#EHour: TechArb Panel
Ryan Gourley (Director, TechArb Student Venture Accelerator)
As an educator and entrepreneur, Ryan is passionate about the development of people, ideas, and innovations. He currently serves as director of the TechArb Student Venture Accelerator, a joint initiative between the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Zell Lurie Institute, where he is responsible for program design, management, and evaluation. In this role, he draws upon over ten years of experience in teaching, training, and community organizing to support student entrepreneurs in launching their ventures.
Eric Katz (Co-Founder, Kulisha)
Eric is an undergraduate student in the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He co-founded Kulisha, social enterprise that is developing a system to grow insects as an alternative protein for animal feeds. Eric is from Grand Rapids, MI and is also passionate about the revitalization of Detroit. He has worked on a variety of projects in the city including consulting for an education non-profit about creating an alumni outreach program, translating for Spanish speaking Detroiters at an NGO that gives free legal services to immigrants, and working for a digital advertising startup.
Michael Thompson is a technology entrepreneur who is constantly thinking about the future of human-computer interaction. Michael is currently a second-year MBA student at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He is also a co-founder of Neurable, a university spin-out that is developing neuro-technology applications for augmented and virtual reality. In his current role as Vice President for Business Development, Michael is responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations, growth strategy and venture financing. The company raised an initial round of funding earlier this year and is now based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Prior to attending Ross, Michael served seven years as a Captain in the United States Army. Michael is active in veteran’s affairs, including roles as a peer mentor and athlete in Wounded Warrior Project’s alumni program.
