Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Renovo Power Technology has a growing staff to go with its expanding product portfolio in alternative energy. The downtown Ann Arbor-based company has doubled it staff with three hires in sales, marketing and government affairs. That employment growth is thanks to more sales from a wider variety of products. Renovo Power Technology makes advanced inverters that help transition energy from solar panels to the electric grid. The transformerless inverter technology gets rid of the copper coils of traditional transformers and replaces them with electronics that are both more efficient and cheaper to manufacture. Normal five kilowatt inverters weigh 150 pounds. Renovo Power Technology's inverters are less than 60 pounds. It recently launched a micro inverter that allows an inverter/solar panel ratio to be as low as 1/1. Often an inverter will service an array of solar panels that can number a dozen or more. "It offers more flexibility when it comes to installations where shading might come into effect," says Shane LaHouse, managing partner of Renovo Power Technology. "It also allows for smaller installations." Renovo Power Technology currently has its technology being used in two large installments in Michigan with a third being lined up in Traverse City. It also looking to use its technology in a 166-panel array on 416 W Huron in Ann Arbor next year. The company is also looking to land more orders from governments, such as municipalities, in 2015. "Our primary focus is on the Midwest," LaHouse says. Source: Shane LaHouse, managing partner of Renovo Power Technology Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Technology and Innovation

OcuSciences enlists Adams Fellow to grow startup

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Source: Concentrate

OcuSciences hired two people over the last year, expanding the bio-tech startup’s staff to five. One of those hires was a new CTO (coming Accuri Cytometers) and another is from the Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship program. The Automation Alley-managed program pairs recent college graduates with locally based startups. The idea is to get more talented young people involved in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Erich Heise joins OcuSciences as its business manager, specializing in business development. "It's a chance for Erich to get his feet wet in a company," says Kurt Riegger, COO of OcuSciences. "OcuSciences is doing a lot of business development and Erich has a chance to do a lot of it." OcuSciences spun out of the University of Michigan six years ago developing a new way to diagnose diseases like diabetes with eye scans. Its ocular diagnostic technology for metabolomic diseases that allows doctors to diagnose patients earlier and with higher accuracy. It's the type of new technology in an emerging area that attracted Heise back to Ann Arbor after he graduated from Case Western University. "Ann Arbor is really an area of opportunity when it comes to entrepreneurship," Heise says. "Most people run to the coasts but I think this area is really blossoming." OcuSciences’ technology is being used in two clinical centers, and the startup is working to bring two more online in the coming months. "The need is high," Riegger says. "The challenge is can we get ahead of the need?" Source: Kurt Riegger, COO of OcuSciences Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Economic Development

Customer Discovery Ninja platform helps gauge customer demand

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Customer Discovery Ninja isn't Steven Sherman's first startup, but his first startup served as the inspiration for Customer Discovery Ninja. The Ann Arborite spent a large part of last year trying to build up YouKnowWatt, a technology platform that brings real-time information to home energy audits with an eye for making more houses energy-efficient. That startup didn't pan out, but Sherman and his co-founder did stumble upon a market need when trying to determine their customer base. They were doing customer research with Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform when they realized the technology wasn’t doing everything they wanted. So they decided to make their own to facilitate more comprehensive interviews with potential customer. "You're not pitching a solution," Sherman says. "You're trying to understand the core of their problem." Customer Discovery Ninja is currently in private Beta with a handful of paying customers. The platform works to gauge customer demand for a new product. For now the new service is limiting its focus as it building up its platform. "It's for general U.S. consumers," Sherman says. "You won't find an B2B on there." Sherman and his partner would like to hire 100 paying customers (think businesses and entrepreneurs) paying $5 per interview by the end of this year. Source: Steven Sherman, co-founder of Customer Discovery Ninja Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Feature Story

Bill Brinkerhoff and Kathy Sample at the Argus Farm Stop

Economic Development

Argus Farm Stop: One-stop shopping for local food

Patrick DunnWednesday, October 15, 2014

Being a locavore can be a challenge of logistics. All farmer's markets are not created equal and none operate year-round. Enter Argus Farm Stop, a downtown market offering one-stop shopping for locally produced goods.

Feature Story

Dave Askins and Mary Morgan at Ann Arbor City Hall

Community Development

Chronicle founder reflects on Ann Arbor news media's past, present and future

Natalie BurgWednesday, October 15, 2014

Last month Dave Askins and Mary Morgan ended their six year run of The Ann Arbor Chronicle, a local online news source that focused on long form government reporting. As Concentrate publishes its 300th issue, we've asked Askins to reflect on the local media-scape; where it's been, where it's at now, and where it might be heading.

