Vince Nystrom

Vince has over 30 years of experience across various sectors, roles, and responsibilities. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Michigan State University and spent a decade in the advanced manufacturing sector, specializing in automation, robotics, and machine vision, including several years at a startup.

Currently, Vince works as a consultant, serving as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at both the Innovate Marquette SmartZone, Michigan State University’s Spartan Innovations, and Headwaters North accelerator in Sault Ste. Marie. He also consults with the University Research Corridor (URC) and InvestUP, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan economic development organization, and is working on the creation and launch of the 1885 Capital Fund at Michigan Tech University. As an active angel investor, he serves on advisory boards for multiple early-stage companies. Vince also led the development of the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund, a $3 million pre-seed fund supporting early-stage outdoor recreation technologies, the first of its kind in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Throughout his career, Vince has held pivotal roles in economic development, including positions at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Ann Arbor SPARK, and InvestUP. He has led business attraction and development efforts, spearheaded the 21st Century Jobs Fund and Pure Michigan Business Connect, and was instrumental in launching Michigan’s URC—a collaboration between MSU, UofM, and Wayne State University. Vince was also a partner for six years at Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, where he contributed to driving over $2.3 billion in venture investments into Michigan. He splits his time between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Lower Michigan, is active in community service, and supports business accelerators and competitions.