Welcome to the SPARK East Open House
SPARK East is hosting its official open house. This business incubator blends affordable office space, essential business services and business development guidance to new businesses. SPARK East is the third business incubator in SPARK's Regional Incubator Network. Our other incubators include the Michigan Life Science Innovation Center north of downtown Ann Arbor and SPARK Center, located on Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor. Our press conference and ribbon cutting is scheduled to begin in just a few minutes. It's a packed house here – it's exciting to see so many people who are interested in business start-up and acceleration here in the region. Mike ...
Eastern Leaders group has ambitious plans for 2009
Hoping to build on the success of the Spark East business incubator, the Eastern Leaders group unveiled an ambitious plan Thursday for 2009 that includes training workers for new jobs, launching a micro-loan program and developing a land bank. Read the Ann Arbor News article
Boot Camp & ACE
As a long time Boot Camp drill instructor I have had the good fortune to work with a number of early stage companies that have gone on to commercialize their technologies. An important step in that path is often soliciting and securing funding for the new business. One of the critical lessons that Boot Camp teaches is distilling the important elements of your business into a concise two minute presentation or “elevator pitch”. Armed with this tool bootcampers are able to get potential investors attention and (hopefully) secure that important meeting. Here in South East Michigan, a premier forum for such activity ...
SPARK East Awarded $250,000 Grant
Washtenaw County, in partnership with Eastern Michigan University and Ann Arbor SPARK, has been selected by the Michigan Strategic Fund to receive an award of $250,000 in grant funding through MEDC and the state of Michigan. The grant will support SPARK East, the third business incubator in SPARK’s Regional Incubator Network; located at 215 W. Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, SPARK East offers affordable office space, and critical start-up services, to new businesses. Check out the good news: http://www.annarborspark.org/growth-expansion/news-of-note/Index.cfm?i=2958
Entrepreneur Boot Camp Reunion
We recently held our first Entrepreneur Boot Camp Reunion. It was primarily a networking event where sixty campers and mentors shared their experiences with entrepreneurship. We had representatives from some of the earliest camps going back to 2002. Based upon the feedback from this event, we decided that we should hold an annual reunion as the participants value the opportunity to continue to network with other campers and mentors. One of your suggestions was to profile a successful company. For our initial profile, we choose Polytorx and Luke Pinkerton. Polytorx is a maker of helix fibers that replace rebar in concrete. http://www.polytorx.com/ Luke was ...
Ann Arbor USA Posts
Unfortunately there is not much new, or anything you don’t already know, about how difficult it is for a start-up to raise...
Presentation on state incentives and capital programsOn July 14 we will be presenting a program on the many programs funded by the state that put cash in the bank accounts of start-ups...
MLSIC Incubator Company Profile: Milad Pharmaceutical Consulting, LLCMichigan Life Science and Innovation Center (MLSIC) — southeastern Michigan’s newest home for innovation-based business —...
Dexter Research & Axiobionics Expand in Ann Arbor, Create New JobsAxiobionics and Dexter Research are expanding in Ann Arbor with MEGA tax credits from the State of Michigan. approved today. Dexter...
SBIR TrainingHaving trouble raising money or finding investment? If you are a start-up it is very hard to find capital today. It’s...
Business Incubator Company Profile: Hygieia, Inc.Ann Arbor SPARK welcomes Hygieia, Inc. to SPARK Central, the Ann Arbor business incubator. Founded in 2008, Hygieia, Inc. is developing...
Three Ann Arbor Entrepreneurs Finalists for Ernst & Young AwardThree Ann Arbor entrepreneurs are Central Great Lakes region’s finalists for Ernst & Young’s annual Entrepreneur of...
View Tonight’s Marketing Roundtable Program LiveTonight’s program, Insight and Campaign Measurement (click on the link to view), will be the first to go live via web cast in...
Open Source Economic Development and Statewide CooperationAt Ann Arbor SPARK, our immediate goal is to promote economic development in the Ann Arbor region. But our larger focus is ensuring...
RealKidz CEO receives Pioneer Spirit AwardAnyone who knows Merrill Guerra is not surprised that she is the recipient of the 2009 Pioneering Spirit Award from the National...
Another Successful Boot CampThe most recent Entrepreneur Boot Camp concluded with presentations by several campers to three VC judges. A dozen start-up...
New Michigan Loan Program for ‘Nearly’ Bankable CompaniesThe MSF Board recently approved the Michigan Supplier Diversification Fund that targets Michigan suppliers that seek to diversify. ...
New Entrepreneur Education Series LaunchedAnn Arbor SPARK launches new entrepreneur education series. Entrepreneur 1.0 Funding and Entrepreneur 2.0 Management Team. Additional...
Area News
More rural land is about to come under
protection of Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt. The city is applying for federal
funding to purchase the development rights to properties in Webster,
Lodi and Northfield townships.
The five properties include 527
acres and will cost about $5 million. They include 64 acres in the
Webster United Church of Christ, 101 acres the Stephen, Frederick and
Christopher Girbach property in Lodi Township, 97 acres in the Honke
Family LLC parcel in Northfield Township and 265 acres of the William
C. and Cherie L. Nixon land in Webster Township.
The deal plans
to leverage millions in federal land preservation funds. The rest will
come from a combination of greenbelt and other local funds.
The Greenbelt Program provides funding to preserve and protect open space, natural habitats and farms in the
area by purchasing development rights. The city acquires these rights
from willing sellers who apply to participate in the program.
Source: Ginny Trocchio, spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor Greenbelt
Writer: Jon Zemke
News from Concentrate

