Speaker Series: David Wasilewski

Speaker Series

David Wasilewski is a serial entrepreneur based in Grand Rapids who believes the best businesses are built by taking risks early, staying curious, and leaning on the community around you. Through Wasilewski Holdings, David has founded and grown a portfolio of companies spanning tech and healthcare, including Cognition Daily, a nonprofit brain-health platform offering free cognitive screening tools used by organizations like the American Paragons Foundation and USA Olympic athletes; Cloud Cards; DayDream Technologies; and PowerShade. His work has taken him from local pitch nights in Grand Rapids to policy conversations in Washington D.C., where he's advocated for small businesses on issues like age verification, data privacy, and healthcare innovation.

David brings to our speaker series a firsthand look at what it's really like to launch and run multiple ventures at once: the calculated risks, the constant learning curve, and the wins that come from getting involved in your local startup community. Having presented his own idea at a Start Garden 5x5 Night pitch at just seven years old, David is passionate about encouraging students and early-stage founders to take the leap, ask for help, and build confidently, even when the path isn't clear yet.