Innovate Marquette SmartZone
Transforming the Marquette Area into a Centralized Hub for Technology and Innovation
Innovate Marquette offers valuable and accessible resources to innovators, entrepreneurs, and business owners in the Marquette area. We support technology-based innovations, new business ventures, new job creation and existing business expansion by leveraging our local and state-wide network to bring funding, workforce talent and a collaborative mindset to the Marquette ecosystem and beyond…
What do we do?
Fostering a collaborative entrepreneurial community that is based on equal opportunities for financial funding, accessibility, sustainability, and creativity for entrepreneurs, business owners, startups, and innovators who call Marquette home.
Our Purpose
Innovate Marquette seeks to thoughtfully and powerfully connect our entrepreneurial ecosystem through collaboration to make a business community that is inclusive and approachable for all innovators, entrepreneurs, and business owners. With a focus on technology-focused ventures that enable accessibility, sustainability, and creativity within our region we act as a resource with our partners to build opportunities for the careers of the future while honoring the roots and natural wonders signature to Marquette.
Gain valuable insights into available business resources and tools. Work with a dedicated mentor or mentee to refine and actualize your business concepts. Identify new capital funding opportunities. Network with a diverse group of industry insiders.
We are dedicated to bridging the gap to gaining access to the resources, technology, and capital necessary for entrepreneurs, startups, and businesses to call Marquette home through a wide network of local & state-wide partners.
Thanks to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the State of Michigan has designated twenty-one distinct tech hubs located all across the state, referred to as “SmartZones”. These areas encourage symbiotic collaborations between pillars of the community: universities, community organizations, municipalities, and public-private institutions.
A SmartZone includes access to a technology business accelerator like Innovate Marquette, which promotes collaboration between resource partners such as universities, industry and research organizations, state and government municipalities, and other innovators within the community. This creates equal access across the state to important entrepreneurial resources like funding, talent, and networking opportunities.
Stay 'In-the-Know'
Keep up to date about our partnerships, programs, events, and other local resources for your innovative business, ideas, and beyond by signing up for our monthly newsletter.
Meet Management: Operations Manager, Mari Shelafoe
An ever-changing entrepreneurial ecosystem requires our team to lean into collaboration and organization. The Operations Manager plays a key role in establishing these strengths by
Introducing Innovate Marquette’s Protolab
At Innovate Marquette, we recognize the need for rural entrepreneurs to have access to advanced technology to quickly prototype and develop products. Thanks to support
Meet Management: Marketing Manager, Aubry Healy
Marquette is a place where creativity, community, and entrepreneurship come to flourish. Within Invent@NMU, these values are held closely and executed daily. So, when looking
