazine

MADE AT MICHIGANSPRING2016

EIASNTNTNUTUORD-VEEMAPNT:RTI2OE0NN1E5AU/N1R6DSHIP

MEET THE NONPROFIT
ROCKIN’ DETROIT

PAGE 43

THE RISE OF SOCIAL U-M ENTREPRENEURS PIONEERING STUDENT U-M LEGAL CLINIC HELPS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ARE ALL IN FOR MICHIGAN INVESTMENT STUDENT INNOVATORS

PAGE 4 PAGE 8 PAGE 18 PAGE 36

INSIDE: 2015/16 STUDENT VENTURE HIGHLIGHTS

SLG
START LAUNCH GROW

PAGE 10 PAGE 20 PAGE 40

See more ventures at innovateblue.umich.edu/highlights
#MadeAtMichigan

IDEASABHIGO,MBEOFLODR

Dear Friends, Students are receiving expert advice from faculty
through initiatives such as the College of Engineering’s
Our strength across many academic disciplines and Center for Entrepreneurship, the Ross School of
the experiential breadth we offer to students are both Business’Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies,
essential components of a University of Michigan the law clinic at the Zell Entrepreneurship and Law
education. U-M’s student entrepreneurs can thrive in Program, and more.
the ecosystem we have created through our Innovate
Blue initiative. In the last two years, we have created a new minor in
entrepreneurship open to all undergraduate students
By leveraging our academic excellence and formative and added entrepreneurship experiences and compe-
opportunities for practice, U-M’s approach to entrepre- titions. These programs have fueled the ambition and
neurship allows students to develop self-agency and entrepreneurial spirit of students across campus—
the ability to innovate and take risks. Entrepreneurship with many forming ventures showcased in this report.
education also teaches students to seize the initiative,
build relationships, find resources, and learn from The student ventures demonstrate U-M’s highest
mistakes as they strive to bring ideas to fruition. values. From a nonprofit organization providing young
girls in Detroit with access to musical training, to a
U-M students in all disciplines can benefit from entre- medical device company, our students’ creativity is
preneurship education, whether they go on to form addressing problems and helping individuals and
businesses or apply their skills to careers in other communities.
areas including science, the arts, law, or public service.
I appreciate your interest and engagement with our
We are well-positioned to build upon our growing track entrepreneurship students and Innovate Blue as we
record of excellence in entrepreneurship education. work to support future generations of University of
With more than 15 centers and programs in entrepre- Michigan innovators.
neurship across the university and more than 30 student
entrepreneurship organizations, U-M delivers one of Sincerely,
the best and broadest engaged learning experiences in
entrepreneurship available anywhere. MARK SCHLISSEL, PRESIDENT

1

#MadeAtMichigan

INTRMODAUCDINEG AT MICHIGAN

elcome to the inaugural issue of Made at We have also seen tremendous interest and activity in
Michigan, the University of Michigan’s annual innovation and entrepreneurship, from students across all
progress report highlighting student innovation schools and colleges on campus. In addition to the minor
and entrepreneurship. program, there now exist:

Preparing students for entrepreneurial success has been part 15 CENTERS & PROGRAMS RELATED TO
of the fabric of U-M since the nation’s first small-business ENTREPRENEURSHIP
management course hit the books at the Ross School of
Business in 1927. Since then, we’ve seen expansion of both 30OVER
curricular and co-curricular entrepreneurial offerings, with STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN
the most explosive growth occurring in the past few years. ENTREPRENEURIAL FOCUS

In January 2015, an entrepreneurial education became 120 ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION
available to all majors at U-M with the launch of a new campus- RELATED COURSES
wide minor in entrepreneurship. The 15-credit program is
attracting students from diverse areas of study. Throughout these pages you’ll see the true impact of this
entrepreneurial environment—U-M students and a few
46 7MAJORS FROM UNDERGRAD COLLEGES recent grads whose endeavors span multiple disciplines and
MINORING IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP models—from for-profit businesses to nonprofit organizations
to innovative products with market potential.You’ll also learn
U-M has also been recognized nationally with top rankings how the university is helping nurture their journeys from idea
for excellence in entrepreneurship education: to execution.

7TH 4TH Above all, you’ll realize the great potential of the creativity,
UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP inspiration, determination, and energy being used to solve
EDUCATION EDUCATION big problems at every stage.

THE PRINCETON REVIEW AND ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE Find out more: innovateblue.umich.edu/highlights

2 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Learn about Elegus Technologies, a Made at Michigan is produced by Innovate Blue and the
U-M grow-stage venture, on page 50. network of programs, centers, and institutes dedicated to
supporting U-M’s student innovators and entrepreneurs.

WHAT IS INNOVATE BLUE?

Innovate Blue is the University of Michigan’s campus-wide
innovation and entrepreneurship education initiative created
to expand and connect programs in business, engineering,
liberal arts, health, information, and more, to cultivate and
support a collaborative entrepreneurial environment.

HIGHLIGHTS OF U-M’S
ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM

• The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for
Entrepreneurial Studies at the Ross School of Business
has granted over $2.5 million to student startups through
its robust portfolio of program initiatives since 1999.

• The Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of
Engineering provides active learning experiences to
more than 6,000 students and faculty across U-M
through classes and programs that teach the skills
needed to successfully translate high-potential projects
and ideas into real-world solutions.

• New programs in social entrepreneurship have formed
and expanded, including a student-led initiative—
optiMize Social Innovation—that is now formally part
of the College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts;
and a Social Impact Track of the Michigan Business
Challenge sponsored by the Zell Lurie Institute and
Center for Social Impact at Ross.

• The School of Public Health’s Innovation in Action
is open to all students and helps teams find entrepre-
neurial solutions to real-world challenges. This year,
the program expanded to partner with the School of
Education.

• The School of Information Entrepreneurship Program
leads an annual Innovation Trek to New York, a Design
Clinic where student teams serve area entrepreneurial
clients, and take coursework in mobile application
innovation.

• The EXCEL Program (Excellence in Career Empower-
ment, Entrepreneurship & Leadership) at the School of
Music,Theatre & Dance works to empower students to be
entrepreneurial and engage in rewarding careers related
to their field of study.

3

#MadeAtMichigan

STHOE RCISIEAOLF

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

TCRAHNASFNORGMINEG SATUGDEENTNS TINSTO

s an incoming freshman, Benjamin Rathi
had his mind set on a pre-medical path.
Now three years later, he’s a business and
computer science major who founded a
501(c)(3) nonprofit, Blueprints For Pangaea (see page
43), that will impact hundreds of thousands of lives
worldwide by reallocating unused medical supplies.

Ben came into his college experience knowing little
about entrepreneurship and admits to feeling “a
bit risk averse” back then. He’s since been named
Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Zell Lurie
Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, and has been
actively involved in entrepreneurship in a variety of
roles and organizations.

“As a kid, I always admired people in Silicon Valley for being at the
center of entrepreneurship in the world, for constantly pushing
humanity toward something greater,” Ben says.

Little did he know that one day he’d be that very entrepreneur
pushing humanity toward something better. But instead of Silicon
Valley, his journey began in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan.

Higher education institutions across the country are seeing more
students like Ben­—young disruptors, innovators, and entrepreneurs
impatient to change the world. Many of them are already armed
with the ideas, curiosity, and creativity to solve big problems by
the time they sit down to hear their first lecture.

4 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

As a leading public research university, providing benefit for the
greater good is part of our DNAat Michigan.And over the past several
years, programs geared specifically toward social innovation and
entrepreneurship have grown, mostly driven by student demand
and in some cases even developed by students themselves.

“There are so many different opportunities available at the University
of Michigan: different competitions, different races-to-the-finish
on finding a solution for something. I really admire this program
and how it allows people to come to a conclusion or solution after
many months of searching for it,” says Mikaela Rodkin, MBA/MS
candidate, Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, and
participant in the Innovation in Action competition.

So what exactly is a social entrepreneur? While definitions vary,
most social entrepreneurs are simply individuals with innovative
solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are
ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering
new ideas for wide-scale change.

The movement is growing not just at Michigan but across the globe.
More people want more from their job than just a paycheck,
and social entrepreneurship is one way to get there. In a recent
nationwide study by the national nonprofit Net Impact, researchers
asked graduating students in the United States what they most
want from their jobs and what makes them most satisfied at
work. The study found that 72 percent of students polled said
that doing work with positive impact on causes important to
them is essential or very important.

Fortunately, Michigan’s growing array of social entrepreneurship
programs and competitions give students the chance to witness the
positive impact their ideas and research can make in the real world.
According to one Danish study, the rise of social entrepreneurship
programs like these is fostering an increasingly engaged approach
among students entering competitions that solve real-life issues,
rather than merely entertaining competitions on theoretical cases.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Ross School of Business MBA students team up with Detroit THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT U-M
youth to support the city’s next generation of entrepreneurs. IS ITS ECOSYSTEM FOR ENTREPRENEURS.
THE MICHIGAN ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY
HAS HELPED ME TAKE THE FIRST STEP. WE’RE
ABLE TO COME TOGETHER, TO SHARE OUR
IDEAS, AND THAT IS INVALUABLE.

