Natalie BurgWednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Letitia Tenner, Painting with a Twist

Letitia Tenner began her career with Painting with a Twist from the ground up. Originally project manager in the IT services industry, Tenner's first experience with the "paint and sip" franchise was a customer in Farmington. After falling in love with the concept, she decided to open her own Painting with a Twist in Ann Arbor. "Although there are other art entertainment business out there, I knew that I wanted to be a franchise partner with Painting with a Twist," says Tenner, who was impressed by Entrepreneur Magazine endorsing the company as the #1 Paint & Sip in the country. "Additionally, the founders are very passionate about community give-back and it's a part of the culture of this business via the Painting with a Purpose program." The 2,400 square foot studio will celebrate its grand opening the weekend of April 10 in the Village Centre on Oak Valley Dr. in Pittsfield Twp. Renovations on the space began in mid-January and included opening up the formerly segmented space into two large studios. "[I] wanted a nice large window storefront so that people visiting neighboring businesses could observe our art sessions while they're in progress," says Tenner. "I met with representatives from Pittsfield Township and they were enthusiastic about our business concept." Tenner expects to hire a staff of 10, including artists, art assistants and office staff. She is looking forward to participating in the company's Painting with a Purpose initiative, during which the studio will partner with local non-profits to host events that will benefit the organizations. Source: Letitia Tenner, Painting with a Twist Writer: Natalie Burg

Economic Development

Seed round enables Protean Payment to hire more staff

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Protean Payment is starting to make a little noise in Ann Arbor's entrepreneurial ecosystem, attracting some venture capital investment and hiring several people. The tech-payment startup has grown its staff to 10 employees. It has hired seven of those people over the last year. It is also looking to hire another five people and bring on some summer interns. "We have been ramping up our engineering team," says Nick Bognar, communications manager for Protean Payment. "We have also brought on some operations personnel and a human resources person." Protean Payment is developing a skeleton key for the wallet. The technology, which it has named "Echo," combines all of the user's credit, debit, loyalty and ID cards into the Echo card. Echo comes equipped with a tiny computer that syncs with the user's mobile phone. The accompanying mobile app allows the user to convert Echo into the card of his or her choice, allowing them to swipe it as they would their normal credit card. The 2-year-old startup, which calls Kerrytown home, hopes to launch the technology in 2014. "They will see some stuff come out later this year," Bognar says. "I can't say exactly when that will be." Bognar also confirms that Protean Payment has landed some seed capital that is paying for the build out of the startup. He declines to say how much has been raised. Ann Arbor-based Resonant Venture Partners and Chicago-based Hyde Park Venture Partners both claim Protean Payment as a portfolio company. Source: Nick Bognar, communications manager for Protean Payment Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Arts and Culture

MyFab5 pivots to combine online rankings with Instagram

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Concentrate

MyFab5 got its start as a new way for people to review eateries and stores online. Now it’s pivoting to become an additional feature on Instagram. "We're not trying to be Instagram," says Omeid Seirafi-Pour, co-founder & CEO of MyFab5. "We’re trying to be an added layer on Instagram." MyFab5 allows its users to take pictures of their meals at restaurants and then rank their experience. The Ann Arbor-based startup has developed technology that allows users to rank their top five businesses in certain genres in local areas, their top five picks for Chinese restaurants in Ann Arbor, or five favorite places to grab a burrito. "We have found that foodies love the pictures on Instagram and love our ranking system," Seirafi-Pour says. The startup launched its ranking system last August and is currently being employed in major cities across the U.S. The startup has facilitated 18,000 rankings across the country so far. "We're seeing the most activity in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Portland, New York and Austin," Seirafi-Pour says. MyFab5 is currently made up of a team of four full-time employees and two part-timers. It also has a small group of marketing interns helping grow its Instagram following to 30,000 members. Source: Omeid Seirafi-Pour, co-founder & CEO of MyFab5 Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Economic Development

