Stefon Crawford | November 16, 2024

Stefon Crawford is a Partner for GM Ventures (GMV) General Motors venture capital fund. His track record includes 63 private placement transactions totaling $198M invested in early-stage companies. He is serving as a Board Observer on four portfolio companies working on technology/innovation around; Fintech, Mobility, Encryption, and EV Battery Recycling. 

Stefon graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2010 with a Bachelors in Business Administration. He also holds Executive Certificates In Venture Capital and Negotiation from Wharton Business School, UC Berkeley, and Harvard Business School. This will also be his 5th year serving as an EMU Executive Mentor at the University.

Martin Dober | November 16, 2024

Martin Dober is the Senior Vice President of Invest Detroit and Managing Director for ID Ventures. He joined the Invest Detroit team in 2013 with more than 18 years of experience in early-stage technology ventures and in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and investment roles. His primary responsibility is to provide investment capital and support to early-stage and high-growth companies in the region.

Most recently, Mr. Dober was senior vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation where he directed technology investment programs under the state’s 21st Century Jobs Fund. Prior to that, he held senior positions in several small technology companies, including iRobot Corporation, American Systems Technology, Inc., and EIP, Inc. and served as a startup tech consultant at the Michigan Small Business Development Center.

Mr. Dober serves as co-president and board member for the Harvard Business School (HBS) Club of Michigan and as an advisory board member for Global Detroit’s EIR Program. He holds director and board observer positions for portfolio companies Shoptelligence, Greenmark Biomedical, Asalyxa Bio, Tome, Mountain Pass and Functional Fluidics. He co-founded Hacker Fellows, a talent-retention and attraction program that places diverse computer science talent into Michigan startups. He is also a reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program.

Mr. Dober received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in computer science from Kettering University (formerly GMI) and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Ali Solouk | November 16, 2024

Dr. Ali Solouk, MBA, is the Manager of Strategic Investments at Ford Motor Company. With a diverse background as a venture investor, advisor, and engineer, Ali has been mainly in tech and mobility industries for 10+ years. As a product development engineer and data scientist, Ali worked on popular Electric Vehicle nameplates such as Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightening. His recent focus has been leading business development and partnerships for a growth stage startup in the smart accessories space incubated at Ford Next.

Committed to driving positive global change through entrepreneurship, Ali collaborates with mission-oriented institutions fostering economic growth in Detroit and Michigan. Actively engaged in the VC and startup community, he provides mentorship to early-stage startups.

Kurt Baumgarten | November 23, 2024

Kurt Baumgarten is a Partner with GM Ventures. Kurt has been involved in Michigan’s investment and entrepreneurial communities for most of his career. In 2014, Kurt co-founded Applied Licensing, LLC, an angel investment organization specializing in the development and monetization of intellectual property. As Vice President & General Counsel, Kurt oversaw operations, sourced investment opportunities and managed deal flow, conducted due diligence, drafted and negotiated deal terms, aided in the development and execution of intellectual property strategy, and engaged with portfolio companies in a variety of ways to contribute towards their success. Kurt is a founding member of the Pointe Angels investment club and served as the group’s Lead for over three years. As Lead, he managed deal flow, organized monthly pitch meetings, and supported members throughout the process of engaging with, vetting, and closing investment opportunities. Kurt is also a board member of the New Enterprise Forum.

Kurt holds a BA in Public Policy from the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Kristine Nash-Wong | November 23, 2024

As the director of entrepreneurial services at the SPARK East Innovation Center in Ypsilanti, Kristine helps early stage startups accelerate their growth by providing strategic consulting and marketing services. A strategic planner with more than 25 years of marketing experience, Kristine specializes in helping technology companies gain and grow market share. She is passionate about helping mission-driven companies deliver scalable, sustainable solutions. Before joining SPARK, Kristine founded the consulting firm Health Sapience which provided specialized consultancy helping health service and technology providers successfully scale. In this role, Kristine honed her expertise in strategic planning, marketing communication, business development, and design services. Kristine’s previous experience in the Ann Arbor/ Ypsilanti SmartZone includes serving as marketing director for HealthMedia, an Ann Arbor-based healthcare startup that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. She has also previously served as a judge for the Acceleration Michigan Innovation Competition and the Blue Ocean Strategy High School business competition.

Steve Tokarz | November 23, 2024

Steve Tokarz is an experienced C-level entrepreneur, fundraiser and business developer and has been active in early-stage company and product development for the past 30 years. In his most recent corporate role at Masco Corporation, a Fortune 200 company with revenues of $7+ billion, Steve served as Sr. Director of Product Development and Engineering for several of its domestic and international operating companies.

He then transitioned to the start-up world where he developed his own companies, investing & raising $20+ million for start-ups and early-stage companies while establishing relationships with investors across the US.

He is founder of Cantilever Investors; a blend of the best of Venture Capital and Private Equity to invest in and provide support to early-stage companies. Cantilever acts as both investor and, for the select few, operators in the company. Cantilever also has close relationships with several Michigan based university tech transfer offices previously serving as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Cantilever successfully spun-out five university companies, raising over $5M in nondilutive capital.

Through his connections with Cantilever, Steve has adopted roles as investor, CEO and board member in several of Cantilever portfolio medical/life science companies.