Benjamin Rathi, U-M computer science
major, founder of Blueprints For Pangaea

5

#MMADadEeAATtMMiIcChHigIGanAN

Fresh Fridge (see page 15), winner of the 2016 Innovation in Action optiMize Social Innovation challenges students to ask “Why not me?”
competition, helps consumers waste less food and save money.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND optiMize Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the
INNOVATION AT MICHIGAN College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
A model of innovation itself, the optiMize program at the College of
New and growing programs at U-M are driving social innovation Literature, Science, and the Arts was started by students who didn’t
and transformation in various fields including education, health, want to see great ideas left behind when class ended. The way it
environment, and enterprise development. Anchored in U-M’s top works is simple: each fall, student teams apply with ideas for social
schools and colleges, most programs feature a multidisciplinary impact. Over the next seven months, teams attend a series of
approach and are open to all. workshops where they work alongside and learn from one another,
while alumni and local entrepreneurs serve as mentors. The winners
Innovation in Action: Solutions to Real-World Challenges are then selected by a group of past participants, and funded
The Innovation in Action competition at the School of Public by the university to spend the summer building their startups and
Health harnesses the talents of Michigan students to address nonprofits. That funding totaled $155,000 in 2016. Students whose
real-world problems. Now in its third year, the competition has projects proceed, have a unique chance to make meaningful, lasting
expanded from its original public health focus to include a new contributions to the local, state, national, and international commu-
education track. The five-month-long program equips students nities. And they do. Past projects include an urban-farming initiative
with an innovator’s toolkit in a supportive environment where that in three years has produced more than 50,000 pounds of fresh
they combine these skills with their creativity and passion to produce in a pay-what-you-can model in north Detroit (see page 52);
make an impact. Teams compete for cash prizes totaling more a collection system that has shipped more than $1 million in unused
than $45,000. Past student teams have found solutions to access medical supplies to Ghana; and an ed-tech company to teach
to fresh food, improving the breastfeeding experience, and creating children history through the stories of women.
meaningful connections and relationships.
Center for Social Impact at the Ross School of Business
“Oftentimes, we think when I’m a practicing pharmacist, or when The Center for Social Impact at the Ross School of Business has a
I have a real job then I can start helping people. But really, we’re host of programs that prepare and inspire leaders to solve complex
helping people now,” says School of Pharmacy student Stephanie social challenges, with plenty of multidisciplinary and cross-sector
Burke, whose team developed a culturally tailored diabetes com- opportunities. Each year the Center for Social Impact hosts the
munity group for Native Americans modeled after the traditional Social Impact Challenge, and partners with a social impact orga-
talking circle. nization in Detroit to tackle a live case with U-M students in the
winter term. Last year, the Center also launched the Social Impact
Track of the Michigan Business Challenge with the Zell Lurie Insti-
tute for Entrepreneurial Studies, which gave students access to

6 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Students at the Ross School of Business learn how to harness the power of Students participate in entrepreneurial challenges to develop solutions to
business to pursue social change through the Center for Social Impact and some of the world’s most difficult problems.
Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES pursuing dual degrees in education, environment, health, law, and
AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF public policy. The Institute also manages the Social Impact Track
MICHIGAN: DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS, for the Michigan Business Challenge. One of the major entrepre-
DIFFERENT RACES-TO-THE-FINISH ON neurship competitions on campus, the challenge is open to all
FINDING A SOLUTION FOR SOMETHING. undergraduate and graduate students. In 2014, ZLI teamed up with
the Center for Social Impact and the Erb Institute to launch a track
Mikaela Rodkin, MBA/MS candidate and specifically geared to social ventures. “The Social Impact Track of
Innovation in Action participant the Michigan Business Challenge gives students a real-world expe-
rience entrenched in the business creation process that they’ll face
a prize pool of $26,000 to social enterprise business plans and as socially minded entrepreneurs,”said Stewart Thornhill, executive
a chance to win $50,000 in total prizes. Social entrepreneur and director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepre-
business student Ben Rathi took home the top prize in 2015, and neurial Studies. “Every year, students walk away with the tools and
Kulisha won in 2016 (see page 23). The Center also funds Ross knowledge that broaden their skill set and help them get ahead of
MBAs to travel across the country to build strategy and capacity the competition.”
for urban social entrepreneurs, embeds students with Detroit-
focused social enterprises for a year, and provides internships for While the programs above are aimed specifically at social entrepre-
social entrepreneurs to build their businesses. neurship and innovation, the opportunities don’t stop there. Pro-
grams at the School of Information and Center for Entrepreneurship
Zell Lurie Institute (ZLI) for Entrepreneurial Studies (CFE) at the College of Engineering offer several opportunities that
Launched in September of 2009, the Social Venture Fund is the are open to students interested in making a social impact, from
first student-led impact investment fund, focusing exclusively the NY Trek with UMSI to The Startup competition and Jump Start
on U.S.-based, for-profit social enterprises and is dedicated to Grants available through the CFE. Just last year, the CFE supported
pursuing continued innovation in impact investing. It invests up more than 18 social entrepreneurship student ventures. Arts-
to $50,000 in early-stage companies that generate both financial focused enterprises with a social mission can find venture support
and social returns. The best part? The Social Venture Fund is led through the EXCEL Program in the School of Music, Theatre &
by approximately 40 MBAs and BBAs, nearly half of whom are Dance, along with a minor in entrepreneurship practicum course
devoted to creating social value through the arts. In addition,
several student organizations are embracing social innovation and
entrepreneurship and giving students meaningful educational
experiences outside the classroom while working to change their
community, the region, and the world for the better.

7

#MadeAtMichigan

ARE ALL INU-M ENTREPRENEURS What’s driving the rapidly increasing desire for startups to take
root in Michigan? The Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) has
FOR MICHIGAN identified a number of key influencers at the state, community, and
institutional level that are supporting growth in commercializing
n the statewide Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition technology and new business ideas here.
that was held in Detroit this past October, U-M student and
alumni startups brought home more than $650K of the total First, let’s just call it like it is. Entrepreneurship in general has
$1 million of prizes and awards. This included the grand prize become really “cool” as more resources and opportunities are
of $500K that was awarded to recent U-M engineering alumni made available to create or recreate innovation. But what some
startup SkySpecs, LLC (see page 48). may not realize is that Michigan was one of the first regions built
around profound entrepreneurship. Long before there was a
Perhaps even more encouraging than their success in this annual “Silicon Valley” there was Henry Ford, for example. Much of
event: all five UM-affiliated teams that won at the Accelerate Michigan’s economic legacy has been the state’s ability to design
Michigan competition have either already established headquarters faster, better, and more efficient ways to do just about everything
in the state or are planning to build companies here that provide from manufacturing to automotive to translational research.
products and services to a global market. Here’s who they are:
The underlying principle of the “Startup Culture” is to combine
GRAND PRIZE ($500,000): SkySpecs, LLC, drone safety the brightest human capital with the tasks of problem solving.
and software technology That same philosophy has always characterized Michigan, but it
now presents itself with a new generation at the forefront and an
FIRST RUNNER-UP ($100,000): Cribspot, housing searching, acceleration of new technology and opportunities like never before.
listing, and management for college students Michigan’s latest innovation movement became a major contribu-
tor in rebuilding Detroit and creating new technology epicenters in
MEDICAL DEVICE WINNER ($25,000): AlertWatch, moni- places like Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. The overall impact of new
toring technology for patients during medical operations initiatives is a rallying cry to be a part of positive change—drawing
in the millennial generation specifically. Entrepreneurship culture
PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER ($25,000): Turtle Cell, an all-in- in the state of Michigan is unique in that it provides a feeling of
one phone case product with retractable headphones contributing to something larger than just starting a business.

STUDENT FIRST RUNNER-UP ($5,000): HeelSecret, an “Entrepreneurs who stay here feel like they are actually making
insert for high heels to keep the heel from slipping a difference in the state,” said Tom Frank, executive director and
adjunct professor at the Center for Entrepreneurship. “Whether
or not innovators join existing companies or create their own, I’ve
seen that the portfolio of resources and support provided to our
community offer everything a researcher or student could want
in realizing a dream of making a difference, whether scientific,
social, or economic.”

8 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

THE U-M NETWORK HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PART OF THE GROWTH
OF OUR BUSINESS.

Danny Ellis, U-M BSE ’10, MSE ’13, CEO/Co-founder of SkySpecs

Government organizations, such as the the biggest influence on the decision to
Michigan Economic Development Corpo- stay in Michigan is the unparalleled and
ration (MEDC) and the National Science unified network of people and resources
Foundation (NSF), are actively supporting that come with being a part of the University
this movement, and our students and fac- of Michigan community.
ulty are directly benefiting from these pro-
grams designed to commercialize transla- “The U-M network has been a critical part of
tional research. The CFE administers many the growth of our business,”said Danny Ellis
programs, including the NSF’s I-Corps and (U-M BSE ’10, MSE ’13), CEO and co-founder
Michigan’s state-funded MTRAC, that focus of SkySpecs. “SkySpecs began after the
on helping university technology success- WUST trip with CFE in 2012, followed by
fully transition to market. Faculty, research- six months in TechArb. The network we
ers, and aspiring entrepreneurs not only built through these programs, and through
get funding, but also extensive training experiences with the College of Engineering,
and network building that increases their made the decision to stay in Michigan easy.
opportunities to develop a business in the We have tremendous support and talent
state.With the help of the MEDC, the Center resources here, and we look forward to
for Entrepreneurship is now teaching other working with local manufacturers as we
universities and organizations across Mich- scale our business.”
igan to run their own commercialization
programs. It’s spreading like wildfire. Jason Okrasinski (U-M BBA ’13), co-founder
of Cribspot, agreed: “The connections we
“Being at [the University of] Michigan has made at U-M really influenced our entre-
led us to some of our best connections,” preneurial experience. Michigan has a sup-
said John Hennessy (U-M BS ’11 and portive startup community and it’s an ideal
MS ’12 Biomedical Engineering, MS Entre- place to launch your business as a first-time
preneurship ’14), CEO and co-founder of entrepreneur.”
Elegus Technologies (see page 50), a U-M
startup that has recently received national Talent, mentorship, camaraderie: the Uni-
attention in USA Today and Gizmag for versity of Michigan student, faculty, and
their breakthrough battery safety technol- alumni innovation initiatives and startups
ogy. “Funding and training from MTRAC/ are vivid examples of what it means to lever-
MEDC and I-Corps helped us reach huge age a network. And it’s paying off, literally.
milestones and build relationships in the The Center for Entrepreneurship strives
state that are crucial to our success.” to create world-class curriculum, training,
community, and capital together in ways
Entrepreneurship’s “coolness” is not just that make Michigan the best choice for
a feeling, it’s backed by growing initiatives incubating suc cess and celebrating that
in funding and training at the state and success in every way possible. It’s what
university level that make it possible for makes U-M entrepreneurs go all in for
startups to succeed here. According to U-M Michigan. And the results are starting to
student and alumni entrepreneurs, however, speak for themselves.

