City Innovations is excited to announce Bryce Kaiser joining the team to lead its Startup practice. This move comes after substantial growth and demand in both Startup and Corporate Innovation customers at the company.
Bryce has founded, worked for, and consulted with some of the brightest startups in Michigan over the last 12 years. Among his notable ventures are Blue Medora and Varsity News Network, both of which achieved successful exits. He has also been instrumental in the growth and development of startups such as 86 Repairs and Hoom House.
For the past five years, Bryce has served as the Entrepreneur in Residence at SURGE, a prominent startup hub located in Holland, Michigan. During this tenure, he mentored hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs and led accelerators focused on idea validation and the important milestone of obtaining those crucial first customers. His dedication to nurturing the next generation of startups is a testament to his commitment to the entrepreneurial community.
“We’re thrilled to announce Bryce Kaiser as the newest addition to the City Innovations team,” said Josh Barker, Founder and CEO. “Our Startup and Corporate Innovation practices have already been on a remarkable growth trajectory. Bringing Bryce aboard isn’t just about keeping up — it’s about leveling up. With his proven expertise in driving startup success, Bryce will lead our Startup practice to become world-class. This is a game-changing move that cements our commitment to ensuring our clients, whether startup or corporate, achieve unprecedented growth and marketplace traction.”
Bryce’s commitment to the advocacy of startups has led him to work closely with several different founders to help them achieve the next level of growth, both professionally and personally. His deep knowledge of the startup ecosystem, combined with a passion for innovation, aligns seamlessly with City Innovations’ mission to support and nurture emerging businesses.
Because of this, Bryce will play a pivotal role in scaling City Innovations’ capabilities in nurturing and building startups in Michigan and beyond. He will head City Innovations’ Venture Studio Startup practice, which is a highly strategic move by City Innovations to strengthen its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, as well as investing and empowering startups to develop precisely what their target markets need — significantly increasing their odds of success. In a world where nine out of ten startups fail, City Innovations’ mission is to rewrite this narrative.
Michigan’s vibrant startup ecosystem, while rich in potential, requires essential infrastructure that the venture studio will approach by unlocking transformative change within local communities and beyond. City Innovations is inviting the startup community to collaborate and provide feedback on existing gaps, as they prepare to unveil new programming that will shape the future of entrepreneurship. More updates to come.
“This is an important moment for City Innovations. Since day one, we have been committed to Michigan’s startup community, we know that having Bryce leading this effort will give this momentum,” said Kurt Nahikian, Partner at City Innovations. “This is a significant move that will enable us to do even more good in the world by fostering innovation, driving positive change, and building something that will matter to the world.”
