Detroit has always been a place that builds. What’s different now is the speed, the tools, and the stakes.
In this episode of the VVK Podcast, we sit down with Mike Mattacola, CEO of Advaita Bio, and Patti Glaza, EVP for Venture and Managing Director of ID Ventures at Invest Detroit, to discuss what’s actually happening on the ground in Michigan’s startup ecosystem and what still needs to change for the innovation economy to become a durable driver of growth.
Mike explains how AI is collapsing the cost of building software products, shifting teams toward senior architecture talent paired with AI agents, and enabling a “ship every week” cadence that used to take far more capital. Patty adds the investor lens: deep tech, advanced manufacturing, mobility, and life sciences still demand serious funding and specialized support, and Michigan’s biggest challenge is building a consistent capital stack from early stage through growth, plus the mentorship and repeat-founder experience that coastal hubs take for granted.
We also dig into the Michigan Innovation Alliance, the need for a shared 20-year strategy, and why universities and tech transfer are central to turning research dollars into companies that reach the market and stay here. Finally, we tackle AI infrastructure and data centers, what matters for competitiveness, and how to measure progress over the next five years through bigger exits, stronger teams, and a healthier founder community. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review, what would you build in Michigan if the barriers dropped tomorrow?