Mike Psarouthakis
Executive Director of Impact Investments & Strategic Alliances / University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships
As Executive Director of Impact Investments & Strategic Alliances, Mike leads Innovation Partnerships’ investment programs, including the Accelerate Blue Fund and the Michigan University Innovation Capital Fund, while catalyzing new programs to increase outside investments in U-M startups. Mike also leads the effort to expand regional and national venture community engagement in Michigan for the benefit of the state’s startup and investment ecosystem. Additionally, he works on opportunities to strengthen regional economic development and Michigan university collaborations. In this role, he oversees the Technology Transfer Talent Network (T3N) and the Michigan Technology Research Commercialization (MTRAC) programs for Life Sciences and Advanced Transportation in their missions of supporting research commercialization efforts at public universities across the state, as well as U-M’s role in the Mobility Accelerator Innovation Network under the Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) initiative.
Previously, Mike was the Director of Ventures and the first Managing Director of the Accelerate Blue Fund at Innovation Partnerships. Before joining the University of Michigan, Mike was the Vice President of Business Acceleration at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation where he oversaw a $250 million portfolio of investments in over 150 early stage technology companies. Prior to the MEDC he was an Assistant Vice President at Forest Health Services where he managed a $50 million corporate venture fund that focused on Biotech, Manufacturing, IT, Logistics and Computer Security opportunities and also served as the President of Forest Health’s captive insurance program, Sequoia Captive Insurance.
Mike has directed several successful company exits (GameZone, Online Technologies, Inc., EIP, Inc.) and is the founder of four companies. He has served on numerous profit, non-profit and advisory boards including: eBay, PayPal, Compendia Biosciences, Online Technologies, the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, is currently the Chair of the Ann Arbor Local Development Financial Authority, serves on Ann Arbor SPARK Business Development Committee and the U-M Roundtable on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is active in both regional and national entrepreneurial and investment communities and has presented at South by Southwest Interactive, AUTM Annual Meeting, Renaissance Venture Capital UnDemo Day®, A2Tech360, Midwest Growth Capital Symposium and several other conferences and symposiums.
Mike holds an MBA with concentrations in corporate strategy and marketing and M.S. in natural resource management from the University of Michigan. He holds a B.S. in history and political science from Eastern Michigan University.