As an educator and entrepreneur, Ryan Gourley is passionate about the development of people, ideas, and innovations. He is director of TechArb, the University of Michigan's student venture accelerator, which offers invaluable perks to early stage ventures, such as pairings with expert mentors, tailored programming, material support, dedicated workspace, and ­– perhaps most importantly – a community of like-minded, high-achieving peers.

Some of the accelerator’s recent graduates include Cheruvu, which employs data science to improve the profitability, sustainability, and resilience of small farmers in developing countries; Find Your Ditto, a mobile platform that connects individuals living with the same chronic illness for peer support; and Sage & Grace, an online resource that educates and empowers grieving families to better and more affordably navigate the funeral planning process.

Gourley is committed to supporting mission-driven organizations through his work at TechArb, a mission rooted in his experience as a SEAS student. “At SEAS, I learned a great deal about both the impacts and drivers of human behavior with regards to sustainability. Three simple, but important lessons stand out above the rest,” Gourley said. “One: The sustainability challenges we face are a result of collective human activity; more specifically, the modern industrialization of that activity. Two: Addressing the challenges before us requires collective action. And three: Collective action requires strong leadership.

“I carry these lessons through all the work I do. At Michigan, that means encouraging student-entrepreneurs to see their ventures as vehicles for collective action, and themselves as leaders-in-the-making. They are not just building products and services, but tools for societal change. They are not just building companies; they are also building communities. As founders of nascent ventures, they are creating new ways for large groups of people to think and act in the world. “As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. I make it a large part of my work to ensure the future industry leaders that are coming out of TechArb understand that responsibility, building toward a just and sustainable world.”