GRAND RAPIDS – Start Garden, the $15 million pre-seed fund started by ArtPrize founder Rick DeVos, wants to get closer to the entrepreneurs and startup ideas it aims to help.
It’s doing that by opening a new “community center” in downtown Grand Rapids. Start Garden’s new 5,000-square-foot space in the Trade Center building at the corner of Ionia Avenue and Louis Street will serve as the group’s front door to Main Street, DeVos told MiBiz.
“The fact that it’s ground-level and accessible at all hours means we’ll be able to offer a whole lot more programming,” DeVos said. “One of the things we learned through 5×5 Night [a program that had five ideas compete for up to $5,000 in funding] is the simple act of having gatherings unlocks a huge amount of value that’s easily overlooked.”
He said the group wants to turn its monthly happy hours into weekly events, as well as provide entrepreneurs more education and specific skills training. In essence, he said Start Garden will bring back more of the programming he offered through Momentum, his seed accelerator for tech start-ups. Momentum had delivered 90-day programs, but Start Garden plans to offer them on an as-needed or more regular basis, he said.
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