Sakti3 expands staff in Ann Arbor with new hires

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Clean-tech startup Sakti3 is starting to see some promising results for its solid-state battery technology. The Ann Arbor-based startup Sakti3 spun out of the University of Michigan six years ago. It is developing new lithium ion battery technology that it claims offers double the energy density of today’s commercial cells at half the price "We have demonstrated some impressive numbers when it comes to energy density in battery cells," says Ann Marie Sastry, president & CEO of Sakti3. She adds, "our results so far are very promising." Sakti3's technology is manufactured using existing, scaled platforms that offer an easy path to large-scale production, in a single, integrated, manufacturing line. "We use only scalable processes on cheap equipment," Sastry says. "It won't break the bank." Sastry says her firm has "hired a few people" for “high-end tech positions” in the last year. Sakti3 now employs "less than 24 people," Sastry says. She declined to provide specifics. Sakti3 has raked in millions of venture capital, including a $4.2 million investment from GM Ventures, the VC arm of General Motors, and Japan-based Itochu Technology Ventures in 2010. Sakti3 has raised $30 million in venture capital in total. Source: Ann Marie Sastry, president & CEO of Sakti3 Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Healthy Communities

SportsFactory centralizes athletic tweets for non-Twitter users

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Nic Stelter loves keeping with his favorite athletes and sports teams through Twitter, but he is not the biggest fan of the social media site. That prompted him to launch SportsFactory in Ann Arbor. The startup creates a web app that aggregates tweets from the users favorites athletes and teams. So if you are a diehard University of Michigan fan, you can use SportsFactory to collect the tweets about the university’s athletic department, athletes and recruiting efforts instead of sorting it all out on your own Twitter handle. The web app makes the tweets look like they do on Twitter so the user gets an authentic experience. (Check out a video, created by Ann Arbor-based Media Academica, describing the service here.) "I wanted to make something non-Twitter users can use to read tweets," Stelter says. He adds, "we have tried to make the experience as much like Twitter as possible." Stelter leveraged the services of Tech Brewery-based Alpha Jango to build the web app. He plans to release a mobile app for Apple and Android products later this year. "It's going to be a slow climb but people really like it so far," Stetler says. Source: Nic Stelter, founder of SportsFactory Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Entrepreneurship

CoFoundersLab, U-M partner to create Michigan Founder Finder

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Concentrate

A new way to connect entrepreneurs and technical experts to help create more startups has arrived at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. The Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies partnered with CoFoundersLab to build a co-founder matching portal called Michigan Founder Finder. The online matching platform helps the entrepreneurial communities of the University of Michigan, great Ann Arbor area and beyond with the right people to push their new business venture forward. "They don't need to reinvent the wheel," says Michael Hughes, vice president of community development of CoFoundersLab. "They can connect entrepreneurs across schools on their own campus. It can also help students and alumni connect with another person who might not have anything to do with the university." CoFoundersLab, which is based in Maryland, specializes in making online portals that help entrepreneurs make connections with a variety of people they need to get their startup off the ground. Each portal specializes in a specific metropolitan area or, in U-M's case, a university community. Think of it as a dating site for entrepreneurs looking for co-founders. The Michigan Founder Finder is open to current students, alumni, faculty and staff at U-M. "We want thousands of people," Hughes says. "It's for University of Michigan students and alumni, the greater U-M community." CoFoundersLab will be also host a matchup event in downtown Detroit at 6:30 p.m. on Mar 19 in the Grand Circus space in the Broderick Tower. For information, click here. Source: Michael Hughes, vice president of community development of CoFoundersLab Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Entrepreneurship

