Michelle Tokarz | Co Owner

Dr. Michelle Tokarz brings something rare to early-stage deep tech: she has lived on every side of the table. As a scientist, a founder, a fractional C-suite executive, and a startup advisor, she understands not just why great technologies fail to reach the market — but precisely how to change that trajectory.

Michelle’s career began in the lab. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and dual Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from the University of Michigan, then applied that foundation in research and manufacturing roles at Merck and Eli Lilly. Her first startup was MetaGlass Coatings, a University of Michigan spinout built on her doctoral work in refractory bulk metallic glasses — a company that earned both Phase I and Phase II NSF STTR funding.

What followed was two decades of building, advising, and evaluating deep tech ventures across advanced materials, biotech, energy, and emerging technologies. She helped grow BDT LightSource/AGT from a startup to $7M in annual sales across four rounds of funding before its acquisition by Ushio America. She served as VP of Partnerships and Innovation at The Coretec Group, leading commercialization strategy for a publicly traded specialty materials company. As CEO of Interplay Bio, she guided LigandPro™ — a targeted protein degrader screening platform — through customer discovery, SBIR/STTR strategy, CRO partnerships, and early revenue development.

At Cantilever Business Partners, Michelle works with founders and investors to bridge the gap between scientific excellence and commercial traction. She has advised over 60 entrepreneurs on business model validation, investor readiness, and go-to-market strategy. She has participated in NSF I-Corps programs as both a team lead and mentor, served on multiple NSF SBIR review panels, and helped early-stage companies navigate the critical transition from research program to fundable company.

Her central insight, tested across dozens of ventures: strong science is necessary — but it is never sufficient. The companies that succeed are the ones that can show not just that something works, but that it matters to a real buyer.