If gung-ho could be bottled, Matt and Rene Greff would probably put it in a microbrew. Owners of ever-popular Ann Arbor Brewing and Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, the couple are practically poster children for the region's unique personality. Quirky, entrepreneurial, civic-minded, and opinionated, Concentrate talks business, politics, downtown development and, oh yeah, beer with this dynamic duo.
Academic theory is all well and fine but how do you apply what you've learned to real-life scenarios? U-M's MAP program teams students with companies and non-profits to help institute real-world strategies and solutions. It's an innovative program that provides students with a unique on-the-ground education while strengthening the university's relationship with both local and global businesses.
Throw a stone in the air in Ann Arbor and if you miss a student or professor you're bound to bruise an entrepreneur. Concentrate's Kate Rose decided to seek out a few of the city's young start-up types to better understand what drives them to succeed and how they turned obstacles into opportunities.
he University of Michigan's Ross School of Business is trying to make an impact on climate change, offering a new pilot program that will recruit and teach corporate leaders on what they can do help head off Global Warming."There are people in the business community that are interested in climate change as a strategic issue," says Andy Hoffman, a business professor at U-M and one of the organizers behind "Climate Change: What's Your Business Strategy?"The new program is partnering with the Association of Climate Change Officers to bring industry experts focused on climate change into the university's executive education programs. The idea is to better educate corporate leaders on climate change will lead to better results when it comes to containing it.The new program's first two-day conference will focus on creating a greater understanding of the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. It will also help business leaders create a forward-looking strategy for their organizations when it comes to adopting a sustainability ethos.The conference will touch on everything from the scientific basis for climate change, understanding the policies like cap-and-trade program, market implications of climate change, systemic risks and opportunities associated with climate change and how to gain a seat at the table when it comes to developing climate change policies.For information on the conference, contact Daniel Kreeger at dkreeger@ACCOonline.org or call (202) 496-7390.Source: Andy Hoffman, a business professor at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke
Ask University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman about economic and entrepreneurial opportunity, and she'll say there is no better place than Michigan and no better time than now.Excerpt:University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman said Friday that she believes that Michigan is filled with economic opportunity.Coleman, speaking Friday to the media at an event organized to highlight U-M's University Research Corridor coalition with Michigan State University and Wayne State University, said the state still faces significant challenges. But she said she's "very optimistic" about the future."One of the things that I hear from, at least, business people is we’re become actually a very economical place," she said. "We used to be a high-priced place for companies to come. Now, hey, you can get some pretty good deals here. And it’s beginning to get attention."Read the rest of the story here.
Ann Arbor is all about customer satisfaction. But not the way you think. It's the scientific method behind evaluating customer satisfaction that was developed here at the U-M. and spun off into successful companies. They are reminders of how university, state, and local efforts are working together to transform our region into a breeding ground for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Sometimes you need more than just a SPARK. If Ann Arbor wants to compete on the national tech stage it needs to do a better job of developing its geek culture. Enter Tech Brewery and the Workantile Exchange, a pair of private, entrepreneurial hothouses. These two co-working spaces are at the center of a growing geek movement that believes that united, techies stand, divided, they fall.
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