Innovation + Job News

Stacy'e Jones has been making beats in her basement for years. The president and CEO of Stanford-Jones Media started her Internet radio business out of her home two years ago. Now she's moved to the Russell Industrial Center with plans of growing her business even more in Detroit.

"I just had to get a place for myself," Jones says. "There is a lot of freedom here. I don’t have to worry about my security deposit if I paint the walls a different color."

She runs R&B and hip hop stations from her 800 square feet at the Russell today and plans to start a third this summer. The new station will be centered completely on Detroit-based music and is expected to come online by August. You can find her stations here.

Jones, 23 and a Highland Park resident, got her start in radio right after she graduated from high school and got an internship at a radio station. She learned the ropes of how to run and DJ a station, and she also learned how some radio stations can neglect their listeners.

"I heard the same 15 songs over and over again in the same rotation," Jones says. "They forgot about their listeners."

Jones' stations keep her listeners at the forefront, playing a broad mix of songs they want to hear.

Source: Stacy'e Jones, president and CEO of Stanford-Jones Media
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

A dozen or so years of working for someone else was enough for David Tobar. It’s why he is starting his own landscape architecture firm in Detroit - Outside Partnership.

“It was just the right time,” Tobar says. “I hit the ceiling at my old firm.”

Tobar has worked for the likes of Hamilton Anderson and Albert Kahn associates on streetscape and landscaping projects for the likes of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Compuware, General Motors, Mexicantown and the MGM Grand Detroit. He is now going after work with those same organizations and the University of Michigan.

The Hispanic-owned firm specializes in outdoor-based projects. That means his work generally entails things like streetscape and park projects. He sees investment in these types of projects as key to revitalizing the city.

“This is what I like,” Tobar says. “I have always had a passion for the urban environment.”

Source: David Tobar, principal of Outside Partnership
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

Jeanette Pierce, a 28-year-old lifelong Detroiter, makes her living giving tours and promoting the city through the downtown-based nonprofit Inside Detroit. She has built the nonprofit from scratch with partner Maureen Kearns, and it has grown to two employees, one intern and a healthy stable of volunteers.

Why did you decide to set up shop in Detroit?
We love Detroit, and it's everything to us. Our organization could only exist in Detroit.
 
What are some of the advantages to doing business here?
There is an amazing sense of community. It really is a big city and small town at the same time. People are very supportive and are always willing to help you and work with you.   
 
What do you see in Detroit that other people who live outside the city don't?
Detroit is an amazing city that is making a huge comeback. With its vibrant nightlife, world-class museums, championship sports teams and unparalleled architecture it's no wonder the New York Times named Detroit one of the 53 Places to Go in 2008.
 
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about opening a business in the Motor City?
Spend some time getting to know the community because they will be your biggest asset.  
 
If you could change one thing about Detroit, what would it be?
Its image ... which is what we’re trying to do every day!

Source: Jeanette Pierce, co-owner of Inside Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
read on…

It's not just entrepreneurs setting up shop in TechTown these days. The money people who make Great Lakes Angels have also moved into the Detroit-based business incubator as of June.

This is the second time the member organization of investors has set up shop in TechTown. It moved from TechTown to Oakland University in 2007. Great Lakes Angels came back to the Motor City to establish a more central location in Michigan’s entrepreneurial breeding ground.

"We want to be at the center of the action, not at the perimeter of it," says Rick Galdi, president of Great Lakes Angels. "I think TechTown is going to be the epicenter of a new entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state."

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who invest significant sums of money (think six figures and up) in promising start-ups. Angel investors usually precede larger investments, such as those that come from venture capital firms.

Great Lakes Angels is made up of about 20 of these angel investors. The group has help spur the investments between $250,000 and $500,000 in about a dozen companies since it was founded in 2002.

Source: Rick Galdi, president of Great Lakes Angels
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

Carbon Credit Environmental Services continues to grow in Detroit's TechTown business incubator. The 3-year-old start-up plans to start looking to train laid off engineers on how to perform alternative energy audits later this year.

