Join us as we host this exciting event for Startup Michigan. Meet Steve Blank and learn about his latest book, The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company. Bizdom and Detroit Venture Partners have generously offered the M@dison building for this opportunity to network with, and learn from a true icon of technology and innovation.

This is a regional event hosted by GrowDetroit and Bizdom, in cooperation with the Startup America Partnership.

About Startup Michigan

Startup Michigan is the regional implementation of Startup America Partnership, the national effort dedicated to helping startups grow and jumpstart job creation throughout the country. The Startup America Partnership was launched at the White House in early 2011 in response to President Obama’s call to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. The Startup America Partnership is not a federal program and does not receive any federal funding. It is funded by the Kauffman Foundation and the Case Foundation.

Startup Michigan increases the breadth and depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Michigan. It is an entrepreneur-led, grassroots initiative which collaborates with entrepreneurs and organizations to provide national resources and networks to help accelerate Michigan startups.

About Steve Blank

Steve Blank is a Silicon Valley-based retired serial entrepreneur, having founded or held roles in 8 startup companies in Silicon Valley. A prolific educator, thought leader and writer on Customer Development for Startups, Blank teaches, refines, writes and blogs on “Customer Development,” a rigorous methodology he developed to bring the “scientific method” to the typically chaotic, seemingly disorganized startup process.

His diverse background ranges from repairing fighter planes in Thailand during the Vietnam War, to an early pioneer in beginning of the boom times of Silicon Valley in 1978.

Blank retired in 1999, after successful endeavors with companies including E.piphany, two semiconductor companies, Zilog and MIPS Computers, a workstation company Convergent Technologies, a consulting stint for a graphics hardware/software spinout Pixar, a supercomputer firm, Ardent, a computer peripheral supplier, SuperMac, a military intelligence systems supplier, ESL and a video game company, Rocket Science Games.

He is the author of two books centered around building early stage companies: Four Steps to the Epiphany, and his latest book, The Startup Owners Manual.

He has taught entrepreneurship to both undergraduate and graduate students at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University, Columbia University and the Joint Berkeley/Columbia Executive MBA program. In 2009, Blank was awarded the Stanford University Undergraduate Teaching Award in the department of Management Science and Engineering. The same year, the San Jose Mercury News listed him as one of the 10 Influencers in Silicon Valley. Recently, the Harvard Business Review listed Steve as one of the “Masters of Innovation.”

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