Congratulations to Our Demo Day Winners!

It was a beautiful night in Calder Plaza as we came together to support 100 entrepreneurs vying for a cash prize to move their business forward. Thank you to everyone who came out and made the evening memorable. View the full list of winners!

We Help Entrepreneurs Find Success

Welcome to Start Gardenā€”a community of support to help you achieve success. We understand that entrepreneurs need a space where they can build their own community of supportive and like-minded people. Start Garden helps make that more accessible through its pitch competitions and coworking space located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids.

  • Network with other entrepreneurs
  • Gain access to entrepreneurial resources
  • Have a dedicated space to ideate, work and grow
  • Try your hand at a new ventureā€”no strings attached

The 100

Not everybody is an entrepreneur, but everybody should get to take a shot at becoming one. Start Garden created The 100 with a consortium of banks as a no-strings-attached way to fund business ideas by opening the gate for the entire community knowing that for some, it can be life-changing.

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5×5 Night

5Ɨ5 Night is Michiganā€™s most open pitch competition. Anyone can submit a business idea to be voted on by the public. Our top 5 presenters will then get 5 minutes to pitch 5 slides to 5 guest judges for the chance to win a $5,000 grant. More valuable than the cash, 5Ɨ5 Night gives entrepreneurs a platform to move their business ideas forward and be part of a valuable network of like-minded people who can help them grow.

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Find Your Fit

Start Garden was built to be your support system in helping you achieve success. No matter where you are on your journeyā€”whether youā€™re an entrepreneur, in the early stages of your startup or simply have a great business idea you want to test outā€”we provide a strong community to help you get your idea off the ground or move your business to the next level.

Find where you fit and discover valuable resources to help you on your journey.

Business Idea

I need a fast, inexpensive way to turn my idea into action and access to platforms to help me be successful on my journey.

Startups

I need access to intellectual and commercial capital to help me grow my business and take it to the next level.

Business Community

Locate the right resources and connections in the business community that will help you thrive.

Our Supporters