gener8tor @gener8tor

We’re proud to partner with @uwgb to build, together, a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northeast Wisconsin, connecting students, faculty, founders, and the broader community with the resources they need to grow right here at home. In this conversation, Lauren Usher, PhD speaks with Michael Alexander, Chancellor of UW-Green Bay, about the case for building a startup in Green Bay, the region’s strengths in food, nutrition, manufacturing, and technology, and how programs like gALPHA and gBETA are creating a full pathway for founders on campus. They also explore the Cheese Wedge Consortium, supported by a $1 million Ignite Wisconsin grant to The New North, and UW-Green Bay’s new Human Innovation Lab, a space designed to bring students, faculty, and the community together to solve problems. Watch the full conversation to learn how UW-Green Bay and gener8tor are working together to strengthen Northeast Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: youtu.be/jPo9NaLQeZk

Congratulations to the five founders of the Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator Fall 2026 cohort! Over the past seven weeks, five startups from Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan have been strengthening their business models, refining their pitches, and preparing for their next stage of fundraising. Now, they’re ready to share what they’ve been building. Meet the founders: • Tutela (by H2H Technology) — Cortez Lake, Founder & CEO • Brownfield AI — Kyle Gulau, Co-Founder & CEO; Scott Gerstl, Co-Founder & CTO; Kevin Wolf, Co-Founder, Growth • ALCD Systems — Jamie Bigby, Founder & CEO • FieldStone (by ClaimRoute) — Michael Riddering, Co-Founder & CEO; Lelo Khaba, Co-Founder & Engineer • Flowers Automotive Recyclers (FAR) — Ronald Flowers, Founder & CEO Whether you’re an investor looking for emerging opportunities, an entrepreneur building your network, or a supporter of Michigan’s startup ecosystem, we’d love to see you there. Come meet the founders, hear their stories, and help us celebrate the future of entrepreneurship in Michigan. Register here: luma.com/kzoomff Thank you to our partner Michigan Founders Fund for making this program possible and for their continued commitment to helping Southwest Michigan founders grow and scale. #MichiganFoundersFund #gener8tor #FounderShowcase #Kalamazoo #Startups #Entrepreneurshi

What happens when investors get to choose exactly who they meet? Take a look at the results. At our Fintech & Insurtech Lightning Rounds, investors reviewed startup applications, picked the founders they wanted to talk to, and sat down 1:1 for fast, focused conversations. Any one of those meetings could be the start of a follow-up, a pilot, or an investment. Huge thanks to everyone who took part! Startups never pay to pitch at Lightning Rounds. See what’s coming up next: gener8tor.com/lightning-roun…

Big news! gener8tor made Inc. Magazine’s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors list. For us, being founder-friendly is how we work every day. It means rolling up our sleeves, making the right introductions, and staying by founders’ sides through the highs and the hard parts. Thank you to @Inc for recognizing that commitment. We’re honored, and more motivated than ever to keep building alongside the entrepreneurs we serve. See the full list: inc.com/founder-friend…

Congratulations to the inaugural cohort of the Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator, Powered by @gener8tor and @20FathomsTC, on their October 22 Showcase! Founders, investors, partners, and community leaders gathered in Traverse City to celebrate seven weeks of progress from startups building technologies that protect, manage, and advance freshwater resources. Together, we celebrated the momentum building across Northern Michigan’s BlueTech ecosystem and the founders shaping the future of the freshwater economy. Congratulations to: • @AmHyTech — Mo Qarai • @Capturetek — Jonathan Weyhrauch • Ceretune LLC — Reid Barnett • Effluent — Maheshwar Murugesan • Growbud — Mike Murray • H2O Connected — Susan Springsteen • @Oprones_ — Suhan Park • Thalweg — Eamonn Powers A huge thank you to our partners at @20FathomsTC for making this program possible, including @Stacey Feeley, Executive Director, @Erin Srebinski, Director of Entrepreneurship, and the entire 20Fathoms team, as well as @Kristen Gibbs, Director of the Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator, for their continued commitment to supporting founders in the region. Programs like the Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator help position Traverse City at the center of Great Lakes innovation by connecting entrepreneurs with the resources and relationships they need to scale. Learn more: gener8tor.com/northern-michi… #gener8tor #BlueTech #NorthernMichigan #GreatLakes #Startups #Founders #Innovation

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🎓 40+ graduates. One big celebration. In September, our latest Skills cohort officially crossed the finish line, and we couldn’t be prouder. Weeks of hard work, determination and growth led to this moment, and it’s exactly what Transforming Lives Through Skills is all about. Congratulations to every single graduate! Your next chapter starts now. Join the next cohort: gener8tor.com/skills #gener8tor #gener8torSkills #SuccessStories #TransformingLivesThroughSkills

