20Fathoms

10/16/2026

On October 22, pitches from two early stage companies will change the way we think about water conservation.

💧 H20 Connected is innovating toilet leak detection, which can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day.
💧 Growbud is enhancing irrigation systems with software, sensors, and controllers to achieve a more efficient production process.

Hear from these and other inspiring entrepreneurs at our Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator Showcase, hosted in partnership with gener8tor!

Register: https://hubs.li/Q04BpQyf0

Come celebrate fresh ideas for water and sustainability at the Northern Michigan Blue Tech Accelerator Showcase! Eight early-stage startups will take the stage…

10/15/2026

On October 22, pitches from two local Northern Michigan companies will change the way we think about water conservation.

💧H20 Connected is innovating toilet leak detection, which can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day.

💧Growbud is optimizing irrigation systems with software, sensors, and controllers to achieve a more efficient production process.

Hear from these and other inspiring entrepreneurs at our Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator Showcase, hosted in partnership with gener8tor!

Register at the link in our bio!

10/13/2026

We already knew that Michigan is a great place to start a business.

Area Development just confirmed it.

Michigan is ranked as a Top 10 state to do business across 10 categories:
No. 1 Climate Risk and Resilience
No. 1 Water and Wastewater Capacity
No. 2 Engineering Talent
No. 6 Skilled Manufacturing Labor
No. 8 Availability of Industrial Sites & Buildings
No. 8 Innovation & Research Ecosystem
No. 8 Site Readiness Programs
No. 9 Cooperative Local and State Government
No. 10 Workforce Training Programs
No. 10 Overall Speed-to-Market

➡️ https://hubs.li/Q04B3htK0

10/12/2026

The Great Lakes hold 21 percent of the world's surface freshwater, and eight early-stage companies right here in Northern Michigan are innovating water technology solutions around sustainability and improving water-related operations.

💡 They’re finding hidden water waste, making water utilities and greenhouse operators more proactive, developing new ways to remove nutrients and pollutants, rethinking how we inspect infrastructure, turning sonar data into actionable insights, and making ammonia safer to store and handle.

On October 22, you'll have the opportunity to hear AmHyTech, Capture Tech, Ceretune LLC, Effluent, Growbud, H2O Connected, Oprones, and Thalweg pitch their ideas live at the Delamar in Traverse City at the Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator Showcase.

Register now: https://hubs.li/Q04zWYQG0

This pitch event is the culmination of the inaugural Northern Michigan BlueTech Accelerator, a free seven-week program for early-stage companies building water technology, hosted in partnership with gener8tor.

Come celebrate fresh ideas for water and sustainability at the Northern Michigan Blue Tech Accelerator Showcase! Eight early-stage startups will take the stage…

10/06/2026

Local Traverse City-based Red Truck Orchards, which operates a U-pick cherry farm and ferments a versatile cherry vinegar hero product, shares insights into innovating and adapting as their business grows.

This story from Michigan Economic Development Corporation — part of a Small Business Support Hub network spotlight series — covers everything from bringing in experts to putting their own spin on the famed local cherry, staying authentic and maintaining community connections, to the science behind commercialization tanks and being resourceful in their marketing tactics.

20Fathoms is proud to support entrepreneurs like Phil and Sarah Hallstedt throughout their startup and growth stages with financial and networking resources that make Northern Michigan a wonderful place to build a business.

Read more:

With support from 20Fathoms, part of the MEDC-supported network of Small Business Support Hubs, the Hallstedts scaled up production of their delicious artisan cherry vinegar

10/02/2026

Congratulations to the award winners from this week’s TCNewTech Pitch Competition!

🏅 First place award: Luigi Solutions LLC

🏅 Audience Choice award: Novelty AIR, LLC

🏅 Emerging Startup awards:
Novelty AIR, LLC
New Earth Network, LLC
Codura

Learn more about the winning company, Luigi Solutions, which wowed judges with its AI platform that lets nontechnical business owners build custom software: luigisolutions.com

Thank you to everyone who made this exciting night happen — the pitchers, judges, funders, service providers, and most of all, the community members! Your enthusiasm and support are critical to sustaining the burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit in Northwest Michigan.

Special thanks to the City Opera House for hosting this community event!

09/29/2026

“I see life through a lens of flavors,” shares Courtney ​Lorenz, Founder and self-proclaimed Fermented Foods Nerd & Kombucha Believer of her business, Cultured Kombucha Co.

That explains how the certified culinarian-and-nutritionist-turned-fermented-beverage-purveyor creates flavor profiles like apple pie chai, lavender bliss, mango tango turmeric, blueberry basil, strawberry rhubarb, raspberry rose, and more. “I like to pair familiar, fun, and playful ingredients with nutritious ingredients to make the drinks approachable and healthy,” she says.

What started out in 2015 as a few gallons of home-brewed kombucha in three flavors selling out at a local farmers market has now ballooned into a booming, nationwide business with a team 20-members strong. You can enjoy the chef-crafted, health-benefits-packed drinks at a local taproom in Traverse City, at over 600 retail locations throughout the Midwest, and starting in late September, at stores across the nation.

