Event Details

ZLI and Michigan Ross Alumni Club of SE Michigan Co-Host a Regional Networking Event and High Chai Concept, Featuring Melanie de Vries, presenting: "Am I Ready to Be an Entrepreneur?"

Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Paradise Street Eats & Biryani
5431 Schaefer
Dearborn, MI 48124
RSVP Here: https://lnkd.in/gfbujys5

In a joint event co-hosted by the Zell Lurie Institute (ZLI) and the Ross Alumni Club, growth strategy guru and UM alum, Melanie de Vries, will speak to aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone else interested in growing their business. The event will be held at the Paradise Street Eats and Biryani restaurant with the High Chai Concept and food truck co-owned by U-M Alum.

As an entrepreneur, understanding what it takes to succeed and secure investment while still retaining the enthusiasm and drive to move forward can be challenging. Melanie de Vries of the SBDC Tech Team will take you through the myths and realities of running a scalable startup to get to the truth of why some startups succeed and others do not. There are several inaccurate assumptions about business that early-stage entrepreneurs tend to make; join her as she dives into them and how you can resolve them successfully along your journey.

About Melanie de Vries
Ms. de Vries is a growth strategy guru with a history of successfully developing marketing and sales strategies that build and improve profitability. Her focus is on identifying plans and tactics for driving rapid growth and building new innovations that obtain and keep clients and expand market share. Melanie mixes her extensive knowledge in business strategy and entrepreneurship with effective processes to tailor solutions for each organization's specific needs. She also brings her passion, enthusiasm, and compassionate shoulder to cry on to every client meeting.

Her recent experience includes serving as a CEO and Co-Founder of PaymentScholar (an edtech start-up). She has worked in the entrepreneurial ecosystem as an independent consultant advising star organizations on strategic planning, market positioning, market analysis, brand development, and customer discovery. She has also served as the senior marketing officer for Deloitte & Touche/Deloitte Consulting, The Learning Care Group, and ForeSee Results. In these roles, she oversaw the execution of business, marketing, and sales strategies to drive growth and increase market share.

Her areas of expertise include Go-To-Market, New Product Launches and Commercialization Strategy and Tactics; Complex B2B Sales, Client and Channel Partner Management; Customer, Market and Competitive Analysis; Customer Satisfaction and Retention; and Investor Pitch Presentation Coaching.

Ms. de Vries is a graduate of the University of Michigan.