Volunteers + Persistence + Sunlight = Energy Independence. In five short years Solar Ypsi has gone from a cool idea to an inspiring bit of reality. With panels mounted on Ypsi's City Hall, the local Food Co-op and its River Street Bakery, this dedicated group is teaching others about the benefits of solar energy.
Akasha Crystals is starting to fill out its new office space in downtown Ann Arbor, hiring four people so far this year. That rounds out its current staff to 21 people."Our intention is to double our workforce in the next five years," says Adam Kasha, president and founder of Akasha Crystals. "We have the space to do it."The company now occupies the entire third floor of the 101 N Main St building at the northwest corner of Huron and Main. That has allowed it to unify its three showrooms into one place and provide some elbow room for its employees.The company has also experienced quite a bit of revenue growth in recent years, recording double-digit revenue growth in each of its last 10 years. Last year's revenue was up 31 percent and this year's revenue is forecasted to increase 20-35 percent.The company sells decorative glass and stone products to the likes of Target and Pier 1 Imports. It got its start in 1988 when Kasha, then a University of Michigan student, started selling his wares thanks to a $5,000 loan from his parents. Today it has revenues in excess of $20 million.Source: Adam Kasha, president and founder of Akasha CrystalsWriter: Jon Zemke
The Women's Exchange of Washtenaw has a few big plans for Michigan, and even more for helping women expand their business influence in Washtenaw County.Information on all of those can be had at the WXW Forum 10 at Kensington Court (610 Hilton Blvd in Ann Arbor) on May 21. The all-day event will feature regional speakers, workshops, breakout sessions and networking activities to engage the business community and work through the common issues women business leaders face in their efforts to grow and improve their companies. The event costs $95. For information, click here.WXW co-founders Debra Power and Carrie Hensel are looking to pull off this forum and then expand the organization into other nearby markets. In the meantime they both agreed to answer questions over email with Concentrate's Jon Zemke.Could you sum up what participants of the WXW 10 Forum can expect to take away from the event and how that could impact the local economy?Debra Power: Participating in the WXWForum10 is a unique experience. We have combined all of the mainstays of WXW events—networking, workshops, panels, and exchange sessions—into one day. Attendees will walk away having made new contacts and connections to help them grow their business. Participants have an opportunity to choose two interactive workshop sessions that come with takeaway workbooks. Our panel of women business leaders will inspire the attendees to reach new heights as they grow both their companies and their personal skill set. Our panelists are always willing to share war stories with the crowd and answer any and all questions. When you walk away from the WXWForum10 you'll realize that other business leaders share the same struggles as you, and you'll be inspired to take on bigger and better things. We know that WXW has already impacted the local economy by creating jobs, finding employment for our attendees, and encouraging women to strike out on their own.Carrie Hensel: Participants at the forum are going to experience 10 hours of hands-on learning amongst a huge group of experienced business women. This is our third day-long forum, and each year I feel like the format gets better and better. Specifically, we've figured out some great ways to really connect participants, help them get involved, and give them a space to openly discuss their businesses, careers, and lives. Our workshops are really interactive; and this year attendees will get to attend 2 workshops at 2 hours a piece. Workshop facilitators are experts from around the region who understand business theories and have actually lived through all types of business situations (i.e. sales, negotiation, hiring, firing, keeping customers happy, etc). During the panel discussion, attendees will hear from some of the Michigan's top women business leaders who've promised to "keep it real" about all of their successes, mistakes, and memorable stories. Our break out sessions will give folks another opportunity to connect on shared issues and topics. And of course the happy hour will top off the day and give us all some time to wind down and have fun.When our local business people get smarter about how they run their companies, attract and keep the right employees, and give back to their communities, that has a direct impact on the local economy. Last year attendees told us they went back to the office on Monday feeling like they could take on those big issues that had been perplexing them for months. They said the WXW event helped them connect with smart women, talk about meaningful topics that aren't often discussed in business settings, and work through tricky issues or situations that had been hanging them up or preventing them from becoming better leaders. Our attendees also told us they made connections at the WXW forum that led to direct sales, referrals, media connections, and improvements in their companies.One of the workshops at this women's-oriented event is called "Sell Like a Girl!" Could you explain what that means and what you hope to convey with that workshop?Carrie Hensel: If you ask many business people what they fear most, they'll usually say "public speaking" and "sales." The "Sell Like a Girl" Workshop will help participants get over their our mind trash about sales, and learn to embrace the fact that sales are the key to successful companies AND that they already have many skills that will help them in the sales process. The workshop will help attendees learn that you don't have to be a power seller with a smooth pitch and a quick answer for everything. Often we have inherent skills that help us bond with prospective clients, ask good