Startup to Scaleup with Erick Mueller

You’ve started something — now what?

Whether you’re gaining traction or feeling stuck between startup and “what’s next,” this two-day experience is designed to help you shift your mindset, strengthen your foundation, and start building for growth.

StartUp to ScaleUp focuses on second-stage small businesses and organizations — specifically founders, operators, and entrepreneurs who are ready to move out of scrappy startup mode and into a more structured, scalable business. Together, we’ll dig into how to evaluate your business, identify opportunities for growth, and put the right systems in place to scale with intention.

Day 1 — Friday, June 5 | 4:00–6:00 PM Right Brain Brewing | Traverse City, MI

Kick things off with an energizing evening built around real stories and creative thinking. The night includes:

Welcome & Introductions — Meet your facilitator, fellow entrepreneurs, and set the stage for the weekend
Local Entrepreneur Panel — Hear from 3–4 local founders who’ve navigated the leap from startup to scaleup firsthand, in a speed Q&A format where everyone gets a chance to ask questions
Design Thinking Exercises — Put your creative brain to work with hands-on exercises, including forced combinations, mystery pitching, and exploring creativity boundaries
Networking — Connect with other changemakers in the Traverse City entrepreneurial community

Day 2 — Saturday, June 6 | 9:00am – 4:00pm NMC Innovation Center, Room 104/105 | Traverse City, MI

A full day of deep-dive learning, interactive exercises, and practical frameworks for scaling your venture. The day includes:

• Are You Ready to Scale? — Assess your venture across 6 key considerations and rate your readiness for growth
• Tactics to Fill the Gaps — Identify what’s holding you back and learn specific tactics to strengthen each area
• Growth Strategies — Explore key growth strategies and strategic alliances, and map your venture’s path forward
• Managing Growth — Navigate the transition from startup to scaleup, including culture, people, and operations
• Scaleup Finance & Funding — Understand the 3 levers you can pull and work through how much capital you actually need to scale
• Scaleup Marketing — Learn what changes between startup and scaleup marketing, including an empathy mapping exercise
• Lunch with the Instructors — An open Q&A session to drill Erick with your most pressing questions
• Certificate of Completion — Presented by 20Fathoms & Erick Mueller

What You’ll Learn

• How to test the viability and readiness of your business for growth
• Strategies to strengthen your marketing and accelerate traction
• The basics of scaleup funding and financing pathways
• What infrastructure you actually need to grow (without overcomplicating it), including: human resources, systems and processes, automation, in-house vs. contract support.

What You’ll Walk Away With

• Practical tips to scale smarter (and avoid common pitfalls)
• A clearer understanding of your next stage of growth
• A stronger mindset for thinking and acting like a growth-focused entrepreneur

About the Facilitator: Erick Mueller

Erick Mueller is an experienced entrepreneur, educator, and business advisor with deep expertise in helping ventures grow from early-stage ideas into scalable businesses. He is affiliated with the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he supports entrepreneurship education and works with founders navigating growth and commercialization.

Erick brings a practical, real-world perspective to his work, combining experience across startups, corporate environments, and advisory roles. His approach focuses on helping entrepreneurs think strategically about growth, build strong operational foundations, and make informed decisions about scaling.