Sign up for Concentrate's Speaker Series: Home Here, Business There

For some it's about global conquest. For others it's just good business sense. No matter what the reason, more and more Ann Arbor area companies are realizing that they need to do business outside state and US borders.

But how to remain local? How do you build a company that understands the advantages and challenges of the global marketplace but chooses to remain here, in a state struggling to develop its future self?

Ted Dacko was brought on as president and CEO for fledgling start-up Healthmedia, patiently help turn into an extremely successful health and Internet company and then witnessed its purchase by corporate giant Johnson & Johnson - all while doing business outside Michigan. In fact, for much of its existence, Healthmedia had no clients in the Mitten.

Ted will talk about being here but finding business success there.

The Speaker Series event will be held Thursday, June 17th in The Michigan Theater's Screening Room (located at 603 East Liberty Street).

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited so you must pre-register.

The event starts at 5 p.m. with sign in starting at 4:45PM. The presentation will begin at 5:15 p.m. and run less than an hour. Refreshments (beer, wine, and bottled water) will be provided.

Discussion and networking afterward is encouraged.

Concentrate's Speaker Series is sponsored by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Bank of Ann Arbor.





BIO: TED DACKO has more than 36 years of experience in executive-level management and leadership, including Sales, Marketing, M&A and the Chief Executive Office, principally in the
area of software applications and solutions. His career has primarily been spent following the founder where, as CEO, he has been credited with taking great ideas and turning them into great companies.

Most recently, Ted was CEO of HealthMedia® Inc., which he took from a small, near-death company to a $30M annual SaaS business. The company was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2008 and resulted in an 18 to 1 return on invested capital for Chrysalis Ventures in a six year time frame and a 10 to 1 return on invested capital for Arboretum Ventures which invested a short time later. This was accomplished during the worst economic time in recent history.

Ted has an extensive background with early stage tech companies. Prior to HealthMedia®, Ted served as President and CEO at Centromine, an Internet-based behavioral health firm, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan Orion Micro Systems, which was based in Waterbury CT. He was the VP of Sales and Marketing for two other early stage companies that had successful exits. He has also worked in larger organizations including Hyperion Software, Comshare and General Electric.

Ted's latest venture is Arbor Dakota, a company dedicated to growing Great Ideas into Great Companies. Simply put, they help early stage companies implement growth strategy and that will enhance shareholder value.