The company specializes in making businesses greener, providing things like energy audits and pairing companies and events with local and global projects that help offset their carbon footprint -- like it did for the Detroit Windsor International Film Festival earlier this summer.

Carbon Credit Environmental Services performed an energy audit, installed solar panels and planted 10-15 trees at a hospice center in the city. The work is expected to save seven tons of carbon emissions, more than enough to offset what the festival creates.

Source: Mike Dolkowski, president of Carbon Credit Environmental Services
Writer: Jon Zemke
read on…

Detroit Public Schools' website is all about its students. It is now partially designed and maintained by the school district’s students taking part in Wayne State University's BizTech Summer Camp.

The students are interning with VisionIT, an IT firm based in New Center.

Twenty nine students from high schools in Detroit and Inkster are participating in the internship program organized by Wayne State’s School of Business Administration. The program includes classroom and hands-on learning from June through August. The top 10 graduates from the program receive a free computer system. Compuware, VisionIT, Powerlink, TechTown, All About Technology, St. Vincent de Paul and Wayne State are participating.

Source: David Segura, CEO of VisionIT
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

The Russell Industrial Center is welcoming another fledgling small business into its fold now that Alex Minkin Photography has moved into the rustbelt factory turned organic business incubator.

Alex Minkin is a self-taught photographer who has worked from his home for years. That's not enough space anymore. He is leasing 1,500 square feet at the Russell to accommodate his growing photography studio work and also to serve as a space to teach commercial, editorial and studio photography.

"There are a lot of people who want to do studio photography," Minkin says. "I decided to rent some studio space so I wouldn’t have to work out of my basement."

The Russell has built a reputation as a cheap place to start a business. Management rents out spaces that range from a few hundred square feet to a few thousand square feet. The dirt-cheap rents come with open-ended leases and only two rules, respect the building and its occupants. Anything else goes as long as its legal. This type of flexibility and cost-effectiveness has helped turn the aging industrial complex into the home of hundreds of businesses and artists.

Source: Alex Minkin, owner of Alex Minkin Photography
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

Michigan's 21st Century Investment Fund just sent out $35.5 million in investment to some large mezzanine funds with the largest chunk coming to a Detroit firm.

Downtown-based Peninsula Capital Partners took in $14.5 million from the fund. The firm focuses on unconventional transactions, such as growth capital and strategic acquisitions.

Peninsula Capital Partners is the state's biggest mezzanine fund and the only Michigan-headquartered firm to receive cash from Michigan's 21st Century Investment Fund. The other two companies that received money last week have decided to open offices in Michigan in places like Ann Arbor.

The 21st Century Investment Fund is part of the 21st Century Jobs Fund. The initiative is working to invest $2 billion over a decade to help diversify the state’s economy and grow jobs.

Source: State of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

Realtyme Productions was more of a nomadic firm before finding its home in 25,000 square feet on Fort Street in southwest Detroit.

The 6-year-old company is opening a film production studio in the second floor of 1915 Fort St.'s five stories. It's also opening an art gallery in the front of that space. The two spaces are meant to complement each other's creative sides.

"The film industry is taking off here so we're going to throw our hat in the ring," says Kenneth Eaddy, director and CEO of Realtyme Productions, which is a division of Abundant Harvest Holdings.

The company got its start producing music popular in urban areas, such as gospel, R&B and hip hop. One job led to another and the next thing Realtyme Productions knew it was employing 50 people and producing everything from music to film. It plans to use its new space for productions of everything from music videos to low-budget films.

It hopes to one day buy the building its renting space in and continue to hire to accommodate its steady growth.

Source: Kenneth Eaddy, director and CEO of Realtyme Productions
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

It didn't take long for an entrepreneur to step up to fill the void left by the closure of The Citizen newspaper in Hamtramck. The newspaper had been one of the longest-running publications in the state, launching in 1934 and shutting down this spring.

