Meet The Team

We’re not here to foster the latest tech titan or discover the newest billion dollar business. We’re here to support the local restaurants, contractors, salons, and other businesses that help to make our community great.

Desi is a Kalamazoo native with a deep love for her community and a knack for solving problems creatively. She founded Kalamazoo Start-Up Center in 2021 to help small business owners—especially those underserved by traditional systems—access the financial tools, training, and support they need to grow. Today, KSC supports entrepreneurs at all stages across Michigan, offering scalable services that meet real-world business needs.

Desi graduated Cum Laude from Western Michigan University, where she studied Social Psychology, Spanish, and Entrepreneurship. She’s a proud member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, two of the nation’s most prestigious and selective academic honor societies. Fewer than 1% of college seniors are invited to join both—an exceptionally rare distinction. She also received WMU’s 2018 Wendell Christoff Award for Entrepreneurship. Before launching KSC, Desi co-founded Cluventure Travel, an experiential travel company featured in National Geographic Traveler, The Travel Channel, Frommer’s, and even a textbook on logical creative thinking in commerce.

With nearly a decade of experience in bookkeeping and small business structure, Desi blends meticulous financial expertise with a big-picture commitment to equity and accessibility. Her clients appreciate her mix of warmth, precision, and nonjudgmental support—especially when navigating the messier parts of running a small business.

In 2026, Desi earned her IRS Enrolled Agent license. 

When she’s not refining budgets or mentoring founders, Desi is likely working on a jigsaw puzzle, competing in local pinball tournaments, or spending time with her wife and two adopted daughters.

Noah moved to Kalamazoo to study at Kalamazoo College, graduating in 2010. He holds degrees in Economics, Business, and History, with a specialization in Small City Microeconomics and Urban Development. Noah has nearly 10 years of experience managing over $40 million of inventory for a major corporation, and has even worked as a professional poker dealer. If there are numbers around, you can bet that Noah will count them. After working for large corporations for many years, Noah decided to switch gears in order to focus on helping small businesses succeed. Noah believes that small businesses are the heart and backbone of a community and brings a whole new level of energy and passion to the KSC team. His hobbies include pinball, poker, and watching too much Star Trek.

Alice is a Kalamazoo native with a penchant for problem-solving and an evergreen desire to learn and grow. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in mathematics and statistics and earned her place as a member of Pi Mu Epsilon, the U.S. national honorary mathematics society. Alice has a long-held interest in language and culture, which blossomed during her time living in Italy, where she not only learned to speak Italian fluently but also had the incredible opportunity to join a local band and play music for the pope! When she’s not at work, Alice can be found spoiling her cat, playing Dungeons & Dragons with her friends, solving sudoku puzzles, or collecting Lego minifigures. With a deep love for her community, Alice is eager to utilize her organizational skills and keen eye for detail to support the bookkeeping of local businesses through KSC.

Roo brings a diverse skill set to Kalamazoo Start-Up Center, blending technical precision with creativity. Having earned an undergraduate degree in classical languages, she began her bookkeeping journey at an architect’s office in 1996. Since then, she’s managed finances for a literacy nonprofit, a property-management firm, and several of her own small businesses. A lifelong learner and adventurer, Roo has traveled around the world, including seven years spent living in Japan, and has picked up multiple languages along the way. She landed in Kalamazoo in 2019, and in 2022 established Mitsubachi Dojo, where she teaches aikido, iaido (Japanese sword handling), and traditional tea ceremony. Roo brings a martial artist’s discipline and attention to detail into her work with clients. With empathy and firsthand knowledge of the bookkeeping and tax challenges faced by entrepreneurs, she empowers small-business owners to tackle their finances with confidence.