questions, listen intently, and ultimately determine if a business deal is likely.Stereotypically business was seen as the domain of men. That perception has been changing in recent years, especially in cities like Ann Arbor. How far has Washtenaw County come in regard to doing away with this stereotype, and how much further does it have to go?Debra Power: I think Washtenaw County is a great example of how women have taken leadership roles in business and the community. I can run down a list of the local businesses and nonprofits that are owned or run by women, but at the same time there's room for many more. I think over the past few years what we've seen is more and more women taking the leap to start their own business. Those start-ups will grow and I predict an exponential growth in women-owned businesses in this region. That's one reason we created WXW, to facilitate that growth. I've had several people approach me and say "thank you" for giving them the nudge out of the nest.Carrie Hensel: I've been running a small company in Washtenaw County for nine years, and I think we have an increasingly good business climate for both men and women. But I might be looking at the world through my own rose-colored glasses, since I'm the boss at my company and our internal climate is my own making. Outside of my company, I have friends who work for some of the more stereotypically "male" or "old school" firms, and they say that while we've come a long way, it's still rare that women are partners in law or accounting firms, CEOs of companies, or leaders of organizations that aren't nonprofits. I feel like women are making big strides. We just need to continue demonstrating our ability to lead, serving on boards of directors, and improving our communities. The more we prove ourselves, the more undeniable our power will be.Name one no-brainer change you would like to see this region or state enact to help make it friendlier to the entrepreneur?Debra Power: The biggest challenges to the entrepreneurs I work with is access to capital. I think if we could attract a wider range of investment options to the state (whether it's via venture capital or simply more creative financing options) we would retain more entrepreneurs. If we could replicate the Ann Arbor SPARK Business Accelerator model across the state we'd be in pretty good shape. The key is to provide the resources, and then keep that talent here.Carrie Hensel: I'm not sure there's a "no-brainer" change I could suggest. Most changes would require a bit of braininess. Current and upcoming leaders will have to consider things like affordability, tax incentives, lower property and sales taxes, fun communities, and ways to recruit and retain individuals, companies, entrepreneurs and investors. Name an idea, policy or mindset from elsewhere that you would like to see this region adopt?Debra Power: One initiative I really like is London's Business Link clearinghouse. It's a comprehensive resource for businesses including information on starting your business, financing, taxes, growth, etc. It's a one-stop shop that I think we could use as a model for Michigan. If we want business to thrive we've got to provide the resources at everyone's fingertips.Carrie Hensel: New Michigan Mindset (based on benchmarking other hot spots like Boston, Portland, and the Research Triangle) - We are awesome because of our diversity. Let's present ourselves as an ever growing cluster of smart companies (small and large) who easily work together and work with the world. Let's retain talent by giving them many companies to choose from as they climb the career ladder. Source: Debra Power and Carrie Hensel, co-founders of Women's Exchange WashtenawWriter: Jon Zemke
Every entrepreneur wants their start-up to become the next big thing. PitchCorner.com wants to become the place where the next big thing, and a lot of smaller ones, are found.The Ann Arbor-based website provides a space for entrepreneurs to post a video of their elevator pitch, a short speech meant to capture the interest of an investor or customer. The idea is to help them fine tune their pitches and give investors a clearing house to see what is out there."You learn so much by seeing somebody or hearing their conviction," says Rick Galdi, co-founder of PitchMedia, which owns Pitchcorner.com. "You get much more from it than what you would learn by reading a piece of paper."Galdi would know. He is one of Michigan's most prominent angel investors and president of the Great Lakes Angels. He and Mike Brennan decided to make a go of it with PitchCorner.com last year. It has since debuted at the 10th Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship in Ann Arbor in January."Being able to pitch the company is something any entrepreneur should be able to do," Galdi says. "If you're not ready to do it in person or on camera then you're probably not ready."The four-person start-up lets anyone surf the site. Those who want to post their pitches can do so for a $9.95 month fee. That will also allow them to post their logo and an executive summary of their business or product. The idea is to offer a cost-effective resource for start-ups where every dollar not only counts but needs to be stretched."It's gaining momentum slowly," Galdi says. "I didn't expect it to explode overnight because it's such a new idea. I had to temper my expectations a bit."Source: Rick Galdi, co-founder of PitchCorner.comWriter: Jon Zemke
