Moved to Make it in Michigan – MTW 2026

This post is part of a series of session recaps from Michigan Tech Week 2026. We’re sharing session highlights, key take-aways, words of wisdom, and next steps for advancing your company and Michigan’s startup community. 

Session Summary

Moved to Make it in Michigan featured Dug Song, serial entrepreneur, Michigan’s first tech unicorn, and CEO of Song United, speaking with three founders who recently moved to Michigan. What drew them to Michigan and what have they learned along the journey?

Panelists:

• Isabel Sheinman, CEO & Cofounder – Maka Kids 
• Jacob Allen, CEO & Cofounder – Reportwell
• Emanuel Brown, Cofounder & Co-CEO – ChurchSpace 

Key Takeaways

Consider your company’s values and needs before choosing a headquarters location

Isabel and her cofounder were seeking a city that aligned with their company’s values of taking great care and building in a community environment. While coastal cities have benefits, Michigan’s startup community aligned with the kind of company and team they wanted to build.

Before determining where to locate, Emmanuel and his cofounder identified what they needed in a headquarters location: a high density of churches, access to early stage capital, diversity, and a place where they could quickly build trust and community. Detroit checked all the boxes.

“Transfer of trust can happen more quickly in Detroit,” Emmanuel said. “Within the first few weeks, we were able to have a conversation with every single person we wanted to have a conversation with and that is wildly unique.”

Michiganders open doors to opportunities… and capital

Isabel’s company and Jacob’s company both recently closed early stage rounds and raised a significant portion in Michigan thanks to people who opened doors.

All of the panelists described the authenticity, helpfulness, and down-to-earth nature of startup champions and funders in Michigan and how much that differs from the coasts. 

“Capital is real in this state,” said Jacob. “If you’re not a good fit, you’re not going to wonder about it for two years. If you are a good fit, you’re going to hear how other people are also interested. The degree to which people are transparent, helpful, and kind was present here. I really appreciate that about this city.” 

Michigan’s rich culture and legacy provides benefits for founders

Michigan’s history in manufacturing and innovation provides ongoing value for today’s generation of founders and builders. Similarly, the panelists identified Detroit’s diversity as an important benefit. 

“It is so hard to build without diverse thoughts, diverse minds, and diverse opinions,” said Jacob. “The level of diversity – racial diversity, gender and background, and especially the way people think in southeastern Michigan is just different and we saw that instantly.” 

University research creates opportunities

Michigan’s universities provide opportunities including valuable researchers, talent, and partnerships.

“The University of Michigan, MSU, and Wayne State are real leaders in our field and that was a big part of our consideration [in locating to Michigan] as well,” said Isabel. 

Michigan’s talent is impressive (with one possible exception)

All of the panelists have been impressed with the caliber of talent in Michigan and appreciate the opportunity to hire top talent locally, particularly in tech and engineering roles. 

Their biggest challenge to hiring locally are finding “tenacious” sales professionals and go-to-market leaders.

“We want to triple our sales force and to do it with people who are hungry and unafraid to talk to top leaders,” said Jacob. “If that’s you – email me!”

Words of Wisdom

In closing, Dug shared the following advice:

“Michigan isn’t for everybody. It’s not meant to be. It’s for a specific kind of builder. Folks who can tap into and leverage what is unique and special about this place. If you want to tap in further – talk to each other. This is what community is about. Entrepreneurial communities are built by entrepreneurs. This is a room full of entrepreneurs who can help build a community that we want to be part of. Do you part. Give first. Help each other out. That’s how we can build great companies and a great state.” 

Action Steps

Here’s how you can connect with the panelists:

Do you have young children?

Join the waitlist for Makakids.com for an opportunity to join the beta of their new streaming platform. Or, share it with someone you know with kids 0-6 years old.

Do you work in government or have government connections?

Reach out to Jacob who is always on the look out for Reportwell team members and thought leaders.

Do you have experience in go-to-market?

Particularly if you have experience in enterprise-level or within the church/ faith ecosystem, connect with Emmanuel. Also, if you attend a local church in southeast Michigan, he’d also like to talk to you!