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Jon Zemke
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The risks to startup culture are a two-way street. Not only must you convince investors to make a calculated leap of faith, you also need talent that's willing to commit sweat equity to an uncertain future. The Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship Program is looking to make the second half of that equation a little easier while applying a slow-food strategy toward fostering local entrepreneurship.
Patrick Dunn
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Anna Bagozzi wants to do more than just sell fashion, she wants to create a fashion-minded community. If her early successes with leveraging Facebook and other social media for Tribehaus, her online store, are any indication, she may be onto something big.
Patrick Dunn
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
In the world of computer data hosting redundancy is a way of life. Ann Arbor's Online Tech has taken that philosophy to a new level, putting in place two CEOs. But far from duplicating each other's efforts, the dual company leaders have found that they complement and strengthen each other's talents.
Constance Crump
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Rumors of the printed word's demise have been greatly exaggerated. While it's true that digital publishing grows every year, books and those who sell them will be with us for a very long time. Enter Above The Treeline. Offering a wide range of online catalog services the Ann Arbor-based company has found an important and profitable bookselling niche.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Rumor has it that Ann Arbor is ripe with small business job growth. But who's been growing and why? Jon Zemke, Concentrate's Innovation And Jobs News Editor, reflects on 2012's third quarter and which sectors were doing their part to reduce unemployment. (Hint: Techies rule!).
Richard Retyi
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
In an age of corporate big box shopping and free-shipping, tax-dodging Internet sales, cash mobs are using tweets and Facebook posts to support local retail. This local first flash mob movement is gaining momentum across the country with Ann Arbor and Detroit joining 200 other groups to participate in the first ever International Cash Mob Day on March 24th. Will you be there?
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
It's been said that the candle that burns at both ends shines twice as brightly. There's little doubt that entrepreneur Vince Chmielewski embodies the spirit of that saying. Working a full time job at U-M and running a successful web design firm on the side (not to mention growing family duties), you can't help but wonder when he sleeps.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Ann Arbor-based ForeSee Results has seen growth every quarter of its existence. That's a pretty impressive track record for this U-M spin out. CEO and co-founder Larry Freed talks about his home grown approach to hiring, our area's startup climate, and what we need to keep and attract more young talent.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
The mantra for many an entrepreneur is: Where there's a need, there's a dollar to be made. So, what do you get when twenty five thousand cars are looking for a parking space at the same time? A business opportunity. Concentrate's Jon Zemke chats with Taylor Bond, co-founder of the game day parking finder ParknParty.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Vaughan Taylor wants to establish Motown 2.0, an interface of music and social media that changes the business landscape for musicians. And he wants to do it in Ann Arbor. Jon Zemke talks promotion, hip-hop, and Michigan's start-up culture with the rapper/entrepreneur.
Jeff Meyers
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Sometimes great things come in small packages. Or so the saying goes. For Beth Tanenhaus Winsten it's more than just a saying, however, it's the foundation of her business. Her Ann Arbor-based tinyBigPictureshow sees the web as an exciting medium for visual storytelling, and she's starting to win over clients with her less-is-more approach.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
By some accounts Brian Cook is running the largest independent team-specific sports blog in the U.S. MGoBlog pulls in 200K readers per month, a passionate community of fans, and the kind of demographics that make advertiser's mouths water. So, how does the site's iconoclastic voice and style fit in today's media landscape, and what are its implications for the future?
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Every day more and more data is being stored in the cloud. But what does that mean for our local economy? Yan Ness, CEO of Online Tech, answers questions about what's next for his industry, what would bring more start-ups to Ann Arbor, and why he opposes policies that rely on economic incentives. Oh, and his advice for naming your next company? Stick to two syllables.
Richard Retyi
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
It's not all about angel investing and venture capital at Concentrate. Some times you've got to focus on the little guy or gal. Which is what Kickstarter does, helping innovative ideas and people to find investment. From food to photography to music and movies, folks in Ann Arbor and Ypsi have used the crowd-sourcing financial service to get their pet projects off the ground.
Jeff Meyers
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The computer gaming industry rakes in nearly $9 billion each year. Michigan has only a very small sliver of that pie, and part of that sliver is Quantum Signal in Saline. Concentrate chats with Matt Toschlog, who heads up the company's simulation and gaming division. He weighs in on the state of the industry in Michigan, our film and video game incentive program, and the strategic advantage of having dreadlocks.