Business

Rachel Blistein at Original Moxie.

Ypsi Township’s new “Beauty Block” of businesses support each other and their community

After filling a commercial block in Ypsilanti Township with women- and people of color-owned beauty businesses, business owners there are promoting themselves as "The Beauty Block."

Latest in Business
Khadi Faye outside of Khadi's Cuisine.
Ypsi’s newest restaurants include West African cuisine, Mexican grill, and “big burgers”

We sat down with the owners of three of Ypsi's newest restaurants to discuss their cuisine and what brought them to the city.

Ann Arbor SPARK receives $5 million from state fund to support high-tech startups

SPARK and three other Michigan nonprofits received a total of $18 million from the Michigan Innovate Capital Fund.

Lowertown Bar and Cafe co-owners Pete Baker and Joe Bollinger.
New bar/coffee shop aims to create neighborhood hub for Ann Arbor’s North Side

Lowertown Bar and Cafe co-owner Pete Baker hopes to see more neighborhood stores, bars, and coffee shops pop up throughout Ann Arbor, not just on the North Side.

734 Brewing Company COO and Jones Chance & Co owner Brian Jones-Chance.
From charity events to community building, Ypsi’s small business owners give back

Here's how three Ypsi entrepreneurs give back to their community in a variety of ways.

The organizers of the forthcoming Self-Care Fair, who've dubbed themselves "the Beauty Block," own three wellness-related businesses in Ypsi Township.
Inaugural Self-Care Fair in Ypsi Township will emphasize wellness for people of color

The event will feature 18 wellness-related local businesses, offering food, music, live demonstrations, free goods, and free or discounted services.

Greg Shewchuk and Mike Ambs of A2 Creative Labs.
Former Disney employees open creative studio in Ann Arbor

This summer, creative consulting studio A2 Creative Labs opened with a goal of aiding small businesses and tech startups in finding unique ways to develop their online brands and identities.

FreightMiner's booth at the North American International Auto Show.
Ann Arbor company develops software to enable autonomous trucking

FreightMiner's technology would allow trucks to be remotely operated at the beginning and the end of a drive, while being autonomously driven over the long freeway stretch.

Vector Electric, Inc. CEO Duane Pittman.
Washtenaw County “microbusinesses” get mentoring, funding through Small Business Growth Activator

The program, a collaboration between several county organizations, targets microbusinesses that have five or fewer employees and meet a certain income threshold.

A promotional image for the Michigan Chocolate Festival.
Ypsi coffee shop to host local chocolate makers for inaugural Michigan Chocolate Festival

Promotional materials say the event, hosted by a Grand Rapids-based chocolate company, will offer an opportunity to "meet, greet, and eat" with a variety of Michigan-based chocolate producers.

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