Stacey Feeley Named 20Fathoms Executive Director

20Fathoms announced local entrepreneur Stacey Feeley as its new executive director at a TCNewTech pitch event Tuesday afternoon. Feeley is best-known as the co-founder and CEO of GoSili, a recently-shuttered business that offered reusable silicone cups and straws as an “alternative to plastics in the kitchen.” She started the job at 20Fathoms last week, becoming the fifth executive director in the history of the business hub and incubator.

20Fathoms announced in January that Craig Wesley was resigning as executive director after just 14 months with the organization. Wesley succeeded Eric Roberts, who had held the position from 2021 until he retired in 2024. Other past executive directors include Andy Cole, who led 20Fathoms from its start in July 2018 until the end of 2019; and Lauren Bigelow, who was at the helm during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feeley says the timing of the 20Fathoms job opening proved just right for her career journey.

“I wasn't really seeking it out,” Feeley tells The Ticker in an exclusive first interview. “Back in January, we were in the process of winding down GoSili and selling off the assets, and one of my prior investment partners from way back was in town, and is very involved with 20Fathoms. I told her about winding down the company, and she said, ‘Oh, you should really check out 20Fathoms. They are going through some changes and have lots of fun, exciting things happening. You should reach out to the executive director and go have lunch with him.’”

Feeley took her friend’s advice, contacting Roberts – who had stepped back into the executive director role on an interim basis – and introducing herself.

“And the next thing I know, I was talking with him about the executive director role,” Feeley laughs.

Feeley’s background is unique from her predecessors, in that she actually built a business and navigated the ups and downs of growth, fundraising, and acquisition from right here in Traverse City. She hopes all that firsthand knowledge will come in handy as she leads 20Fathoms into its next chapter.

“I moved here from Los Angeles, and while it might have seemed like I had all these resources at my fingertips out there, it really was not very accessible,” Feeley says “Moving to Traverse City, I quickly realized that the community here was very much my own kind of incubator. I found investors, found manufacturing, found warehousing, found customers, found partners, and being able to do that here absolutely ties into what 20Fathoms is all about. I think the unique perspective that I can bring as a founder is valuable, because I’ve been there. I've heard 'No' 1,000 times over. I know what it's like to worry about payroll, find your next investor, find your next customer. And I think more importantly, I know what it’s like to bet everything on an idea, and then to have a community that really backs that.”

Feeley hopes to use her experience with GoSili as a springboard to “invite this next generation of founders to scale here, and to do it backed by a community that's got world-class mentors, investors, and research.” In particular, she says she’s excited about the new Freshwater Research and Innovation Center and its potential for “attracting new people, new scientists, and new industries.”

“I feel like TC is really on the cusp of innovation, and that’s pretty cool to see,” Feeley says.