Agenda

Friday, September 21, 2018

8:30 AM

Registration and Continental Breakfast – Michigan League Concourse


 9:00 AM


Stewart Thornhill
, Executive Director,
Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
Welcome and Presentation of the Zell Lurie Scholars
Michigan League Ballroom


9:15 AM


Keynote Speaker
Ari Weinzweig, Co-Founding Partner, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
Michigan League Ballroom


10:00 AM

Pitch Event

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Innovating Beyond Startup – Your True North- Workshop by Bob McClure of McClure’s Pickles.

If you’ve started a business, it is likely you desired to change something you believed could be better, improved or perhaps hasn’t ever been done in the way you believe it could. An underlying purpose drove you to make those decisions — what are the key aspects that keep that core purpose front and center in your business decisions as you grow? How do you stay focused, avoid getting stuck in the middle, and ensure the company’s long term sustainable growth in today’s fast business cycle where 9 out of 10 startups fail? How do brands in the CPG space and entrepreneurs in any business retain their early passion for disruption, innovation and key elements that brought them initial success early on after startup and well into scaled growth?

Investing in Food and Agriculture Panel Discussion with Aaron Desatnik of Ceres Partners, Xavier Fuller of Nuveen and Kevin Zussman of Cultivian Sandbox Ventures.

Food production is among humankind’s oldest activities. It is also among the slowest to adopt the latest technologies. That has started to change, as investing in food and agriculture has become one of the hottest sectors over the past few years. Three investors, representing three different platforms – venture capital, growth equity and private equity – will discuss these changes, how they’re transforming the food system, and opportunities for entrepreneurs and corporates alike.


11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Food with Impact/Sustainability Panel- Moderated by Ryan Gourley of Tech Arb, featuring panelists Lauren Beriont of Design Innovation and Engaged Learning at UMSI (founded UM Campus Farm), Erik Drake of Pete and Gerry’s Organics and Lilly Fink Shapiro of UM Sustainable Food Systems.

From backyard beekeeping to rooftop gardening, from lab-grown meat to plant-based dairy, the sustainable food movement has arrived with the power of an idea whose time has come. As traditional supply chains falter under the weight of shifting consumer demand, enhancing the sustainability of our food system represents one of the largest entrepreneurial opportunities of the modern era. On this panel, you will hear from sustainable food entrepreneurs, educators, and evangelists on our system’s current challenges and emerging opportunities. You’ll walk away with not only a deeper appreciation of the complexities of our food system, but moreover, a better understanding of how the next wave of innovators can have maximum impact in a rapidly changing world.

The Importance of Positive Corporate Culture in Food Service Companies- Workshop by Eric Ersher of Zoup!

Ersher is responsible for strategic planning, concept evolution, quality and franchise support. He also leads the company’s staff in building and protecting the Zoup! brand and in shaping the company’s culture. In this workshop, Ersher will reveal how a defined culture helps founders to navigate challenges and to attract a like-minded team. Every company has a story and often company core values for employees are discovered, not created. Come and learn how culture impacts business.