Prepared for the Center for Entrepreneurship

Replace passive digests with active connections.

A tailored proposal for how Nunchi can power CFE's alumni engagement, mentor matching, and cross-campus entrepreneurship network — starting Fall 2026.

Prepared for Kurt Skifstad & Eric Bacyinski  |  March 2026

The Challenge

We heard you.

From our conversation in January, three themes were clear:

Hivebrite has been just a disappointment in a lot of ways. We're handicapped by so many elements of it.

Eric Bacyinski

Members passively consume the weekly digest instead of actively connecting. The platform delivers content, not connections.

We don't know who we don't know. All the various systems, our databases are incomplete.

Kurt Skifstad

Alumni and student data is siloed across Zoho, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, spreadsheets, and Hivebrite — none of which talk to each other.

How do you solve the 'yet another place to log in' problem?

Kurt Skifstad

Every new platform adds login fatigue. Alumni won't create another account. The tool has to meet people where they already are.

⚠ With Hivebrite today

  • Users scroll a weekly digest — no active connections
  • No access to backend analytics or engagement data
  • GDPR restrictions block data-driven program decisions
  • Mentor-student matching requires manual effort
  • Alumni drop off after graduation — no re-engagement

✨ With Nunchi

  • AI makes introductions automatically — real connections
  • Full engagement analytics and connection data
  • Your data, your access — no black box
  • Smart matching by skills, interests, and context
  • Email-first: alumni get intros in their inbox, magic link to act
The Solution

Three things Hivebrite can't do.

Nunchi was built specifically to solve the engagement problem that community platforms ignore.

Email-First Engagement

Personalized introductions and recommendations land directly in alumni inboxes. A magic link takes them straight into Nunchi to act — no passwords to remember, no accounts to create. Minimal friction, maximum engagement.

★

Community Agent

The first AI agent that handles introductions, cohort management, and finding and posting relevant community resources on autopilot. It's the "another me" that Eric described — without adding headcount.

☷

Full Data & Analytics

Complete access to engagement metrics, connection patterns, and alumni activity. No GDPR-restricted black box. Make real decisions with real data about your community.

The key difference: Hivebrite is a directory people visit. Nunchi is an engine that actively works for you — enriching profiles from LinkedIn, making intelligent introductions, and driving engagement without requiring anyone to "check the platform."
The Opportunity

You're not starting from zero at Michigan.

Two other U-M entrepreneurship programs are already on Nunchi — and they want to collaborate.

Ross Impact Studio
Business & Impact Studio
Live on Nunchi
optiMize
Optimize (LSA)
May 2026
CFE
Center for Entrepreneurship
This proposal
optimize
UMich Impact Studio
Center for Entrepreneurship
Center for Entrepreneurship (24)
KS
MJ
AD
TB
LC
RP
Switch between U-M hubs instantly
✓ Cross-network discovery — CFE students find mentors from Ross. Optimize alumni connect with CFE founders. Like switching workspaces in Slack.
✓ Shared mentor pool — A Ross BCG consultant can mentor an Optimize fellow and speak at a CFE event — all from one profile.
✓ Bigger network = better impact — More members means more relevant connections for CFE students, stronger mentor matches, and higher engagement across your programs.
✓ Institutional story — A unified U-M innovation network spanning colleges isn't just a tool — it's a differentiator for recruiting and fundraising.
Eric said it himself: adopting Nunchi at CFE "could help to start to really drive our syncing with the college." Kurt agreed that a multi-department hub spanning "ZLI, CFE, Optimize, OIP" has real feasibility. This is that path.
Capabilities

What CFE gets on day one.

Every feature maps directly to a need you've expressed.

Mentor-Mentee Matching
AI-Powered Smart Matching
Context-aware recommendations based on skills, industry, goals, and stage. The agent suggests matches and facilitates warm introductions automatically.
Alumni Activation
LinkedIn Enrichment + Email Outreach
Import alumni from any source. Nunchi enriches profiles from LinkedIn — skills, experience, interests — then re-engages them via personalized email with magic links to take action.
Events & Bulletin Board
AI-Personalized Content Feed
Post jobs, events, articles, and resources. Nunchi personalizes what each member sees based on their profile and engagement — replacing the generic Hivebrite digest.
Data & Analytics
Full Engagement Dashboard
See who's connecting, which introductions convert, what content resonates, and where engagement drops off. Data you can act on — not locked behind GDPR.
"Another Place to Log In"
Email-First + Magic Links
Alumni receive personalized digests, introduction requests, and event invites directly in email. Magic links take them straight to the action in Nunchi — no passwords, no friction.
Cross-Campus Networking
Multi-Hub Architecture
Each program runs its own hub. Members can explore other hubs they're invited to — like switching Slack workspaces. Admins control what's shared and what stays private.
Data & Insights

The data Hivebrite never gave you.

Nunchi surfaces real-time intelligence about your community — who's connecting, what they need, and where the opportunities are.

What members are looking for

Activity Log

All Dates All User Types All Activity Types
DateUserActivity TypeDescription
Mar 10, 2026
02:41 pm		Maya TorresConnection MadeMaya Torres connected with Liam Foster
Mar 10, 2026
11:18 am		Aiden ParkSearchedAiden Park searched for "climate tech founders"
Mar 09, 2026
04:52 pm		Nora KesslerNew UserNora Kessler has joined!
Mar 09, 2026
09:30 am		Liam FosterUpdate ProfileLiam Foster updated their Company, Industry, Skills
Mar 08, 2026
03:15 pm		Zara WhitfieldGroup JoinedZara Whitfield joined Women in Product
Mar 08, 2026
10:07 am		Marcus EllisonIntroduction SentMarcus Ellison introduced Aiden Park and Nora Kessler
Mar 07, 2026
05:05 pm		Maya TorresCreate ProfilesMaya Torres created 12 profiles
Mar 07, 2026
01:22 pm		Aiden ParkEvent RSVPAiden Park registered for Spring Founders Mixer
Implementation

Ready before Hivebrite expires.

A three-phase rollout timed to your contract cycle and the academic calendar.

Phase 1  |  Summer 2026
Setup & Data Migration
Import all CFE network data from Hivebrite, Zoho, and spreadsheets. Enrich profiles from LinkedIn and other public data sources. Configure the CFE hub — sections, permissions, branding.
Data import Data enrichment Hub configuration
Phase 2  |  August 2026
Soft Launch
Launch with the email-first approach. Onboard the Michigan Innovation Reunion group (~150 people) as an early proving ground. Alumni receive personalized introduction emails with magic links to take action inside Nunchi. Connect to the existing Ross B+I and Optimize hubs for cross-network discovery.
Email campaigns MIR pilot group Cross-hub linking Admin training
Phase 3  |  Fall 2026 Onward
Full Deployment & Growth
Replace Hivebrite entirely. Scale to the full CFE community — students, alumni, mentors, partners. The agent handles ongoing introductions, re-engagement, and event promotion. Cross-network effects with Optimize and Ross B+I compound over time.
Hivebrite sunset Full community Agent activation Bulletin board Analytics review
Everything Included
Data Enrichment Dedicated Support & Setup Community Agent Relational Intelligence & Matchmaking Unlimited Users Unlimited AI
Year 1 Cost $24,000 $18,000 / year

Let's make this real.

The timing is right — Hivebrite expires this fall, Optimize is launching on Nunchi this summer, and the cross-campus vision you described is within reach.

Schedule a Walkthrough See Nunchi In Action →

Trista Van Tine  |  trista@heynunchi.com
Nunchi — Relationship intelligence for communities that matter.

© 2026 Nunchi. Confidential — prepared exclusively for the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan.