The Pathing Playbook

Detroit • Ann Arbor • Grand Rapids • Kalamazoo • Flint • Traverse City / Northern Michigan

This is a practical checklist for plugging into a new startup community in 30 days. It’s built for how ecosystems actually work: recurring rooms, organizer feeds, small-group trust, and give-first moves that earn you real introductions.

Print this, put it on your desk, and treat each quest like a mini-game. Each one has a clear finish line so you know when you’re done.

Quick Start (15 minutes)

[ ] Choose a primary city and a secondary city for the next 30 days.

[ ] Follow 5 organizers and 5 connectors. Turn on notifications for the organizers.

[ ] Put 3 events on your calendar for the next 14 days (at least 2 recurring).

Rule: show up before you optimize. Consistency beats intensity.

Path 1: Build Your Signal Stack (Social First)

Do:

[ ] Pick one primary city and one secondary city to track for the next 30 days.

[ ] Follow 5 organizers that consistently post events and turn on notifications.

[ ] Follow 5 connectors (founders, operators, investors) who regularly share local intel.

Done when:

[ ] You have 3 events on your calendar in the next 14 days (at least 2 recurring series).

[ ] You can name 5 organizers and 5 connectors from memory.

Pro move: Follow key organizers on Eventbrite, Luma and/or LinkedIn so new events hit your inbox before static calendars update.

Path 2: Follow the Connectors (Influencers = Intel Layer)

Do:

[ ] Create a private list called “Michigan Connectors” (LinkedIn list, X list, or Notes doc).

[ ] Engage publicly: leave 5 useful comments (share a resource, make an intro, or add context).

Done when:

[ ] You have a list of 15 people + 10 orgs you can reliably point others to.

[ ] You have made 2 warm introductions for other people.

Pro move: DM the easy question: “I’m new here. Who are two people I should meet – and which room is best to meet them in?”

Path 3: Choose a Home Base (One Room to Become a Regular)

Do:

[ ] Visit 3 hubs/coworking spaces in your city (tour, day pass, or event). Search for Innovation Hubs/Orgs in your vertical on michigan.pathing.co

[ ] Pick one as your default “drop-in” location for the next month.

Done when:

[ ] You have worked there twice, learned 2 staff names, and attended 1 recurring event there.

[ ] You can introduce two members to each other without thinking.

Pro move: Ask the community manager: “Which event has the highest intro density – where people actually meet each other?”

Path 4: Run the Small-Room Circuit (High Trust, Fast Access)

Do:

[ ] Attend 2 smaller recurring meetups where you can talk to most of the room.

[ ] Use a simple conversation loop: What are you building? What’s the constraint? Who are you trying to meet?

Done when:

[ ] You’ve exchanged contact info with 6 people and scheduled 2 follow-ups.

[ ] You’ve delivered 1 introduction within 48 hours.

Pro move: Small rooms are not “less important” – they are practice labs where you become familiar fast.

Path 5: Hit One Big-Tent Week (Cross-City Surface Area)

Do:

[ ] Choose one ecosystem “week” or major multi-day convening to attend this year.

[ ] Pick one identity track (e.g., mobility, health, community, climate) and stick to it.

Done when:

[ ] You attended 1 week event and left with 10 names + 3 meetings already scheduled.

[ ] You posted a short recap that highlights 3 people and 3 learnings.

Pro move: The goal is not more sessions; it’s more follow-ups.

Path 6: Make It a Streak (Consistency Beats Intensity)

Do:

[ ] Attend 1 event per week for 4 weeks (same series if possible).

[ ] Do follow-ups the next day: 2 messages, 1 intro, 1 ask.

Done when:

[ ] You have a 4-week streak and at least 8 follow-ups completed.

[ ] At least 1 person recognizes you and starts the conversation first.

Pro move: Don’t over-prepare. Attend once. Introduce yourself to 3 people. Repeat.

