It's hard to be a vegetarian in a world where bacon exists. For those who are willing to indulge in the smokey, savory fruits of the porcine vine, Zingerman's offers up its second Camp Bacon, a four-day festival of music, crafts, and games dedicated to that sizzling slice of meat heaven.
Enter the inflatable otherworldly environment of Amococo. Presented by Ann Arbor's Summer Festival, it's the coolest bounce house you've ever been in. Only there's no bounce.
You may have noticed that things look a lot different around here. New look, new features - but not to fear. We're still the Ann Arbor area's go-to source for what's next in innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and culture. Check out what's new and what we've got planned.
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.
Whole Foods CEO Walter Robb is an unabashed entrepreneur, a true believer that business is the ultimate engine for change. He also believes that corporations must have a deeper purpose than just profit. Concentrate chats with Robb about the way those seemingly disconnected impulses come together and why the next generation of business leaders should embrace them.
Last month Ann Arbor hosted The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition --an American Idol-style contest for start-ups. It was a joint effort between SE Michigan's top business accelerators. Concentrate chats with Dave Egner, the executive director of the New Economy Initiative, and new MEDC head Mike Finney about regional cooperation and rebuilding Michigan's economy.
'Tis the season to express our gratitude. Thanks for your criticisms, compliments, and comically cryptic comments over the last year. Thanks for providing us with great stories and provocative ideas. Thanks for being a part of this wonderfully innovative and vibrant community. And most importantly, thanks for reading Concentrate. We'll be taking next week off but will return December 1st with more tales from Michigan's new economy.
After nearly half a century, the Ann Arbor Film Festival is undergoing a renaissance of sorts. Audiences and submissions are up as the festival solidifies its reputation as the home for truly independent cinema. Its opening night tops this week's FilterD recommendations, and Concentrate gets the fest's executive director to answer a few burning questions.
This week's FilterD brings you cultural events to make out to or break up over. There's stuff to do for both singles and doubles, the lovesick and the lovelorn. Plus editor Jeff Meyers chats with U-M alum and documentary filmmaker Bruce Broder about his love letter to the process of making jazz, Chops. Click on the link and get some!
We may not have the mountains but we've definitely got the snow. For two days this week the Michigan Theater becomes a venue for the Sundance Film Festival. It's just one of the half dozen events we spotlight in FilterD.
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