Arts and Culture

Ann Arbor invaded by cuteness

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: RoadTrippers.com

The whimsical art of David Zinn has become such a main-stay here in Ann Arbor it's sometimes easy to forget how unique and special his chalk drawings are. Road bloggers certainly didn't take his work for granted as they passed through Ann Arbor. Excerpt: "What makes Zinn’s work really original is that he’s entirely self-taught. However, I reckon his degree in Creative Writing and English Language has helped him construct the fantastical worlds that he creates on the streets and sidewalks around Ann Arbor." Check out the photos here. Also, read this story in the Business Insider.

Economic Development

Ann Arbor-based Stratos develops one card to bind them all

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: TechCrunch.com

We've covered Stratos big investment scores in a recent issue of Concentrate but it looks like TechCrunch just caught wind of the A2 company developing an all-in-one, inter-connected credit card. Excerpt: "The startup raised $5.8 million from Midwest and West Coast investors. San Francisco-based Toba Capital led the round with Western Technology Investment, Hyde Park Venture Partners, and Michigan-based Resonant Venture Partners also participating. Stratos is one of the latest companies to come out of Ann Arbor. Olson was born in Michigan, and its CTO co-founded Detroit Labs. Stratos operates out of the same building that houses the hot security startup, Duo Security." Read the rest here.

Arts and Culture

Ann Arbor architecture firm reimagines the city of the future

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Wall Street Journal

Welcome to the age of the megalopolis, where networks rather than borders define our community and commerse. Or so imagines a local architecture firm at a new exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture. Excerpt: "“Infra Eco Logi Urbanism” is the result of a research project devised by Geoffrey Thün, Kathy Velikov and Colin Ripley of RVTR, an architecture firm with offices in Toronto and Ann Arbor, Mich. Their approach illustrates one aspect of a sea change among architects: In the past few years, urban planners and design professionals have become much more intent on confronting such consequences of unchecked growth as air pollution, traffic congestion, contaminated waterways, blighted landscapes and invasive sprawl. They believe that inspirational planning can help make things better." Read the rest here.

Kids and Education

Ann Arbor among top 3 best small cities for college students

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Huffington Post

The rankings were actually determined by the American Institute for Economic Research. Are you getting list fatigue? We're getting a bit tuckered out keeping track of which top 10 list we've made thos month. Excerpt: "Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, came in second, with high levels of academic research and development per student and percentage of workers in "innovative" fields. In third place, Ann Arbor, Michigan reported both a high percentage of college-educated residents as well as a high student concentration." Read the rest here.

Healthy Communities

Local fitness and tennis coach rallies support for new FitLife gym

Natalie BurgWednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Dominika Wozniak, FitLife

Dominika Wozniak has already had a pretty impressive career, including playing tennis both in college and professionally, as well as being a tennis coach and personal trainer. Now, she's planning to add "business owner" to that list of titles with her own gym, FitLife. "I did a lot of independent training in the past," she says. "I just rented a gym and ran my class in different locations. Now I feel like I have a pretty good base of clients and want to spread the word to come and joint the studio." Wozniak plans to open her fitness studio in a 3,500 square foot space near State St. in Ann Arbor, but first, she's planning to raise part of the funds to launch FitLife through the crowdfunding website Indigogo. Because she requires such a large space and commercial property can be difficult to come by locally, she's hoping her campaign will prove her business's viability to her prospective landlord. As far as plans for the business itself, she has a clear vision of what she's hoping to create. "We want to do group classes, and we'll have a separate area for personal training. Or they can do a buddy session where two people share one training session," says Wozniak. "Variety is key. I want to make sure the people who are coming to class, can pick what would make them happy." Though the campaign will run for 30 more days, Wozniak hopes to move as quickly as possible to open FitLife. She hopes to open in January, and plans to employ a minimum of five trainers at the facility. Source: Dominika Wozniak, FitLife Writer: Natalie Burg

Entrepreneurship

Manchester chiropractic office to double in size with early 2015 move

Natalie BurgWednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Dana Andrews, Andrews Family Chiropractic

