With Punxsutawney Phil calling an early spring, it's not too soon to start building your financial nest. David McNamara, broker/owner of Foxway Realty, and financial advisor Christina Kim of Edward Jones Investments deliver talking points on keeping a good financial house, and choosing Ann Arbor as a place where they can professionally and personally flourish.

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.

Few people understand the role of foundations in our community. And yet these organizations can have a profound impact on our quality of life. With a fund that tops $60 million, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation not only backs local programs, organizations, and non-profits, but seeds the ground for tomorrow by investing in efforts others might be hesitant to support.

Back in 2001 Larry Eiler, CEO of Eiler Communications and director of the Small Business Association of Michigan, wrote an essay comparing our entrepreneurial landscape with Silicon Valley. Needless to say Michigan came up lacking. Boy, what a difference 10 years makes. In this week's guest blog Larry updates his assessment and finds more than a few encouraging trends.