winter 2021 venture projects
Global Health Charities Venture Team
Client Description: Global Health Charities (GHC) is an organization committed to addressing the preventable deaths amongst mothers and newborns who lack equitable access to hospitals, healthcare resources, and clean supplies. GHC follows the founding principle that “all human beings, regardless of socio-economic status, should have the opportunity to strive for their full potential” (GHC).
Project Description: Our GHC team is working alongside the organization to devise both a fundraising and operational strategy to host a Clean Birth Kit event. Our GHC team is also aiding GHC on smaller organizational projects and creative work, such as report and volunteer outreach material.
Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education Venture Team
Client Description: The Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) is an organization committed to promoting ecologically sound stewardship of the natural environment and serves as a collective voice for its members regarding topics of regional and national concern.
Project Description: Our AORE team is working alongside the organization to expand their professional development, strengthen their corporate partnerships, and grow their content strategy.
Ypsilanti Senior Center Venture Team
Client Description: The Ypsilanti Senior Center is an organization with the mission to create lasting experiences for older adults in a welcoming environment that “encourages learning active engagement, fitness, and healthy living” (Ypsilanti Senior Center).
Project Description: Our Ypsilanti Senior Center team is working alongside the organization to devise developments to both the organization’s marketing and fundraising strategy; our team is working to ensure these strategies are context-appropriate and cohesive with recent influxes in demand for senior care.
Therapeutic Riding Inc. Venture Team
Client Description: Therapeutic Riding Inc. (TRI) is an organization committed to providing “a therapeutic environment through horseback riding and other related activities for those with disabilities or other challenges” (TRI).
Project Description: Our TRI team is working alongside the organization to leverage financial analysis to yield a dollar value on the volunteer work recorded in TRI's annual report.
Bird Center of Washtenaw County Venture Team
Client Description: The Bird Center of Washtenaw County is an organization committed to “aiding birds, wildlife, and the environment through public education and rehabilitation” (Bird Center).
Project Description: Our Bird Center team is working alongside the organization to establish a comprehensive media strategy, including their very own newsletter, to build awareness around bird protection. Additionally, our Bird Center team is cultivating a fundraising campaign to help raise financial resources for the center.
WINTER 2021 PURSUE PROJECTS
Sustainable Business Spotlight Pursue Team
Project Description: The Sustainable Brands team is working to increase community support and awareness for local environmentally and socially sustainable businesses. This team aims to shift customer attitudes towards supporting sustainable businesses through highlighting them on their Instagram @sustainablebusinessspotlight and an informal panel to spread awareness around the challenges and opportunities within sustainable businesses.
Partnership Description: Our Sustainable Brands team is partnering to create a sustainable business panel with ISAIC (an industrial sewing and innovation center), Brassi (a plant-based foods business), Oshki (an apparel company utilizing recycled water bottles), and NexTiles (a textile recycling company).
Wellness Watch Pursue Team
Project Description: The Wellness Watch team aims to provide mental health and wellbeing resources to University of Michigan students during a time when students’ mental health has been significantly strained and exposed to atypical circumstances. To do this, this team is partnering with local mental health startups to host a panel to unpack everything from wellbeing, to stress relief, to imposter syndrome.
Partnership Description: Our Wellness Watch team is partnering with two student startups, Wellnest and Honesti, along with a CAPS representative to create a mental health informational session. We also aim to expand our reach to local high schools and provide a similar mental health informational session.
Flipped or Flopped Pursue Team
Project Description: Flipped or Flopped is a curated student-run newsletter surrounding the highs, lows, and FAQs of the sustainable fashion industry. This newsletter was created in Fall 2021 and has since expanded through new content, a website, and a new newsletter format. Newsletters feature articles our team writes along with student and business spotlights to highlight our community. Sign-up for the newsletter here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15gCC0vvQ2FTGPwXIuTOtjx1UUy20agkCZkdNIKgU0Y8/edit?usp=sharing!
Partnership Description: Our Flipped or Flopped team is partnering with the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop to address donated clothes that end up in the landfill, along with opening a popup clothing drive with donated clothing going to a local organization for community members with limited funding for clothing.
Good Stuff Ann Arbor Pursue Team
Project Description: “Health” means something different to everyone. The Good Stuff Ann Arbor team has single-handedly curated Instagram content to amplify student voices around what “health” means to them and any advice relevant to finding one's individual version of wellness. This team’s overall goal is to transform the topic of health and wellness to become more inclusive, accessible, and community-oriented, and to break the narrow, “one-size fits all” definitions of “healthy” vs “unhealthy”. Follow our Good Stuff AA team on Instagram @goodstuffaa to follow their work and feel inspired to share your story!
Partnership Description: Our Good Stuff AA team is partnering with MDining to integrate student narratives about nutrition and well-being within the dorm dining halls.
fall 2019 venture projects
Cultivate Coffee & Tap House Venture Team
Client Description: Cultivate Coffee & Tap House is a Ypsilanti, MI-based coffee shop with the mission to create a space safe for all people…and inspiring for both personal and social change (Cultivate Coffee & Tap House).
Project Description: Our Cultivate Coffee & Tap House Team worked alongside the coffee shop executives to host a mental health summit and social entrepreneurship pitch competition. By hosting and marketing for both events, Propel aspired to amplify Cultivate’s mission by spreading these events to Michigan’s campus.
Zingerman’s Deli Venture Team
Client Description: Zingerman’s Deli is an infamous Ann Arbor staple dating back to 1982, a business that has grown exponentially today with an emphasis on “education, flavor, tradition, and the integrity of ingredients” to create a “culinary laboratory” for customers from all walks of life. (Zingerman’s Delicatessen). Today, the deli operates multiple storefronts around Michigan, offers everything from hand-crafted sandwiches, bagels, pastries, cheeses, soups, and much more.
Project Description: Our Zingermnan’s team collaborated with Planet Zingerman’s to institute a reusable container program to reduce waste pertaining to To-Go orders. In addition, our Zingerman’s team worked with Zingerman’s CEO, Ari Weinzweig, to track the value of Zingerman’s products internally.
Main Street Ann Arbor Venture Team
Client Description: Main Street Area Association (MSAA) is a local Ann Arbor organization comprising of area restaurants, banks, real estate, attorneys, retail and service businesses, as well as public and private organizations on Main Street; the organization’s mission is “to preserve Main Street area’s rich history while building a prosperous and inviting business environment that will ensure a dynamic future” (MSAA).
Project Description: Our MSAA team worked alongside MSAA to successfully transform Taste of Ann Arbor into a zero-waste event as well as host the Youth Art Month.