Blogs

How do you make a go of a seasonal arts organization during a recession? Attorney and performer Lauren London, co-founder of The Penny Seats Theatre Company, writes about rainy day survival and the ups and downs of outdoor summer theater.

Lawrence G. (L.G.) Almeda is a lawyer with Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the nation's largest Intellectual Property law firms. L.G. chairs the firm’s Nanotechnology Practice Group and has recently been appointed to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, State Advisory Committee. L.G. will be writing about Michigan's multicultural future as well as his work in IP as it relates to emerging technologies.

Mahendra Ramsinghani, our guest blogger this week asks: "By attracting a few entrepreneurs, a lot of economic challenges could be addressed. But could a bumper sticker attract the right entrepreneurs?" Read his final post to learn the answer.Ramsinghani is with Plymouth Venture Partners in Ann Arbor. Check back here weekdays for more posts.

Mark Maynard publishes the magazine Crimewave USA, puts out records, draws comics, and blogs when others sleep. He is one of the founders of Ypsilanti's popular Shadow Art Fair, co-chair of YpsiVotes, and a member of Ypsilanti's 2020 Task Force on the future of the city. He has a keen interest in economic development and will be writing about why he's enthusiastically chosen to live in Ypsilanti.

Are you visually illiterate? Don't know what that means? Mark Tucker, founder and Creative Director of the Street Theater Art (START) Project and the annual Festifools event, would love to explain it to you. He blogs this week about public art, community/university engagement, and improving Ann Arbor's visual literacy.

It's the 40th anniversary of Earth Day tomorrow, and in celebration we've invited Matt Grocoff, founder and CEO of GreenovationTV and regular contributor to NPR's The Environment Report, to offer up some thoughts about making our community (and world) a little greener.

Ann Arbor has had an energy office longer than most cities - and also happens to know where each of its 14,000-plus water pipes are located (many cities don't). Matthew Naud and Jamie Kidwell, key players in Ann Arbor's sustainability planning effort, will write about using these advantages and others to forge a new sustainability framework for the city.

He blinded us with science! Not really. But Mel Drumm does help make science fun and accessible for Ann Arbor area kids as director of the Hands-On Museum. Under his leadership the museum  has broken attendance records and updated its exhibits and programs. Mel will talk about how lessons learned at the museum don't only apply to kids.

When it comes to architectural style, historic is the new black. Melissa Milton-Pung, project manager for Washtenaw County, draws on her research and travels to make a case for infill development and why preservation means green for your pockets and the environment.

Lots of hands have been raised in the talks about where our feet will go around the Washtenaw County of the future. After 50 town hall meetings, the Transit Master Plan is coming soon. Michael Benham, AATA's special assistant for strategic planning, talks about public input on the plan and the shape of transportation to come.

It was 50 years ago, on October 14, that Senator John F. Kennedy stood on the Michigan Union steps and delivered his famous Peace Corps proposal stump. This week we'll hear from Michael Drake, director of corporate relations for U-M's College of Engineering, on the implications of having an international perspective and his own experiences while volunteering in Krygyzstan.

Mike is president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. A passionate advocate for the transformation of Michigan's high-tech economy he also managed the MEDC’s $1 billion Michigan Life Sciences Corridor initiative between 2000 and 2002. Mike will be wriing about who's making a difference in the Michigan and why.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers... and we bet he sold 'em at a farmers market. This week Ann Arbor Farmers Market Manager Molly Notarianni digs up the social and economic edge to a market where the personality-to-product ratio is higher than you'll find in any store.

Since its inception, TechArb, U-M's student start-up accelerator, has put $5 million into 97 student-run ventures. Moses Lee, co-founder of truApp and director of TechArb, writes about recruiting college students and this summer's crop of student entrepreneurs.

Nancy Shore is the Director of Ann Arbor’s getDowntown program. A graduate of U-M (M.S. Social Work in Community Organizing), she is resident of Ann Arbor and a committed advocate for sustainable transportation. Nancy will be blogging about why Curb Your Car Month matters, the need for public transportation in SE Michigan and more.