Inside Impact Venture Demo Day

by Navya Singh

On April 16, the Ross School of Business Winter Garden was transformed into a showroom for the University of Michigan’s vibrant startup community. Impact Venture Demo Day is a yearly opportunity to see social impact solutions in their earliest, fastest growing stages. For two hours, over 25 student-led ventures invited the community to learn about their work, challenge their assumptions, and offer further insight and advice.

Attendees — ranging from local investors and alumni to fellow students — didn’t just listen to stories; they interacted with the work. There were iPads showing user interfaces, physical prototypes being passed around, and impressive visualizations on display, showing off how each business had spent the semester moving beyond the “What” and the “Why” to tackle the difficult “How” of social entrepreneurship.

“I’m so excited… to meet potential investors and really get to know some of the other folks who are building in this space,” said Jaenelle Lauture (MBA ’26) from Krik Krak, a venture focused on “making reading together magical” for parents and children.

Heather Ruby (MBA ’28) from With Haven Ai also shared this enthusiasm to share her venture “with the awesome community of founders.” In the Impact Studio ecosystem, founders aren’t competitors for funding, but are sounding boards for one another, navigating their entrepreneurial journeys together rather than on their own

The event’s reach extended far beyond the “business-only” crowd, though–friends and family of founders, and even passersby were drawn to the event to not just show support, but learn about a business that could be the next big thing. “I think it was really cool to learn about a brand called Cre•ADE that makes … accessible and tasty … creatine supplements [and is] changing the perception that creatine is only for bodybuilders and athletes,” said Effeona Emadamerho (BBA ‘29).

The scale of the night was a testament to the ecosystem empowering these founders, with key support coming from:

• Applebaum Family Philanthropy, the organization behind the Applebaum Impact Design Fellows program
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG), providing strategic guidance and mentorship to ventures throughout the semester
• Ann Arbor SPARK and SPARK Capital, represented by guests like Loren Townes Jr. and Mike Flannagan, who offered further economic and entrepreneurial insights
• University partners including the Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE), optiMize, the Zell Lurie Institute (ZLI), Business+Tech, and the School of Information (UMSI) representing the wide range of skill in the U-M ecosystem

Judges from these partners as well as Cranbrook Partners & Co, Google, Ingeborg Investments, and Michigan Founders Fund awarded Aerogen Systems the MVP Prize for the event, a prize that comes with additional prototype development funding from the Studio.

The night culminated with a series of reflections from the balcony above. As the demos wound down, the crowd gathered at the base of Ross’ grand staircase.

“Be proud, be bold, be confident, and go do it,” urged Loren Townes Jr. from Ann Arbor SPARK. “Know what your values are and know how they align with what it is that you really want to bring to market. Because if there isn’t any alignment, you’ll do a disservice to yourself. You’ll lack confidence, you’ll lack belief, and it’ll be really, really hard to see it through as things ebb and flow.”

Gabriel Scharg from Applebaum Ventures reflected on the evolution of the Studio itself, noting that this night was the realization of a “dream from eight or nine years ago,” giving a special nod to Professor Jerry Davis for his long-term vision in making impact central to the Ross experience.

The final piece of advice for the cohort came from Zachary E. Savas of Cranbrook Partners & Co, focused on the agility required to survive as an impact founder: “The ‘How’ is as important, if not more important, than the ‘What’ and the ‘Why.’ As you take your businesses forward, constantly think about the How. Don’t get stuck at the How, though, because you have to be able to pivot to be successful.”

The night ended with a collective, thunderous “Heck yeah!” from all attendees. The 2026 Demo Day was ultimately a celebration of grit, proving that “you don’t have to wait until after college to do something more,” as said by student Rhea Pawar (CE, BBA ‘28); it’s a testament to the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Michigan. Students here are designing, testing, and building the solutions they want to see in the world right now.

You can view pictures of our Impact Venture Demo Day here.