Mike Wilcox, a former publisher of the The Citizen, has started The Hamtramck Review. It looks a lot like The Citizen on the surface, focusing almost entirely on local news and advertising.

He believes his newspaper will succeed because his team of five employees and a couple of interns will help bring in more revenue through advertising.

"I think I know how to make a newspaper work, even a printed paper," Wilcox says. "I still believe the Hamtramck community is very viable."

Source: Mike Wilcox, publisher of The Hamtramck Review
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

Detroiters may know James Canning from his days as mayoral spokesman for Kwame Kilpatrick, but it's starting to discover James Canning, entrepreneur.

The Warrendale resident started Canning Communications last year and worked for a number of recognizable organizations in the city, such as Vision IT and Paxahau, as an independent consultant.

The 29-year-old Detroit native and Wayne State University graduate regularly works with a team of graphic designers, web designers, writers, editors and event planners. Canning hopes to hire a part-time employee next year and is in ongoing discussions with another Metro Detroit communications and event planning company about forming a collaborative partnership.
 
Describe your business in two sentences or less?
Canning Communications is a full-service communications firm that specializes in media relations, event planning and management, crisis communications, government relations, community and social media outreach. We develop specialized communications strategies to help our clients share their story with targeted stakeholders.   
 
Why did you decide to set up shop in Detroit?
I am a Detroiter through and through. I have lived in the city limits my entire life. While in high school I realized my passion for Detroit. Ever since then I have taken a career path and community involvement route that have been focused on making a positive impact on the city, which made it an even easier decision for me to start my business here.

It is important for me to work on things and for people that are contributing to the greater good of the city. I believe by having Canning Communications located in the city, I will be able to connect with like-minded people and organizations that need assistance communicating their story to the residents of our community.

What are some of the advantages to doing business here?
Access to existing leadership. Decision makers in Detroit are always willing to listen to your idea; especially if it fills a void in the community.

Detroit has a great entrepreneur support network. Entrepreneurs here are always willing to help each other out because they understand they need one another to become successful. And the city is ripe for new ideas, products and services.                     

What do you see in Detroit that other people who live outside the city don't?
If you strip away Detroit’s poor public image and the rough exterior of its landscape to take a close look at those who live in its neighborhoods, you will find good people. That is why I choose to stay in the city.         

What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about opening a business in Detroit?
Get to understand the Detroit community. If you prove to have a genuine interest in Detroit stakeholders; then the community will embrace your organization and it will become successful.  

If you could change one thing about Detroit, what would it be?
If I had a magic wand to wave over the city, I would change the negative attitude that exists in our community.

Here are two attitudes I would want people who live and work here to adopt:

1. Acknowledge the problems and work to address them, but don't dwell on them.
2. News stories such as the changes in the auto industry and recent developments with our elected officials dominate the headlines, but they don't define the people.

If everyone in our community thought this way, I believe it would help to change the way we portray ourselves and our city to others.

Source: James Canning, founder of Canning Communications
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…

Small businesses continue to flock to the Russell Industrial Center and Bazaar, making the old Rustbelt factory turned creative enclave arguably the most successful business incubator in Michigan.  

Today more than 285 fledgling firms call the structure home. Six new tenants joined the complex in May, including a photographer, artist and lighting company. So far another four have signed up for space in June, including a web and graphic design firms.

The Russell Bazaar, a flea-market-style retail center, continues to attract more clients, too. Occupied by independent retailers, the Bazaar's tenants range from clothing makers to computer repair shops. With 125 businesses, it is now 70 percent full and continues to grow.

"We're seeing people coming in asking for more square footage," says Eric Novak, the Russell Industrial Center's leasing agent, adding that recent square footage requests he has seen have started at 10,000 square feet and up.

The Russell Industrial Center is a circa-1915 factory sprawling over several levels, wings and acres on the northeast corner of I-75 and I-94. It originally made chassis for the Murray Body Company and wings for B-29 bombers during World War II. It had shrunk to about 10 businesses and artists when Boydell Development Co. (the Nikki's Pizza folks) took it over in 2003.

Boydell decided to continue to rent out 600-1,000-square-foot spaces to artists and small business at rock-bottom prices instead of going after quickly vanishing industrial tenants. Now large, growing sections of the factory are occupied by these artists in a beehive of eclecticism and creativity allowed to flourish with low costs and a few, basic rules of respecting the building and each other.

Source: Eric Novack, leasing agent for the Russell Industrial Center
Writer: Jon Zemke
read on…

Not all of the movies being shot in Detroit are big-budget productions that employ everyone and their cousin. Smaller productions are also having a significant impact, such as "Pawn Shop."

The movie is bringing in some recognizable Hollywood talent while employing dozens of people and giving some up-and-coming Detroit talent a place to shine. The independent movie has a budget of $525,000 and is employing about 50 people.

"Detroit is a good backdrop city for urban films," says Parrish Redd, co-writer, co-producer and director of "Pawn Shop." "There is a lot of landscapes and talent."

"Pawn Shop" is bringing in nationally-known talents, such as Garret Morris (member of the original "Saturday Night Live" cast) and Joe Torry ("Poetic Justice" and "Russell Simmon's Def Comedy Jam"). It’s also shining the spotlight on some well-known local talent, like Robert "Foolish" Spearman Jr. (WJLB 97.9 FM radio personality) and Chandra "Deelishis" Davis (Flavor of Love 2).

The budget for "Pawn Shop" is $525,000. It is being funded by Paris Deior Studios of West Bloomfield and a group of private investors. When filming is done 50 people will have been employed during the 15-day shoot, including local actors; caterers; hair stylists; interns; acting coaches; security personal and crew members. The majority of the "Pawn Shop" budget has been spent locally.

"This feature film is giving a lot of local talent an opportunity to expand on their careers," Redd says.

Source: Parrish Redd, co-writer, co-producer and director of "Pawn Shop"
Writer: Jon Zemke
read on…

Wayne State University is partnering with the Michigan Technology & Research Institute to create a drug-development company focused on a key molecule that could help treat depression and possibly other ailments.

The Ann Arbor-based institute is taking advantage of research developed by Dr. Aloke Dutta, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Wayne State's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The idea is to help create drugs and therapies that can combat ailments like depression and more, such as obesity and neuropathic pain.

"It can be used in a number of ways," Dutta says. "We still don't know the full potential of this molecule."

He points out that current treatments for depression don’t address dopamine component and how it targets relevant parts of the brain. His recently-discovered polyfunctional molecules interact simultaneously with norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine systems in the brain and exhibit activity in animal models that indicate antidepressant activity.

He expects it will take 6-8 years of research and clinical trails to bring the molecule to commercialization and FDA approval.

Source: Aloke Dutta, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke
read on…

Two new reports show that green jobs could be the employment wave of the future in Michigan, and they're touting big numbers to support this claim.

These reports show that a $2.3 billion investment in alternative energy in Detroit would create 23,880 jobs. A similar investment of $4.8 billion in the state of Michigan would create 54,000 jobs. Those jobs would range from high-tech research positions to manufacturing jobs.

"That goes all the way to manufacturing the batteries of hybrid cars to making windmill parts and installing solar panels," says Roshani Dantas, a spokeswoman for the Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice.
 
Those are the easy to name green jobs, but there are others that aren't so obvious. These positions include weatherizing homes to make them more energy efficient. Such jobs not only create the economic opportunity of new income but also help create energy cost savings that free up more money in the economy.

The reports were prepared by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Center for American Progress, Green For All and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Source: Roshani Dantas, spokeswoman for the Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice
Writer: Jon Zemkeread on…