Michigan Capital Available
Next Tuesday we are updating everyone on all the state funded programs that can put cash in the bank account of start-ups and early stage companies. Andy McColm at U of M Office of Tech Transfer, Ned Staebler from the MEDC and Iwill explain the ins and outs of the many programs available. We will explain the qualifications for eligibility and processes to apply. The program will be streamed on the web live for those who cannot attend. Go to http://www.annarborusa.org/start-ups/pre-seed-fund/live/ to watch the presentation. You will also be able to ask questions from this site. A few days after the presentation ...
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 an endocrinologist-to-go, called Private-Doc, a glucose meter with unique software that interprets a patient’s blood sugar data. This allows the patient to change insulin dosages right away rather than waiting to be assessed by a physician. By managing their own dosage changes with Private-Doc, diabetics can consistently maintain control of their blood-sugar levels, a key to optimal diabetic care. Dr. Eran Bashan was studying electrical engineering when he partnered and co-founded Hygieia with Dr. Israel Hodish, an Endocrinologist and ...
Open Source Economic Development and Statewide Cooperation
At Ann Arbor SPARK, our immediate goal is to promote economic development in the Ann Arbor region. But our larger focus is ensuring long-term growth and viability for the entire state of Michigan — something that can best be achieved through a process we call Open Source Economic Development. We don't view any place in the state of Michigan as competition to us. We view the rest of the state as partners. If there are things that we can do or things that we're doing that will allow the rest of the state to improve at a more rapid pace, we ...
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 ...
“Open Source” Economic Development
Economic development in Michigan should take a page from the playbook of the ever-evolving software industry. Its “open source” philosophy – the source code that drives development should be open and available to all – is a model that can propel Michigan’s success in growing, retaining, and attracting business. [caption id="attachment_146" align="alignright" width="120" caption="Michael Finney, SPARK President & CEO"][/caption] Ann Arbor SPARK has taken steps to pilot this approach to economic development by designing initiatives and committing resources that are meant to be openly available and shared statewide. These resources include business incubation, talent enhancement, pre-seed funding, and cross-region assistance with development ...
Ann Arbor USA Posts
Conserving energy isn’t just about using different light bulbs. There are vast policy changes that are reshaping the landscape...
“Keys to Success” to be presented at EMU’s Sesi Entrepreneurship ConferenceLocal entrepreneurs will share their success with aspiring entrepreneurs as the Eastern Michigan University College of Business...
WhereToFindCare.com Wins ACE Business Idea Tweet CompetitionWhereToFindCare.com recently won the Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship (ACE)’s newest business idea competition. The...
SPARK’s Jennifer Owens Testifies to Commerce DepartmentWHO: Jennifer Owens, Ann Arbor SPARK’s vice president, business development WHERE: United States House of Representatives Commerce...
Four Michigan Companies Receive Combined Total of $170,000Four companies recently received a combined total of $170,000 in funding from the Michigan Microloan Fund Program. CTC Holdings,...
RealKidz Awarded Eastern Washtenaw Microloan FundingRealKidz, a clothing company aimed at above-average and average-sized girls, was recently awarded a loan from the Eastern Washtenaw...
PBS NewsHour: In Ann Arbor, Michigan Finds Its Life PreserverPBS NewsHour features Ann Arbor Michigan as “a city with a vibrant downtown, a cutting-edge information technology incubator,...
Area News
When it comes to getting around downtown,
Ann Arbor’s Downtown Development Authority is finishing off one project
and beginning another.
The DDA has installed almost all of the
components of its $XX way-finding program. The signs are currently up
and installed. The last thing the DDA needs to do is clean up the map
stations and install the actual “You Are Here” maps throughout
downtown. That is expected to be done this month.
Downtown
parking issues will now be moving to the front burner. The DDA is in
the midst of conducting a downtown parking study at the request of city
officials. It is expected to report on its finding in April and serve
as a basis for future parking planning.
“It’s great to see how
the pieces of the puzzle are coming together to create a healthy and
strong downtown,” says Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann
Arbor Downtown Development Authority.
Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
News from Concentrate
More Area News
- Ann Arbor gears up for Fuller Station work this year
- New Ann Arbor B&B plans to rebuild historic house
- The pros and cons of a hotel in downtown Ann Arbor
- City considers pedestrian bridge design for Ann Arbor-Saline Rd
- City considers pedestrian bridge design for Ann Arbor-Saline Rd
- Ann Arbor DDA moves forward on way finding, parking
- Ann Arbor gears up for Fuller Station work this year
- New Ann Arbor B&B plans to rebuild historic house
- The pros and cons of a hotel in downtown Ann Arbor
- AATA prepares for busy year in mass transit
-
SPARK in the News- WWJ Newsradio 950 - The Daily J - February 8, 2010 - AM Edition February 8, 2010
- WWJ Newsradio 950 - Ann Arbor Spark's 2009: $147 Million Invested, 3,200 Jobs February 7, 2010
- /C O R R E C T I O N -- DTE Energy/ February 6, 2010
- Ann Arbor SPARK Announces 2009 Results February 6, 2010
- New iPad may fuel 'gold rush' for app makers: Buzz called akin to iPhone's debut February 6, 2010
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twitter updates- AnnArborUSA: Great article in Free Press about MMI, a Saline company that's manufacturing, growing. http://bit.ly/cCpPIw
- AnnArborUSA: @MichPositive Thanks for the RT!
- AnnArborUSA: @JoeBorgstrom Not deliberate at all. Although, since we're home to U-M, we've got a strong implied Mich connection already in our brand.
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