Blogs

For the 100th issue, Metromode managing editor Jeff Meyers has stepped out from behind the virtual curtain, where he's monitored Metro Detroit's new economy, to share some of his ideas for making SE Michigan better still. Agree or disagree, he hopes you'll weigh in with a few suggestions of your own. Or at least wish him a happy 100th.

Paper and plastic bags, be gone! Plastic grocery sacks, now banned everywhere from China to South Africa to San Francisco, make eco-blogger Jeff Newsom's tank top shirt bags a viable choice. Proceeds from these fashion-cum-function totes support A-ShirtBag, his environmental education non-profit. This week, Jeff waxes eloquent on what it takes to start a non-profit in Detroit...

Social media, "tweeting" and "friending". These days, it's hard to tell screen time from face time. Meet Jeffrey MacKie-Mason, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Michigan School of Information. This week, he'll be talking about the knowledge economy opportunities emerging from a unique graduate program that blends information systems with the social sciences.

It'll be a transportation field day when you can check out a bike in Detroit as easily as you can a book from the library. Detroit Bike Sharing co-founders Stephanie Lucido and Jenna Przybycien share their plans for how the Motor City can be a cycle city.

Social media is a necessary minefield for entrepreneurs and jobseekers to navigate. While voiding the past isn't always possible, Foley & Lardner LLP attorney Jennifer Neumann gives the rundown on proper usage of this tool.

"Art doesn't transform. It just plain forms." - Roy Lichtenstein. Dedicated to making the arts a community pillar for Macomb County is Dr. Jennifer Callans, executive director of the Anton Art Center. This week Jenny will open the discussion on arts funding, programming, and the art community's changing demographics.

Not everything can be scripted, but here's a good start for a start-up. Jeremy Schneider, founder and president of Ann Arbor-based Rentlinx, an online rental housing multi-list, tells the tale of a software developer creating a company from scratch and learning to make bucks from the mostly free service he markets on a budget.

Professor Jerry Lindman wants Metro Detroiters to consider nonprofit management as a viable career option. As the Director for the Center for Nonprofit Management at Lawrence Tech, he has a deep understanding of the professional opportunities they offer. Guess what he'll be writing about.

Jessica Pfeiffer is a native Detroiter, currently a resident of Corktown, and the Executive Director of The MORE Program (MI Resources & Opportunities for Entrepreneurs).She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and serves on the board of Southwest Solutions. Jessica will be writing about creating internship opportunities to train and retain our region's college students.

The case of City Government v. Business Interests is now closed. For the region to flourish again, attorney and Royal Oak City Commissioner Jim Rasor knows that both parties need to be on the same side. This week he offers up his 2020 vision for the region.

Jim Townsend is our guest blogger this week. He is the executive director of the Tourism Economic Development Council, serves on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, which he founded in 2002, and lives with his family in Royal Oak. 

Check back here every weekday to read Jim's thoughts about branding our region.

State Rep. Jim Townsend has introduced a bill to create a regional transit authority in southeast Michigan; by some counts, this is the 24th attempt to create such an entity. Rep. Townsend writes this week on clearing the road for mass transit. Let's hope no. 24 is the charm.

Joe Posch is a native Detroiter and the owner of Mezzanine, a modern design store in downtown Detroit. A firm proponent of "the little guy," Joe believes that smaller-scale independent development will be a critical factor in Detroit's tasteful revitalization. He'll be writing about how design can save the city.

A peek at the playbills of the Majestic Theater and the Magic Stick live music venues shows that every day is a different act. How does Joe Zainea, longtime owner of The Majestic entertainment empire, keep things fresh from week to week? Follow on for his tales of revival and survival.

Metro Detroit's entrepreneur ranks are burgeoning. But startups are well advised to keep a legal-eye view on going into business. John Simon, attorney and partner at Foley & Lardner, LLP, gives the rundown of legal issues to which great minds must heed, such as corporate form and intellectual property protection.