Venture for America eyes U-M, Ann Arbor start-ups for summer launch

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 | Source: Concentrate

Venture for America, the entrepreneurial version of Teach for America, is planning to launch out of Metro Detroit this summer and has its eyes on Ann Arbor, its talented college grads, and its start-ups.

Venture for America plans to pair 20 college graduates with local start-ups in southeast Michigan, working with local economic development agencies like Ann Arbor SPARK. The non-profit plans to put some of the best, young, entrepreneurial minds in the U.S. in challenged regional economies as almost an alternative to business school for entrepreneurial young people.

"Many young people are applying for business school to get involved in start-ups," says Andrew Yang, founder & president of Venture for America. "That's not the most direct path."

Yang was president of Manhattan GMAT, a start-up that helped people apply for business school. It was acquired 18 months ago. Not long after that Yang was inspired to start the entrepreneurial version of Teach for America at a panel discussion at Brown University.

Venture for America will take 30 recent college grads with 20 going to Metro Detroit and the other 10 going to Providence starting in July. Yang calls Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan a "big recruiting area" for both recent college grads and start-ups.

Source: Andrew Yang, founder & president of Venture for America
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.