Meet the Kobo, the latest electronic book reader, the new flagship product from Borders and, if the chatter is to be believed, a Kindle Killer. Those aren't our words or from public relations personnel at the Ann Arbor-based book seller. That's how "Wired" magazine described the new gizmo because of its features and low price."Kobo is so far the best and most comprehensive service we have used to buy and read books, especially for non-U.S. residents," the "Wired" review states. "It is still flawed, and it is a royal pain that Kindle won't support EPUB books. But with its platform-agnostic approach, huge catalog and new heavyweight partners, we expect to see Kobo grow fast."The Kindle is seen as the benchmark for the emerging electronic publishing market, but that might change because of the Kobo. The eReading device offers a stylized, easy-to-use, eInk based reader. It also comes preloaded with 100 classic books.It sells books through the upcoming Borders eBook store, which will feature over a million titles. It will also come with free Borders smart phone applications available for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android, as well as the iPad and all PCs. This across the board flexibility is seen as one of Kobo's biggest attributes in a market where a dominant leader has been far from defined, unlike what Apple has done to music with the iPod."We wanted to make sure we emerged with a technology agnostic eReader with a rich amount of content," says Mary Davis, spokeswoman for Borders. She adds that Borders will offer the Kobo and 4-10 other eReaders at many of its retail locations.This latest initiative comes at a critical time for Borders, which has been fighting to stay relevant in an industry that is being upended by the Internet and other technological advances. Becoming a leader in the eBook market would allow Borders to reassert itself as one the primary leaders in the literary sales world.Source: Mary Davis, spokeswoman for BordersWriter: Jon Zemke
The University of Michigan and Ford have come up with a new way to help streamline the commute by combining some of the biggest buzzwords in the tech world – cloud computing, GPS and social media.Students at U-M taking a "Cloud Computing in the Commute" course developed a set of applications that combine social networks, GPS location awareness, and real-time vehicle data. The idea is to help commuters get from Point A to Point B in the most efficient way possible. "It allows people who are going to a common destination keep track of each other," says Jason Flinn, associate professor of Computer Science & Engineering for the University of Michigan. Ford Research & Advanced Engineering helped organize the course as part of American Journey 2.0 initiative, a joint research project where students could help mold the future of the in-car experience. The winning application, Caravan Track, runs on a Windows 7 PC in a Ford Fiesta research vehicle that will make a socially networked road trip from the university to Maker Faire, the world's largest do-it-yourself ideas festival in Silicon Valley, later this month.The students built the applications based on access to Ford's developmental operating system. They harnessed the power of social networks and accessed to vehicle performance data, networking services, voice recognition, social networking tools and other data. Think: taking a lot of information from lots of different sources to come up with one steady stream of knowledge that helps commuters avoid things like construction or accidents. "This is really an exploratory class," Flinn says. "The Ford folks gave us a really interesting sand box to play in." Source: Jason Flinn, associate professor of Computer Science & Engineering for the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke
Ann Arbor is centralizing its film-attraction efforts a little with the creation of the Ann Arbor Area Film Office.The new organization, part of the Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, will serve as a sort of clearing house for filmmakers interested in shooting in Ann Arbor. The idea is to streamline the film-making process while showcases Ann Arbor's attributes."We are promoting the area as a desirable place to film a movie," says Kay Seaser, director of the Ann Arbor Film Office. "We are also promoting the area as a place to set up production companies while they're in Michigan."Today the office is one person large, consisting of Seaser who has been doing this work ever since Michigan reformed its film tax credit policy. Besides advocating for Ann Arbor she has helped visiting filmmakers find housing for their crews and recommend local businesses to help them with their shoots."There are a lot of services they need," Seaser says.The website for the film office highlights the movies that have been shot here, such as "Youth in Revolt" and "Whip It!" It also offers suggestions on some of the area's landmark areas that are available for filming.Source: Kay Seaser, director of the Ann Arbor Film OfficeWriter: Jon Zemke
Growing Hope is spreading new volunteer seeds across Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County. It's a practice that has helped the non-profit grow exponentially over the last few years.Excerpt:Members of the community ready to put their spare time to good use met at the Growing Hope office to attend volunteer orientation Tuesday.The meeting that lasted a little more than an hour began at 1 p.m., focusing on the upcoming events that Growing Hope is gearing up for. Growing Hope, which fosters learning, improves nutrition, encourages self-reliance, and promotes positive community futures, is set to hold the two main events which are high priority for the non-profit organization.Read the rest of the story here.
Domino's is making waves again, but this time it for its new pizza and its new profits that are rolling into the company based out of Domino's Farms.Excerpt:In the first three months of this year, Ann Arbor-based Domino's Pizza posted its largest quarterly same-store U.S. sales growth since 2004, thanks to its revamped line of pizzas."Our 'New and Inspired Pizza' has been a home run," CEO J. Patrick Doyle told analysts Tuesday. "We have revitalized the pizza category."Read the rest of the story here.
People who live in Ann Arbor will often sings its praises for its high quality of life and overall livability. Now the rest of the world knows about these things, too, after Forbes listed Tree Town as one of the most livable cities in the country. Read more about it here.
Our Partners
Common Ground Is Brewing
Support local stories and receive our signature roast straight to your door when you join at the Standard level (or above).
Drink Better, Read Local
