The Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship is an event that celebrates and promotes entrepreneurship in the Great Lakes region. ACE brings together entrepreneurs, service providers, investors, students, government agents, and other members of the business community to network, learn, and connect. In 2009, about 550 people attended ACE.

ACE began in Michigan in 2001 as a joint meeting hosted by the New Enterprise Forum (NEF) and the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Great Lakes. Today, additional organizations participate in organizing, supporting, and promoting the event, and the scope of ACE has grown to encompass participants from the broader Great Lakes region.

ACE '09 was a Great Event!

ACE '09 was the ninth year for ACE. Peter Tchoryk, CEO of WindSight, was named the winner of ACE’s elevator pitch competition, with judges noting both his presentation skills and the strong business case he argued.