Features

Innovation News The Formula One hybrid racecar Joshua Cukier worked on.

U-M student named to national list of innovative young people in manufacturing

Nineteen-year-old Joshua Cukier has already worked on the Michigan Formula One Hybrid Racing Team, and he's passionate about rethinking the manufacturing world to support buzzy new technologies like autonomous vehicles and AI.

Innovation News Downtown at the University of Michigan's Mobility Transformation Center's Mcity

U-M invests $600,000 in advanced transportation technologies

A radar system for autonomous cars and a 3-D printer that prints electrical wires are among the seven projects that received funding.

Innovation News DROUGHT juices.

DROUGHT juice opens Ann Arbor location after years of planning

The raw juice chain's owners intended to open their second location in Ann Arbor after launching in Plymouth, but logistics kept them closer to Detroit until just recently.

Innovation News Ziggy's cafe manager Kristina Ouellette and owners David and Jo Jeffries.

Ziggy's hybrid cafe, bar, and music venue set for soft opening in Ypsi

Ziggy's plays guitar ... and Japanese video games. The pop culture-themed  establishment will be open to the public for the first time Friday night.

Feature Story Chaad Thomas at First Tier Imports

Despite a beer and cocktail boom, Ann Arbor's wine scene keeps it cutting-edge

Local wine industry experts weigh in on local wine culture, popular varieties, and fighting the misperceptions commonly associated with wine.

Feature Story Ronald Woods in his office at Eastern Michigan University

How Ypsi's past informs its present and shapes its future

As we kick off our five-month On the Ground embedded reporting project in Ypsi, we took a look back at the historical events that have shaped the Ypsi community we know today.

Innovation News Attendees at the first entrepreneur mixer at Friends Closet on March 30.

Ypsi business owners team up to host networking events for fellow entrepreneurs

Organizers say their intention is to "bridge the gap" between existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, and "to bring everyone together in Ypsilanti."

Innovation News An employee uses Google Glass with EyeSucceed technology.

Ann Arbor's EyeSucceed partners with Google Glass on food industry application

After its beleaguered launch in 2013, Google Glass has quietly staged a comeback. An Ann Arbor company is leveraging Glass technology to train food employees.

Innovation News NAVYA's ARMA shuttle.

Saline joins local autonomous vehicle industry with French automaker's arrival

NAVYA will soon begin manufacturing its ARMA autonomous shuttle vehicles at a production plant in Saline, raising the possibility of other new mobility-related activity in the city.

Innovation News North American Tech Tour founder Paul Singh on the steps of his Airstream trailer.

North American Tech Tour to bring investors, entrepreneurship events to Ann Arbor in August

Investors, entrepreneurs, and bloggers Paul Singh and Dana Duncan are bringing their national tour to town as part of their commitment to working with startups in the American heartland.

Feature Story Dreamland Theater

From co-ops to coffee shops: Your guide to Ann Arbor and Ypsi's underground music venues

Our community has a variety of lesser-known venues to take in a show, from those that have long flown under the radar to those that may just be the next big thing.

Feature Story Concentrate's office at Landline Creative Labs in Ypsi.

Introducing On the Ground Ypsi

For the next five months Concentrate will be conducting an embedded reporting program aimed at telling the many Ypsi stories that often go overlooked.

Innovation News Participants at Tower Inn for the 2016 YpsiTasty grub crawl.

YpsiTasty grub crawl highlights Ypsi restaurants who source locally

The grub crawl includes numerous restaurants and a stop at Ypsi's farmers market, so participants can meet the farmers who provide some of the food they'll be eating.

Innovation News Find Your Ditto cofounders Parisa Soraya and Brianna Wolin.

Social network for the chronically ill among U-M Desai Accelerator's summer cohort

The Ann Arbor business accelerator nurtures startups who are past the earliest stages of development but not yet seeking external investors.

Innovation News AFS founder Mike Stack presents Ozone House staff with the proceeds from AFS' charity challenge.

Ann Arbor's Applied Fitness Solutions hosts fitness challenge to benefit Ozone House

The Ann Arbor-based gym and personal training business raised $3,075 for the Ypsilanti nonprofit by donating $25 each time a client met his or her gym attendance goal.

Feature Story Suan Westhoff and Mel Drumm at The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Behind the scenes of Leslie Science and Nature Center's merger with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Unexpected challenges, and unexpected innovations, have resulted since the two Ann Arbor education nonprofits merged operations last year.

Innovation News Stock photo of people at a bank

Ann Arbor's ForeSee launches product to help banks better connect with customers in the digital age

We've all had that moment of frustration with a dysfunctional banking app or an unexpectedly closed bank branch. ForeSee's new product aims to help banks tackle a changing world more gracefully.

Innovation News Soar Automotive logo.

Ann Arbor defense contractor develops autonomous-vehicle spinoff at SPARK Ypsi

Soar Technologies adapted some of its military artificial intelligence research and development to a new spinoff, Soar Automotive.

Feature Story Feodies Shipp III at U of M Detroit Center

Does Ann Arbor need a stronger relationship with Detroit?

The language that comes up when Detroiters and Ann Arborites talk about each other's cities is often striking, communicating a massive gulf between two communities that are a mere 45-minute drive apart. We examined connections between the two cities and how to better leverage them.

Innovation News GoWork founders Kyle Thibaut, Andrew Sereno, and Clayton Smith peer through the front window of their business.

24/7 coworking space opens in Ypsilanti with accessibility in mind

GoWork's cofounders envision their coworking space being an affordable community hub for entrepreneurs.

Hasini and Harshini Anand are members of Corner Health Center's Youth Leadership Council and mental health advocates.

 


   Voices of Youth
Concentrate's Voices of Youth series features content created by Washtenaw County youth in partnership with Concentrate mentors, as well as feature stories by adult writers that examine issues of importance to local youth. Click here for a full list of the latest content from this series.