When Pfizer left Ann Arbor it was hard not to view the glass as half empty. Five years and 16 start-ups later, that perspective has started to reverse. And in many ways, the transition from one large company to many more entrepreneurial efforts is exactly what our community and state needs to establish a healthier long term economy.
The student-run MPowered is U-M's startup for startups. Living up to its name, it has not only prodded the university into offering more classes in entrepreneurship, it has also attracted a community of business-minded students through its 1000 Pitches Summit and annual Career Fair. This year they debut "Startup Weekend," a 54-hour event which seeks to create a web or mobile applications business in a weekend.
Though traditional coin-operated parking meters may evoke feelings of nostalgia (followed by memories of ticket-fueled anger), Ann Arbor has been adopting innovative approaches to downtown parking management. And while we may be ahead of the curve for a city our size, there are even more cutting edge technologies out there. Concentrate's Natalie Burg takes a look.
It's where the academic rubber meets the real world road. U-M's "Semester In The D" program places 25 students in Motown for a semester to learn how Detroit defines Michigan's past and its future.
A 100-mile trail that connects Ann Arbor to Lake Erie via the Huron River sounds pretty cool to us. Missed Concentrate's speaker event about the proposed water trail? Not to fear. We've got the lowdown right here.
Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institute has strong opinions about what will help to push Michigan forward. Our colleagues at Lansing's Capital Gains chat with him about cities, transportation, and the strengths of manufacturing in the new economy.
Talent: some have to work at it, some are just natural-born. Jewelry designer Audrey Wong Chung, whose baubles line the gift bags of Oscar nominees and Dancing With The Stars performers, is the latter. A computer science grad and former guest actress on The Cosby Show, Audrey is jewel outfitter to the stars, and she runs worldwide operations supplying her pieces to national retail brands.
This is the story of two guys (and one dog) from Chelsea ...and a whole lot of vodka. After only one year their Ugly Dog Vodka has 'made the cut', producing high quality spirits that are being welcomed into restaurants, liquor stores, and Meijers around the state. As if that weren't enough, they've just added bacon to the mix. And as everyone knows, bacon makes everything better.
In Ann Arbor the phrase 'you are what you eat' isn't just a another aphorism. It's an entrepreneurial reality. The proof? A trio of homegrown gastronomic start-ups with a mission to stuff local foodies with locally-made foodstuff.
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