We’re proud to celebrate the Cox Cleantech Accelerator and Residency founders at Cox Cleantech LIVE 2026, held at the @CoxEnterprises campus in Atlanta on October 13 🚀 Now in its second year, the invite-only showcase brought together 200+ investors and corporate leaders for live pitches from 15 cleantech companies working on everything from decarbonizing energy to advancing new materials, and marked the launch of the Cox Cleantech Residency for researchers and founders in Atlanta. Congratulations to: • LCOE ai — Gregg Freishtat, Founder & CEO • Fordje — Gillian Sowray, Founder & CEO • @SilvisMaterials — Patty Ferreira, Founder & CEO • @BuckstopHQ — Alexander Olesen, Founder & CEO • WattsUp — Hilary Taylor, Founder & CEO • @RevcoEnergy — Kirtan Nagavarapu, Founder & CEO • Regenerative Growth Technologies — Idris Panchard, Founder & CEO • Watchfuly — Nikhil Kriplani, Founder & CEO • R-Fusion — Rakkiyappan Chandran, Founder & CEO • Accio Labs — Musaddeq Khan, Founder & CEO • @EcoaTex — Raha Saremi, PhD MBA, Founder & CEO • Monte Caldera Technologies — Hector Medina, Founder & CEO • Jexim Concrete — Joel Lee, Founder & CEO • VIVISTRA — Navid Nasajpour, Founder & CEO • Penny Pickup — Ashley Touchton, Founder & CEO Thank you to our partners at @CoxEnterprises and Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub for making this program possible and for their continued commitment to helping cleantech founders grow and scale. We’re also grateful to @atlchamber for leading conversations with the Chief Sustainability Officers of @nscorp and @GulfstreamAero. Programs like the Cox Cleantech Accelerator help strengthen Atlanta’s position as a hub for climate innovation by connecting founders with the capital, mentorship, and corporate relationships they need to bring their solutions to market. Learn more: coxcleantech.com/live/ #gener8tor #CoxCleantech #Cleantech #Atlanta #Startups #Innovation

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We’re excited to announce the Fall 2026 gBETA at Marshall’s iCenter cohort, powered by @QualityInsights! Five West Virginia-based startups have been selected for the program’s third cohort, chosen for their growth potential, investor readiness, and ability to drive impact across West Virginia and beyond. gBETA at Marshall’s iCenter is a free, seven-week, non-equity accelerator delivered by gener8tor and the @iCenter_MU for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, helping founders meet mentors, gain customer traction, and pursue investment opportunities. Since launching in 2025, the program has graduated 10 West Virginia companies that have raised $3.2 million in growth capital. Meet the cohort: • AlxRX — Founded by Sonia Gonzales. • BidCraft Tile by Business Up AI — Founded by Andy Morrison. • Clarus OS — Founded by Tonya Perry. • @DirectBaseline — Founded by Jordan Hallow. • Philterd — Founded by Jeff Zemerick. The cohort will pitch to investors and community partners at a joint Showcase alongside the new gALPHA program on March 4, 2027, at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and novation in Huntington. A huge thank you to our partner @iCenter_MU, our sponsor @QualityInsights and to the incredible team supporting this program including Aaron Spurlock, Tricia Ball, Maddy Branham, and gener8tor Program Manager Bill Kuhn. Learn more: gener8tor.com/gbeta/marshall… #gBETA #WestVirginia #Huntington #MarshallUniversity #gener8tor #QualityInsights #Startups #Founders

gener8tor 50 State Countdown: Wyoming 📣 For the final stop of our 50 State Countdown, we’re highlighting Wyoming, where we’re proud to support founders and career seekers alike. Through our accelerator programming and collaboration across the entrepreneurial community, early-stage founders are gaining the connections and resources they need to scale. Our gener8tor Skills programming is also equipping participants with the training and connections they need to advance their careers. Wyoming impact: 🚀 60 companies supported 💰 $46.9M raised 💼 213 jobs gener8tor Skills impact in Wyoming: 👤 262 participants 🎓 196 graduates 📈 66% placement rate Special thanks to our partners @Microsoft, @Innosphere_V, The Business Studio through @LCCC, and Cheyenne-Laramie County Economic Development Joint Powers Board for helping drive this impact across Wyoming. Thank you for following along across all 50 states. Together, we’re supporting founders, creating jobs, and building long-term economic growth in communities nationwide. Interested in bringing gener8tor to your city? Let’s connect! #gener8tor #Wyoming #startups #founders #economicdevelopment