Though Andrews Family Chiropractic's upcoming move in Manchester won't be a far one, it's been a long time coming — and will be a dramatic jump in size for the clinic. "When I first came to town in the beginning of 2007, there was a building across the street from me that I've always looked at and thought, 'That is an awesome building,'" says Andrews Family Chiropractic owner Dr. Dana Andrews. Soon, that awesome building will be the new home of his office, doubling his current space, thanks to the current tenant moving out. "I'll be able to mange my clients and patients a lot better having more space," says Andrews. "We'll have a nice, big waiting area so people aren't standing and waiting." Andrews has significant renovations planed for the space, which will include the creation of a private office, exam room, two adjustment rooms, an x-ray room and two massage therapy rooms. In addition to his current massage therapist, he plans to hire another massage therapist, and the increased space will allow him to add an associate to his practice in the future. He plans to complete renovations and open in the new location in February. Source: Dana Andrews, Andrews Family Chiropractic Writer: Natalie Burg

Economic Development

Midwestern Consulting continues growth spurt with four new jobs

Natalie BurgWednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Scott Betzoldt, Midwestern Consulting

The fact that residential and commercial development is on the rise is good news for a lot of folks, but perhaps few more than Midwestern Consulting, an engineering services firm. Though their staff dipped to 32 employees during the recession, that number has risen to 55 over the last 24 months, including four newly added positions. "The residential and commercial development is up about 40 percent of what it was last year," says Scott Betzoldt, a partner with Midwest Consulting. "These people we've added are directly involved in residential and commercial development." Midwestern Consulting has provided engineering services such as civil, environmental and transportation engineering, as well as surveying, planning, information technology and landscape architecture to both private and public clients since 1967. The new positions include a senior project manager, project engineer, project landscape architect, and engineering and ACAD Technician. Between them the four new employees have more than 60 years of experience in their fields — they don't represent the end of the Ann Arbor firm's growth. "We would like to increase our client base in Washtenaw County and Southeast Michigan and try to return to what we were before 2005 and 2006," says Betzoldt, referring to the company's pre-recession staff of 85, "and at that point, we'll then consider branching out into other parts of the state." Source: Scott Betzoldt, Midwestern Consulting Writer: Natalie Burg

Economic Development

Ann Arbor’s re:group makes 6 hires in 6 months

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Downtown Ann Arbor-based re:group scored a bigger home and larger staff in 2014. The digital marketing agency has hired six people in the last six months, expanding its staff to 33 employees and the occasional intern. The new jobs include an art director, copy director, and social media professionals, among others. It's also looking to hire another three people now. To accommodate that staff growth, re:group has expanded its space in the Schlenker Building on Liberty Street. It now occupies in excess of 10,000 square feet in the structure. "We took another floor in our building," says Carey Jernigan, vice president of development for re:group. She adds that re:group is growing so fast that it’s writing a new work proposal each work. It has landed new clients, such as Molly Maid and Pet Supplies Plus. Jernigan believes it is landing all of this new work because it offers a comprehensive marketing package that includes both new and traditional aspects of marketing. "We do all of it under one roof," Jernigan says. "We always offer an integrated plan that includes traditional because it works better." Source: Carey Jernigan, vice president of development for re:group Writer: Jon Zemke

Economic Development

ISSYS wins patent for sensor tech in Ypsilanti, adding positions

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Integrated Sensing Systems, AKA ISSYS, recently received a patent for one of its minimally-invasive procedures used to insert its sensing technology, The Ypsilanti-based tech firm designs and develops microelectromechanical systems for medical and scientific sensors. Its technology (miniature, wireless, batteryless, sensing implants) can be used in a variety of ways, such as wirelessly monitoring a heart or as fluid sensors in industrial manufacturing. The new patent is part of Integrated Sensing Systems’ sensor implementation as part of a minimally-invasive procedure, such as arthroscopic surgery. "The patent covers how you do the actual implementation," says Nader Najafi, president & CEO of Integrated Sensing Systems. The 19-year-old company has hired four people over the last year, including three engineers and an administrative person. It now has a staff of close to 30 people and is looking to hire another three people in engineering and quality control. Integrated Sensing Systems has experienced incremental growth over the last year, but Najafi is optimistic that 2015 should bring double-digit revenue gains. He points out that Integrated Sensing Systems technology has received government approval for a few countries in Europe, which should clear the way for more sales. "The potential for expansion has improved dramatically for 2015," Najafi says. Source: Nader Najafi, president & CEO of Integrated Sensing Systems Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Technology and Innovation

