Source: JW Boyle, America's Resellers Corp Writer: Natalie Burg

Source: Scott Wintner, Willow Run Airport Writer: Natalie Burg

Lyons Consulting Group plans to invest $1.1 million in its Ann Arbor office and hire 30 new people after securing $300,000 in incentives made possible by the Michigan Economic Development Authority and Ann Arbor SPARK. The Chicago-based firm bills itself as a "digital agency specializing in strategy, ux/design, development, and ongoing support." It opened an office in Ann Arbor last May to take advantage of the area's deep talent pool in e-commerce expertise. "When you find a patch of good people you capitalize on it," says Norman Alesi, COO & CFO of Lyons Consulting Group. "It's difficult to find a group of people who understand e-commerce the way these people did." The Ann Arbor office currently stands at 13 people and is growing. Lyons Consulting Group currently has four job openings for a project manager, sales representative, experience architects, and a support and maintenance position. Alesi and Lyons Consulting Group's founder Richard Lyons are both Metro Detroit natives. Lyons also graduated from the University of Michigan. But Alesi maintains that while those roots helped sway them, their ultimate decision was based on the quality of the people they could hire in Ann Arbor. "It is predominantly because of the talent base," Alesi says. Source: Norman Alesi, COO & CFO of Lyons Consulting Group Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

PWB Marketing Communications has not only seen its client base in Michigan grow over the last year, it's also expanding its geographic reach. The Ann Arbor-based marketing agency has recently added to its customer list a software firm based in Montreal called MAYA. The two share a business relationship with a third company and started to do some work together over the last year. PWB Marketing Communications, which recently turned 30, has also seen some of its long-term clients, particularly those in the manufacturing, technology, outdoor enthusiast, and financial service sectors, come back for more and steadier engagements with the rise of the economy. "We have definitely seen some good things in the marketplace," says Sean Hickey, COO of PWB Marketing Communications. "There is good work out there to chase." The firm now has a staff of six people after adding new social media and SEO specialists. Hickey says the recent economic downturn has made firms like his a little gun shy about pulling the trigger on new hires, but he doesn't expect that to last too much longer. "We are on the cusp of adding staff," Hickey says. "We want to be careful about adding staff at the right time." Source: Sean Hickey, COO of PWB Marketing Communications Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Omar Hashwi has always thought public performance and music platforms like Youtube were difficult to use and unfriendly to small bands and DJs looking to break out. That's when the University of Michigan student decided to build a better music platform, Stamp.fm. "We want to make sure every artist can be heard," says Omar Hashwi, founder & president of Stamp.fm. Hashwi is also a local DJ and vice president of the student body at the University of Michigan. "We want this to be a well-known platform where people go to discover new music and artists go to kickstart their careers." The 5-month-old start-up provides a platform for what it calls online music tournaments. Every couple of weeks, Stamp.fm asks artists to audition in places with dynamic music scenes, like Ann Arbor and Detroit. The auditioning acts then square off in a battle-of-the-bands-like contest where a champion of that city's music scene is announced. The Ann Arbor-based start-up and its team of a few dozen contributors has already held one of these competitions in Ann Arbor and is looking to expand into other nearby markets, such as Detroit and Chicago. Source: Omar Hashwi, founder & president of Stamp.fm Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Many lifelong friendships are cemented in Ann Arbor, from those who still religiously do football Saturdays, to those who've earned stardom in Parkistan. Excerpt: Publishing editor of Paper Magazine Meher Tareen and Khadijah Shah of Élan need no introduction. They have been friends since college, when they attended University of Michigan-Ann Arbor together. "Meher has always been very creative when it comes to making collages and using Photoshop," says Khadijah. "She always wanted to work for a magazine or own one — I don't see a better suited career for her." More here.

Anyone considering whether to live in, or at least visit, Ann Arbor should do more than look twice at this video. Food, arts and culture, transit, parks, a healthy citizenry, the largest canoe livery in the state – you got it! See the video here.

Source: Hanna Stelman, Priceless Photo Preservation Writer: Natalie Burg