— Center for Entrepreneurship

9

#MadeAtMichigan

S

START

Where does it all begin? Learn about the latest
innovative ideas and technologies with market
potential coming out of U-M classrooms, labs,
and entrepreneurial programs.
University programs dedicated to helping student
startups include: the Zell Lurie Institute’s Dare to
Dream Grant, The Center for Entrepreneurship’s
Jump Start Grant, the optiMize Social Innovation
Challenge, Center for Social Impact’s Social Impact
Challenge, School of Public Health Innovation in
Action program, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
EXCEL Program, Center for Entrepreneurship Treks,
School of Information New York Innovation Trek, and
the campus-wide Minor in Entrepreneurship.

10 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

fulFILL S MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

On average, each American generates 4.4 pounds of daily waste, fulfillgoods.co
and a large portion comes from packaging materials like soap
containers and shampoo bottles. Recognizing this issue, Kristin
Steiner and Brittany Szczepanik teamed up in 2015 to start fulFILL,
a social enterprise that delivers household products like shampoos,
soaps, and lotions to your door in reusable containers. Their model
borrows from the milkman service and adds a modern twist:
allowing customers to order their products online, leave their empty
containers outside their door, and have them refilled.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute advising; Zell Entrepreneurship and Law
Clinic; Erb Institute

THE TEAM:

Kristin Steiner, Ross School of Business/School of Natural
Resources and Environment, Erb Institute MBA/MS 2016
Brittany Szczepanik, School of Natural Resources and Environment/
College of Engineering, MS/MEng 2017

AS A COUNTRY, WE DESPERATELY NEED
TO RETHINK THE WAY WE CONSUME
PRODUCTS, AND THAT BEGINS WITH REUSING
OUR RESOURCES. OUR VISION, YEARS
FROM NOW, IS TO SEE A COMPLETE SHIFT
IN HOW AMERICAN CONSUMERS PURCHASE
THEIR PRODUCTS. THIS NATION CAN MAKE
THE NECESSARY SHIFT IN BEHAVIOR AND IT
STARTS WITH REUSING OUR RESOURCES.

Kristin Steiner, co-founder

11

#MadeAtMichigan argofrienddate.com

Argo S Argo aims to build a more compassionate, intentional community
by creating the opportunity for individuals to engage in genuine
People feel they need an excuse to talk to one another—and this conversation and connection.
belief often results in limited interactions between individuals who
stand to gain valuable support, insights, and experiences from one
another. Argo creates an opportunity for people to meet someone
new for coffee—the catch is you don’t know who you’re meeting until
you get there. Unlike most social applications, there aren’t profiles
or filters (meet-ups are based entirely on location and availability),
so you’re likely meeting someone you’d never get the chance to talk
to otherwise.

U-M SUPPORT:
LSA optiMize Social Innovation Partnership; Zell Lurie Institute
Dare to Dream Grants; Center for Entrepreneurship Treks,
The Startup, and advising; SHIFT Creator’s Space; MHacks

THE TEAM:

Andrea Kopitz, School of Information, BS 2018, Co-Founder
Dania Abdulhamid, School of Information, BS 2018, Co-Founder
Jessica Wu, College of Engineering, BSE 2016, Tech-Lead

12 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

EVer Solutions S MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

EVer Solutions is a company committed to improving operating twitter.com/ever_solutions
efficiency and reducing battery risks for electric vehicle fleets,
through better battery data and analytics. Their cloud-based analytic EVer Solutions technology can be easily integrated into current
tool for electric vehicle fleets provides more accurate battery life and electric vehicles without modifying vehicle designs.
health information as well as evaluations on drivers’impacts on battery
performance. With this knowledge, fleet customers can run their
electric vehicles more efficiently (5,000-miles more mobility per elec-
tric vehicle per year), implement more cost-efficient maintenance
strategies, and reduce operating risk.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream Grants and Michigan
Business Challenge; Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start
Grants, The Startup, and Treks; MPowered 1000 Pitches

THE TEAM:

Ziqi Guo, College of Engineering, BSE 2017, Team Leader and Product Manager
Rui Zhang, College of Engineering, MSE 2017, Developer
Qihan Sun, College of Engineering, BSE 2017, Developer
Zongchang Liu, College of Engineering, BSE 2012, University of Cincinnati
PhD, Industrial Big Data Scientist
Yichen Zhao, College of Engineering, BSE 2015, Developer

Nomsy S nomsy.co

Nomsy helps you find food that fits your lifestyle. This application
leverages social data to help you find food that agrees with the way
you eat and empowers you to discover a community that shares your
dietary preferences and/or restrictions. Crowdsourced by a community
of individuals who face the same restrictions that the user faces,
Nomsy enables users to find meals tailored to their lifestyle.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start grants, The Startup,
Treks, and advising; Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream
Grants; MPowered 1000 Pitches; LSA optiMize Social
Innovation Partnership; TechArb Student Startup Incubator;
UMSI Design Clinic and advising

THE TEAM:

Robert Greenfield IV, College of Engineering, BSE 2016, Co-Founder and CEO
Evan Leung, College of Engineering, BSE 2015, Co-Founder and COO
Julian Turley, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2016, Co-Founder
and CMO

“For me, what I would really like to do is offer the opportunity to be a person that helps others to solve problems. And by that,
build companies that solve problems. And provide greater access to capital. That’s a huge problem within itself, especially in the
minority community.” ­— Julian Turely, co-founder and CMO

13

#MadeAtMichigan leesta.org twitter.com/_leesta_

Leesta S

A play on the Spanish word “lista,” which means smart or clever girl,
Leesta is an online educational platform that uses interactive story-
telling to educate elementary school children about important and
impactful women who have contributed toAmerican history.It features
the stories of women who have had a national impact and inspired
others throughout generations, but who are often not included in the
traditional history curriculum. Leesta believes that presenting a
diverse set of stories to young children can change their perceptions of
what a leader looks like and inspire them to become one themselves.

U-M SUPPORT:
LSA optiMize Social Innovation Partnership; TechArb Student
Startup Incubator; Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start
Grants and advising

THE TEAM:

Virginia Lozano, Stamps School of Art & Design, BA 2015, Co-Founder/
Illustrator for Dolores Huerta
Beatriz Lozano, Stamps School of Art & Design, BFA 2016, Co-Founder/
Programmer and Developer
Merin McDivitt, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2018,
Education Director
James Reslier-Wells, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2015,
Lead Animator
Alexa Borromeo, Stamps School of Art & Design, BFA 2016, Social Media
Director
Paula Friedrich, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Stamps
School of Art & Design, BA 2015, Writer/Audio Producer
Shane Achenchbach, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2017,
Illustrator for Bessie Coleman
Stephanie O’Neil, Stamps School of Art & Design, BFA 2015, Illustrator for
Temple Grandin

14 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Printodontics S MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

For over 100 years dental students have practiced their trade on printodontics.com
artificial teeth made of Ivorine®. Ivorine teeth lack the hardness
differences, internal anatomy, and structural features of human “Better prepared dental students equals a less painful and
teeth, and often leave dental students guessing where critical tooth more beneficial experience at the dentist later on.” ­
layers lie. Printodontics aims to change that by providing a more — Branden Welch, domain expert and project developer
realistic pre-clinical experience for dental students with 3D-printing
software capable of producing more anatomically accurate artificial
teeth. Through a combination of creative engineering and advanced
software techniques, Printodontics produced a proof-of-concept
tooth with a hardness differential and excellent anatomy.

U-M SUPPORT:
UM3D Lab; Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

THE TEAM:

Branden M. Welch, School of Dentistry, DDS 2018, Domain Expert and
Project Developer
Shawn O’Grady, University of Phoenix, BS 2007, Digital Fabrication
Specialist and Co-Project Developer
Peter Yaman, DDS, MS, University of Michigan Clinical Professor, Research
Mentor and Supervisor
Joseph deBrune Dennison, DDS, MS, University of Michigan Professor Emeritus,
Clinical Research Design and Biostatistics, Research Mentor and Supervisor
Alex Escobar, College of Engineering, BSE 2018, Undergraduate Research
Opportunity Program Student Researcher

Fresh Fridge S facebook.com/IIAFreshFridge

What if your phone could tell you that the yogurt you bought weeks “I really wanted to join Innovation in Action because I thought it was
ago is about ready to expire? Or while at work you could check a list a really great opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary teamwork.” ­
of what’s in the fridge to find out which ingredients are close to their — Jana Stewart, co-founder
expiration dates for that recipe you want to make tonight? Users
scan their receipt into the app, which pulls USDA data to assign 15
estimated expiration dates. A customizable notification system
then sends regular reminders when food is going bad, and suggests
recipes for food expiring soon. Fresh Fridge is partnering with stores
and online grocers to build their application into existing loyalty
programs and shopping tools.