Startgrid platform looks to complement Ann Arbor SPARK

Jon ZemkeWednesday, March 5, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Another organization aimed at growing southeast Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem made its debut last week. It might seem like Startgrid is set up to duplicate the region’s numerous efforts to grow its economy, but actually it’s aim is to do the opposite. Startgrid plans to complement the region's existing assets in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, working cooperatively with local economic accelerators like Ann Arbor SPARK and the University of Michigan to make startup building a more seamless process. "It's the unique combination of the whole that will make the whole complete," says Dave Egner, executive director of the New Economy Initiative, which is helping fund the launch of Startgrid. Startgrid icomes courtesy the Detriot Regional Chamber and is an online portal that enables entrepreneurs to create a collaboration page that fleshes out their idea or business plan. The users can incrementally expand their page to their circle of friends, mentors and industry experts throughout Metro Detroit. The idea is to create an environment where people help each build their business in southeast Michigan. Startgrid wants to fill those gaps to accelerate the formation and growth of local businesses. To watch a video about what Startgrid is about, click here. Source: Peter Gardner, founder & CEO of Startgrid, and Dave Egner, executive director of the New Economy Initiative Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Feature Story

Ryan Gourley at the A2Share Clothing Swap at Canterbury House

Community Development

A Shared Future: Ryan Gourley of A2Share

Patrick DunnWednesday, February 26, 2014

In the Internet Age everything old is new again. Take bartering and trade. Not a new concept. But wIth the rise of services like Sidecar and Couchsurfing.com, or even local efforts like Selma Cafe, there have been exciting innovations in collaborative consumption. Ryan Gourley, a U-M grad student, thought that local sharing-based organizations could use a better way to connect.

Partner Content

Community Development

50 years, 50 stories: Ann Arbor YMCA Youth Volunteer CorpsAnn Arbor Area Community Foundation

Ann Arbor Area Community FoundationWednesday, February 26, 2014

Back in 1994, a $120,000 grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation helped the Ann Arbor YMCA launch a local affiliate of the national Youth Volunteers Corps program. Since that time, over 1,800 young volunteers have participated in the program, providing 100,000+ hours of community service to support more than 100 local nonprofits across Washtenaw County.

Feature Story

Bob Rosenberger at Leather Bucket Alley in Saline

Community Development

Saline's Amped Up Alley

Natalie BurgWednesday, February 26, 2014

Smart growth means employing new and innovative ideas about overlooked spaces. Consider the alley, an urban feature that conjures up all manner of unsavory images. Some communities have discovered that what was once reserved for dumpsters and smoke breaks may actually be an untapped downtown asset. Just ask Saline.

Economic Development

Two Ann Arbor firms in the running to pitch to Google

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Crain's Detroit Business

Seven metro Detroit businesses enter, one business... pitches its plan to Google. MyFab5 LLC and Wisely Inc hope to emerge as finalists in Google's national Entrepreneurs Program.

Excerpt:

"Google Demo Day is part of the Google for Entrepreneurs Program, with competitions being held across the U.S. One winner from each city will advance to the finals." From 5:30-7:30 p.m. TONIGHT, the seven finalists will make pitches to become the local winner at Grand Circus, at 1570 Woodward Ave. Detroit. The event is open to the public.

Are the "Gods of Soccer" coming to Ann Arbor?

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: The Miami Herald

Officials from the International Champions Cup haven't yet announced the date and location for the Real Madrid-Manchester United game this summer... but it seems to coincide with talks that U-M is having with the soccer franchise.

How cool would it be to cheer "Glory Glory Man United!" or "Hala Madrid! Hala Madrid!"

Excerpt:

"The University of Michigan is holding talks about bringing top soccer teams Real Madrid and Manchester United to the 109,901-seat Michigan Stadium on Aug. 2 as part of the International Champions Cup."

Mixed-use zoning and you

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Stateside

Stateside takes a peek into the thorny issue of zomining laws, where a community can enforce stagnation or unchecked growth if it does not fairly balance the heritage of yesterday with the needs of today and the possibilities of tomorrow.

Listen in here.

Economic Development

Ann Arbor's Glyph Mobile Personal Theater nears $1.5M on Kickstarter

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Crowd Fund Insider

Apparently a lot of people want to chuck their widescreen TVs away and get a head[hones and goggle theater that provides a virtual and personal experience.

