V1’s 5th Demo Day is this April 18th, hosted in partnership with Contrary! We’re so excited to showcase Michigan’s amazing builders and what they’ve been working on this semester 🚀
V1’s Product Studio Cohort spent the semester bringing their ideas to life. From streamlining the process of event planning to revolutionizing injury prevention, the cohort has built amazing projects from the ground up and are ready to demo! 👀
We are also excited to highlight our Build Blue members who have spent the past month building alongside the V1 Cohort. As part of Build Blue, teams had the opportunity to attend an awesome workshop led by Jason Chen, providing exposure to the world of early stage companies. Top teams will be pitching their projects at our upcoming Demo Day 🔥
Wondering what people are building? Check us out!
Scholarly, transforming research with integrated explanations and an advanced recommendation system for research papers
Parley, bringing a competitive edge to daily activities by setting up bets among friends on task completion
FOMO, a platform for creating, managing, and discovering events at college
Not only will you have opportunities to network, but you'll also gain insightful information on the next V1 cohort and potential openings for recruitment in the year to come. Take advantage of this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the Michigan startup scene.
If you’re interested in meeting the builders of the future, this event is for YOU 🫵 Come join us on April 18th from 6-8 at the Blau Colloquium! We can’t wait to see you there 🫡
V1 members had the opportunity to visit New Stack Ventures and Drive Capital, where we learned about venture capital, what investors look for in a startup, and building something of our own. We spent the rest of the trip walking around Chicago, soaking in the city lights, and eating deep dish pizza 🍕
Join us for a month-long build sprint to take your idea from 0 to 1. Also, check out what V1's been up to this semester, from our Winter Kickoff to our newest cohort!
Do you have an idea that you want to bring to life? If so, then Build Blue is for YOU! Build Blue is a month long build sprint brought to you in partnership with Contrary Capital! Work alongside V1’s Product Studio teams and unlock an array of incredible resources, such as $5,000 in AWS Credits, $20,000 in Stripe fee-free processing, and much much more.
Here’s what you’ll get from being in the Build Blue program:
🚀 Jumpstart your product mindset: Whether you're deep in project mode or sparked by a fresh idea, Build Blue is your launchpad for turning dreams into reality!
💻 Access to exclusive resources from Contrary: Dive into product development workshops, fundraising strategies, and unlock customer engagement techniques. We're your toolbox for success!
🌟 Mentorship from Contrary’s venture partners: benefit from the wisdom of the V1 community with weekly Ship-It Sundays. Get guidance, feedback, and that extra push towards your goals!
📣 Amplify your digital presence: We're shouting your achievements from the digital rooftops — Twitter, LinkedIn, and beyond. Get ready for your spotlight!
The top ideas will be invited to pitch their ideas at our Demo Day in mid-April. Additionally, leading teams will be awarded cash prizes of up to $300 to make their ideas a reality!
March 12 - March 15: Applications open 👀
March 17 - April 12: Build Blue begins! Weekly check-ins at Ship-It Sunday
April 19: Demo Day / prizes announced 🥇
Take advantage of this opportunity to advance your startup ideas. The program runs from March 17 to April 19, so be sure to apply before March 15th at 11:59 PM.
This semester, V1 has been booming! Starting with our Winter Kickoff, we had 16 builders demo what they’ve been working on in Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Additionally, V1 welcomed our newest W24 cohort! Over the past several weeks, the cohort has undergone ideation sessions, builder workshops, and pitch presentations to finalize their product.
Last weekend, V1's newest Product Studio cohort participated in a joint pitch competition with UpRound Ventures, Michigan’s only student-led VC. UpRound’s analyst class provided actionable feedback on competitive analysis, go-to-market strategy, and product validation.
Catch the W24 cohort at our upcoming Demo Day to see the awesome things they build throughout the semester 👀
Join us this Tuesday from 6-8 PM in the Tauber Colloquium for V1's Winter Kickoff & Tech Entrepreneurship Expo. Applications for our Cohort due this Friday!
To our new readers: welcome to V1! We’re happy you’re here. Our community is a unique blend of engineers, designers, founders, scientists, and dreamers — bound together by a passion to build and achieve great things.
As part of this, we’re kicking off the semester by highlighting Michigan’s diverse entrepreneurship ecosystem and builders at our Winter Kickoff & Tech Expo.
We’re hosting our Kickoff with our incredible partners: Ross Business+Tech, Zell Lurie Institute, Buildspace, Contrary, and UpRound Ventures.
Come through to see what our community is building, get tapped into student entrepreneurial resources, and learn what V1 has to offer you this semester!
Are you a creator on campus? Limited space is available for additional demos — please fill out this form and we’ll get back to you by EOD!
Looking for a tight-knit social mentorship experience this semester? Participate in our Product Studio Program, where you'll have the opportunity to build a product from scratch with complete mentorship at every stage—ideation, designing, coding, or connecting with VCs. As a cohort member, you’ll also get priority access to V1’s community events, such as Startup Fair, Demo Day, and more!
Our recruiting timeline is shown below. All events are optional but highly encouraged to get to know our members and to learn more about what V1 has to offer you!
Applications are due Jan 19: v1michigan.com/apply. We look forward to meeting you!
🚢 Ship-It Sunday
Our newest addition to V1’s roster of events! Ship-It is a 2-hour co-working session for creators of all kinds to make and “ship” progress on projects they’re passionate about. The only rule? No school allowed!
Our first Ship-It of the semester will be this Sunday! Details coming soon 👀
📣 Stay in the Loop
To stay updated with all our activities and opportunities:
We’re on a mission to spread our love of building across campus.
This semester, we spearheaded a ton of initiatives for our builder community — engineers, designers, creators, founders, and more! Check our Instagram, Luma, and future issues to see what’s up next 👀
Here’s an event recap. We hope you enjoyed these as much as we did organizing them!
