April 2026 Newsletter
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Impact Venture Demo Day
Thurs, Apr. 16 @ 5-7 pm
Michigan Ross Winter Garden
See the latest Michigan innovations and interactive prototypes at Impact Venture Demo Day on April 16! The Impact Studio, along with five other units on campus and three community organizations, is proud to host its annual Impact Venture Demo Day. Featuring student ventures tackling global issues through tech for good, health and wellbeing, education, climate, and fintech — this event allows visitors to interact with live demonstrations of prototypes, connect with visionary student founders, and provide feedback to early-stage solutions to global issues. Light refreshments will be served, and it will include special guests from Ann Arbor Spark, BCG, Ingeborg Investments, and more!
Before attending this event, learn all about the mentors in the Impact Studio that make ideas and potential shine. Read the Post Here
Info Sessions for Nonprofits: Build Your Board and Boost Capacity
Info Sessions:
Mon, May 4 @ 4-5 pm
1000 Oakbrook Drive, #300, Ann Arbor
Thurs, May 7 @ Noon-12:45 pm
Zoom
Tues, May 12 @ 4-5 pm
UM Detroit Center, 3663 Woodward Ave., #150, Detroit
Apply by Fri, June 19
We invite nonprofits serving Southeast Michigan to join us for an information session about our Nonprofit Board Fellowship Program. You will learn about the program requirements, goals, and timeline. Eligible nonprofits must be registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4), have an operating history of at least 2 years, a minimum of 5 board members, and a minimum of 2 board meetings between October 2026 and April 2027. Please email [email protected] with any questions about the sessions.
Golub Capital Board Fellows Experiences in the Field
During the 2025-26 academic year, participants in Business+Impact’s Golub Capital Board Fellowship Program have served as non-voting members of local nonprofit boards while completing impactful projects. This year’s cohort features 80 students affiliated with Michigan Ross, the Ford School of Public Policy, the School of Education, the School of Social Work, and the School for Environment and Sustainability. We interviewed a few of our Board Fellows and learned a bit more about their personal experiences with the program.
Congratulations Graduates!
We at Business+Impact have come to know many students at Ross and across campus through our programs and partnerships. We will miss all of you graduating students, but we’re excited to see the impact you make in your careers, and we wish you all the best. Keep in touch with B+I by following us on LinkedIn, and we hope to partner with you sometime in the future!
Gordon Scholars Celebrate with Skip and Carrie Gordon
On Friday March 27, Skip and Carrie Gordon visited us and met the four scholars their scholarship fund supported this academic year: Nate Fisher (MBA/MURP ‘26), Felipe Sahb Furtado, MD (MBA ‘26), Sunny Huang (MBA/MPP ‘26), and Jasmin Lopez (MBA ‘26). Each received $7,500 to encourage their work in social impact.
DNEP on the Move
This March, the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) wrapped up another successful CFO Boot Camp at GRDC’s Grand River Workplace. Thirty-one business owners joined us for nine hours of hands-on financial training, and the results speak for themselves: 100% of participants said they’d recommend the workshop to others and plan to use what they learned. We’re already seeing entrepreneurs set up their books correctly, build financial projections, and craft compelling narratives for lenders.
…We were also proud to represent the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan President’s inaugural Research Forum. Christie Baer, Managing Director of DNEP, and Jerry Davis, Faculty Director of Business+Impact, joined other U-M teams to celebrate community-driven research and partnerships across the university.
…A huge thank you to everyone who supported DNEP on Giving Blueday (March 18th)—your generosity makes this work possible.
…Finally, if you’ve been to Newlab at Michigan Central Station lately, you might recognize a familiar face! Siobhan Barrett, DNEP’s Program & Business Development Manager, now has a desk with the U-M Center for Innovation in Detroit team. DNEP is set to become an anchor tenant in the new UMCI building currently under construction in Detroit, so this is an exciting step forward. By joining the UMCI team in-person, Siobhan will be able to better connect U-M students to Detroit businesses. Stop by and say hello!