U-M SUPPORT:
SPH Innovation in Action; UMSI Design Clinic

THE TEAM:

Hannah Gordon, School of Public Health, MPH 2016
Jana Stewart, School of Public Health, MPH, and School of Natural
Resources and the Environment, MS 2016
Christina Hecht, School of Public Health and School of Information, MHI 2017
Trevor Dolan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2016

#MadeAtMichigan

The Village App S michellesjackson.me/#!village-app/c1mqf

For working parents, making it to work on time and coordinating child-
care pick-up and drop-off can present more than a few challenges.
The creators of the Village App are hoping to create a solution so
that single-parent households with small support networks may
not have to go it alone. A team of women began assessing current
mobile ridesharing applications that offer transportation services
for a fee. The result was the Village App, an affordable mobile appli-
cation that allows single parents to expand their support network
while streamlining transportation coordination.

U-M SUPPORT:
UMSI Entrepreneurship Program Advising; SPH Innovation
in Action

THE TEAM:

Michelle Jackson, School of Information, MSI 2016
Niro Rais, College of Engineering, MSIE, and School of Information, MSI 2015
Betty Ku, School of Information, MSI 2017
Nishan Bose, School of Information, MSE 2016

“Our vision for the project is for this to become a tool that moms and dads can use to lean on each other and
reduce the burden of child transportation and time on the road, so that they can have more time to pursue
professional and personal interests and needs.” ­— Michelle Jackson, co-founder

Sage & Grace S twitter.com/sageandgrace

Sage & Grace is a concierge service for those who are addressing or
will need to address end-of-life issues. The venture has the potential
to reduce the stress of funeral planning during an immensely stressful
period and fundamentally shift how the funeral industry communicates
with consumers and raise the standards on how funerals are planned.
Sage & Grace was created as a service and information portal for
individuals with limited resources who require estate planning,
hospice information, funeral planning, and burial options.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business Challenge; Mayleben
Venture Shaping Grant; and Dare to Dream Grants

THE TEAM:

Holly Price, Ross School of Business, MBA 2017

“There are a lot of substandard practices that are commonplace and I believe a little bit of consumer education and
some well-designed planning tools could go a long way toward quashing predatory methods.” ­— Holly Price, founder

16 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Soloist Now S

Soloist Now is a free mobile app that creates accompaniments for
classical musicians to use while practicing for recitals. In the spring
of 2015, co-founder Maxwell Karmazyn first thought of the idea
while practicing for his own recital. He’d hired an accompanist to
rehearse with him, but little did he know how many rehearsals he’d
end up needing (and how much money he’d have to spend in the
process). This sparked the idea for Soloist Now. The goal of Soloist
Now is to eradicate the performance anxiety nearly all classical
musicians experience by providing them with a resource to ensure
the very best rehearsal and performance possible.

U-M SUPPORT:
ArtsEngine Program; SMTD EXCELerator

COMMUNITY SUPPORT:
Ann Arbor SPARK

THE TEAM:

Maxwell Karmazyn, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, BMus 2016
Adam Millstein, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, BMus 2016

THE EXCEL PROGRAM HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. THEY’VE HELPED
US GET THE BALL ROLLING ON EVERYTHING. IF IT WASN’T FOR THEM, WE
WOULDN’T BE WHERE WE ARE. THEY’VE PUT US INTO CONTACT WITH A
LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THEY’VE BEEN A GREAT CATALYST IN OUR PROJECT.

Maxwell Karmazyn, co-founder

17

#MadeAtMichigan

SPITOUNEDEERINNTG ecognized as a leader in entrepreneurial
education, the University of Michigan is the
INVESTMENT only academic institution in the country to run
four student venture funds simultaneously,
providing a unique experiential learning oppor-
tunity to students. The four student-led funds
are overseen by the Zell Lurie Institute at the Stephen M.
Ross School of Business: the Social Venture Fund, the
Wolverine Venture Fund, the Zell Lurie Commercialization
Fund, and the Zell Early-Stage Fund.

Innovation in entrepreneurial funding at the university
began in 1997, when the Ross School of Business pioneered
the first student-led venture fund in the nation, the
Wolverine Venture Fund (WVF). Since its inception, over
200 students have participated in WVF and launched
careers at top-tier venture capital firms, investment banks,
consulting firms, tech startups, and medical device and life
sciences companies. The Wolverine Venture Fund currently
has over $7 million in assets under management.

The second fund at the university, the Zell Lurie
Commercialization Fund (ZLCF), is a pre-seed investment
fund, which began as an endowment in 2005. The ZLCF was
created to accelerate the commercialization of ideas gener-
ated within the university community and the surrounding
area. The Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund team adopts a
hands-on approach to investing that leverages the talents
and resources available at the Ross School of Business at

18 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

the University of Michigan to make a real impact for the entre-
preneur and the university.

Continuing in the same pioneering spirit, Zell Lurie launched
the Social Venture Fund (SvF) in 2009. As the first student-run
social venture fund in the country, SvF provides an unparalleled
action-based learning experience, which places equal importance
on maximizing financial returns and socially/environmentally
driven venture investing and entrepreneurship. In 2012, it was
the first student social venture fund to invest in a socially driven
organization.

Through a recent gift to the Institute, the Zell Early-Stage Fund
was formed in 2015. Modeled on ZLI’s Wolverine Venture Fund
and the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund, the Zell Early-Stage
Fund is a venture capital and pre-venture capital investment fund
operated by Ross BBA students, under the supervision of the
Fund’s Faculty Managing Director. Mirroring the other university
funds, the Zell Early-Stage Fund invests real money in real deals.

Throughout the process of managing the funds, students gain
real-world investment experience through researching and
investing in innovative startups in the region and throughout the
country. The opportunity to work on a student-led fund at the Zell
Lurie Institute allows students to make an impact through investing
in startups while learning the process of early-stage funding.
Students finish the programs ready to launch their own compa-
nies, become investors, or gain employment through a startup—
all while fostering economic development.

— Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies

SVF HAS BEEN THE TOUCHSTONE
EXPERIENCE OF MY MBA, AND IT HAS
OPENED MY EYES TO THE POSSIBILITIES
OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM BOTH THE
FOUNDER AND INVESTOR END.

Caroline Landau, entrepreneur and
Ross School of Business MBA student

19

#MadeAtMichigan

L

LAUNCH

Preparing for takeoff. Learn about budding
student startups currently working on prototypes,
defining customers, solidifying value propositions,
and growing their teams.
University programs dedicated to helping students
to launch their ventures include: TechArb Student
Startup Incubator, the Zell Lurie Institute’s Mich-
igan Business Challenge, The Center for Entre-
preneurship’s The Startup, School of Information
Design Clinic, Zell Entrepreneurship and Law Clinic,
and Zell Lurie Institute’s Dare to Dream Grants.

20 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

ADAPT L a2dapt.com instagram.com/a2dapt
twitter.com/a2dapt facebook.com/ADAPT2015.LLC
ADAPT is an interdisciplinary team of students building products
that promote independence for people with health challenges. Their
aim: to make living with an assisted device, such as a wheelchair, a
more positive experience, both emotionally and physically. Working
closely with the people they aim to help, ADAPT involves their users
in every step of the design process. They’re currently at work on a
design that allows wheelchair users to become more independent
in their everyday lives.

U-M SUPPORT:
LSA optiMize Social Innovation Partnership; Center for
Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants; U-M Libraries

THE TEAM:

Sidney Krandall, Stamps School of Art & Design, BFA 2016
Laura Murphy, College of Engineering, BSE, and College of Literature,
Science, and the Arts, BA 2017
Matthew Sanfield, Ross School of Business, BBA 2016
Miranda Veeser, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2016

ADAPT HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED MY OUTLOOK ON WHERE I WANT TO
GO WITH MY LIFE, AND I CAN’T IMAGINE DOING ANYTHING ELSE.

Laura Murphy, co-founder

21

#MadeAtMichigan

Chamber Unique L fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=9864

Chamber Unique (ChU)™, is a network of artists who share their love of
the arts to strengthen communities using workshops, presentations,
and performances. They aim to put an “A” in current STEM curriculum.
ChU currently operates as a nonprofit under the fiscal sponsorship of
Fractured Atlas, with the longer-term goal of registering as a 501(c)(3).
The ChU concept of a “chamber network” is an innovative approach
to performance. Unlike a traditional chamber with a specific number
of musicians and instrumentation, ChU was designed to incorporate a
variety of guest artists in multiple arts disciplines who come together
to harness the power of performing arts for education and service.
2015/16 marks the third academic year ChU will provide arts program-
ming in local communities, ensuring access and exposure to the arts.

U-M SUPPORT:
SMTD EXCEL Program

THE TEAM:

Joe Broom, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, BMus 2019, Founder

“Budget cuts often take arts out of schools. Imagine a young girl joins a community dance class and gets a taste of what
it means to be a dancer—like Misty Copeland’s first dance class. Artists begin with access. Imagine an organization that
allows the arts to remain accessible: that’s Chamber Unique. ­— Joe Broom, founder

Confluent Care L facebook.com/ConfluentCare

Confluent Care is a mobile app for patient communication, progress
tracking, and triaging, to optimize Community Health Workers’ (CHW)
workflow. CHWs are recognized as a vital element in patient care
coordination. They are particularly important in helping vulnerable
populations become healthier and remain out of hospitals. However,
CHWs today use outdated tools to do their jobs. By helping CHWs
become more efficient, Confluent Care helps the hospitals, insurance
companies, and nonprofits that employ them save time and money.
Confluent Care recently partnered with the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor
Health System to pilot the program.

