About Desai Accelerator

Our History | Our Partners | Our Staff

 

About Desai Accelerator

Our History | Our Partners | Our Staff

Our History

The Desai Accelerator was founded in 2013 to expand the growing Ann Arbor technology startup community. With support from our generous benefactors at the Desai Sethi Family Foundation, the Desai Accelerator was created as a joint initiative between the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Michigan Ross and the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Equipped with resources from both the University and the city of Ann Arbor, the Desai Accelerator is able to help entrepreneurs build their businesses and maximize their potential.

Our History

The Desai Accelerator was founded in 2013 to expand the growing Ann Arbor technology startup community. With support from our generous benefactors at the Desai Sethi Family Foundation, the Desai Accelerator was created as a joint initiative between Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Michigan Ross and the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Equipped with resources from both the University and the city of Ann Arbor, the Desai Accelerator is able to help entrepreneurs build their businesses and maximize their potential.

Our Partners

The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity advances the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation through a broad range of activities, including academics, symposium, competitions, and global community outreach. The Institute is the foremost resource for students and alumni of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business as they pursue entrepreneurial endeavors and private equity careers.

The Institute’s innovative approach to experiential learning - combined with the Business School's traditional management excellence - encourages and nurtures students exploring entrepreneurial careers to succeed, autonomously or in a corporate setting, as leaders for new venture creation and growth.

The mission of The Center for Entrepreneurship is to empower the entrepreneurial spirit of The University of Michigan College of Engineering to drive the impact of innovation in the State of Michigan, the Nation and in the global economy.

The CFE provides active learning experiences to all students and faculty at The University through classes and programs that are designed to teach the skills needed to successfully translate high-potential projects and ideas into the world. In learning these skills, individuals become better prepared to identify and act on opportunities to solve problems in any organization, or entrepreneurial endeavor.

U of M Ross School of Business, Zell Lurie Institute
 
U of M College of Engineering, Center for Entrepreneurship

Our Partners

The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity advances the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation through a broad range of activities, including academics, symposium, competitions, and global community outreach. The Institute is the foremost resource for students and alumni of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business as they pursue entrepreneurial endeavors and private equity careers.

The Institute’s innovative approach to experiential learning - combined with the Business School's traditional management excellence - encourages and nurtures students exploring entrepreneurial careers to succeed, autonomously or in a corporate setting, as leaders for new venture creation and growth.

The mission of The Center for Entrepreneurship is to empower the entrepreneurial spirit of The University of Michigan College of Engineering to drive the impact of innovation in the State of Michigan, the Nation and in the global economy.

The CFE provides active learning experiences to all students and faculty at The University through classes and programs that are designed to teach the skills needed to successfully translate high-potential projects and ideas into the world. In learning these skills, individuals become better prepared to identify and act on opportunities to solve problems in any organization, or entrepreneurial endeavor.

U of M Ross School of Business, Zell Lurie Institute
U of M College of Engineering, Center for Entrepreneurship

Our Staff

Angela Kujava Profile Image Desai Accelerator
Angela Kujava, Managing Director

Angela is responsible for the execution and development of the Desai’s business acceleration program, including mentoring and counseling startups and selecting and managing investments. She works closely with the region’s business communities for the benefit of not only the participating startups but also the broader entrepreneurial landscape. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, creative direction, small business consulting, team management, technology marketing, UI/UX analysis, and content writing. Angela is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Katy Lind Desai Accelerator Program Manager
Katy Lind, Program Manager

Katy supports the execution and development of the program, including managing the internship program and mentoring the startups.  Katy is the founder of Pincause, a purpose-driven platform and community that raised over $200K for non-profits since launching in January 2017. Her areas of expertise include startup marketing, customer activation, leadership development, event planning, and high energy. Katy graduated from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business with a M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Marketing and received her Dual Degree B.A. in Dance and Theatre from Scripps College.

Tyler Headshot
Tyler Laredo, Program Coordinator

Tyler is managing several day-to-day operations and leading growth projects for early 2018. Having previously interned at Desai and Slack and directing sponsorship for U-M’s hackathon, he brings a variety of skills to the program including software development, community & company engagement, and fundraising. Tyler also heads the recruitment efforts for the student internship program at Desai. Tyler is a senior at the University of Michigan majoring in Computer Science. After graduation he will be working full-time as a software engineer at Lyft in San Francisco.

Michael Godwin Profile Image Desai Accelerator
Michael Godwin, Entrepreneur in Residence

During the 2017 cohort, Michael Godwin, Managing Director of Resonant Venture Partners, joined Desai as Entrepreneur in Residence. Resonant Venture Partners, based in Ann Arbor, makes seed stage investments in companies developing cloud infrastructure, hardware, software, and services. Michael currently serves on the board of directors of Accio energy and Filament. He has worked with venture-backed startups in the software, consulting, wireless and online commerce industries since 1996.

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