Chris Rizik is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Venture Capital, a first-of-its-kind fund of funds formed by a consortium of Fortune 1000 and major private corporations. Renaissance works to attract capital to Midwest-based startups, and to strategically connect venture capital funds and start-up companies with major corporations looking for innovation. Chris is also the founder and publisher of SoulTracks.com, America’s most popular soul music online magazine.
Chris’s work has led to several awards, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Crain’s Detroit Business Newsmaker of the Year, and the Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmakers Hall of Fame. Prior to Renaissance, Chris was a co-founder and partner in Michigan’s two largest venture capital investors, nanotechnology holding company Ardesta, LLC, and tech fund Avalon Technology Ventures, and received of four consecutive “Deal of the Year” awards by the Michigan Venture Capital Association. Chris was also a senior partner with Dickinson Wright PLLC, one of the Midwest’s oldest law firms. He began his career as a CPA at Coopers & Lybrand.
Chris chairs the Investment Committees of Invest Detroit Ventures and Accelerate Blue, the seed investment fund of the University of Michigan. Chris also serves on the investment committees of Houston’s HX fund of funds and the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, as well as the advisory committees of several venture capital funds around the US. Chris also serves on the boards of Invest Detroit and Mount Elliott Cemetery Association, and is a member of the National Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Office of Innovation Partnerships.