U-M SUPPORT:
SPH Innovation in Action

THE TEAM:

Andrew Munfakh, School of Public Health, MHSA 2017
Leah Abrams, School of Public Health, MPH 2017
Kai Yu, Stamps School of Art & Design, M.Des 2017

Confluent Care believes strong communities and personal relationships
are key to helping vulnerable patients stay healthy and out of the hospital.

22 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Kulisha L MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Kulisha is a sustainable aquafeed company that caters to small- tffchallenge.com/team/2015/kulisha
scale aquaculture farmers in Kenya by producing commercial-grade
fish feed from insects. It helps to divert food waste going to landfills,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and eliminate trawling. The Kulisha
product has the potential to increase the farmers’ yields, helping to
increase their profitability while supplying the food-insecure in the
region with more healthy animal protein. The company aims to pro-
vide farmers with a low-cost, high-quality feed that is beneficial for
the environment and farmers alike. Kulisha recently took home the
top prize at the Thought for Food Summit in Zurich, Switzerland.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants and advising;
Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream Grants and Michigan
Business Challenge-Social Impact Track; Center for Social
Impact advising; UMSI Entrepreneurship Program advising;
TechArb Student Startup Incubator; Alumni Association
Wolverine Tank; LSA optiMize Social Innovation Partnership

THE TEAM:

Eric Katz, Ross School of Business, BBA 2017
Maya Faulstich-Hon, Brown University, Environmental Science
Lunalo Cletus, The University of Nairobi, Environmental Science and
Natural Resource Management Kenya
Arjun Paunranaj, UCLA, Mechanical Engineering
Viraj Sikand, Brown University, Environmental Science

TO ME, ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING
ELEMENTS OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH KULISHA
IS HELPING CREATE A PRODUCT THAT CAN
HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON SOCIETY.

Eric Katz, co-founder

23

#MadeAtMichigan neurable.com

Neurable L NEURABLE’S APPROACH OPENS UP
A WHOLE NEW WAY OF USING MIND
Using non-invasive technology, Neurable aims to bring revolutionary CONTROL TO HELP VULNERABLE
brain-computer interface technology to the masses, while empowering PATIENT POPULATIONS DEMONSTRATE
individuals who have severe motor and speech impairments to THE FULL EXTENT OF THEIR ABILITIES.
live free of limitations. Neurable’s intellectual property allows for
real-time control with speed similar to more invasive methods, all MedCity News
with a non-invasive quick setup headset and innovative brain signal
processing algorithms. Their technology has applications in the
healthcare, communication, assistive technology, gaming, and
home automation markets.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants, The Startup,
and advising; MPowered 1000 Pitches; TechArb Student
Startup Incubator; Coulter Translational Research Program;
Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business Challenge; Alumni
Association Wolverine Tank; UMSI Entrepreneurship Program
advising; Fast Forward Medical Innovation; Office of
Technology Transfer

THE TEAM:

Ramses Alcaide, Rackham Graduate School, College of Engineering, PhD
candidate 2016, Neurable CEO, electrical engineer, and neuroscientist
Michael Thompson, Ross School of Business, MBA 2018
James Hamet, College of Engineering, BSE and Program in Entrepreneurship 2016

24 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

AOE Med L MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Every year 40 to 50 percent of nurses suffer debilitating back injuries; aoemed.com
millions of patients fall, are dropped, or are mishandled during the
patient transfer process; and the healthcare industry spends approx- “The first entrepreneurship class I took transformed my belief that I
imately $20 billion on patient transfer. AOE Med is a medical device couldn’t start a business into one where I knew that I needed to, and
company focused on solving problems associated with patient without that I would never have discovered my passion for innovation
transfer. AOE Med has designed a bariatric patient transfer device that and entrepreneurship.” ­— Arianna Carley, CEO and co-founder
removes the risks to nurses, patients, and care facilities. This device
mitigates the risk of injury to nurses and patients and thereby reduces
costs to care facilities.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants,The Startup,
Treks, and advising; MPowered 1000 Pitches; Zell Lurie
Institute Michigan Business Challenge; TechArb Student
Startup Incubator; Zell Entrepreneurship and Law Clinic;
UMSI Entrepreneurship Program advising

THE TEAM:

Arianna Carley, College of Engineering, BSE and Minor in Entrepreneurship
2016, CEO & Co-Founder
Eliyahu Fox, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2015,
Co-Founder
Darren Cheng, College of Engineering, BSE 2017, Engineer

25

#MadeAtMichigan facebook.com/CARt2015

CARt L CARt is tackling a national problem of lack of transportation to healthy
and affordable food. Across the U.S., there are 23.5 million people
CARt is filling a societal need and gap in the market by targeting low- lacking access to a supermarket within one mile of their home.
income individuals and providing them with convenient, affordable,
and reliable transportation. CARt serves grocery stores, rideshare
companies, and, most importantly, people in need of healthy, fresh,
and affordable food. CARt allows grocery stores to buy into a program
that reduces transportation barriers to their stores. Grocery stores
subsidize the rides and in return can expand their customer base,
allow for more frequent grocery trips from current consumers, have
an alternative creative method to market their store, and positively
impact their community.

U-M SUPPORT:
SPH Innovation in Action; Center for Entrepreneurship Jump
Start Grants and advising, Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream
Grants, Michigan Business Challenge – Social Impact Track,
and advising; Center for Social Impact advising; U-M Libraries

THE TEAM:

Ali Jensen, School of Public Health, MPH 2016
Christine Priori, Ross School of Business, MBA, and School of Public
Health, MPH 2017
Mikaela Rodkin, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, MS,
and the Ross School of Business, MBA 2017
Stacey Matlen, School of Public Health, MPH 2016

26 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

PreDxion Bio L predxionbio.com twitter.com/predxionbio

PreDxion Bio is a precision medicine diagnostics company with a FOR THE FIRST TIME, MICROKINE ENABLES A
product called MicroKine, a patent-pending near-bedside diagnostic PRECISION MEDICINE APPROACH IN CRITICAL
device that measures certain proteins (“cytokines”) in the blood of CARE IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE.
critically ill patients. MicroKine delivers this information in less than 30
minutes—ten times faster than that of any existing technology on the Walker McHugh, president
market—from a single drop of blood, allowing physicians to prescribe
drugs specifically tailored to an individual patient’s unique immune
response. PreDxion Bio enables precision medicine in the intensive care
unit and fundamentally changes the way critical care and emergency
medicine physicians manage and care for their sickest patients.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business Challenge and Dare
to Dream Grants; Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start
Grants and The Startup; TechArb Student Startup Incubator;
Coulter Translational Research Program; MTRAC Life
Sciences; Fast Forward Medical Innovation

THE TEAM:

Walker McHugh, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2011,
College of Engineering, MSE 2017, President
Timothy Cornell, MD, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan
and serves as the Director of Translational Research in the Division of
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, and as the Medical Director of the Pediatric
Extracorporeal Life Support Program, CEO
Caroline Landau, Ross School of Business, MBA 2016, Director of Finance
and Marketing

Photo: © F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd 27

#MadeAtMichigan eatskillet.com

Skillet L

Whether they’re in school or working, busy young adults age 20–30
need convenient, high-quality, healthy food without the burdens of
meal planning and shopping. Skillet brings unique recipes and local
ingredients right to their daily commutes, taking planning and shop-
ping out of the equation to let customers enjoy preparing and eating
delicious food. Skillet creates and sells grab-and-go dinner kits that
contain a delicious recipe and all the fresh ingredients needed to cook
dinner. Skillet kits are sold in smart self-service kiosks in convenient
locations that customers pass by everyday, like workplaces, gyms,
schools, and apartment buildings.

U-M SUPPORT:
SPH Innovation in Action; Center for Entrepreneurship Jump
Start Grants, The Startup, and advising; TechArb Student
Startup Incubator, Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business
Challenge and advising; Zell Entrepreneurship and Law Clinic

THE TEAM:

Margaret Dowling, School of Public Health, MPH 2016, Co-Founder and
Chief Executive Officer
Abigail Schachter, School of Public Health, MPH 2016, Co-Founder and
Chief Operating Officer
Lily Hamburger, Ross School of Business, MBA 2016, Co-Founder and
Chief Strategy Officer

U-M’S ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SO INSPIRING AND ENCOURAGING. WHILE IT’S BEEN
CHALLENGING TO BALANCE SKILLET WITH THE DEMANDS OF BEING FULL-TIME STUDENTS, WE HAVE BUILT A
STRONG NETWORK OF SUPPORTERS WHO ARE HELPING MAKE OUR VISION A REALITY!

Abigail Schachter, co-founder and COO

28 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Counselling Pakistan L MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Currently, students in Pakistan who aspire to attend college are counsellingpak.org
often thwarted by a lack of information, application resources, and
a system of for-profit counseling that funnels students to specific “Counselling Pakistan helped me clear out many of my reservations,
schools. Counselling Pakistan strives to develop a global network of such as how universities in Turkey differed from each other and their
students and alumni at the world’s leading universities to give free, application procedures. Their consultation helped make the decision
customized, and well-researched admissions guidance to students so much simpler.” —­ Noor Hayat Ranjha, admitted to SabancI University, Turkey
all across Pakistan. A team of student counselors assist students
from start to finish. Counselling Pakistan offers Pakistan’s first online
college counseling platform that enables any student in Pakistan
to reach out to the organization, at any time, without any cost. It
streamlines the two-way college counseling process.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants and advising;
MPowered 1000 Pitches

THE TEAM:

Saad Jangda, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA and Minor in
Entrepreneurship 2016, Co-Founder & President

Abdul Ahad Shabbir, Reutlingen (Germany), Management 2017, Co-Founder
and VP Product Development

Hamza Jawaid, London School of Economics and Political Sciences, 2015,
Co-Founder and VP Strategy

Taleha Aftab, Institute of Business Administration (Karachi), 2016,
VP Business Development

29

#MadeAtMichigan flipsibottle.com facebook.com/flipsiltd

flipsi™ ltd. L “Our technology lends itself to many types of bottles, and our goal
is to take cleaning out of the equation through simple, safe, intuitive
flipsi™ ltd. was founded in 2013 with the mission of creating superior design.” ­— Jeff Plott, CTO
reusable drinking bottles that meld perfectly with its customers’ life-
styles, while at all times ensuring its bottles are safe, attractive, easy to
use, and effortless to clean. To achieve this mission, flipsi designs and
sells reusable bottles that flip inside-out for easy cleaning.

