Michigan Municipal League article about SPARK
In the current issue of the Michigan Municipal League magazine and e-newsletter there is an article about SPARK and our ‘open source economic development’ model. Check it out here. This issue is mostly about entrepreneurism in the state. It’s very encouraging. We’re in good company with communities all around the state. Included in the publication are articles about the new incubator in East Lansing and a new initiative... [Read More...]
Switchback Introduces New Web-based Membership Management System
Switchback, a web development firm specializing in open source content management (CMS) and client relationship management (CRM) systems, announces the release of their new web-based membership management system, Caravan™. The system was built on two open-source platforms, Drupal and CiviCRM, which were modified and extended to meet the unique needs of membership-driven, non-profit organizations. Continue reading about Switchback… Read More →
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... [Read More...]
“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. Michael Finney, SPARK President & CEO Ann Arbor SPARK has taken steps to pilot this approach to economic development by designing... [Read More...]
