Featured Stories
Nicole Rupersburg
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Where can you get pastries, coffee, fashion, and furniture under one roof? Oh, and a little opera and theater too? The Mix Marketplace is the latest cool idea to pop up in Ypsilanti's increasingly DIY downtown. It's where retail, community, and culture meet to create a one-of-a-kind destination. Concentrate gets the skinny.
Kelly Quintanilla
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Is it tea or is it an alcoholic beverage? For Rachel and Tarek Kanaan, owners of Unity Vibration Kombucha, the state's question had potentially far-reaching consequences for their probiotic drink business. But instead of over-reacting, they adapted by adding kombucha beer to their product line. It's turned out to be one of the best decisions they ever made.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
When it comes to building a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, Kurt Riegger, COO of OcuSciences, argues that there's no lack of ideas or innovations in Ann Arbor. Talent with enough experience to execute on those ideas may be another question. Riegger has launched, funded, and advised 26 companies, and chats with Concentrate about what our community needs to succeed.
Dennis Archambault
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
As economic systems go global, establishing a sustainable and vibrant market for local produce becomes a challenging mix of production, distribution, community engagement, and entrepreneurship. Ann Arbor's greenbelt is opening the door to forward-looking ideas about how we create a local food hub to feed our residents.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Ann Arbor-based ForeSee Results has seen growth every quarter of its existence. That's a pretty impressive track record for this U-M spin out. CEO and co-founder Larry Freed talks about his home grown approach to hiring, our area's startup climate, and what we need to keep and attract more young talent.
Natalie Burg
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The student-run MPowered is U-M's startup for startups. Living up to its name, it has not only prodded the university into offering more classes in entrepreneurship, it has also attracted a community of business-minded students through its 1000 Pitches Summit and annual Career Fair. This year they debut "Startup Weekend," a 54-hour event which seeks to create a web or mobile applications business in a weekend.
Constance Crump
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
'Tis the season for giving. But philanthropy means different things to different communities, and its impacts are equally varied. Concentrate's Constance Crump looks at Ann Arbor's culture of giving and how it fares in comparison with billionaire-fueled communities like Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Concentrate Staff
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The writers, photographers, and editors of Concentrate wish all of our readers a happy holiday and jubilant new year! We'll be taking a few weeks off to spend quality time with family and friends, give gifts, wear embarrassing sweaters, return gifts, take in a few movies, and, most importantly, catch up on sleep. We'll see you January 11th!
Concentrate Staff
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Looking for that perfect gift to send to your out-of-state friends or distant relatives? How about a care package of Michigan-made products? To provide you with a little inspiration, Concentrate has gathered together the videos we've made about local companies.
Kim North Shine
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
If you attended our October speaker event it was pretty clear that Chris Leinberger is a really smart guy. A senior fellow at the Brooking's Institute, U-M professor, and real estate developer, he brings real world, on-the-ground experience to urban planning theories and research. We chat with Leinberger about southeast Michigan's suburban communities and how their DDA's can pave the way to a more prosperous and vibrant future.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
The idea of establishing a pedestrian mall in downtown Ann Arbor has long been discussed but never acted upon. Concentrate's Jon Zemke looks at how some communities have found great success with their people-only plazas, but most have encountered failure. Would Tree Town buck the odds or struggle like the rest?
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
One excels at style. The other, substance. But when it comes to nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem, both matter. Jon Zemke attends Silicon Valley's quarterly Founder Showcase and our own annual business plan competition, Accelerate Michigan, and finds a clash of both cultures and community.
Jon Zemke
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The argument against mass transit in Southeast Michigan has always included the claim that our region isn't dense enough. But that hasn't stopped sprawling metros like Phoenix and Salt Lake City from building highly successful light rail systems. Though we ran this story in Metromode three years ago, we think it's just as relevant today.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
In 2003, Ann Arbor residents voted to support the Greenbelt, creating a patchwork of protected area parks and farmland. It was a pretty progressive policy for Michigan, but is it delivering what was expected? From securing local food sources to curbing sprawl, Concentrate reviews the program's goals, impacts, and consequences.
Concentrate Staff
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Or so says Aesop's Fables. Concentrate will be taking next week off for Thanksgiving. We hope our readers enjoy this time with their families, friends, football, and good food. Not necessarily in that order.