For nearly five years Concentrate has made it its mission to capture and comment on what's next in entrepreneurship, urban design, sustainability and placemaking for our region. As we enter the mid-point of 2014, we look back on some of the stories and people that are defining the direction of the Ann Arbor area.
A text book definition of serial entrepreneur might very well include a picture of Tim Schaden. From Quiznos to Reservision to Fluency Media, this Ann Arborite has got business creation in his genes. With his Internet marketing firm Fluency, Shaden sees a growth in talent and healthcare clients as the inevitable path to even greater success.
It's a cell phone case. It's a set of headphones. It's two great tastes that taste great together. ...Or something like that. Ann Arbor-based TurtleCell has developed a nifty new cell phone accessory and they're getting more and more attention for it. Excerpt TurtleCell is set on embracing its young startup culture by delivering entertaining content to fans, including WTF's, (short for Weekly Turtle Facts), a live Twitter feed highlighting tangle haters worldwide, and a "Tur-Torial" video. TurtleCell aims to break the barrier between a product and its consumers through superior customer service, social engagement and fun promotional campaigns. Read the rest here.
Why did a Mumbia-based scooter company lay down roots in metro Detroit? It's that word economic development folks like to endlessly toss around: "ecosystem." As in, Michigan has the right one for their product. Excerpt: "The Mahindra Group — based in Mumbai, India — inaugurated its North American Technical Center in Troy on Friday. The center will develop fully engineered vehicles for Mahindra Global Automotive and will employ more than 100 engineers. A separate manufacturing facility, Mahindra GenZe, will be located in Ann Arbor." Read the rest here. Here's what SPARK had to say about the company.
Imagine military uniforms that can assess the environment they're in. Or even the condition of the soldier wearing them? An Ann Arbor start-up isn't just imagining such a thing, they're developing it. Excerpt: "A pair of professors, one at the University of Michigan, has completed the first round of funding for PsiKick, a two-year-old start-up aiming to sell ultra-low-power chips that can be embedded in a T-shirt or other clothing, do not need a battery or wires and can run on heat, vibrations and sunlight." Read the rest here.
States known for tech innovation and new economy success have shed their old school non-compete contracts to attract the best and brightest talent while fostering greater cross pollination of ideas and inventions. So with all the noise Michigan is making about creating a 21st-century economy why are we clinging to a 20th-century business practice?
Can a cutting edge startup be both success-minded and fun? According to Duo Security's Dug Song, the answer is an unequivocal "yes." Achieving astounding growth over four years, this Ann Arbor Internet security firm has not only become the local company to watch, it has developed a family-like workplace that's creative, supportive and innovative.
A quartet of Florida students took home the second place prize from The Miami Herald's Business Plan Challenge, a fashion app called How Do I Look, which would allow customers to share pictures of themselves wearing outfits. Two of the team are now U-M students. Excerpt: "Kaplan and Altman, who were seniors at Ransom Everglades when they won the award, are now at University of Michigan and will most likely pursue the study of business. Greenwald, also from Ransom, is at Tulane University studying political science. Lieberbaum, who was at Miami Beach Senior High, is now at the University of Florida and studies business. Currently, progress has slowed, but the four had an entrepreneurial summer. “To begin with, we met with experienced entrepreneurs that we know to figure out the first step in starting our project. We then met with programmers to learn what they needed to be able to create the app,” said Greenwald. “Our first big step was working on designing the app, creating each and every possible individual page, how users could move between pages; basically deciding how it would look and work. We worked on this step for a couple months and had the app completely designed and ready to hand over to programmers."" Read the rest here.
How does social trust or capital foster entrepeneurship? This article makes a compelling argument for how the strength of local social networks and trust can help create an environment where business innovation and creation can grow, Excerpt: "This makes intuitive sense. Venturing out on your own is a risky proposition, and one that takes a huge amount of effort and ingenuity to build a business — even if it’s just you — from the bottom up. That’s why certain personalities are thought of as more “entrepreneurial” than others. But, as the authors note, there’s a snowballing effect as well, as more diverse and widespread social networks bring everyone, regardless of their own connectivity, into contact with far more people. These effects can spread beyond the very local level, and metros with more engaged citizens provide the right context for self-employed workers to make it. Community is clearly key to creating an atmosphere where risk-taking is, in essence, less risky. But a couple of caveats, which the authors note themselves, should give us at least slight pause." Read the rest here.
It has a "(Ain't Gonna Play) Sun City" earnestness and just enough Ann Arbor people and places to become the "We Are The World" of locavore anthems. Or so the folks behind this Buy Local video hope! Watch 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