All of flipsi’s bottles are designed with safety and durability as a priority.
This means that all components are microwave and dishwasher safe;
utilize FDA food grade materials; are free of BPA, BPS, phthalates, latex,
nitrosamine, lead, PVC, and PET; and can withstand thousands of flips.
In addition, they can handle both frozen and boiling temperatures, and
due to the nature of the design, no external venting is required. Their
first product, the flipsibaby baby bottle, is due to launch in Q2 2016.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business Challenge and Dare
to Dream Grants; Center for Entrepreneurship advising; Zell
Entrepreneurship and Law Clinic; TechArb Student Startup
Incubator

THE TEAM:

Chris Plott, College of Engineering, BSE 2002, MSE 2003, CEO
Jeff Plott, College of Engineering, BSE 2012, MSE 2013, Master in
Entrepreneurship, Mechanical Engineering PhD candidate 2017, CTO

30 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Gaudium L armorblitz.com

Gaudium is a game development company focused on creating “The western mobile game market has a distinct lack of anime-style
culturally inspired games for underserved audiences. The company’s games, while the anime fan base is growing quickly. Japanese game
first game, Armor Blitz, focuses on delivering a free-to-play collectible companies tend to be very reserved with localization, so there are
card game service to mobile devices. This game’s audience is based few language ports out to other nations. The result is a lack of supply,
on the anime fan demographic, a very under-exploited market in the with growing demand.”— David Cai, programmer
west. Fans want to play games with the traditional anime aesthetic,
but developers in English-speaking nations have not yet ventured 31
into this new space. As the market grows, Gaudium seeks to be at
the forefront of anime-style games for English-speaking and global
audiences.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship The Startup; Zell Lurie Institute
Michigan Business Challenge

THE TEAM:

David Cai, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2016,
Programmer, Marketing, and Public Relations
Kevin Byung Jeon, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2016,
Lead Programmer
Amanda Li, Ross School of Business, MAcc 2016, Accountant and
2D Illustrator
Ni Yan, School of Information, MS 2014, UI/UX Designer and Graphic Design
Andrew Yang, University of New Mexico, BBA 2011, CEO, Production, 3D
Modeling and Animation, 2D Illustrator

#MadeAtMichigan hi-nova.com

Nova L “Nova will bring your home to life and make everything easier,
safer, and more fun.”— Xiyu Duan, co-founder
Nova is designed to be a smart home robot. Nova sees the home
environment, understands it, and navigates through it, allowing users
to turn on the television, the lights, and more simply by asking Nova.
Equipped with voice and facial recognition, your wish is Nova’s
command. With Nova, never again will you have to fumble in the dark
for various switches and remotes—all you need to do is ask. Nova is
your butler when you are home and your security chief when you are
away, giving you rest, relaxation, and peace of mind.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants and advising;
TechArb Student Startup Incubator

THE TEAM:

Xiyu Duan, Rackham Graduate School, Biomedical Engineering, PhD
candidate 2016
Dinghao Zhou, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning,
MUP 2012
Haoxiang Li, Rackham Graduate School, Computer Science, PhD 2016

Cheruvu L cheruvu.in

Cheruvu aims to develop a low-cost way to increase crop yield and “I would never have gotten a chance to learn about a new country
reduce the use of fertilizers for Indian farmers. Over the next five years, and look at the impact of our program otherwise.” ­
Cheruvu is working with the State of Telangana’s “Mission Kakatiya” — Leon Espira, co-founder
program to assess the ongoing desilting and restoration of 46,000
ponds, the backbone of the region’s historic irrigation infrastructure.
The program is based on a study conducted by the U-M student team
showing silt dug up from ponds during the dry season acts as a fertilizer
that increases crop yield by nearly 50 percent and reduces greenhouse
emissions from less fertilizer use by 50 to 90 percent. Cheruvu is part-
nering with India’s Telangana government who recently committed
$1 billion funding from the Green Climate Fund to apply this technology
throughout the region.

U-M SUPPORT:
Dow Sustainability Program; Planet Blue advising

THE TEAM:

John Monnat, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning,
M.Arch 2015
Adithya Dahagama, School of Natural Resources and Environment and
Ford School of Public Policy, MS/Mas 2016
Leon Espira, School of Public Health, MPH 2013, PhD Epidemiological
Science 2015

32 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Morning Brew L morningbrewdaily.com facebook.com/MorningBrewDaily
twitter.com/MorningBrew_
Morning Brew is a free daily e-mail newsletter that acts as a one-stop
shop for all things business. Everything from the conversational and “The best part of Morning Brew is the simplicity. All the business
witty tone to the content mix (short, digestible summaries about news and information I could want is laid out in one place.”
finance, entertainment, real estate, technology, entrepreneurship, — Ryan Dishell, Morning Brew user
interview question of the day, business term of the day) aims to
identify with the passionate young business mind. A perfect subway
read for professionals to catch up with the business world and have
an intelligent conversation with co-workers or their managers,
Morning Brew takes about five minutes to read and provides insight
to several thousand young, driven people.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship advising; Zell Lurie Institute
advising

THE TEAM:

Alex Lieberman, Ross School of Business, BBA 2015, CEO
Austin Rief, Ross School of Business, BBA 2017, COO
Michael Kesslar, Ross School of Business, BBA 2017, Editor-in-Chief
Grant Demeter, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2015, Editor

33

#MadeAtMichigan thebrokeapp.com

The Broke App L BROKE IS A REDESIGN OF THE CURRENT MOBILE BANKING
APPLICATION FOR BANKS TO REACH AND TEACH COLLEGE
The founders of the Broke App want to help others manage their STUDENTS HOW TO BUILD WEALTH FOR THE FUTURE
finances but not in the conventional way. Their phone app offers BASED ON THEIR CURRENT SPENDING APPROACHES.
encouragement to students to make sound financial decisions. For
example, the app learns your spending habits and prompts you to Jackie Wolf, co-founder
consider alternatives. Buy a large coffee on the way to work each
morning? The Broke App will note how much you could save by making
your own coffee at home and taking it with you. For young people in
college who are struggling financially and seeking to improve their
situation, The Broke App can help pull people out of the cycle of poor
financial planning and help them learn to save, invest, and budget.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Jump Start Grants, Treks, and
advising; Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream Grants and
advising; TechArb Student Startup Incubator; UMSI Innovation
Treks and advising; Zell Entrepreneurship and Law Clinic

THE TEAM:

Kristen Sheppard, School of Information, MSI 2016, Co-Founder and
Technical Lead
Jackie Wolf, School of Information, MSI 2016, Co-Founder, CEO, and
Financial Lead

34 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Ballot L ballotapp.co facebook.com/ballotapp
twitter.com/VoteBallot
Ballot is a mobile platform for citizens to voice their opinions and
concerns on proposed legislation that interest them. By giving
a short description of the bill, users can vote if they agree with it
or not through the platform. Then, the data is shared with federal,
state, and local politicians and representatives in their region. Ballot
makes it easier for citizens to stay informed, have a voice, and
become better voters in their political system.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship The Startup; MPowered Startup
Weekend

THE TEAM:

Muhammad Mazhari, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2018,
Co-Founder
Lawrence Yong, School of Information, BSI 2015, Co-Founder
Ritwak Bisas, College of Engineering, BSE 2018, Co-Founder
Carson Covell, College of Engineering, BSE 2017, Co-Founder

Politics has never been more frustrating. It’s time for a change. Ballot
makes it easy to vocalize your opinion about issues that matter to you.

35

#MadeAtMichigan

US-MTLUEGDAEL CNLITNICINHENLPOS VATORS

eff Plott loves making complicated things simple. A doctoral “There are a whole lot of legal things you have to go through to
candidate at the University of Michigan with a focus in protect yourself most people don’t realize,” says Plott. “The first
plastics and silicone design, Jeff has designed and opti- thing we did was incorporate, but there was a lot more than that.”
mized consumer, automotive, medical, and aerospace
products. One night in 2013, Jeff and his brother Chris (the father According to law professor and ZEAL director Dana Thompson, the
of three young children) began thinking about how a better baby vast majority of the clinic’s clients seek help to set up a legal business
bottle design could make the constant washing easier and safer. entity, such as incorporating, which sets the venture apart from the
individuals who founded it. In the fast changing startup world this is
They started working on the idea and before long had a prototype a crucial first step, especially when intellectual property is involved.
of a reusable bottle that flips inside-out for easy cleaning, called
flipsi (see page 30). Their advisors at the College of Engineering’s “Many students come to us knowing they should set up some kind
Center for Entrepreneurship saw that the product had promise and of entity but not knowing how or what to do next. We help them ask
suggested they contact the Zell Entrepreneurship and Law Clinic and answer fundamental questions for their own protection as they
(ZEAL) at U-M’s Law School. are setting up their company,” says Thompson.