Excerpt:

Glyph Mobile Personal Theater plus Audio closed their crowdfunding round on Kickstarter this past week having raised $1,509,506 from 3,331 backers. The hardware from Ann Arbor, Michigan based Avegant now stands as one of the most successful rewards based crowdfunding campaigns of 2014. Glyph set a goal of raising $250,000 – an amount that was easily topped in under 48 hours.

Read the rest here.

Arts and Culture

Sava's gets a thumbs up from food site

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: The Daily Meal

Somebody really likes Sava's on State. A lot. A real lot.

Excerpt:

"If you’re a student at the University of Michigan you’ve probably had a meal at Sava’s for one reason or another. Located on State Street right off of central campus, Sava’s has become the go-to place for anything from swanky date nights to casual get togethers. I found myself back yet again this past weekend for a friend’s birthday dinner, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Sava’s actually lives up to all the talk around campus.

Two hours later, I was ashamed those thoughts had even crossed my mind."

Read the rest here.

Community Development

Public health partnership bringing affordable dental clinic to Washtenaw County

Natalie BurgWednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Ellen Rabinowitz, Washtenaw County

Keeping up with proper dental care can be nearly impossible for low-income residents. Though covered by Medicaid, low reimbursements to dentists prevent many clinics from accepting the program, leaving many to skip preventive care altogether. With the recent Medicaid expansion, the demand for dental care in this underserved demographic is about to grow.

Thanks to a new partnership between Washtenaw County Public Health and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, the Washtenaw County Dental Clinic will begin to address that need in 2015.

"We're really excited about the clinic because it is going to provide service to some of the most vulnerable people in our community," says acting health officer Ellen Rabinowitz. "This has always been a huge need."

Should all move ahead as planned, the Washtenaw County Dental Clinic will open Jan. 2, 2015. The 11-chair office will serve a about 6,000 patients each year with an estimated15,000 clinic visits. It will be located in Ypsilanti's Haab Building on N. Huron St., thanks to St. Joseph Mercy Health System's donation of space.

The clinic, says Rabinowitz, "is very much a partnership project." In addition to St. Joe's, the Washtenaw Health Plan and Michigan Community Dental Clinics are partners in the project, supplying funds and contracting with the clinic for staffing, respectively. All told, the clinic is expected to cost $1.2 million initially, all of which is planned to be reimbursed to the county by the operations of the cost-neutral project.

Source: Ellen Rabinowitz, Washtenaw County Writer: Natalie Burg

Arts and Culture

Tomukun Noodle Bar expanding on success with Korean barbeque next door

Natalie BurgWednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Tom Yon, Tomukun Korean Barbeque

Growing up as a Korean American in Troy, going out for Korean barbecue with his family was a big part of Tom Yon's upbringing. With the success of his four-year-old Tomukun Noodle Bar on a roll in downtown Ann Arbor, he's now bringing that tradition to E. Liberty as well with Tomukun Korean BBQ.

"I thought that Korean barbecue would be a great idea," Yon says. "It's something that's very close to me, close to my heart."

When Grand Traverse Pie Company closed in the building next door to his noodle bar, Yon says he knew the opportunity was right to bring the Korean barbecue experience to downtown. The dining concept allows customers to chose their own raw meat and grill it, with the assistance of servers, right at their own table. While some Korean barbecue restaurants are more formal, Yon says Tomukun Korean BBQ will be contemporary and modern.

"It's a lot more casual, a lot more minimalistic," he says. "It will be a place for friends, drinking beer and drinking soju. It's kind like a Korean barbecue/bar."

The 3,150 square foot space has undergone considerable renovation to install the individual grills at each table. The new restaurant will seat about 85 guests between the dining area and bar. Yon anticipates opening at the beginning of April with a staff of about 30 employees.

Source: Tom Yon, Tomukun Korean Barbeque Writer: Natalie Burg

Economic Development

Proposed $12.5M project could bring 90 affordable rentals to Ypsilanti

Natalie BurgWednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Teresa Gillotti, City of Ypsilanti

If a proposed housing project for Ypsilanti's Water Street property moves forward, construction on 90 new affordable rental units could begin in March of 2015 and be open for tenants the following year. The proposal, made by Herman Kittle Properties would place the $12.5 million development project in a key area of Water Street redevelopment area.

"This puts a nice development on the river and it builds the spine we need there. Any other future projects will now have the utilities already there," says Ypsilanti City Planner Teresa Gillotti. "Also, that particular location is on some very difficult-to-build land. We weren't even sure if this site was going to be able to be built out."

By building the project on piers, however, the proposed plan would make the site able to be developed. The 90 rental units would include one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units, available to residents at 50 to 60 percent of the area median income for Washtenaw County, which is currently $59,063, a value that varied depending upon household size.

According to Gillotti, the timing for such a project is good, as demand for affordable rentals is on the rise.

"After the housing market crashed, everything stopped, especially for construction," she says, "but what we have seen are rentals really taking off in the last year to year-and-a-half. The demand has gone up."

Before becoming a reality, the housing project must first be approved by Ypsilanti City Council, which will hold a public hearing in March. Then, an application for a Michigan State Housing Development Authority tax credit must be approved in July. Gillotti says the city welcomes the public's input on the project.

Source: Teresa Gillotti, City of Ypsilanti Writer: Natalie Burg

Healthy Communities

Unique mind-body fitness studio coming to Jackson Rd.

Natalie BurgWednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Elaine Economou, Move

A new concept in fitness is coming to Ann Arbor. As people have become more aware of exercise being one part of overall wellness, trainer Elaine Economou wanted to give her clients a place to go for every aspect of their health. After about a year of planning, she and partner Robin Krienke will be opening Move on Jackson Rd. with the aim of doing exactly that.

"Once people start making changes and start feeling better in their bodies, they start asking themselves, 'What else can I do?'" says Economou. "They start to think more carefully about what they eat, what they wear, what kind of skin products they use."

Move, which is slated to open March 10, will offer clients guidance on all of those questions. The fitness center will offer personal training, group classes, as well as massage, a juice bar and retail area.

Formerly Expressions Design Studio, the 2,800 square foot space has been thoroughly renovated, including the addition of bathrooms with lockers and showers, the creation of separate rooms for training, massage and group classes, as well as loft-style storage. The Jackson Rd. location, Economou says, was perfect for her clientele.

"The west side of Ann Arbor really appealed to me," she says. "It's an up and coming corridor. I train clients in Chelsea, Dexter, Saline and a lot of clients in Ann Arbor, so I was very clear about wanting to be on that corridor."

Move will open with a staff of about 25. According to Economou, the studio will welcome clients of all fitness levels, from experiences athletes to those just beginning to improve their wellness.

Source: Elaine Economou, Move Writer: Natalie Burg

Technology and Innovation

Swift Biosciences leverages VC for multiple hires

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Venture capital and hiring helped make for a big year at Swift Biosciences. When we last checked in at the life sciences startup in early 2013, it had just secured a $750,000 investment in its Series A. Since then it secured $7 million more in a Series B round of venture capital and hired seven people. "We just hired three people this month," says David Olson, CEO of Swift Biosciences. The hires over the last year have been in the Ann Arbor-based startup’s R&D and commercial groups. Olson adds, "That funding (the Series B) is directly related to the three hires we made this month. We’re looking to expand, specifically in our commercial group." The 4-year-old company is developing molecular biology reagents for research and diagnostic applications that provide new ways to examine disease-related genes. This genomic sequencing technology is expected to help researchers analyze samples faster, at a higher volume, and at a lower price per sample. It has raised $13.15 million to further the development of this technology platform. Swift Biosciences launched its first two products last year and is set to launch its third product next week. The new product is a sample prep test kit that can work with damaged and small samples. "It can do everything," Olson says. "It has a lot of capabilities." Source: David Olson, CEO of Swift Biosciences Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

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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.