Ann Arbor

The Whole Brain Group reinvents biz model, doubles team size

Marisa Smith's company changed its name three years ago and its business model last year. Today what is now The Whole Brain Group is bigger and more lucrative after a year of growing in Ann Arbor."We really transformed ourselves 100 percent," says Smith, president of The Whole Brain Group. "We went from a bad 2009 to triple what we had in 2010. Switching gears has been really a go for us."The Whole Brain Group focused primarily on software development when the recession hit. It lost a lot of that work, forcing it to take on a broader range of projects. Today it handles Internet marketing, social media management and mobile application development. It's also looking into expanding its product offerings to include software as a service. Pair that with its new partnership with Adaptive Materials and SRT Solutions to develop alternative energy technology for military vehicles, and the question starts to become, is there anything The Whole Brain Group doesn't do?"That has been a really good project for us," Smith says. "We added another person for that project."All of that new work has allowed the 8-year-old company to double its team to 12 people, including interns and independent contractors. It plans to add two more jobs in 2011 as it focuses on becoming more efficient so it can cross the $1 million company threshold.Source: Marisa Smith, president of The Whole Brain GroupWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Reuters on Ann Arbor: Small city with big brainpower

New grads might like the big cities, but it appears the nerds like small cities. Or so says a survey by Portfolio.com which put Ann Arbor at the top of the small city big brains list, behind Boulder and ahead of Durham, D.C., and Fort Collins, Colo.Excerpt:Forget New York, Chicago and even Los Angeles, brain power in the United States is concentrated in smaller cities with Boulder, Colorado and Ann Arbor, Michigan at the top of the list.Boulder, home to the University of Colorado, has the smartest population in the country with 26 percent of its residents holding a master's or graduate degree and 82.5 percent having attended college.Ann Arbor came in second in the survey compiled by the national business news website Portfolio.com followed by Durham in North Carolina, Washington D.C., and Fort Collins in Colorado.Read the rest of the story here.

Energy Works Michigan plans energy-efficiency for all 5,500 state schools

When it comes to making a building energy efficient, a school may just be perfect.Schools are often built in an open space, with a flat roof and can save some money by saving or generating energy. Students can learn about the how and why of energy efficiency in their science classes. And they then grow up alongside technology such as solar panels, and knowing how they work.That's the idea behind Energy Works Michigan, a nonprofit launched by Recycle Ann Arbor and The Ecology Center as partner non-profits about a year and a half ago. Through a $3.5 million grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission, Energy Works Michigan administers the Michigan Renewable Schools program, which funds energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in Michigan schools.Emile Lauzzana, director of Energy Works Michigan, based in Ann Arbor, has been with the program since before it started, writing the founding grant a year and a half ago, and watching it grow to seven employees -- two educational specialists, and the others with architectural backgrounds. He explains that when they partner with a school, the first order of business is an assessment of its energy profile to get a feel for the building's energy efficiency. They then provide the planning and followup meetings and steer them toward any programs that would benefit the school.If the school participates in a renewable energy program, Energy Works Michigan can provide financial incentives for installing solar or wind projects, all which come with a weather station and the means to stream data to a public website, for access by students -- to use in the classroom -- or the public. "We're happy with the educational tool that provides," he says. "We're starting to already see a lot of our partner schools using this data in the classroom."The energy efficiency program is free to schools, but the renewable energy program does require a contribution, he says. They've seen successes so far through partnerships, benefactors, and fundraisers that schools are able to come up with the money needed.And they do offer lesson plans for elementary students, so students of all ages can benefit from learning about energy efficiency at their own school. "The lesson plans are hands-on, inquiry-based, and come with lab equipment," he says.Lauzzana says his ultimate goal is for each of the 5,500 Michigan schools to achieve energy efficiency within the next few years. They've been able to spread the word through other nonprofit organizations and school business officials, and have able to help 60 schools in less than eight months, with a waiting list of about 25 more. "We're seeing a lot of demand and a lot of enthusiasm for these projects," he says.Before they continue the program, they want to evaluate where it stands now and see how they can improve."For our team, this is really a dream project," he says. "We've been involved, all of us, in environmental issues and energy issues our entire careers. The school partners are great to work with."Another way they're getting students involved is through their ShowGreen TV project, challenging students to make short films about climate change. Their second contest wraps up next week, and a free screening is scheduled for next month in Ann Arbor. Click here for details.Source: Emile Lauzzana, director of Energy Works MichiganWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Borders bids for Barnes & Noble

Concentrate Speaker Event: Going Homegrown

What you eat is important - where it comes from, how it's grown, and what you know about it. Concentrate's speaker event moves into the A.M. hours for December as Jeff McCabe and his wife Lisa Gotleib, the founders of SELMA breakfast salon, talk about growing and eating local. We'll be offering up yummy conversation and local treats on Thursday, December 16th at 8am. Sign up today!

Expedia acquires travel app developer Mobiata

Mobiata is the latest Ann Arbor-based start-up targeted for acquisition, serving as more validation for Tree Town's emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem and even its nascent app-based economy. Excerpt:Expedia has just announced that it has acquired developer Mobiata, the creator of popular mobile travel application FlightTrack. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Mobiata creates a number of travel mobile applications including FlightTrack, TripDeck, HotelPal, FlightBoard, and FareCompare. FlightTrack is the developer's most popular app and lets you check flight status, access information about delays or reschedules, locate your flight's gates, and see real-time tracking maps of flights. FlightTrack is currently a best selling iPhone travel app in the App Store. A Pro Version of FlightTrack is also integrated into TripIt Pro. We're not sure if that relationship will continue post-acquisition.Read the rest of the story here, more about what the acquisition means to Mobiata/Ann Arbor here and Ann Arbor's emerging app-based economy here.

Ann Arbor ranks no. 6 in top digital U.S. cities

Ann Arbor continues to build on its reputation as a technologically advanced city, this time taking the No. 6 spot as a top digital city in the U.S. That puts it in line with the likes of Pueblo, Colo.; High Point, N.C. and ahead of Berkeley, Calif. Check out the rankings here.

Regenerating Our Economy With Stem Cells

Not only does stem cell research offer a lifeline to patients with life-threatening diseases, it may also provide an economic lifeline to Southeast Michigan by growing our life sciences industry.

Ann Arbor’s Foodpreneurs

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.