Jeffrey Rinvelt is a Partner with the Fund. Jeff’s diverse background in venture capital and technology, along with his experience working in various start-up ventures, uniquely positions him for this role. In addition, Jeff is quite active in the Michigan start-up community, volunteering to mentor young entrepreneurs, judge pitch competitions, and guest lecture student classes and organizations. Jeff’s work on the Fund, his volunteer efforts, and his role on the Michigan Venture Capital Association’s board of directors make his passion for fostering a productive environment for venture capital investment in the State of Michigan evident.
Jeff was previously part of Ardesta, where he was the Director engaged in sourcing, evaluating, and conducting due diligence on investment opportunities, as well as monitoring and providing assistance to the companies in Ardesta’s portfolio. Before joining Ardesta, Jeff co-founded GrapeVINE Technologies, providing Product Management and Marketing for their knowledge management product, eventually resulting in an acquisition by Sun Microsystems. Jeff was also part of the start-up team for MAXfunds.com, an Internet company providing complete coverage of the mutual fund industry, including hundreds of funds unavailable on any other site. In addition, Jeff spent five years with Ernst & Young’s Information Technology group as a senior consultant.
Jeff is a proud trustee emeritus of Western Michigan University and also lends his expertise to a number of local non-profits.