Nearly 400 people attended
Ann Arbor SPARK's Annual Meeting and Regional Economic Forum on May 21 at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center. The event showcased SPARK's achievements in fostering economic growth and innovation in Washtenaw County, while its keynote speaker discussed climate change's potential impact on the county's economy.
Kelly Sexton, SPARK's board chair and the University of Michigan's (U-M) associate vice president for research, innovation partnerships, and economic impact, reported on SPARK's
impact in 2024.
"There's so much energy here," Sexton said. "Congratulations to the SPARK team for pulling off this tremendous event that highlights the very best of SPARK's accomplishments, and also the energy and enthusiasm of our community, of our region, and of our state."
Sexton presented key highlights for SPARK in 2024, underscoring the organization's central mission of helping early-stage tech companies succeed. In 2024 SPARK's entrepreneurial services team provided consulting and critical services to over 450 startups and supported more than 1,000 jobs. SPARK's entrepreneurial marketing team also engaged with and assisted 54 startups. Through
SPARK Capital and the
Michigan Angel Fund, over $59 million has been invested to date, helping Michigan startups raise more than $1.5 billion in follow-on funding.
"One of the most meaningful parts of our work is seeing how these efforts translate into real impact, helping our local businesses grow higher and contribute to a stronger regional economy," Sexton said.
Also spotlighted was the success of the
SPARK East Innovation Center. The center's team supported 38 Ypsilanti-based startups through coaching, educational programming, and almost $200,000 in grant funding. They also assisted 480 youth through education and career initiatives. Sexton emphasized that SPARK wants to ensure that everyone can participate in entrepreneurship and innovation, with a focus on historically underserved individuals and communities.
The success of SPARK's
Small Business Support Hub, launched in 2024, was also discussed. Created to assist a broader range of small businesses with resources tailored to their specific needs, the program was made possible by a $3.4 million, three-year grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. A strong network of community organizations has also bolstered its success. So far, the program has helped 237 small businesses, more than 60% them women- and minority-owned. Sexton said the Small Business Support Hub helped launch 18 new businesses, supporting access to $185,000 in follow-on funding.
"We at SPARK are actively looking for a private-sector partner to continue success when the grant sunsets in 2026," Sexton said.
An awards presentation ceremony followed the economic update, honoring several outstanding community leaders and companies. Notably, the Project of the Year award
was given to U-M and Los Alamos National Laboratory, which are collaborating to create a state-of-the-art facility in Ypsilanti Township by 2030. The project is expected to bring an estimated 200 new jobs with an average annual salary of $200,000.
Forum attendees also heard from keynote speaker
Abrahm Lustgarten, an investigative journalist and author of "
On The Move." His book explores how climate change and migration will transform the American landscape. Every event attendee received a copy of his book, and many stood in line to get them autographed following the forum.
"There's an enormous desire when I talk about this issue to give people some good news, and that's a little bit of a strain, because most of the news is bad news," Lustgarten says. "The message I want to convey the most is that this is leading to economic transformation."
He adds, "I think people will appreciate climate change impacts on their lives when they start to be affected by it economically, and that is kind of inevitable."
His book examines climate change-related threats – mainly wildfires, sea level rise, hurricanes, and extreme heat – and associated changes in agriculture and humidity. Lustgarten explores the resulting cost to the economy, communities, and lives.
"None of those threats are the main issues facing Michigan. You're relatively sheltered, although not totally, because no place on the planet will not be affected," he says. "When people start moving and they look for a place to go that offers fewer threats, this is an attractive area. If you look at all the different ways of slicing the data, most of them suggest this is going to be a good place."
As 2025 moves forward, SPARK will continue to encourage more people to join the
A2 Green Business Challenge, which SPARK launched last May with the city of Ann Arbor's Office of Sustainability. Sexton reported to forum-goers that dozens of companies participated in the pilot year.
"The response has been incredibly positive," Sexton said. "We're excited to grow this initiative as part of the broader push toward Ann Arbor's A2ZERO carbon neutrality goals, empowering more businesses to lead the way in building our greener future."