M-LIGHT, the Photonics Industry Cluster of Michigan quietly put up a placeholder web page - a sort of pre-alpha way of saying, “we’re here.”  Watch this space: M-LIGHT is organizing a hundred companies, as well as universities and economic development agencies around Michigan’s not-insignificant Photonics Industry.
What the heck is that?
Photonics is lasers (welding, eye surgery, […]

Problem:
Everyone agrees that a business incubator is an economic development asset - until it comes time to pay for it.
Solution:
An incubator grows businesses, but at its heart, an incubator is a business. So create a business plan! Research entrepreneurial requirements, study other incubators and how they serve their constituencies, build a sustainable business […]

A recent NPD Group study dispels several myths:

Nobody’s buying anything
Software moved offshore
Games are bupkes

This boom comes home to Michigan when you consider the groundswell of local game development and shameless consumption demonstrated at the recent Penguicon fest, which was generously underwritten by Google.  The good folks at Stardock are growing leaps and bounds.  And simulation […]

NYTimes’ columnist Phyllis Korkki is an enlightened career coach, i.e. she doesn’t just offer the blue pill.
In her latest article, PK offers tips for the current economic context, particularly:

Chill
Network, Network, Network
Consider contracting
Chill

Employment remains a key economic indicator, but at some point, economists will have to reconcile the mass exodus of workers from the job market, […]

Problem:
Business Incubators have traditionally focused on centralized facilities, to concentrate resources and focus services within four walls. But the entrepreneurial community is changing to a virtual model, which makes the old physical incubator look, well, “old.”
Solution:
A Virtual Business Incubator, that allows free access to resources and services, 24×7×365,over the web. Netwok consulting talent and […]

Met today with the entrepreneurs behind Project Freestyle - the online community for adult pick-up soccer. This is my favorite kind of Web 2.0 business - narrow, deep and viral.
The SPARK Business Accelerator hooked them up with a consultant who gets soccer culture. He’ll work with the entrepreneurs on infectious usability, social […]

This story really has it all. An international Contract Research Organization (”CRO”) opens an office in Ann Arbor, to leverage the timely spike in available pharma talent.
Read all about it.
United BioSource’s investment in Ann Arbor ensures brain-trust rentention, and even provides a dash of intrapreneurship, as they significantly grow their FDA/regulatory services practice.
Welcome to Ann […]

Detroit has a bad enough image without its selfish, gutless mayor making it worse. The guilt-by-association extends to the region and the state.
So, say I’m a company looking to locate or expand in Michigan. And I’m accountable to ainvestors, to a board, to shareholders, to SarbOx.
Or, say I’m an outstate investor, deciding whether […]

Problem:
Biomedical startups have special facilities needs, that are underserved by commercial Real Estate industry.  Lots of venture capital is wasted building dedicated labs to house single companies.
Solution:
Broker a deal with a shrinking pharmaceutical giant to take over some of their wetlab facilities, and turn it into a specialized business incubator.
Surprise:
Halfway through the process, the pharma […]