*High Impact Venture Action Team
Matt Birbeck has been involved with the food and farming industry for 20 years working in various countries throughout the world including England, Africa and America. Much of that work has focused on production and supply chain management on the Los Angeles and Baltimore Produce Terminals dealing in organic fruits and vegetables distributed to retail stores throughout America. Combined with his management experience in running large agricultural companies Birbeck brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the MSU Product Center team.
Birbeck joined the Product Center in 2004 as Counselor Liaison and Project consultant helping clients with Marketing, Distribution and Supply Chain management issues. Birbeck has contributed to over 30 new Venture launces in Michigan and over 1000 hours of counseling, assisting new and existing entrepreneurs in strategic and business planning.
Doug Rothwell has worked as an executive in the public, private and non-profit sectors having worked for three state Governors and two Fortune 500 companies. As President & CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, a business roundtable of the state's top 75 CEOs, he has led efforts to make Michigan a top ten state for economic growth through state policy changes and privately-led economic development initiatives.
He is one of handful of state executives to be honored with the National Governors’ Association’s outstanding public service award and also received the President's Outstanding Public Service award from the University of Delaware. His leadership in economic policy and development has been recognized by being named Real Estate Innovator of the Year by CoreNet Global, CEO of the Year by Automation Alley, Michigan's Champion of Economic Education by the State's Economic Education Council and the Outstanding Regional Leader of the Year by the Engineering Society of Detroit.