Patricia Glaza

Patricia Glaza is a Senior Vice President of Invest Detroit, and the Managing Director of Invest Detroit Ventures. Ms. Glaza joined Invest Detroit in 2014 with more than 20 years of experience in the development, implementation and commercialization of advanced technologies. She manages Invest Detroit's early-stage venture funds investing in technology start-ups. These funds are part of the organization's investment platform accelerating business expansion in the Midwest.

Ms. Glaza’s responsibilities include: sourcing and facilitating the development of early-stage and high-growth companies by providing guidance and investment capital. She promotes and engages in outreach activities supported by a diverse network of experienced entrepreneurs to support inclusion efforts to help ensure women and minority entrepreneurs are proactively mentored to build their high potential tech startups. 

Prior to joining Invest Detroit, Ms. Glaza was a Principal at Arsenal Venture Partners, Inc. where she was responsible for Arsenal’s Michigan and Hawaii venture activities, including deal sourcing and portfolio management. Ms. Glaza previously served as the Chief Executive Officer/ the Executive Director of the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI). Ms. Glaza helped build and execute the organization’s policy strategy, start-up programs, and corporate development activities. Working with the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, utilities, defense contractors and energy companies, CTSI developed energy challenges to identify pilot-ready technologies for commercial demonstration.  Ms. Glaza served as the CEO of a nanotechnology information services company, Small Times Media, as well as the head of business development and marketing for HealthMedia, a healthcare IT company later sold to Johnson & Johnson.  Ms. Glaza started her career at Accenture, last serving as a manager in the supply chain logistics group.

Ms. Glaza leverages her broad industry/government relationships and operational experience to serve as a resource to start-ups and the community. Her non-profit board roles include: Michigan Venture Capital Association, UM Advanced Transportation M-TRAC Oversight Committee, Next Energy, the Great Lakes Protection Fund, and GreenLight Detroit. In addition, she is a certified instructor for the National Science Foundation I-Corps for NSF, SBIR, & NIH programs, and facilitates women-based entrepreneurship training for Inforum.  She has a BA in International Relations & Economics from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI and a Masters of Business Administration from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.