Path 7: Get a Backstage Pass (Volunteer Your Way In)

Do:

[ ] Volunteer for one event (check-in, speaker support, timekeeping, mic runner).

[ ] Ask the organizer who else is helping and introduce yourself to the team.

Done when:

[ ] You’ve done 1 volunteer shift and gained 5 new contacts.

[ ] You received at least 1 inbound message afterward (thank you, follow-up, intro).

Pro move: Choose roles that force interaction; avoid roles that keep you hidden.

Path 8: Pick Your Guild (Sector Room + Identity Room)

Do:

[ ] Join 1 sector room (mobility, health, SaaS, hardware, etc.) and attend twice.

[ ] Join 1 identity/community room (women in tech, Black tech, students, devs, operators) and attend twice.

Done when:

[ ] You can name the 3 most active organizers in each room.

[ ] You have 2 peers you can text for advice without it feeling weird.

Pro move: Ask every room: “Where do founders go when they’re stuck?”

Path 9: Pitch Once (Even If It’s Ugly)

Do:

[ ] Attend one pitch night and ask 1 thoughtful question, or pitch a problem you’re exploring.

[ ] Keep it simple: problem, who it hurts, what you tried, what you need.

Done when:

[ ] You’ve pitched once OR applied once OR participated once (question counts).

[ ] You leave with 3 pieces of actionable feedback.

Pro move: Pitching gets you mapped into everyone’s mental model. Winning is optional.

Path 10: Map the Money (But Don’t Start With Investors)

Do:

[ ] List 5 capital paths relevant to your stage (grants, angels, pre-seed, accelerators, revenue).

[ ] Take one real action: office hours, intro request, application, or deck review.

Done when:

[ ] You have 5 capital paths + 3 names per path.

[ ] You completed 1 action that moves you closer to capital.

Pro move: Ask: “What would have to be true for this to be fundable in the next 12-18 months?”

Path 11: Do One Pilot Move (Customers > Conversations)

Do:

[ ] Draft a one-page pilot concept (goal, timeline, success metrics).

[ ] Have 1 conversation with a potential pilot partner (customer, campus, manufacturer, city).

Done when:

[ ] You’ve shared the 1-pager with 2 people and received edits.

[ ] You’ve identified one path to a paid pilot or proof-of-value.

Pro move: Bring a 30/60/90-day plan. It turns “cool idea” into “real project someone can say yes to.”

Path 12: Tap Universities Without Becoming a Tourist

Do:

[ ] Attend 1 campus-adjacent event or demo day and meet 2 builders (students, researchers, alumni founders).

[ ] Ask what real-world problems capstone teams or labs want.

Done when:

[ ] You have 2 builder contacts and one follow-up meeting booked.

[ ] You identified 1 pathway to a pilot, capstone, or research collaboration.

Pro move: The best campus question: “What teams are looking for real problems right now and who decides?”

Path 13: Cross-City Loops (Michigan Is a Networked Ecosystem)

Do:

[ ] Attend one event outside your home city (Detroit, Ann Arbor, GR, Kalamazoo, Flint, Traverse City).

[ ] Create a three-person cross-city thread (text/WhatsApp/Signal) and share one opportunity per week.

Done when:

[ ] You made 2 cross-city introductions.

[ ] You have a “route” – a repeatable loop of rooms across cities.

Pro move: Pick a route you can repeat quarterly and anchor it to existing weeks (a2Tech360, Tech Week GR, Michigan Tech Week).

Path 14: Contribute to the Map (How Everyone Owns It)

Do:

[ ] Submit 5 updates (new event, corrected info, new connector, updated link, new resource).

[ ] Refer 2 people to Pathing who will actually use it.

Done when:

[ ] You’ve submitted 5 updates and 2 referrals.

[ ] You have a habit: “patch notes” once per month.

Pro move: Publish monthly patch notes: what changed, what’s new, what to watch and tag the people you mention.

30-Day Challenge Scoreboard

Hit 70 points to be “plugged in.” Hit 100 points to be a regular.

