Travelocity founder to headline Accelerate Michigan competition

A trio of significant changes are coming to this year’s Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.

First, the $1 million business plan competition will be held in downtown Detroit this fall. The third installment of the new economy competition will take place in the Book-Cadillac Hotel, the Guardian Building and Orchestra Hall, using the Motor City’s vibrant downtown and emerging tech economy as a back drop.

Accelerate Michigan will also welcome Terry Jones as its keynote speaker. The founder & former CEO of Travelocity will speak about start-up culture and building tech businesses in broader terms than previous speakers, which have all been Michigan-based.

“He’s a very unknown quantity,” says Lauren Bigelow, executive director of Accelerate Michigan. “He has enjoyed an awful lot of success. He has done 10 start-ups.”

Accelerate Michigan will also beef up its top prizes. The competition has traditionally had a $500,000 top prize and smaller five-figure prizes. This year the first place winner will still receive $500,000 while second place will take $100,000 in seed capital home and third place will received $50,000. Bigelow explains that in previous years the top-prize competitors came down to three very-worthy start-ups and only one would walk away with a big check. The new prize break down helps solve that.

“Every year it has come down to three like clockwork,” Bigelow says.

Accelerate Michigan will be held between Nov. 13-15. For information, click here.

Source: Lauren Bigelow, executive director of Accelerate Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke

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