We opened our doors in 2003 in the heart of Western Michigan University's Business Technology & Research Park, one of 20 Michigan SmartZones. Southwest Michigan enjoys a rich history of life science innovation, an array of scientific, technologic and business know-how, and an amazing quality of life.
Since our inception we, along with our client companies, have established a track record of positive impact in Southwest Michigan and elsewhere. Our achievements include:
- 2 incubation awards: Innovation of the Year and Graduate of the Year
- 365 companies served
- 572 jobs created by companies served with an average salary of $86,160
- $9.4 million in state funds awarded to companied served
- $45.9 million in federal SBIR/STTR funds awarded to companies served
- $168 million in total angel and VC funds invested in companies served
- 6,013 people attending various WMedIC events
- 207 patents applied for
- 115 patents issued
Our Team
Director, Innovation Center
Sandra A. Cochrane, MBA
Director of the Innovation Center
Sandra joined WMed in January 2017. In her role, Sandra coordinates and oversees all activities at the Innovation Center as well as the Office of Technology Development. Sandra boasts a 25-year track record of business incubation and technology startup commercialization for high-tech firms, and her work at WMed is focused on growing the Innovation Center into a hub for burgeoning life science, technology, and engineering companies. On any given day Sandra can be found leading a workshop, helping a client write a business plan, introducing CEOs to investors, collaborating with various entrepreneurship groups, or guiding tours through the Innovation Center. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and helping companies grow. Sandra served six years on the board of directors of the International Business Innovation Association and is the current president of the Michigan Business Innovation Association. Sandra and her family call Van Buren County home and she is a native of Ann Arbor. She is a graduate of Michigan State University where she earned a bachelor's degree in English Education and a master's degree in Business Administration.
Madelyn Pinder
Business Services Manager
Madelyn has been with the Innovation Center since 2004. As business services manager, she serves as the first point of contact for client company employees. Additionally, Madelyn manages the day-to-day business activities of the Innovation Center, receives guests and solicitors for client companies, and serves as the face of the facility for visitors, working to ensure that the Innovation Center is a positive experience for all. Madelyn previously served as Community and Investor Relations Specialist at Southwest Michigan First and participated in the planning and build-out of the Innovation Center. She also gained development experience at Kalamazoo College and as Program Manager for a private foundation.
Landon Grizzle
Scientific Equipment Coordinator
Landon joined the Innovation Center team in September 2023. His primary responsibility is to oversee all of the scientific equipment at the Center, keeping it in proper operating condition and recommending the addition of new equipment as needed. Prior to joining the Innovation Center, Landon was a Quality Operations Laboratory Technician at Pfizer. The knowledge of scientific equipment that he gained at Pfizer made him well-equipped to take on the role of Scientific Equipment Coordinator. Landon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from Western Michigan University in 2021.
Sarah Wooster
Accounting Specialist
Sarah joined the Innovation Center team in February of 2025. Sarah has shared job responsibilities between the Innovation Center receiving dock and the WMed Accounting Department. Sarah oversees all loading dock responsibilities which includes incoming and outgoing packages for the Innovation Center clients. She is responsible for ensuring that clients are notified of their incoming packages and ensures and catalogs the packages, as well as maintaining communication with the clients regarding the temperature sensitivity of the materials. Sarah divides her time between the loading dock and her WMed accounting duties, which include travel and expense reports. Sarah was previously employed with Single Source Procurement, a WMed client company, Stewart Sutherland and Adhesive Templates. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys cooking, baking, learning about food and spending time with her family.