Week	Tasks	Points
Week 1 — Signals	Follow 10 orgs + 10 connectors; add 3 events to your calendar	20
Week 2 — Rooms	Attend 1 small-room event; do 1 cowork/community day; make 1 intro	25
Week 3 — Consistency	Repeat a recurring series; complete 6 follow-ups; volunteer once	25
Week 4 — Leverage	Attend 1 event outside your city; pitch/apply/ask a question; submit 5 map updates	30

Starter Follow List (People + Feeds)

Use this as a starting point. The real goal is to build your own list from the rooms you attend. This list trends towards high-signal founders and operators plus a few core feeds that consistently surface opportunities.

Statewide / Cross-City

• Ted Velie — Midwest House

• Ben Marchionna — MEDC ecosystem leadership

• Pete Martin — PitchMI / MSU Research Foundation

• MVCA — investor convening + events

• Monica Wheat — ecosystem architect + investor + founder support

• Michigan Growth Office — economic programs + entrepreneur support

• Alison Todak — VP, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, MEDC (statewide capital programs)

• Renaissance Venture Capital — UnDemo Day + venture network

• Michigan Founders Fund — founder-led statewide network + pre-accelerator

• Michigan Tech Week — statewide tech + startup convening

• Michigan Central / Newlab — tech/innovation Hub + innovation district

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) – business support + services + access to capital

Detroit

• Mark de la Vergne — Michigan Central / innovation district

• Monica Wheat — ecosystem architect + investor + founder support

• Amanda Lewan — Bamboo (community + coworking in 5 locations)

• James Feagin — angel + venture community leadership

• Ned Staebler — TechTown Detroit

• Johnnie & Alexa Turnage — co-founders, Black Tech Saturdays

• Venture 313 — next stage entrepreneur support & acceleration

• Start Studio — early stage entrepreneur support & pre-accelerator

• Bamboo Detroit — Co-working and Ecosystem Support

• Detroit Startup Fund — non-dilutive grants for startup founders

• Black Tech Saturdays — inclusive tech + founder community

• Detroit Venture Partners — venture fund + founder support / innovation partners

• DEGC/Detroit Means Business — small business and startup support

• Rock Ventures — connected companies + founder support + innovation district

• Invest Detroit — venture fund + founder support + programs

Ann Arbor

• Paul Krutko — Ann Arbor SPARK

• Mike Flanagan — VP, Capital Programs, Ann Arbor SPARK

• A2 New Tech — founder pitches + feedback

• Michigan Founders Fund — Ann Arbor base

• Bamboo Ann Arbor — Co-working and Ecosystem Support

• Ann Arbor SPARK — events + bootcamps + capital programs

• A2Tech360 / Tech Trek — Ann Arbor SPARK annual event series

• University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship/Zell Lurie —Tech & Innovation Hub + Entrepreneurship Support

Grand Rapids

• Start Garden — pitch nights + venture studio + Entrepreneur Support

• 5X5 Night — recurring pitch event series

• Tech Week Grand Rapids — multi-day annual convening

• Bamboo Grand Rapids — events + coworking + Innovation Hub

Kalamazoo

• Carl Brown — Startup Zoo

• Southwest Michigan First — Catalyst Center programming

• Kalamazoo Forward — Entrepreneur Support

• Kalamazoo Forward Ventures — venture fund + pitch competition

Flint

• Brandee Cooke-Brown — 100K Ideas

• Ferris Wheel Flint — coworking + startup hub

• 100K Ideas — ideation, prototyping, and pitch programs

• Flint & Genessee Economic Alliance — events + resources

Traverse City / Northern Michigan

• Northern Michigan Startup Week

• 20Fathoms — events + coworking + incubator

• Northern Michigan Startup Week — multi-day annual startup convening

• Venture North — capital + business support

• Laura Galbraith — Venture North

Reference Links

Clickable sources for events, hubs, and connectors mentioned in this playbook.

The Pathing Playbook