Passionate about venture as the direct path to economic empowerment and improved communities.

Monica Wheat is a Strategist, Investor, Consultant, and Venture Developer.

Monica is currently the Managing Director of the Techstars Detroit Accelerator Powered by JP Morgan, part of a global seed-stage accelerator in 40+ cities worldwide. She previously served as a Techstars Startup Programs Lead for 10+ years leading programs globally and is the Founding Co-Director of Founders Boost, a global Pre-Accelerator and for Techstars program now live in 20 cities.

Monica is also the Founder and Executive Director of Venture Catalysts, a non-profit venture and ecosystem development group focused on investor/founder education and development, an innovation hub, and large-scale entrepreneurial initiatives for over 45,000 attendees. She served as a consultant for Backstage Capital, co-producing their multi-city live investment tour, and was the Detroit Managing Director of the Backstage Capital Accelerator, a 4-city global tech accelerator investing in scaling startups for underrepresented founders.

She is a global speaker, judge, and educator. Past clients have included Fortune 10 corporations, non-profits, school districts, tech accelerators, venture funds, and start-ups. She regularly speaks and consults at corporations & conferences on topics of emerging ecosystems, venture capital, digital innovation, and women in technology.