Where ideas take root and innovators thrive.
20Fathoms is a membership organization for the region’s entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, tech professionals, creatives, and other innovators. Led by a team of experts who have walked-the-walk, we provide services, resources, support, and a robust network to help our members accelerate both their careers and businesses. Most importantly, ours is a supportive community with an eye for cultivating innovation and ideas, and fostering business growth.
“I’m thankful to have found 20Fathoms. Nice space, neat people, and all the connectivity you need in Northern Michigan. It’s very well-run and I hope to be part of this community for a long time.”
We provide services that remove barriers for our members and position them to thrive and their businesses to grow.
We are business founders, startup leaders, angel investors, and tech educators. We’ve taken risks, grown, succeeded, and sometimes failed. And we love working with 20Fathoms’ members to build bridges, find solutions, open doors, and help their careers and businesses grow.
Our collective experience includes 100+ years of working in tech, transportation, advanced manufacturing, energy, and healthcare; 75+ years of helping startups; and 35+ years of teaching technology and finance courses.
In 2018, 20Fathoms was founded on two interlocking goals: to provide a home for the region’s entrepreneur and tech professionals and to help strengthen Traverse City’s economy and quality of life.
Traverse City is a picturesque and growing Great Lakes beach town, but the local economy was becoming increasingly reliant on seasonal tourism and the service sector. By nurturing and elevating Traverse City’s tech and startup community, 20Fathoms is enhancing a sector of the economy that creates high-paying, family-sustaining jobs for professionals looking to enjoy a small-town, nature-focused lifestyle while still growing in their career and business.
We love where we live and our name is inspired by the natural resources that surround us in Northern Michigan. The 20Fathoms office overlooks beautiful Grand Traverse Bay which is clear to a depth of… you guessed it… 20 fathoms (or 120 feet).
“Fathom” can also mean gaining an understanding of a difficult problem on the path to solving it. And in Old English, “fathom” meant “outstretched arms” which is how it became a unit of measurement.
Our name is a nod to our location on Grand Traverse Bay, our membership of problem-solving innovators, and our welcoming community of entrepreneurs and tech professionals.