ZEAL directors Dana Thompson (left)
and Bryce Pilz discuss the law clinic.

36 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MANY STUDENTS COME TO US KNOWING
THEY SHOULD SET UP SOME KIND OF
ENTITY BUT NOT KNOWING HOW OR WHAT
TO DO NEXT. WE HELP THEM ASK AND
ANSWER FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS FOR
THEIR OWN PROTECTION AS THEY ARE
SETTING UP THEIR COMPANY.

Dana Thompson, U-M law professor and
ZEAL director

How it works: student attorneys guide student entrepreneurs as they product,” he says.“They don’t want to burn through capital on legal
navigate the legal complexities of setting up a business or commer- fees without being able to accelerate the product.”
cializing their ideas. Supervised by law faculty, the law students help
founders of promising student ventures iron out the business forma- Since launching in 2012 the ZEAL clinic has helped 80 student
tion, trademark, finance, patent, regulatory, and other issues that can ventures from 16 of the university’s 19 schools and colleges focus
complicate the establishment of any entrepreneurial business. on their product or service, instead of amassing legal bills that
could make it more difficult to get their ventures off the ground.
With interest in entrepreneurship increasing, ZEAL has also begun Nearly 380 ventures have applied since the clinic’s inception, and
offering office hours at the Law School and other locations over 150 companies or projects are currently on the waitlist.
across campus, including the TechArb Student Startup Incubator,
Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, and Center for The need for law clinics like U-M’s ZEAL has increased in recent years
Entrepreneurship. To date, advisors have provided over 300 hours as technological advances and a growing interest in entrepreneurship
of consultation services across campus. on college campuses have made it possible for students to push the
boundaries of exploration and innovation, according to the Chronicle
The clinic is part of the Zell Entrepreneurship and Law program of Higher Education.ZEAL was one of the first of its kind in the nation.
at U-M’s Law School, which provides law students interested in
entrepreneurship with opportunities to engage in the field through Meanwhile, with more teams entering high-profile competitions,
coursework, internships, venture capital labs, and more—a practice pitch contests, and hackathons across campus, ventures are
at the heart of the school’s philosophy of joining the practical with receiving even greater visibility.
the purely academic.
One such all-female team, Skillet (see page 28), sought out legal
The flipsi team relied on ZEAL’s expertise for contractor agreements, advice after winning one of the top prizes at the School of Public
trademark work, and more. “It’s a great resource for students who Health’s Innovation in Action competition.
are beyond the idea phase and it’s starting to look like they might
actually have something,” says Plott, noting the main benefit is the ”The legal issues were somewhat in the background; we didn’t
ZEAL clinic’s pro bono service offerings. “Ventures just starting know that was so involved,” says Skillet co-founder Lily Hamburger.
out want to put all their funding into creating a minimum viable
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

37

#MadeAtMichigan

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE CLINIC
IS THAT THE LAW STUDENTS AND
ENTREPRENEURS ARE LEARNING
TOGETHER AND THAT THE CLINIC IS
INVESTING IN U-M STUDENTS IN
ORDER TO BUILD BUSINESSES AND
ADVISE ENTREPRENEURS.

Grant Hughes, U-M alum and
co-founder of Focus Solutions

“When we won the money [from Innovation in Action] we started “I can’t quantify how much it would have cost us to do what the
thinking seriously about launching our business and knew we had clinic has done, but I know it’s a substantial amount.”
to do something. Some of our team wanted to continue and some
did not. We had to be thoughtful and careful that everyone was Today, Hughes and Canavan are using the data they collected for
treated fairly and the outside council was important for that.” Focus Solutions as a foundation for a new fitness startup.

The program has broad implications for both students and the Thompson says the program benefits both law students and the
economy. student body across campus. ”Law students didn’t have a signif-
icant opportunity to be involved in the greater entrepreneurial
In 2012, U-M alumni Grant Hughes and Cavan Canavan developed ecosystem at the university before the ZEAL program was started.
Focus Solutions, a wearable device and app system that records​ This experience gives them the specific skills they need to
and coaches users during their workouts. The device automati- represent startups and an in-depth understanding of the rapidly
cally identifies the type of exercise being done, such as pushups, growing areas of law impacting startups.”
crunches, or squats; records the workout details including sets,
repetitions, and rest periods; and provides real-time audio or visual For students across campus, having access to the law clinic helps
feedback using a smartphone. to break down the barriers to entry in entrepreneurship. “It helps
other students see that the law is not such a scary thing. Lawyers
The team credits the clinic for valuable legal advice early on, which can be collaborative and valued members of the team, and getting
helped to lay the foundation for Focus’ early success. “What I love this trusted advice early on is really important,” says Thompson.
about the clinic is that the law students and entrepreneurs are
learning together, and that the clinic is investing in U-M students in The law clinic’s services are in high demand, especially with the
order to build businesses and advise entrepreneurs,” Hughes said. university’s increased activity in entrepreneurship and breadth of

38 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

resources available to students through the campus-wide minor in ABOUT THE ZEAL CLINIC
entrepreneurship, courses, 30+ entrepreneurial student organiza-
tions, incubators, and accelerators. The Entrepreneurship Clinic, a part of Michigan Law’s
Zell Entrepreneurship and Law (ZEAL) Program, is a
The clinic is essentially protecting the ability of students to inno- clinical law program focusing on advising U-M student
vate, create, and explore.“Having people who know what things you entrepreneurial ventures. One of the first of its kind in
should be doing so you don’t screw up early on is really beneficial,” the United States, the clinic provides law students with
says Jeff Plott. For flipsi, it’s allowed the team to move through the unique, real-world experience in representing early-
paces more efficiently. The team is poised to seek its first round of stage ventures while offering valuable legal services
venture funding for flipsibaby this year. to the university entrepreneurial ecosystem. The clinic
has provided no-cost legal services to a significant
“Michigan has a legacy of providing the educational foundation number of student-led startups since its inception in
to the great innovators of our time like Larry Page, co-founder of 2012, meets with hundreds of student entrepreneurs
Google; Eric Lefkofsky, co-founder of Groupon; and Dick Costolo, each year, and has provided hundreds of hours of legal
former CEO of Twitter, among many others. These examples of information to individuals and organizations through-
globally recognized innovators who graduated from the Univer- out the U-M community.
sity of Michigan illustrate the potential of Michigan students to
become great innovators. This is why it is important for Michigan 39
students to be able to innovate and to believe that they can make
an impact, without having to invest the much-needed early capital
into the legal process, and the law clinic is helping them achieve
these goals,” says Thompson.

#MadeAtMichigan

G

GROW

Now that the seeds have been planted, these up
and coming ventures offer innovative products
and services, are looking for investment, and are
ready to grow.
University programs dedicated to growing student
ventures include: the Desai Accelerator, optiMize
Summer Fellowship and Advising, The Center for
Entrepreneurship Advising, Zell Entrepreneurship
Advising, ZLI Early-Stage Fund.

40 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Companion G companionapp.io facebook.com/getcompanion
twitter.com/getcompanion
Companion is a peer-to-peer safety network that allows users to
virtually ensure their family and friends’ safety whenever they’re on the
move. The app, available now for free on the App Store and Google Play
Store, prompts users to enter their ultimate destination and then
select“companions”from their phone’s address book.These selected
companions will then be able to track the user’s journey. If the user
strays from the path, starts running, or drops their phone, the app
will recognize that something could be wrong, and will contact the
user’s “companions,” who can then alert police.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business Challenge and advising;
Desai Accelerator; Center for Entrepreneurship advising; UMSI
Entrepreneurship Program advising

THE TEAM:

Danny Freed, Ross School of Business, BBA 2015
Lexie Ernst, Ross School of Business, BBA 2017
Nathan Pilcowitz, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2015
Kathryn Reiner, Ross School of Business, BBA 2015
Jake Wayne, School of Information, BSI and Minor in Entrepreneurship 2016

WE’VE ALL HAD THAT UNEASY FEELING, OR HAD OTHERS REACH OUT TO US BECAUSE OF ONE. SO WE
SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR COMPANION TO BE USED IN CITIES, ACROSS CORPORATE CAMPUSES, OR
BY PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS GOING OUT WITH FRIENDS.

Jake Wayne, co-founder, School of Information

41

#MadeAtMichigan woodsidedistributors.com

Woodside Distributors G Pierre de Smet, College of Engineering, BSE 2019, Business Analyst
Ananya Shah, Ross School of Business, BBA 2019, Business Analyst
Woodside specializes in dramatically increasing sales of many items, Shaleen Goel, Ross School of Business, BBA 2019, Business Analyst
ranging from hardware to clothing, adding new vendors and products Jarrell Ku, Ross School of Business, BBA 2019, Business Analyst
every month. With sales on Amazon, eBay, Sears, and its own web-
site (WoodsideDistributors.com), the company serves thousands
of businesses and consumers who most often find it through organic
search.With under a dozen current employees,WoodsideDistributors
continues to consistently add team members with a specialty in
e-commerce.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship The Startup,Jump Start Grants,
and advising; Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream Grants and
Marcel Gani Internship Program; MPowered MTank

THE TEAM:

Danny Sheridan, Ross School of Business, BBA 2018, Founder and President
Alex Glassman, College of Engineering, BSE 2018, Optimization Team Leader
Mitchell Kasselman, Ross School of Business, BBA 2018, Growth Team Leader
Danielle Mileto, Ross School of Business, BBA 2018, Business Analyst
Deep Singhvi, College of Engineering, BSE 2018, Business Analyst
Rami Kadouh, Ross School of Business, BBA 2018, Business Analyst
Bailey Tuczak, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, 2019, Business Analyst

42 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Girls Rock Detroit G girlsrockdetroit.org facebook.com/girlsrockdetroit
twitter.com/girlsrockdet
Girls Rock Detroit strives to empower girls, regardless of race or
socioeconomic status, to challenge preconceived notions of what they “After five days of classes, band meet-ups, and activities, our band
can do, what they can become, and how they can engage with community. played at the Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME). Our band
Girls Rock Detroit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes got face paint and dressed up, then we rocked the house! It was an
creative expression, positive self-esteem, and community awareness awesome experience!”— Meera Ramaswamy, 11-year-old participant
in girls ages 8–14 through a weeklong summer camp focused on
music education and performance. Participants receive instrument
lessons, form bands, and write original songs—and then perform at
a real Detroit music venue! The organization provides a safe, positive
space by creating an environment filled with supportive role models and
makes the experience accessible for all by offering sliding-scale tuition.

