“Michigan is different. Midwestern grit meets genuine community.”
Michigan people go out of their way for you. I don’t mean that loosely — I mean they actually show up. Not just during the good times, but during the bad ones too. I’ve been in rooms in New York and San Francisco. The talent is there. The advice is everywhere. Nobody’s going out of their way for anybody.
Michigan is different. Midwestern grit meets genuine community — people who work hard and actually give a damn about the person next to them.
What’s missing is the capital layer that matches it. Every great ecosystem — the ones that actually produce breakout companies — runs on angel investors who write early checks. Not after the deck is polished and the traction is undeniable. Early. When a founder is still figuring it out and needs someone to bet on them, not just advise them.
Michigan has incredible advisors. What we need more of are people who back their conviction with a check. Because advice is free. Capital is how you actually help someone get started.
That’s what this pledge is about for me. I’ve been a founder twice. I know exactly what it feels like to leave a meeting with five pages of notes and zero dollars committed. I’m here to be the kind of investor I wish more people were back then — someone who shows up with both. With Tuebor, I hope to help build the funding ecosystem to match it.