Opening Keynote with Ben Marchionna | Northern Michigan Startup Week

Join us as we launch Northern Michigan Startup Week with an energizing keynote event designed to set the tone for a week of innovation, connection, and bold ideas. This is where founders, students, creatives, investors, business leaders, and community members gather in one room to officially kick off a celebration of entrepreneurship in our region.

We’ll begin the evening with networking from 5:00–6:00 pm—a chance to connect with others in the ecosystem, grab a drink, and settle in—followed by the keynote presentation from 6:00–7:00 pm.

This year’s keynote speaker: Ben Marchionna, Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer for the State of Michigan

As Michigan’s first-ever Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer, Ben Marchionna is helping shape how innovation happens across the state, connecting founders, startups, investors, universities, corporations, and government to drive meaningful growth.

In his presentation, Ben will go beyond titles and talk about his own entrepreneurial journey—from working on cutting-edge aerospace programs to scaling startups—and how those experiences inform the way he approaches building and supporting innovation ecosystems today.

In this keynote, you can expect:

• Big-picture insight into the future of entrepreneurship and innovation in Michigan and beyond
• A personal perspective on navigating startups, scale, and innovation
• A look at how individual builders connect into broader ecosystems
• Inspiration to think bigger about what’s possible in Northern Michigan

Whether you’re actively building a company, exploring your first idea, supporting entrepreneurs, or just curious about what’s happening in the startup world — this is your moment to plug in.

Come for the energy. Stay for the momentum. Leave ready for the week ahead.

Northern Michigan Startup Week starts here.

Cash bar available.

About 20Fathoms

Based in Traverse City, 20Fathoms is a nonprofit organization and the hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in Northwest Michigan. The 20Fathoms team works with entrepreneurs of all stages and industries, and also offers specialized services to meet the unique needs of technology-focused startups. Programs include startup education, business coaching, TCNewTech pitch competitions, access to capital, a vibrant coworking space, and general resources and support. For more information visit: https://20fathoms.org/