Chris Corbett
Hello! My name is Chris Corbett, and I live in Traverse City, Michigan. I was born and raised in Northern Michigan, where I graduated from a small-town high school with 25 students in my class. I started college locally at Northwestern Michigan College, completed my undergraduate degree through Ferris State University’s Traverse City campus, and later returned to school through the Online MBA program at Michigan Ross.
Before Ross, I spent several years in the marine industry, building my career in relationship-driven sales with a boat and yacht dealership in Northern Michigan. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for local businesses, owner-led companies, and the role strong businesses play in their communities.
Ross gave me the chance to explore a lot: entrepreneurship, investing, leadership, strategy, nonprofit work, and what it actually looks like to build or carry a business forward. During my time in the program, I was part of the Zell Entrepreneurs Program, served as a leader in the Ross ETA Club, helped plan the Ross ETA Conference, and worked on projects and internships across small business acquisitions, private equity, and operating environments.
Since graduating, I have started building New Shores Ventures, my personal search to acquire and personally operate one established Michigan business for the long term. My wife and I are proud to call Northern Michigan home, and I am excited to build this next chapter close to home.
Outside of work, I enjoy golf, pickleball, boating, spending time on the water, and life in Traverse City with my wife and our two dogs. I also stay involved in volunteer and community-focused work, including serving on the board of a nonprofit focused on education, volunteer placement, and community development in rural Malawi.
The Online MBA program was a meaningful chapter for me personally and professionally, and I loved serving as a student ambassador while I was in the program. Please reach out if I can be helpful as you think through Ross, the Online MBA experience, balancing school with life and work, entrepreneurship, career transitions, or building a path from Michigan. Go Blue!