‘Tember Shea, portfolio manager at ID Ventures and pictured here (far left) with the full ID Ventures team, explains her role and comes out as a podcast star—interviewing some of the most exciting tech companies in the state.
ID Ventures is the venture capital arm of Invest Detroit. We are one of the most active venture capital investors in the state with deep and established relationships both locally and nationally. Our team has a unique knowledge of deal flows across the state and it positions us to help Michigan startups scale. Our work is based on the philosophy that while we cannot invest in every entrepreneur we meet, we can provide assistance to every one of them. And we do!
My role on the team is to actively support our portfolio companies. This includes monitoring growth and working with our companies to help improve their opportunities for success. We do this with a network of mentors and advisors, ecosystem partners, board members, and point-in-time assistance. We work with entrepreneurs to identify resources and talent to help enable faster growth. I am extensively engaged in the community, participating in start-up events and programs that assist early-stage, high-tech and high-growth companies throughout the state.
In addition to supporting our portfolio companies in more traditional ways, I also appear on a local podcast each month to feature our companies. The series is called the M2 Tech Cast. The M2 Tech Cast is a digital resource for entrepreneurial and technology news, insight and community throughout Michigan. Stories chronicle the people and businesses driving technology in the state. Visibility is important to startups, so they can continue to grow, hire local talent, and attract more investment.
I wish I could choose a favorite, but as any smart parent would tell you, they don’t have one. I couldn’t possibly single out any one company or founder as my favorite. They are all so amazing, I wouldn’t know where to start. I will tell you all of them have unique, interesting and compelling tales to tell, and you should learn more about all of them. You can check some of my interviews out here:
- Ripple Science, CEO, Peter Falzon
- Shoptelligence, Founder & CEO, Laura Khoury
- Priva, Co-Founder, Dagan Mishoulam
- Alerje, Founder & CEO, Javier Evelyn
- My Swim Pro, Co-Founder & CEO, Fares Ksebati
- Mi Padrino, Founder & CEO, Kimberly Gamez
Be sure to follow us on social media, InvestDetroitVC, Invest Detroit Ventures, where we’ll post future episodes. Thank you for supporting Michigan entrepreneurs, and I hope to see you out in the community soon!