I'm driven to work with those who have chosen a path of purpose. As the Managing Director of the Desai Accelerator at the University of Michigan, I am a consultant, strategist, assistant, cheerleader, therapist, and fierce champion of entrepreneurs. I strive to connect intrepid founders with resources to propel their early-stage startups into externally-fundable ventures. Here's the bio I use professionally:Angela is responsible for the execution and development of the Desai’s business acceleration program, including mentoring and counseling startups and selecting and managing investments. She works closely with the region’s business communities for the benefit of not only the participating startups but also the broader entrepreneurial landscape. Her areas of expertise include storytelling, design thinking, human-centered design, customer discovery, strategic planning, creative leadership, and innovation narratives. Angela earned the Foundations in Creative Leadership, Leading for Creativity, Cultivating Creative Collaboration and Storytelling for Influence certifications from IDEO, and previously held the Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Investment Management Analyst certifications. Angela earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, and Master of Design Methods '23 from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology.