Blogs

Adrian Pittman is co-founder and CEO of Velocity Matters and SOMTU MMS. An Ann Arborite, Adrian has more than 15 years of high-tech marketing and brand development experience. He will be writing about entrepeneurship, innovation and why he lives and works in Ann Arbor.

Albert Abbou is this week's guest blogger. A young intellectual property attorney and native Michigander Albert will be writing about how his personal experiences led him into the law, his Chaldean roots, and why he chooses to make Ann Arbor his home.

Thorny social issues are what perpetuate inequitable access to farm-fresh products. This week Amanda Edmonds, executive director of Growing Hope, talks about the ways in which her non-profit empowers communities to grow and eat heathy food. Ground zero: a seed squadron.

Amanda Uhle is Executive Director of 826michigan, a nonprofit center in Ann Arbor dedicated to supporting local young people with their writing skills - one of only seven centers in the U.S.. She'll be writing about 826, its impact on the community and even post samples of the kids' work.

Literacy matters! And Michigan suffers from some startling statistics. Amy Goodman is the executive director of Washtenaw Literacy and this week's guest blogger. She'll be writing about the region's struggle with literacy rates and their implications on our economy and culture.

Tree Town's goal of moving to 20% percent renewable energy by 2015 makes it a LEEDer in the state's green movement these days (pun intended). Andrew Brix, energy programs manager for the city of Ann Arbor, talks this week on all things efficient and on how Michigan can become the next Sunshine State.

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. - Betty ReeseWater Street Trail Project founder Andrew Clock, volunteer coordinator of the Michigan Roots Jamboree and barfly philanthropist, offers the pick-me-ups to prove that no one is ever a speck on the wall.

With the bottoms falling out of city coffers, the free civic festival is going the way of the dinosaur. Andrew Clock, director of the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, opines on whether we really want to cede control of what makes our cities unique.

When you invest your savings into Fund X, are your dollars aligned with your social and community values? Oftentimes not, says Angela Barbash, founder of Reconsider, a social-mission driven investment firm. This week she tips us off on the slow money movement and on why we should open investigations into our personal finances.

Angela Kujava is connected and involved ...and she wants you to be too! A certified financial planner and investment management analyst, the board president for 826Michigan and co-founder of YP Underground, Angela thinks that young professionals not only need to take responsibility for their lives and community, they need to lead.

Anya Dale loves her job but wishes she could do it in jeans. She is a Planner with Washtenaw County Office of Strategic Planning, serves on the city's Environmental Commission and chairs the Transportation Committee. She also knows how to care for African fruit bats. Anya will be writing about  A2's downtown, plans for the Huron River and the Washtenaw Ave portal.

Aren Stobby is a 19 year-old student in the Culinary Arts Program at Washtenaw Community College. He has studied under French Master Chef Jean Marc-Villard, owns a share in the Ann Arbor Community Farm and prepares meals for residents at Sunward Cohousing. This summer Aren became a locovore, commiting himself to a 100 mile diet. He will be writing about that experience.

Yesterday marked the opening of the 50th Ann Arbor Film Festival. In celebration we've asked long time fan and festival goer (and Ypsilanti librarian) Ben Miller to blog about what the festival means to him, why it's an important part of our local culture, why you should go, and what he's looking forward to seeing this year.

Call the term "taking ownership" a cliché, but that's literally what's in the works at some local businesses. This week, Maggie's Organics founder Bená Burda writes about forming 100% worker-owned co-operatives, from Nicaragua to North Carolina to Michigan.

Bob Guenzel is the Administrator for Washtenaw County. A U-M Law School graduate and resident of Ann Arbor, Bob has been deeply involved in local community organizations, sits on several boards and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for Ann Arbor SPARK. He will be writing about the potential opportunities our current economic downturn provides us, as well as leadership and literacy in Washtenaw County.