Christopher Rizik
Chief Executive Officer at Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc.
Profile
Chris Rizik is the founder, managing partner, and Chief Executive Officer of the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, a first-of-its-kind network fund formed by a consortium of Fortune 1000 and major private corporations.
Renaissance works to invest in and strategically connect venture capital funds and start-up companies with major corporations.
Chris is also the founder and publisher of SoulTracks.com, America’s most popular soul music online magazine.
Chris’s work with Renaissance has led to several awards, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year and Crain’s Detroit Business Newsmaker of the Year.
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 with Coopers & Lybrand, after passing the Certified Public Accounting examination.
Chris chairs the Executive Committee of the high tech accelerator TechTown and 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 the Cintrifuse and Houston Exponential fund of funds, the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, and the Michigan Catholic Foundation.
He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the New Economy Initiative, the National Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer, and boards or advisory boards of Invest Detroit, The Knight Foundation, Mount Elliott Cemetery Association, and several venture capital funds around the US.
Christopher Rizik active positions
| Companies | Position | Start |
|---|---|---|
Wayne State University Research & Technology Park
 Wayne State University Research & Technology Park Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Wayne State University Research & Technology Park engages in the provision of business incubation and acceleration resources. The company is headquartered in Detroit, MI. | Corporate Officer/Principal | - |
Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc.
 Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc. Investment ManagersFinance Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc( Renaissance Venture Capital) is a venture capital firm is founded in 2008. The firm is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. | Chief Executive Officer | 2013-01-10 |
| Leadership Detroit | Director/Board Member | - |
Invest Detroit
 Invest Detroit Financial ConglomeratesFinance Invest Detroit operates as a community development financial institution. It offers finance to predevelopment, emerging business, high growth companies, business and equipment and neighborhood retail. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Detroit, MI. | Director/Board Member | 2009-12-31 |
Michigan Economic Development Corp.
 Michigan Economic Development Corp. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Michigan Economic Development Corp. provides economic development efforts and policy development and technology development. Its services include business retention and attraction, financial assistance, employee recruitment and training, assistance for providing permits, and site development services. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Lansing, MI. | Director/Board Member | - |
Tech Transfer University of Michigan / Venture Capital/
 Tech Transfer University of Michigan / Venture Capital/ Investment ManagersFinance Tech Transfer University of Michigan / Venture Capital/(University of Michigan) is a venture capital firm founded in 1900 by Mike Psarouthakis. The firm is headquartered in Ann Arbor, US. | Consultant / Advisor | 2021-02-28 |
Former positions of Christopher Rizik
| Companies | Position | End |
|---|---|---|
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC provides assurance, tax and advisory services. Its services include audit and assurance, consulting, deals, human resources, legal, tax, and family business. The firm also offers accountability, risk management, structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and performance and process improvement. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Buffalo, NY. | Corporate Officer/Principal | - |
XCOM Wireless, Inc.
 XCOM Wireless, Inc. Electronic Production EquipmentElectronic Technology XCOM Wireless, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the development of radio frequency microelectromechanical system technology. The firm's products all use RF MEMS switching elements configured into an integrated circuit. It circuits are fabricated on silicon substrates and hermetically packaged ready for customer use. The company was founded by Daniel J. Hyman, Mark K. Hyman and Peter Bogdanoff in 2000 and is headquartered in Signal Hill, CA. | Director/Board Member | - |
Michigan Venture Capital Association
 Michigan Venture Capital Association Investment ManagersFinance Michigan Venture Capital Association operates as a non-profit trade organization designed to bring together venture capital industry participants in the state of Michigan. The company was founded by 2002 by Terry Cross and David P. Weaver in 2002 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI. | Corporate Officer/Principal | - |
Training of Christopher Rizik
| Michigan State University | Undergraduate Degree |
| University of Michigan | Graduate Degree |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
| Private companies | 11 |
|---|---|
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC provides assurance, tax and advisory services. Its services include audit and assurance, consulting, deals, human resources, legal, tax, and family business. The firm also offers accountability, risk management, structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and performance and process improvement. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Buffalo, NY. | Commercial Services |
Ardesta
 Ardesta Investment ManagersFinance Founded in 2000 by Rick Snyder and Chris Rizik , Ardesta is a venture capital firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan | Finance |
Dickinson Wright PLLC
 Dickinson Wright PLLC Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Dickinson Wright PLLC provides legal services to large corporations in over 40 different practice areas which includes automotive, banking and financial services, bankruptcy, construction, corporate, energy and sustainability, gaming, healthcare, insurance, intellectual property, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, municipal law & finance, private equity, real estate and taxation. The company was founded by Henry Munroe Campbell and Henry Russell in 1878 and is headquartered in Detroit, MI. | Commercial Services |
Michigan Venture Capital Association
Michigan Venture Capital Association Investment ManagersFinance Michigan Venture Capital Association operates as a non-profit trade organization designed to bring together venture capital industry participants in the state of Michigan. The company was founded by 2002 by Terry Cross and David P. Weaver in 2002 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI. | Finance |
XCOM Wireless, Inc.
XCOM Wireless, Inc. Electronic Production EquipmentElectronic Technology XCOM Wireless, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the development of radio frequency microelectromechanical system technology. The firm's products all use RF MEMS switching elements configured into an integrated circuit. It circuits are fabricated on silicon substrates and hermetically packaged ready for customer use. The company was founded by Daniel J. Hyman, Mark K. Hyman and Peter Bogdanoff in 2000 and is headquartered in Signal Hill, CA. | Electronic Technology |
Wayne State University Research & Technology Park
Wayne State University Research & Technology Park Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Wayne State University Research & Technology Park engages in the provision of business incubation and acceleration resources. The company is headquartered in Detroit, MI. | Commercial Services |
Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc.
Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc. Investment ManagersFinance Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc( Renaissance Venture Capital) is a venture capital firm is founded in 2008. The firm is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. | Finance |
| Leadership Detroit | |
Invest Detroit
Invest Detroit Financial ConglomeratesFinance Invest Detroit operates as a community development financial institution. It offers finance to predevelopment, emerging business, high growth companies, business and equipment and neighborhood retail. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Detroit, MI. | Finance |
Michigan Economic Development Corp.
Michigan Economic Development Corp. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Michigan Economic Development Corp. provides economic development efforts and policy development and technology development. Its services include business retention and attraction, financial assistance, employee recruitment and training, assistance for providing permits, and site development services. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Lansing, MI. | Commercial Services |
Tech Transfer University of Michigan / Venture Capital/
Tech Transfer University of Michigan / Venture Capital/ Investment ManagersFinance Tech Transfer University of Michigan / Venture Capital/(University of Michigan) is a venture capital firm founded in 1900 by Mike Psarouthakis. The firm is headquartered in Ann Arbor, US. | Finance |
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