Now over a decade into her entrepreneurial journey, Courtney is excited that the company is expanding into cans and other packaging formats, which will open up new opportunities at stadiums and events, as well as add convenience for customers.

Tasty flavors aren’t the only thing Courtney’s serving up. As Northern Michigan’s first kombucha brewer, she’s learned a lot, and she’s using her experience to provide consultation services to help others develop a roadmap to launch in the food space.

Reflecting on her journey, she says, “I had to learn to stand up for what my business deserved and to stand firm in my decisions [in dealing with vendors and in contract negotiations].”

“Fear is a big part of the entrepreneurial journey—you can only receive as much as you’re willing to take risks,” she advises.

“I was 24 and had no money when I started,” she continues. “I used every resource I could get! I used micro grants from 20Fathoms quite a few times to help with services like accounting, photography, and legal support in looking through legal agreements.”

Whether she’s behind the brew tanks or speaking on gut health and sustainable food systems, Courtney brings energy, expertise, and heart to everything she does. She’s not just on a mission to brew the best kombucha possible—she’s here to change how we nourish ourselves, and each other.

09/28/2026

Pitch. Learn. Connect.

Join us at tomorrow's TCNewTech Pitch Competition and resource expo to learn about the next wave of innovations moving Northern Michigan forward.

TCNewTech is made possible through the generosity of community partners, including:

🤝Lead Partner
• SJA Solutions

🤝Presenting Partners
• Honor Bank
• Huntington National Bank

🤝Supporting Partners
• Aurora Patents
• Brightly Baird: The Rivard Teahen Wheatley Group - Baird Private Wealth Management
• Grand Valley State University
• Lyon QA
• MSU Federal Credit Union
• UpNorth Healthtech

09/24/2026

“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur because I wanted to solve problems for myself and achieve bigger goals,” shares Megan Alexander, Owner of Carter's Compost.

“I have a degree in Supply Chain Management, so my brain naturally processes logistics and piecing puzzles together,” she says. Combined with her prior experience in business and tech startups, Megan was well positioned to buy Carter’s Compost in 2022.

She has since grown the operation substantially: over the past four years, the composting company has expanded from 6,000 pounds collected annually to over 125,000 pounds collected annually. Megan is ready to grow her team and establish a wholly-owned processing operation, which will put the business on pace to beat that collection record again this year.

“I'm very proud of the impact we’re having in our local area when it comes to how everyday people and businesses look at waste. My hope is that Carter's Compost will keep our region green and blue and beautiful,” she reflects.

Megan is currently figuring out how to secure the funding required to access more land and equipment to enable further growth. Megan hopes this rapid growth will attract new partnerships in the region.

“Jump into things with both feet forward and know what risks you're taking, but don't overthink them,” she advises other entrepreneurs. “If you don't try, you'll never know if it will work.”

Trying can feel easier when working with organizations like 20Fathoms, which offers educational training, mentorship, and networking opportunities through programs like the weekly Breakfast Labs and the Small Business Support Hub grant, which Megan has taken advantage of. She also relied on a statewide grant to purchase a new electric pickup vehicle.

20Fathoms exists to help entrepreneurs like Megan scale their business and impact in Northern Michigan and beyond.

09/23/2026

An outdoor enthusiast, Valor Skincare founder Susie Grace was looking for nontoxic body and skincare products that would stay on and protect her skin from the elements during vigorous activity. She couldn’t find what she was looking for, so she started making it herself.

“Our skin is our largest organ. It’s a barrier between the outside world and our inner body. You’d use different gear for different conditions and environments – I wanted to approach skincare the same way,” she explains.

Transitioning from a background in marketing to starting her own company felt exciting, but it still took courage, passion, and grit. “Pulling in my life experience has really helped. I hired a skincare chemist and brought in experts when I needed it. I understood when I needed to rely on myself versus lean on an expert. It’s different for everyone.”

With that, her line of high-performance skin and body care products made for a life in motion was formulated, made and tested in Michigan, and brought to market. Customers love the products -- for three consecutive years, Valor Skincare has doubled its sales year over year and boasted strong customer retention.

"Becoming an entrepreneur is a journey of many steps. Prepare to go slow. Don’t expect it to come all at once," she advises. “Failure can be a positive thing. It hurts in the moment, but you learn from it.”

Susie is currently refocusing her efforts to break into the outdoor retail market, expanding upon her existing 25 retail partners. "It's an uphill battle to fit skincare in the outdoor industry," she says, but she's got a marketing plan in place and is feeling buoyed after a positive experience at a national outdoor tradeshow this summer.

Susie is also excited to authentically grow her online community through a blog, Outside the Lines, featuring the courageous stories of real customers. "Valor means ‘to have courage.’ I'm inspired by people overcoming challenges.”

Throughout the growth of her company, Susie has appreciated the camaraderie of peer entrepreneurs here in Traverse City that she’s able to tap into, thanks to networking opportunities created by 20Fathoms. “Even if your challenges are different, it’s comforting to know other people are going through something, too,” she shares.

20Fathoms also supports founders like Susie through funding, resources, and mentorship.