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That’s a wrap on Prairie Capital Summit 2026! We had a great time in Fargo with founders, investors, students, and community builders, all talking about one big question: how do we unlock more capital for Midwest startups? The energy in the room made one thing clear. The region’s innovation ecosystem is just getting started. Huge thanks to @50southcapital and @emergingprairie for partnering with us and making this event possible. We’re also grateful to the founders who shared their stories, David Batcheller of Josda and Aaron Mooney of Tugboat, and to our own Ben Stanley and Sarah Louise for bringing it all together. Want to be part of the conversation next year? Learn more about the summit 👉 emergingprairie.com/prairie-capita… See you next year! #PrairieCapitalSummit #Midwest #VentureCapital #Startups #Fargo

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🚀 gener8tor Founder Series Spotlight: Aneela Idnani, HabitAware This week, we’re highlighting Aneela Idnani, Co-Founder of @HabitAware, a Minneapolis-based company helping people with body-focused repetitive behaviors like hair pulling, skin picking and nail biting. Inspired by her own experience, Aneela helped create a smart bracelet that brings awareness to these often subconscious behaviors. As part of gBETA Medtech Fall 2018, Aneela and the HabitAware team strengthened their pitch and connected with mentors across healthcare, research, hardware and marketing. Since then, HabitAware has shipped nearly 100,000 units across 80+ countries, with 2,500+ treatment professionals recommending the product. 💡 Aneela's Insight: "Focus on the one thing you're good at, stay true to what you believe in, and try not to worry about what else is happening around you." 🎥 Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/uhu2Jnl5sxw

🚀 gener8tor Founder Series Spotlight: Hitesh Manglani, Supercarb This week, we’re highlighting Hitesh Manglani, Founder and CEO of Supercarb, a materials science company upcycling seaweed and agricultural waste into high-performance fibers designed to help textile brands reduce their reliance on chemical treatments. With a background spanning textiles, nuclear energy, automotive robotics and fiber engineering, Hitesh brought deep technical experience into his founder journey. Today, Supercarb has raised more than $1 million and is working on paid pilots with major global brands and their supply chain partners. Through The BEAM Circular Accelerator powered by gener8tor, Hitesh found value in one-on-one mentorship, access to feedstock suppliers and relationships with fellow founders. He credits those connections with helping him think differently about fundraising, build relationships with investors and navigate the next stage of Supercarb’s growth. 💡 Hitesh’s biggest lesson for founders: “Resting is working. You can’t build a generational company without introducing sustainability into your physical health, mental health and finances.” 🎥 Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/TRLsNQVHHwY

Congratulations to @keepaware_sec on being acquired by @JamfSoftware! We’re thrilled to celebrate this exciting next chapter for the company and the team behind it. Founded by Ryan Boerner and Noah Shafer, Keep Aware built an enterprise browser security platform designed to protect where more and more modern work happens: the browser. Its technology gives security teams greater visibility into browser activity while helping protect organizations from threats like phishing, data leaks, malicious extensions, and emerging risks tied to AI tools. Since Keep Aware participated in the 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝟴𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮, we’ve been proud to have them as part of the gener8tor portfolio and are thrilled to celebrate this milestone alongside Ryan, Noah, and the entire team. We can’t wait to see what they continue to build in this next chapter. 🚀

Capital can open a door. The right partnership can help founders move through it. For more than five years, @NM_Financial and @gener8tor have worked together to support early-stage companies as they grow. Founders gain access to capital while building relationships with experienced executives who can help them navigate what comes next. Lauren Usher sat down with Moiz Dawoodbhai to talk about how that approach has evolved over the years. They discuss how founders can prepare for corporate opportunities and how connecting with the right people can help them navigate decisions as their companies grow. Moiz also shares his perspective for founders navigating a challenging market: technology may be part of the solution, but a clear value proposition is what helps a company stand apart. Watch the full conversation to hear more about venture investment, corporate partnerships and building stronger connections between startups and established companies: youtube.com/watch?v=lcxSXv…

gener8tor 50 State Countdown: West Virginia 📣 This week, we're highlighting West Virginia and celebrating the founders building and creating impact across the region. Through our accelerator programming and connections across the entrepreneurial community, we're so proud to help founders access the resources, mentorship, and support they need to take their companies further. West Virginia impact: 🚀 8 companies supported 💰 $5.6M raised 💼 17 jobs Together, we're supporting founders, creating jobs, and building a stronger foundation for long term economic growth across West Virginia. #gener8tor #WestVirginia #startups #founders #innovation

