Founders Feature: From Spartan Entrepreneur to Venture Catalyst, Meet Pete Martin

Pete Martin earned his Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Business from the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University in 2009. As a member of the Spartan Founders Club, Martin actively mentors the next generation of Spartan entrepreneurs, sharing insights from his journey to help them scale faster and avoid pitfalls. Today, he is the Director of Portfolio Management at the MSU Research Foundation, where he supports companies in their growth journeys, connecting them with critical resources and partnerships.

“When my family and I moved back home to Michigan in 2022 to be closer to the rest of our family, after 12 years of building venture-backed startups as both an early employee and co-founder, I wasn’t aware of how much Michigan’s startup scene had grown. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to get involved with the Michigan Founders Fund (MFF), where I helped bring together hundreds of the state’s high-growth entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in a community focused on helping each other build highly scalable companies here in Michigan.

As I was starting my career, I didn’t have that kind of community and felt I had to leave the state to be successful. MFF is one of many signals that it’s possible to build a highly scalable business right here in Michigan. You don’t have to leave the state like I did. When we left home, we missed out on a lot of little things, like birthdays and the arrivals of nieces and nephews, as well as major life events. I love that founders can both live and build their companies in Michigan, and I personally want to ensure as many people as possible take advantage of that!

I have since transitioned from MFF and recently joined the MSU Research Foundation’s venture capital arm as Director of Portfolio Management. It’s a perfect fit for me—it allows me to stay laser-focused on Michigan and support nearly 200 portfolio companies from Conquer Accelerator, Michigan Rise, and Red Cedar Ventures. My role is all about connecting founders with the resources, venture networks, and partnerships they need to scale their companies into highly successful organizations. This transition aligns perfectly with my belief that Michigan is incredibly well-positioned for success in venture capital. The work we’re doing at the MSU Research Foundation will have an impact across generations, and that’s a huge driving force for me.

As for my engagement with the Burgess team, it began almost immediately after moving back. I wasn’t aware of how much the focus on entrepreneurship and innovation on campus had grown. I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting students as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Burgess, being a mentor for 2Day Venture (I highly recommend coming onsite for that as the energy with these students is infectious), and watching teams competing at the Burgess New Venture Challenge. 

Thinking back to the pivotal moment when I knew I wanted to be a part of the Spartan Founders Club (SFC), I was talking with fellow MSU alumnus Chris Thomas of Assembly Ventures and Chris Sell at the Burgess Institute about how vital it is to bring MSU alumni together to support more entrepreneurship and innovation on campus. There are so many Spartans doing amazing things out in the world—it just made sense to create a way for alumni to give back.

I’m incredibly proud to be amongst the first members of the SFC. It’s a fantastic way to support the Burgess Institute, connect with students, and give back to a university that’s given me so much. I love being able to share my philanthropic support and experiences—both wins and failures—with the next generation of Spartan entrepreneurs so they can move faster, avoid pitfalls, and build incredible businesses. We’ve got such incredible talent coming out of MSU, and this can be a catalyst for keeping that energy right here in Michigan. You can build amazing businesses in this state. Look at Duo Security with its multi-billion-dollar exit or Lineage Logistics, which had the largest IPO of 2024 (led by an MSU grad, by the way!). You don’t need to leave Michigan to achieve big things, and the SFC will ensure even more incredible businesses are built here.

This is also a fantastic resource for alumni! Connecting with other successful entrepreneurs who share the Spartan bond creates an incredible opportunity to grow your network with people who truly understand the “crazy ones” lifestyle. Whether it’s swapping stories, sharing lessons learned, or collaborating on new ventures, the SFC offers alumni a chance to stay connected, support MSU students, and continue growing alongside a community that shares their passion for building something extraordinary.”