🎪 Startup Fair
Startup Fair was electric! We had 17 high-growth startups attend both in-person and virtually to speak with 400+ ambitious students for both full-time and intern roles.
The culmination of V1’s Product Studio building real-world products from scratch. Special thanks to Contrary for partnering with us on making Demo Day a reality!
This fall, V1 worked with a cohort of 22 ambitious students in our Product Studio, where they ideated, pitched, validated, and built MVPs together.
We had 6 incredible products, from affordable clothing exchanges to AI-powered user manuals. Details on joining our next cohort coming soon!
🚢 Ship-It Sunday
Our newest addition to V1’s roster of events! Ship-It is a 2-hour co-working session for creators of all kinds to make and “ship” progress on projects they’re passionate about. The only rule? No school allowed!
Ship-Its will be returning this winter — stay tuned for the next one!
MHacks 16 was a blast! With over 500 hackers attending, we’re proud to have brought back the largest hackathon in the Midwest back in-person since 2019.
This wouldn’t be possible without our amazing team.
Behind the scenes, V1 has dozens of designers, volunteers, outreach coordinators, and directors that ensure our events are a success. Here’s who they are:
MHacks Team
Startup Fair Team
Product Studio Team
V1 invests in people with high growth potential — people that will grow faster than we can ever imagine. We look for energy, drive, and initiative. If this sounds like you, apply to join our team this winter! Find out more at v1michigan.com/team :)
V1 Startup Fair is right around the corner! We’ve lined up some of the best minds in the startup world to share their insights and experiences with you.
Our guest speakers, who are industry leaders and experienced engineers, will share their experiences, insights, and valuable advice to help you navigate the challenging yet rewarding world of startups. Whether you're a startup enthusiast or a budding engineer, this event is a fantastic opportunity to learn, network, and get inspired.
Meet our Keynote Speaker, Ari! With deep expertise at the nexus of technology and startups, Ari boasts a remarkable track record, having worked with industry giants like Facebook, Flock, Microsoft, and, most recently, Airbnb. Ari is also the proud founder of Vamo, an innovative multi-city trip planning service that was later acquired by Airbnb. During his keynote, Ari will offer a peek into his journey as both a founder and an engineering director. Furthermore, he'll provide invaluable insights on how to navigate the ever-changing world of tech successfully.
I'm the cofounder of Telora, a six month fellowship for ambitious hackers. Previously, I was the founder of Willing (YC S15), which made it easy to make wills online without a lawyer and was acquired by MetLife. Our technology now powers the world’s largest consumer legal service.
TalkOverview: Eliam will work you through how you can take advantage of your college experience to make sure you are equipped with the necessary tools to succeed in the world of startups!
Hi I'm Caelin, one of the cofounders of Cue, where we build software to help teams operationalize their data. Before Cue, I built and scaled a previous startup Plots to over $300k in GMV over 3 months on a TestFlight and worked at several early stage companies as an engineer and designer. Outside of work, I run half and full marathons, play sax in a funk band, and enjoy reading.
Talk Overview: Going over lessons learned from building software from 0 to 1 at 5 different early stage companies that are rapidly growing and pivoting.
Heather Henderson: Overcome Imposter Syndrome in the Recruitment Process
Hi! My name is Heather. I'm a tech recruiter in the San Francisco Bay Area and the author of Be Present: The Art of Living Life Fulfilled. After my last burnout in 2020, I crafted a solution that took me from simply-surviving to fully-thriving. Now I share how you too can be more calm, connected, and content in your daily life.
I have a passion for helping people and travel, as well as exploring wellness gadgets, relaxation rituals, and thought-leadership. I'm proud to be from California where I was born and raised. When taking a break from work, you can find me walking with my pup Ziggy or soaking up sunshine in Los Cabos, Mexico.
TalkOverview: Are self-doubt and insecurity holding you back from acing interviews and securing your dream job? Heather Henderson, Principal Recruiter at Uber, will guide you through practical steps and expert insights to help you not only excel in interviews but also find lasting confidence in your professional pursuits. Don't let Imposter Syndrome stand in the way of your success—attend this session and unlock your full potential in the world of recruitment and beyond!
Max Heinritz: Building startups for complex industries
I'm a software engineer at Loop. My focus is scaling our technical system and team as the business grows. Prior to Loop, I worked at Flexport for four years and Google for five years. I enjoy writing software that solves real-world business problems. Outside work, I enjoy reading and yoga. I currently live in Chicago.
Talk Overview: Lessons learned from two years at Loop and twelve years in tech: a framework for picking a problem to solve, a playbook for developing robust software, and practical tips you can apply on the job.
Hey, I'm Edison and I'm a senior studying CS and business. I've explored many roles from product management and consulting to software engineering, and have had software internships from Big Tech to Fintech. For the past year, I've helped grow and scale Shade from an initial idea, influencing all parts of the stack and product roadmap. Outside of work, I love to play soccer, explore new restaurants, and have a recent obsession with houseplants.
Hey! My name is Bright and I’m a senior studying CS. I joined Shade as a software engineer in December of last year, and I’ve interned at companies ranging from big tech to trading firms. I’ve been a part-time student for the past few semesters, allowing me to dedicate time towards gaining industry experience and building cool things. My dream since I was a little kid was to be a part of a startup, and it’s amazing seeing that dream become a reality.
TalkOverview: Join to hear about our journeys being founding engineers at a high growth startup while taking classes, recruiting for internships, and staying involved around campus. We'll give advice on time management, burnout, and how to prioritize commitments. We'll also shine light on how relationships might change and the dynamics around building in "stealth" on campus.
📣 Stay in the loop
To stay updated with all our activities and opportunities: