Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Kylyn Mead has worked as an attorney in health-care law for years, but now is turning her career and her new business toward one goal - better patient care. “I love patients and patient care,” Mead says. She adds, “People always ask what do you want to do when you grow up? I always answered I wanted to help people and this is how I do it.” Go Docs Go specializes in helping streamline the treatment process for people who require lengthy treatment of chronic conditions. The idea is to help prevent coughs from turning into pneumonia, which helps drive down health-care costs and enables the patients, who are often elderly and utilizing Medicare, to age in place in their homes. Go Docs Go accomplishes that by providing in-house service calls by nurses and doctors. “A lot of treatable diseases aren’t treated because they can’t get see a doctor,” Mead says. Go Docs Go has experienced rapid growth in its first year offering these services across southeast Michigan. It now employs a dozen people and the occasional summer intern. Mead expects her business to continue to grow as the population ages. “That’s how we keep accelerating our growth,” Mead says. Source: Kylyn Mead, practice manager of Go Docs Go Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Economic Development

Vis-A-Vis Spa hires 16 as it grows biz, location in Ann Arbor

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Melissa Mueller spent the first year of her business, Vis-a-Vis Skin, Spa & Body Works, getting it established and setting the stage for growth. The second year, that growth took off in a big way. The Ann Arbor-based firm has hired 16 people over the last year, expanding the company’s staff to 19 people. Mueller is now expanding her business’ physical footprint to accommodate hair and nail technicians. She expects her staff to grow to 25 people within the next year. “I didn’t know there was this much of a demand for a practitioner in Ann Arbor,” Mueller says. “It has really blown up in the last year.” Vis-a-Vis Skin Spa & Body Works offers skin care, waxing and massage services. “We’re hoping to do a blow-out bar,” Mueller says, adding such services are a popular trend in major U.S. cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Mueller has a background in wine sales, working as a sommelier and buyer for high-end win stores in Metro Detroit. She also worked as a solo practitioner in massage in the area before starting Vis-a-Vis Skin, Spa & Body Works two year ago. She credits her company’s focus on customer needs as one of the driving forces behind its growth. “I feel my customer service background helps drive the demand,” Mueller says. Source: Melissa Mueller, founder of Vis-a-Vis Skin Spa & Body Works Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Economic Development

Relium aims to balance growth with tech development

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Eric Shapiro has been working on software development for a long time and has built the company, Relium, from that work. Now that the company is growing through its mobile app work Shapiro is trying to find the right balance between being an entrepreneur and a software author. “Trying to find the balance of running the company and what I call doing actual work can be challenging,” Shapiro says. “I don’t want this to be a 500-person company.” For the longest time the Ann Arbor-based firm was just Shapiro and one other independent contractor. It has grown to a staff of five employees and a few independent contractors in the last two years, including two new hires over the last year. “I wouldn’t be shocked to have one or two more employees,” Shapiro says. “We have a lot of requests for Andriod software now.” Relium does mobile work for some larger brands, including Weather Underground and Philips Electronics. It also does smaller projects with local clients, such as the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. “About half of our companies are local and half are from around the world that came to us through word-of-mouth,” Shapiro says. Source: Eric Shapiro, president of Relium Writer: Jon Zemke

Community Development

Ann Arbor's solartonic leverages microloan to expand sales

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Ann Arbor-based solartonic plans to leverage a new microloan to help market its solar-power technology and begin work on developing a second-generation of its principal product. Solartonic is commercializing solar panel technology that it hopes to take the industry beyond the panel-on-a-frame installations. The firm’s solarap systems is meant to work with outdoor energy-efficient lighting apparatus with a panel that raps around a street pole so it can collect solar energy throughout the day. It has installed its first sales in texas and is working to generate more sales across the U.S. “We’re looking to sell more of that version,” says Brian Tell, managing partner of solartonic. “We’re also looking at building a 2.0 version that will include some smart-grid technology.” A microloan from the Michigan Microloan Fund, which is managed by Ann Arbor SPARK, will help support the two-person startup’s sales and marketing efforts, which will include building out its website and attending trade shows. The size of the microloan wasn’t disclosed but amounts granted by the Michigan Microloan Fund usually average around $50,000. Source: Brian Tell, managing partner of solartonic Writer: Jon Zemk Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Economic Development

Ilium Software turns early adoption of mobile app into growth

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Software developers like to brag about being early adopters, often telling people they were designing mobile apps at the dawn of Apple’s App Store. Ken Morse has them beat by a decade. The CEO of Ilium Software has been designing the early ancestors of mobile apps for the Windows platform since the 1990s. “We started in 1997 doing apps for what was called Windows CE,” Morse says. “Over the years that morphed into Windows mobile. ... Back in those days the devices were PDAs. Then over time they took PDAs and added phone hardware to it. They they started putting the PDA into the phones.” The Ann Arbor-based mobile app company now employs seven employees and handful of independent contractors after hiring one person over the last year. It has been doing a lot of work for the Andriod platform in recent years, riding the wave of increased usership of Andriod phones. “It has been a real interesting 16 years to see how the technology evolved,” Morse says. Source: Ken Morse, CEO of Ilium Software Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Entrepreneurship

U-M MBA student finds traction with mobile startup, Photoful

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Jeff Bargmann has been working in software for a little more than a decade and is now leveraging that experience with his own mobile start-up, Photoful. The Ann Arbor-based company’s mobile app helps users exert more control over their photo albums by making things like tagging, browsing and organizing easier. It got its start as an attempt to create a better photo gallery app but Bargmann soon realized the back-end of the app is what made it popular. “I figured out that the organizational aspect is what people were missing from their lives,” Bargmann says. “So I relaunched it as Photoful and it has been well-received.” Bargmann is the one-man team behind Photoful. He is doing it as a side project while he is pursuing his MBA at the University of Michigan on a part-time basis. He expects to graduate in December with an MBA in strategy and entrepreneurship. Bargmann plans to keep developing the Photoful platform and see how far the startup will take him. Source: Jeff Bargmann, founder & lead developer of Photoful Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Feature Story

Thomas Zurbuchen at the Lurie Engineering Center at U of M's North Campus

Economic Development

You Say You Want an Entrepreneurial Revolution? Just Do It.

Dennis ArchambaultWednesday, September 11, 2013

Cultivating the entrepreneurial ecosystem requires talent, density, and quality of life. Or so says Thomas Zurbuchen. The founding director of the U-M Center for Entrepreneurship believes that Ann Arbor needs more size, collision and shots on goal if it truly wants to be a community that builds and sustains robust local entrepreneurship.

Partner Content

Community Development

50 years, 50 stories: Story #19 AAACF Youth CouncilAnn Arbor Area Community Foundation

Ann Arbor Area Community FoundationWednesday, September 11, 2013

Each year, a group of 21-25 Ann Arbor high school students award nearly $70,000 in grants to support youth programs across Washtenaw County. Since 1989, more than 200 students have served on the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Youth Council, awarding more than $1.5 million in grants that have helped to launch local programs and make a difference for thousands of young people.

Feature Story

Jim Stanhope at Pinball Pete's in Ann Arbor

Arts and Culture

Sudsy Symposium: Nerd Nite Ann Arbor

Patrick DunnWednesday, September 11, 2013

Doing anything on September 12? Try Nerd Nite, a TEDx for the bar set. Growing in popularity nationwide, the event mixes presentations on topics like knifemaking and the origin of writing with your favorite drinks. Concentrate gets the skinny on this blend of brains and fun.

Economic Development

U-M ranks 4th in Bloomberg's list of top colleges for tech CEOs

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Bloomberg

U-M graduates are at the top of the class when it comes to becoming a tech CEO, according to Bloomberg. Excerpt: The main campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a lot closer to Motor City than Silicon Valley, but the Wolverines have had a big appetite for running tech companies. Eric Lefkofsky, who recently took over as CEO of Groupon, and Paul Rooke, who runs printer maker Lexmark, are Michigan alumni. Steve Singh, who runs the travel expenses company Concur Technologies, and Bobby Kotick, the animated CEO of Activision Blizzard, also went to Michigan but didn't stay until graduation. More here.

Healthy Communities

U-M receives $200M gift to support business school, athletics program

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Wall Street Journal

U-M's coffers will runneth over with billionaire real estate developer Stephen M. Ross's $200M gift. Excerpt: "The real-estate developer's gift, the single largest in the university's history, will be split between its business school—which is named for Mr. Ross, a 1962 graduate—and its athletics program... In 2004, Mr. Ross gave $100 million to construct a new building for the University of Michigan's business school and to bolster the school's endowment. The latest gift is meant to "finish the job" in upgrading the business school's other buildings, Mr. Ross said." More here.

Economic Development

Arbor Networks acquires Australia-based Packetloop

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Arbor Networks

Arbor Networks is broadening its scope in the data security field with its acquisition of Packetloop, a Sydney, Australia-based firm. Excerpt: "Arbor is building a network security and analytics platform that goes far beyond DDoS detection and mitigation," said John Grady, research manager for Security Products at IDC. "Adding a big data security analytics and forensics platform like Packetloop's makes sense as they extend into the broader advanced threat market. Arbor now has a unique combination of NetFlow, packet capture and global threat intelligence from their ATLAS infrastructure to address today's dynamic threats that evade signature-based solutions." More here.

Entrepreneurship

Larky forms new partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Larky

Larky, a provider of a web and mobile service that tracks discounts for consumers, has a new deal on its plate. Excerpt: "Today, we're launching a new partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) to raise awareness and increase usage of their awesomeHealthy Blue Xtras member discount program. We're super excited about this, not only because we can help four million BCBSM members save money effortlessly, but also because Healthy Blue Xtras discounts are from great Michigan merchants focused on health and wellness." More here.

Healthy Communities

aUM Yoga brings a quirky twist on yoga to N. University

Natalie Burg Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Jessie Lipkowitz, aUM Yoga

Jessie Lipkowitz gave her new yoga studio a name that is a play on words, and play is exactly what she hopes her students do when they come to class. Rather than the typical, straightforward yoga offerings, aUM Yoga hosts classes with such name as " All Yin, No Yang: Yin Yoga," " Damn! This is Sexy and Slow!: Slow Flow" and " F*** This is Hard: Hot Power Vinyasa."

"My vision is to have a fun place where yoga isn't taken as seriously and is fun for beginners," says Lipkowitz.

The 2011 University of Michigan graduate calls her unique approach to yoga a collaborative concept. She hopes to pair classes with monthly books discussions and juice cleanses and to invite businesses to partner with the studio to bring yoga options to their employees.

"I give all my instructors full license to use their creativity," she says.

aUM Yoga opened last week on N. University in a 900-square-foot studio below Silvio's Organic Pizza. Lipkowitz says the near-campus location appealed to her, as she hopes to attract students interested in a playful, youthful approach to yoga. The new studio employs 12 instructors.

Source: Jessie Lipkowitz, aUM Yoga Writer: Natalie Burg

Economic Development

Vehicle research center at Willow Run could create 1,950 jobs, $360M impact

Natalie Burg Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Paul Krutko, Ann Arbor SPARK

What if it was possible to peek into the future of automotive technology? A place where tomorrow's cars were driving around without drivers and new vehicles were being tested for the first time? That's exactly what Ann Arbor SPARK, RACER Trust, Devon Industrial Group and Walbridge Development, LLC. have in mind for the 332-acre property that houses the former Willow Run Powertrain plant.

The plan announced last week is to deconstruct the existing five-million square-foot powertrain facility to make way for a connected vehicle research center, where automakers and startups could test new technologies.

"We're really heartened to see developers step forward. If this site is developed it would be dramatic for the community," says Paul Krutko, president and CEO of the economic development organization Ann Arbor SPARK. "We think it should be an open source environment. Some kind of entity will need to be created to maintain it, and as the companies need to use it, they would book time. We also like the idea of creating an incubating environment so new companies could test their new ideas."

The recent announcement is a first step in a long development process, says Krutko. Under the current plan, Devon Industrial Group will manage the dismantling and removal of industrial buildings from the site by MCM Management, which is expected to be a 12-month process. Walbridge Development would then redevelop the property into the planned research center.

"Generally, you test something in a live environment," says Krutko, "but to validate them, to make sure they're safe, you need a controlled environment. A facility would need to be a really sufficient site to test how a car would merge onto a freeway, or what happens when it goes into a tunnel."

The proposed connected vehicle research center would include a number of structures as well as outdoor development courses. According to a whitepaper released by Ann Arbor SPARK, the construction cost is expected to be about $90 million and could create 1,950 direct jobs. The economic impact to the areas is expected to be as high as $360 million, creating 7,800 direct and indirect jobs and $526 million in wages.

Source: Paul Krutko, Ann Arbor SPARK Writer: Natalie Burg

Economic Development

Michigan's largest auto accident law firm opens Ann Arbor office

Natalie Burg Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Steve Gursten, Michigan Auto Law

With 18 lawyers and frequent cases in Washtenaw, Jackson and Lenawee Counties, Michigan Auto Law, the state's largest law firm specializing in auto accidents, is no stranger to Ann Arbor. After the firm subleased a small space from a recently dissolved business, however, owner Steve Gursten decided it was time to make their local presence more permanent. "With the way we've been growing," says Gursten, "We said, let's take a ten-year lease, let's grow and see where it takes us. We're really excited to be in Ann Arbor." A University of Michigan graduate, Gursten says he was delighted to bring his family's third-generation business to the area. The Farmington Hills-based law firm began specializing in auto accidents about 25 years ago. The local Michigan Auto Law office is located in downtown Ann Arbor on Main St. above The Gown Shop. Gursten was attracted to the building for its beauty and accessibility, as well as its proximity to the courthouse. The office is currently staffed by two existing Michigan Auto Law attorneys. "With the tremendous growth of cases we've had in Ann Arbor, I'd love to see it grow," Gursten says. "I'd like it to grow to a full support office with several lawyers." Michigan Auto Law opened its new local office in early August. The firm also has locations in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Sterling Heights and Grand Rapids. Source: Steve Gursten, Michigan Auto Law Writer: Natalie Burg

Arts and Culture

Familiar Mexican menu under a new name comes to W. Stadium

Natalie Burg Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Miguel Amaral, Don Juan Mexican Bar & Grill

Local Mexican food aficionados will find something familiar when they open the menu at the new Don Juan Mexican Bar & Grill on Ann Arbor's W. Stadium Blvd. The recently opened restaurant serves many of the same dishes as owner Juan Hernandez's two area Los Amigos restaurants.

That's good news, says manager Miguel Amaral, for fans of the restaurants who live across town.

"People were really asking for this over here," says Amaral. "None of the businesses were on the west side. People were too far away."

With its brightly-colored walls and large, vibrant landscapes, Don Juan began answering that demand on Aug 26 when the new bar and restaurant opened. The restaurant, which seats 88 and offers take out, specializes in their parrillada entrée, a daily happy hour, and extended happy hour on weekdays.

"Our happy hour is great, and I think we have very good food," says Amaral. "We try to have good service and have a homey, warm place. That way, people will want to come back."

Don Juan employs a staff of eight.