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Before you write the perfect prompt, there’s a more important question: Are you solving the right problem? 💡 @im_crimson returns to our AI for Leaders Lunch & Learn series this week for a second conversation, this time shifting from how organizations govern AI to how they identify where AI can actually create value. His second session: “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗔𝗜 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀” There’s no shortage of AI tools. And there’s definitely no shortage of prompts. But successful AI adoption doesn’t start with either one. It starts with understanding the work. This is the difference between using AI because it’s available and implementing AI because it solves something that matters. As our participants develop their own real-world AI use cases, this conversation comes at exactly the right moment: helping leaders work backward from the business problem instead of forward from the newest technology. Want to learn how to identify, develop, and implement meaningful AI opportunities inside your organization? 📍 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 — 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 + 𝗪𝘆𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 + 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼 📍 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 — 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 + 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 Apply for AI for Leaders: gener8tor.com/skills#programs #AIforLeaders #AIUseCases #BusinessStrategy #AILeadership #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #gener8tor

An idea doesn’t have to be fully formed to be worth exploring. 🇯🇵 Applications are now open for the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗝-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗫 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽, bringing hands-on entrepreneurial programming to five regions across Japan. Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs ready to turn ideas into action, the bootcamp provides opportunities to validate ideas, learn alongside experienced mentors and connect with other founders across Japan’s growing startup ecosystem. If you have an idea you’ve been thinking about building, this is a chance to put it to the test. Choose the regional bootcamp that works for you: 📍 Hokkaido: Oct. 2–4 Apply: jetro.go.jp/events/sap/197… 📍 Hiroshima: Oct. 23–25 Apply: jetro.go.jp/events/hir/d14… 📍 Nagano: Nov. 6–8 Apply: jetro.go.jp/events/ngn/837… 📍 Yokohama: Nov. 13–15 Apply: jetro.go.jp/events/yok/0fb… 📍 Kumamoto: Nov. 20–22 Apply: jetro.go.jp/events/kum/a75… A special thank you to @JETROUSA, and our team at gener8tor for making this collaboration possible. #JStarX #JapanStartups #StartupBootcamp #gener8tor #StudentFounders #Innovation #JapanEcosystem

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Speaking at @renostartupweek, Sept 28 to Oct 2. Free. 60+ sessions. My talk: how to fundraise like a Silicon Valley founder, from 250+ deals at @500GlobalVC and @CoolClimateVC. Also on the lineup: @jimbelosic (@sendcutsend), Karsten Heise (@DiversifyNevada), @colindelea (Flume), @jeffrey_saling (@StartUp_Nevada). Plus @StartupWorldCup live pitches, sponsored by @gener8tor Nevada is where the next wave of deep tech gets built. Come reindustrialize with us! renostartupweek.com #RSW2026 #RenoStartupWeek

gener8tor 50 State Countdown: Washington, D.C. 📣 This week, we're highlighting Washington, D.C. and celebrating the founders building, growing, and creating impact across the region. Through our accelerator programming and connections across the entrepreneurial community, we're proud to help founders access the resources, mentorship, and support they need to take their companies further. Washington, D.C. impact: 💰 $12.6M raised 🚀 6 companies supported 💼 27 jobs Together, we're helping founders grow, creating new opportunities, and building momentum for Washington, D.C.'s entrepreneurial community. Interested in bringing gener8tor to your city? Let's connect! #gener8tor #WashingtonDC #startups #founders #innovation

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Sometimes moving forward isn’t about starting over, it’s about learning how to translate the experience you already have. In this episode of our gener8tor Skills Impact Series, Anne Nadel sat down with Vivian Hulugh, Project & Program Management professional with 7+ years of experience across conservation, climate and energy, and education. As Vivian entered the U.S. job market, she completed the Project Management Skills Accelerator to formalize her experience and better communicate the skills she had already built throughout her career. A few highlights from the conversation: 👉 Practical training helped her connect project management frameworks to work she had already been doing for years 👉 She strengthened her resume, cover letters and interview language to better reflect her experience 👉 Lightning Rounds gave her direct recruiter feedback and insight into what employers look for 👉 She now treats her job search like a project, tracking applications, follow-ups and opportunities 👉 She’s seeing more callbacks and progressing into later-stage interviews Vivian’s message: “If you’re sitting on years of experience that’s hard to explain, don’t count yourself out.” 🎥 Watch the full conversation: youtu.be/IDo7WH1gBuU #careergrowth #Careers #ProfessionalDevelopment #gener8tor