Ross Events:
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| Exec MBA: Ramsey Aljahmi Thurs, Apr. 23 Virtual |
Ross Access & Opportunity Awards Mon, Apr. 27 @ 3-4:30 pm Tauber Colloquium |
Map Your U-M Journey with the Impact Roadmap and Sustainability Navigator
The Business+Impact Impact Roadmap (UMImpactRoadmap.com) provides you with a single location for all social impact on the U-M campus. Here you’ll find all of the events, courses, people, and key partners working to use their learning to make a real impact in the world.
The Sustainability Navigator (UMSustainabilityNavigator.com) helps you identify sustainability resources across the University of Michigan so you can chart your personalized roadmap to a more sustainable future.
At the University:
GINSBERG CENTER
Community-Based Internship Fund
Applications opening in Early April
Ginsberg Center is excited to announce the opening of applications for our Community-Based Internship Fund, made possible by the generous support of University of Michigan’s Democracy, and the Civic Empowerment & Global Engagement Initiative. Nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and community organizations based in southeast Michigan can apply.
SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability Across the Music Industry
Join fellow members of the SEAS community for an Alumni Master Chat with Eleanor Anderson (MS ’25), who has spent years digging into people analytics, risk aversion, and libertarian paternalism. But data alone doesn’t create change — storytelling, culture, and communication do.
CEW+
CEW+ Scholarships
The CEW+ Scholarship Program was established in 1970 to honor the academic performance and potential of women whose education has been interrupted. With support from our generous donors, CEW+ was able to expand the program in 2008 to include additional scholarships for students of all genders. CEW+ Scholarships are invaluable and unique in that they are tailored to complement a student’s existing aid package.
UM TEACHING AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
Enriching Scholarship Conference
May 4-8
North Quad and Virtual
Enriching Scholarship is free to all members of the U-M community. The first day of the conference will be held in-person at North Quad on Central Campus in Ann Arbor. There will be a dozen sessions led by U-M instructors, researchers, students, and staff. The rest of the week will be held remotely, with a dozen more sessions each day. Registration opens soon. In celebration of the University’s Future of Learning initiative, the conference theme this year is Life-Changing Education.
UM INSTITUTE FOR THE HUMANITIES
Public Humanities Internship Program
The Institute for the Humanities at the University of Michigan is a center for innovative, collaborative study in the humanities and arts. The Public Humanities Internship is a paid internship program that provides 8 selected undergraduate students at the University of Michigan with the unique opportunity to participate in the life of the Institute for the Humanities. Interns work 7 hours/week and are paid $18/hour.
In the Impact Community:
Community Connect
Wed, Apr. 22 @ 6-8 pm
NEW Center, 1100 N. Main St., Ann Arbor
Join us for Community Connect @ NEW – an evening gathering where community members can come together to share, connect, and collaborate as we strengthen our community of mutual support and care. Whether you’re offering a service, sharing a skill, making an ask, exchanging resources, or simply connecting with others, this is a space for you.
Justice for All Summit
The Justice for All Summit is an award-winning event that connects business and community leaders to the tools, strategies, and BOLD ideas needed to reimagine what is possible for our workplaces and the world. Join a diverse gathering of business, not-for-profit, education and government leaders, advocates, and practitioners for learning, community building, networking, and personal/professional growth.
Become a Certified Nonprofit Professional
Cohorts begin April 20 and June 22
The CNP is the only nationally recognized credential in nonprofit management that showcases learning and real-world experience. The CNP means you will perform better in your job and be 7x more likely to lead in the workplace. Take part in the Professional Track or the Accelerated Professional Track.
Rally Accelerator
Apply by Fri, May 8
Serve June 20-Nov. 3
Each year, Rally selects early-stage entrepreneurs who are tackling critical challenges in housing, health, education, the environment, and more. Our 16-week accelerator equips them with mentorship, customized curriculum, peer support, and pilot opportunities in Central Florida.
Listen4Good
Register by Mon, June 1 for
Cohort beginning in July
Jump in and begin developing new skills and systems for high-quality feedback practices with your clients. By participating, you’ll also join a vibrant community of over 1,000 Listen4Good participant organizations committed to this work.