Source: Miguel Amaral, Don Juan Mexican Bar & Grill Writer: Natalie Burg

Entrepreneurship

Atomic Object acquires SRT Solutions, plans to expand staff

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Atomic Object has acquired SRT Solutions for an undisclosed sum. The Grand Rapids-based software firm plans to not only retain SRT Solutions’ staff in downtown Ann Arbor but is looking to nearly double it over the next year as Atomic Object’s Ann Arbor office. “You can’t underestimate how valuable a highly functioning, cohesive group of talented developers is right now in software,” says Carl Erickson, president of Atomic Object. He adds, “I expect we will have our first job offer (for the Ann Arbor office) out next week.” SRT Solutions has become a household name in Ann Arbor’s tech circles since its founding in 1999, doing work for the likes of Domino’s Pizza, General Motors and the University of Michigan. The company’s co-founders, Bill Wagner and Dianne Marsh, will not be staying on and are choosing to pursue new opportunities. Wagner will continue to work from Ann Arbor for Pluralsight. Marsh has taken a job for Netflix. The former partners reached out to Erickson this spring about a potential acquisition because of the striking similarities between their company cultures that focus on innovation and staying ahead of the tech curve. “This is a really good match because of Bill and Dianne’s employees and business practices,” Erickson says. “All of that lined up pretty well with Atomic Object.” Erickson started Atomic Object in 2001 and has grown his company’s client list into a diverse collage of brand names, including Whirlpool, Gentex and Amway. Atomic Object has a staff of 45 employees and four summer interns, including about a dozen people in its recently opened downtown Detroit office. SRT Solutions' downtown Ann Arbor office will now serve as Atomic Object’s Ann Arbor satellite office. The five employees at SRT Solutions will stay on. Erickson is actively recruiting for a number of software programming and design position and expects to hire another five people in Ann Arbor over the next year. Source: Carl Erickson, president of Atomic Object; Bill Wagner co-founder of SRT Solutions; Dianne Marsh, co-founder of SRT Solutions Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Entrepreneurship

SRT Solutions co-founders execute smooth transition

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Entrepreneurs often start businesses to try something new. But what do they do when that business becomes established and they want to walk through the next door in life? For Bill Wagner and Dianne Marsh, that meant finding a soft landing spot for not only themselves, but their business (SRT Solutions) and the people who work for it. “It’s not like leaving a job,” Marsh says. “There is a responsibility there.” The pair of seasoned software entrepreneurs made a call to a friend earlier this year and a few months later they were able to work out an acquisition of SRT Solutions to Grand Rapids-based Atomic Object. The software firm plans to keep on SRT Solutions’ staff (five employees) as the foundation of Atomic Object's new downtown Ann Arbor office. Marsh and Wagner are now going off to take on new opportunities. “It has been a lot of fun but it’s definitely time to do something different,” Wagner says. Wagner is going to start creating course content for Pluralsight and developing the Humanitarian Toolbox. The toolbox will be an open-source project that leverages software to help first responders better prepare for disasters. “It’s creative software that has a very big, positive impact on the world,” Wagner says. Marsh will become the director of engineering for cloud tools at Netflix in Silicon Valley. She had no intention of taking a corporate job when she started down this new path, but Netflix was able to make a convincing argument to do so thanks to the company’s innovative culture and flat management system. “When I announced I was going to make a change a bunch of opportunities emerged,” Marsh says. “Netflix reached out to me.” Wagner plans to stay in Ann Arbor, working remotely for his new employer. He also planned to stay involved in the local tech/entrepreneurial scene. “It has a lot of potential,” Wagner says. “There are a lot of great ideas coming out of a lot of young companies. We need some more hits.” Source: Dianne Marsh and Bill Wagner, co-founders of SRT Solutions Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Technology and Innovation

Deque doubles Ann Arbor headcount, eyes bigger office space

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Source: Concentrate

Deque has doubled the size of its office in Ann Arbor over the last year and plans to keep hiring at that pace over the next year. Deque creates software that helps make websites more accessible to people with disabilities. A growing number of companies are working to enhance their websites in this way to open up their products to bigger markets. That’s where Deque is carving out its niche. “A billion pages are being developed everyday and most of them are inaccessible,” says Preety Kumar, founder & CEO of Deque. The Virginia-based company’s CTO lives in Ann Arbor and works remotely from Tree Town. The start-up has steadily built up its presence in Michigan, at first with a few hires through the CTO and then by opening its development center in downtown Ann Arbor in 2010. Today the office has a staff of 12 employees, which is up from six a year ago. The company is currently looking to fill six more positions. “We have many open positions for talented software developers,” Kumar says. Deque’s decision to grow in Ann Arbor made sense because of its ability to recruit computer science graduates from the University of Michigan and otherwise draw from the region’s talent pool. Kumar calls the company’s presence a “natural fit” with the firm’s culture and choose to set up shop in downtown Ann Arbor because of its vibrancy. “It’s just a more accessible location for people living in Ann Arbor and for graduates from the University of Michigan,” Kumar says. She says the company’s growth is pushing the limits on its 2,500-square-foot office, prompting it to look for a bigger space to accommodate its new hires. Source: Preety Kumar, founder & CEO of Deque 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.