Molecular Imaging adds staff, opens San Diego office

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Molecular is growing its business in a couple of different ways. The Ann Arbor-based tech firm has opened a new office in San Diego and made a number of hires over the last year, adding five people in Ann Arbor over the last year, including a couple of PhD scientists and experts in oncology. "We have done quite a bit hiring," says Patrick McConville, CSO & senior vice president at Molecular Imaging. "We have filled a few key positions." Molecular Imaging provides in vivo pre-clinical imaging services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies. A group of venture capital firms, led by Farmington Hills-based Beringea, acquired the tech firm three years ago. Molecular Imaging opened a satellite office in San Diego in January. It hired two people for that office. "There is a very big pharmaceutical and biotechnology community on the west coast, particularly in San Diego," McConville says. "We thought proximity would be important." McConville notes that Molecular Imaging has experienced solid growth over the last year. He adds that is has doubled in size over the last three years and plans to maintain that growth curve. "Now we're targeting the next doubling," McConville says. Source: Patrick McConville, CSO & senior vice president at Molecular Imaging Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Arts and Culture

Arborlight starts to sell new LED technology across U.S.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Arborlight is starting to go national this year, and has its sights set on some big milestones in 2015. The Ann Arbor-based tech startup is starting to sell its sun-light-like LED lights across the country. It now has a backlog of orders amounting to $150,000 and is gearing up to start selling both a commercial and residential version soon. "We have made tremendous strides,”"says Mike Forbis, CEO of Arborlight. "We have completed product development." The 4-year-old company is creating a "daylight emulation system." Think of it as an energy-efficient LED light that can imitate sunlight down to the color, temperature, and other subtle details. The technology has an algorithm that is connected to a weather forecast, allowing the LED to behave in the same way as the outside lighting. Arborlight has developed a commercial version that is 4 feet by 4 feet. It also recently came out with a 2 foot by 2 foot version that can be used in residences. The company has fielded orders from architects across the U.S. "We have a fair amount of interest and traction," Forbis says. Arborlight is in the process of raising a $1 million Series A after raising $500,000 in seed capital last year. Forbis hopes to close on the Series A before the end of the year. The company is currently made up of six employees and the occasional summer intern. It has hired three people over the last year, including marketing and sales professionals. Forbis expects his staff to reach eight people by next year. Source: Mike Forbis, CEO of Arborlight Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Economic Development

Reconsider launches pilot for local biz investing awareness

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Source: Concentrate

Reconsider is starting a big to help channel more local investment dollars into local small businesses. The Ypsilanti-based firm is teaming up with the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development to launch the venture LOCAL, an initiative to raise awareness that people can invest in local companies and see comparable returns to more traditional investment vehicles, like stocks and bonds. "It's a local investing awareness and education campaign," says Angela Barbash, founder of Reconsider. "The idea is to get some companies to do some fundraising online." The venture LOCAL campaign aims to accelerate investment in Washtenaw County-based businesses by highlighting more of those opportunities. For instance, the effort by the Tecumseh Brewing Co to raise $120,000 in seed capital. "What would Ann Arbor look like in five years if there was an infusion of local capital?" Barbash says. Reconsider specializes in research and education about community capital and social entrepreneurship. Barbash, a veteran financial advisor, works with a team of six independent contractors. She is currently interviewing two Shifting Gears program participants as potential interns. Barbash is optimistic that the venture LOCAL campaign will be successful in Washtenaw County over the next few months, opening the door for its expansion across Michigan. "It could be a turnkey solution for other communities to use," Barbash says. Source: Angela Barbash, founder of Reconsider Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Feature Story

Arts and Culture

OpEd: Make creativity a priority in Ann Arbor

Omari RushWednesday, October 8, 2014

For all of the cultural, intellectual, and economic resources Ann Arbor has, some say the city is stagnating creatively and lacks enough infrastructure for artists. Omari Rush, curator of public programs for the Ann Arbor Art Center, discusses his "listening tour" and proposes next steps needed to better support the arts.

Feature Story

Heather Seyfarth and Cooper at the Clean Energy Coalition

Building Communities

Will ArborBike become a model for successful bike sharing?

Nicole RupersburgWednesday, October 8, 2014

As communities across the nation begin to recognize the value of non-motorized infrastructure plans are being made for bike share programs. But many such programs struggle to balance the health and environmental advantages against their financial sustainability. Ann Arbor's ArborBike thinks it has the solution.

Entrepreneurship

Tech Transfer reports a record year for U-M inventions

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Source: CBSDetroit

Go big or go home. Entrepreneurship is becoming a way of thinking at U-M and this year saw a big uptick in relationships with companies, new inventions and the formation of start-ups. Excerpt: "U-M Tech Transfer recorded number of advancements in fiscal year 2014, the university reported. Researchers reported 439 new inventions in fiscal year 2014, which is up from last year’s 421. Additionally, U-M Tech Transfer also recorded 148 option and license agreements compared to 108 agreements a year ago. There was also 14 start-ups launched, which brings the total number of businesses launched in the past five years to 55." Read the rest here.

Load More Stories

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.