Chris Rizik Biography

Chris Rizik is the Chief Executive Officer of the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund a venture capital fund of funds formed by a consortium of several of Michigan’s largest organizations that 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 was also a co-founder and partner in two of Michigan’s biggest 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. Prior to joining Avalon Chris was a senior partner with Dickinson Wright PLLC one of the Midwest’s oldest law firms. He also passed the Certified Public Accounting examination and worked at PriceWaterhouse Coopers.
Chris currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee and is the Finance Subcommittee Chair of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. He chairs the Executive Committee of TechTown (the Detroit high tech accelerator) and the Investment Committee of the First Step Fund and is past Chairman of the State of Michigan’s advanced energy accelerator NextEnergy. Chris also serves on the Steering Committee of the New Economy Initiative the Advisory Board of the Detroit Medical Center the National Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer and the board of U of D Jesuit High School and several venture capital funds. In 2010 Chris was named by Crain's Detroit Business magazine as one of its Newsmakers of the Year for his leadership role in the advancement of venture capital and entrepreneurship in Michigan.

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