U-M SUPPORT:
SMTD EXCEL Program

THE TEAM:

Melissa Coppola, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, MS 2016, Co-Founder
and Volunteer Coordinator
Willa Rae Adamo, Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2015, Co-Founder,
Events and Promotion
Rosalind Hartigan, Harvard-Radcliffe College, BA 1987, Co-Founder and
Camper/Parent Coordinator
Heather Mourer, Indiana University, BA 2005, Board Member, Marketing
and Development

Blueprints For Pangaea G b4pglobal.org

Blueprints For Pangaea (B4P) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit global health “There is no experience more rewarding, fulfilling, illuminating,
startup that provides sustainable solutions to inefficient healthcare impactful, or all-around glorious than working to improve this world
resource distribution. A social enterprise, B4P reallocates excess, through a meaningful business venture. To those unsure if they should
unused medical supplies—that would otherwise be discarded—from act on their ideas: start now.”— Blueprints For Pangaea Team
U.S. hospitals and suppliers to those overseas that have a shortage
of these same supplies. With fewer medical supplies to dispose 43
of, domestic hospitals are able to cut expenses and reduce their
environmental footprints. Since B4P obtains these medical resources
via donations, they can deliver them to hospitals overseas at greatly
subsidized prices, enabling higher-quality patient care than would
otherwise be attainable.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship advising; Center for Social Impact
advising; Zell Lurie Institute Michigan Business Challenge and
advising; International Transactional Law Clinic; MPowered
1000 Pitches; LSA optiMize Social Innovation Partnership

THE TEAM:

Benjamin Rathi, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA, and Ross
School of Business, BBA 2017
James Ha, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2017
Andrew Ying, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2018

#MadeAtMichigan keefcompany.com facebook.com/Keefclothing

Keef Company G instagram.com/keef_company

Stamps student Keefer Edwards set out to create a clothing brand
that would break free from the norm of the current environmentally
hazardous practices in the fashion industry. He founded Keef
Company with a combined passion for the environment, design, and
manufacturing goods in the USA. All of Keef Company’s products
are handmade in a studio in Empire, Michigan. By using eco-friendly
fabrics and not manufacturing garments overseas, Keef Company’s
environmental footprint is incredibly small.

U-M SUPPORT:
Stamps School of Art & Design advising

THE TEAM:

Keefer Edwards, Stamps School of Art & Design, BFA 2019

WITH TEMPERATURES RISING AND POLLUTION LEVELS STEADILY INCREASING, CHANGES
MUST BE MADE TO OUR CURRENT WASTEFUL CONSUMER CULTURE. WE WANT TO MAKE
PRODUCTS IN A MUCH SMARTER AND GREENER WAY.

Keefer Edwards, founder

44 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

Are You a Human G areyouahuman.com

Sixty percent of all traffic on the internet is generated by bots. Not all “We want to change Michigan, we want to turn it into a place where
bots are malicious, but they all cause problems for your website. Are people create jobs instead of going to work for someone else.”
You a Human is the curator of The Verified Human Whitelist™, which — Reid Tatoris, co-founder
allows anyone using it to be certain they are addressing a verified human
before they serve content, services, or ads. Instead of searching for 45
bots, which evolve in a matter of days, Are You a Human finds and
verifies humans by analyzing natural user behavior across hundreds
of thousands of websites. After the company has consistently seen
and verified a user as human, they’re added to the Whitelist, and then
reverified over and over again each day. Are You a Human started at
U-M in 2010, and now analyzes natural interaction in any environment,
helping more than a million websites validate their traffic.

U-M SUPPORT:
TechArb Student Incubator; Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream
Grants; Center for Entrepreneurship advising

THE TEAM:

Stuart VandenBrink, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2011
David Levitch, Ross School of Business, MBA 2011
Reid Tatoris, College of Engineering, BSE 2004, and Ross School of Business,
MBA 2011
Tyler Paxton, Ross School of Business, MBA 2011

#MadeAtMichigan entrain.math.lsa.umich.edu

Entrain G

Entrain is a mobile app that recommends lighting schedules to help
travelers get over jet lag faster. When you travel across timezones,
getting light at the right times can dramatically reduce how long it
takes you to adapt to the new schedule. In particular, the schedules
Entrain recommends (computed using a kind of mathematics called
optimal control) are able to adjust a math model of the circadian clock
to a new time zone in a third of the time it would otherwise take. Plus, if
you aren’t able to follow the schedule, you can update your lighting
history and the recommendations will dynamically update on the fly.
Entrain is free on iOS and Android, has been featured in over 500
media articles, and has been downloaded over 120,000 times.

U-M SUPPORT:
Fast Forward Medical Innovation

THE TEAM:

Olivia Walch, Rackham Graduate School, PhD candidate, Applied and
Interdisciplinary Mathematics 2017
Daniel Forger, University of Michigan Professor of Mathematics and
Research and Professor of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics
Sam Christensen, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2017
Sam Oliver, Stamps School of Art & Design, BFA 2015

46 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS

MORE ONLINE. VISIT INNOVATEBLUE.UMICH.EDU/HIGHLIGHTS

Fresh Corner Cafe G freshcornercafe.com instagram.com/freshcornercafe
twitter.com/freshcornercafe facebook.com/freshcornercafe
Fresh Corner Cafe’s mission is to make sure that every Detroit resident
has access to healthy meals. The company offers catering, workplace
packages, and access to fresh food throughout the city. Launched in
2011, the organization has served more than 200,000 meals, which
cost between $3 and $5. The founder, Noam Kimmelman, also leads
Detroit Food Academy, a training program for high school students to
start their own food businesses.

U-M SUPPORT:
School of Public Health advising

THE TEAM:

Noam Kimelman, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BS 2009,
School of Public Health, MPH 2012, Founder
Val Waller, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, BA 2009

“Mission brought me into Detroit, but it’s definitely the community that keeps me here—a
group of like-minded people who are passionate about social change. There’s this persistent
conversation about how we can improve things for everyone.” ­— Noam Kimmelman, founder

IndustryStar G industrystarsolutions.com

IndustryStar is passionate about bringing to market innovative and
disruptive technologies that will have a positive impact on the world.
The company was founded to address the daily supply chain pains
bringing innovative hardware products to market. IndustryStar’s
flexible Supply Chain as a Service offering and patent-pending soft-
ware expedite, optimize, and lower the risk of supply chain opera-
tions for high-growth technology companies.

U-M SUPPORT:
Zell Lurie Institute Dare to Dream Grants and advising;TechArb
Student Startup Incubator; Center for Entrepreneurship Treks
and advising; Zell Entrepreneurship and Law clinic
COMMUNITY SUPPORT:
Ann Arbor SPARK

THE TEAM:

William Crane, Ross School of Business, MBA 2017, Founder and CEO

Ken Nelson, University of Michigan-Dearborn, MS 2009, Software Engineer

“Spend time to document your Why, How, and What statement and your supporting processes. It may seem like you are slowing
things down or slowing innovation but make sure you and your team members understand why you are doing what you do and
then document the core processes for your business. We find this approach leads to better products, a well-functioning team,
and happier customers. —­ IndustryStar team

47

#MadeAtMichigan

SkySpecs G skyspecs.com

SkySpecs is a software company that develops autonomous commer- Ben Marchionna, College of Engineering, BSE 2011, University of Southern California
cial drones for infrastructure inspection applications. With the single MSE, System Integration and Test Engineer
push of a button, a SkySpecs drone will be capable of monitoring and Karan Mahajan, Rackham Graduate School, MS 2016, Autonomous Robotics Engineer
reporting on infrastructure such as wind turbines, cell towers, power Shweta Khushu, Rackham Graduate School, MS 2015, Computer Vision and
transmission towers,and bridges.SkySpecs customers are the owners Machine Learning Engineer
and operators of these assets that are continuously trying to improve Peter Dixon, College of Engineering, MEng 2017, Drone Pilot
the efficiency of the maintenance on the structures. The company
offers a way to conduct more frequent inspection, collect higher
quality data, and do it safer than any previous means.

U-M SUPPORT:
Center for Entrepreneurship Treks and advising; TechArb
Student Startup Incubator; Zell Entrepreneurship and Law
Clinic; Wilson Student Team Project Center; Clean Energy
Venture Challenge

THE TEAM:

Danny Ellis, College of Engineering, BSE 2010, MSE 2013, CEO and Founder
Tom Brady, College of Engineering, BSE 2011, MSE 2013, CTO and Founder
Sam DeBruin, College of Engineering, BSE 2012, PhD candidate 2018, VP of
Research and Founder
Jonathan Bendes, College of Engineering, BSE 2013, MSE 2014, VP of Product
Development
Isaac Olson, College of Engineering, BSE 2014, MSE 2016, VP of Robotics &
System Architecture

48 | 2015/16 HIGHLIGHTS