Venture Michigan Magazine - Spring 2017

Building your company's culture

expert advice for startups

Spring break north on I-75

Venture Michigan EXPLORING MICHIGAN’S INNOVATORS, ENTREPRENEURS AND THE INVESTORS WHO FUND THEM

SPRING 2017

life Saver omer Kiyani takes aim at gun safety with a revolutionary safety device

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contents

volume 2 : : issue 1

SPRING 2017

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12

24 departments

20 features cover

14

Identilock revolutionizes gun control

focus

18

Experts on startup success

weekend

24

Spring break north on Interstate 75

4 6 8 12 20 23

welcome

From our team

startups

Building company culture

impact

Sending out an SOS

education

Fast track to IT skills

design

From cycling to recycling

health

Harnessing brain power, Seeing the light

28

incubate

Automation Alley helps manufacturers break through growth ceiling

30

scene

Capturing tech events

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Venture Michigan

welcome

SPRING 2017 : : Volume 2, Issue 1

W

elcome to the spring issue of Venture Michigan Magazine. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll want to pay attention to our Focus article, which serves as a primer for understanding venture capitalists and tips for getting their attention. The information comes straight from area VC experts interviewed by writer Ilene Wolff.

Speaking of entrepreneurs, we introduce you to Omer Kiyani, developer of Identilock, an innovative product designed to prevent unauthorized access to a gun until the owner needs to use it. Motivated by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, Kiyani brought his idea to Detroit, where he says, “There is nowhere else on the planet with better designers, engineers and manufacturers that can design, test, build and manufacture Identilock.”

Our Design feature introduces Dozer, a Metro Detroit artist who brings old things to life, including a musical metal creation on display at The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s 10th annual gala in October. He’s also working with developers of Detroit’s third precinct to help transform an old jail into the Detroit School for Digital Technology, a postsecondary school for digital media. Although Dozer’s first love is building custom motorcycles, giving old things new life has found a place in his heart.

Finally, if you haven’t made plans yet for a spring getaway, why not head north on Interstate-75? You’ll steer clear of southbound traffic jams and discover some of Michigan’s hidden treasures. Writer Nicole Serra, who gave the trip a trial run recently, offers up a viable alternative to spring break that will have you trading sandy beaches for frosted waterfalls, seagulls for elk and cruise ships for freighters.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Venture Michigan, and if you have ideas for future topics, please let us know. Send your ideas to: feedback@venturemichiganmag.com.

– The Venture Michigan Team 4

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Editorial Editor Jane Racey Gleeson Copy Editor Judy Solomon Contributing Writers Peter Haapaniemi Connor McNeely Kristopher Powell Nicole Serra Matthew Totsky Joyce Wiswell Ilene Wolff

“There is nowhere else on the planet with better designers, engineers and manufacturers that can design, test, build and manufacture Identilock.”

– Omer Kiyani

Advisory Board Susan Gordon Ed Nakfoor Paul Riser Chuck Rymal

Creative Creative Director Alex Lumelsky Production SKY Creative Contributing Photographers Julianne Lindsey Max Wedge

publishing Published by Venture Michigan LLC

Advertising Managing Director, Sales and Marketing R. David Eick Account Manager Barbara Somero For Advertising: 248-231-8067 or david@venturemichiganmag.com Venture Michigan is a quarterly magazine.

Our mission is to uncover the most important stories about the people, companies, technologies and ideas that are transforming Michigan. The publication is distributed to SmartZone communities throughout the state. To subscribe, please email: subscriptions@venturemichiganmag.com. © 2017 Venture Michigan LLC All content herein is the property of Venture Michigan LLC and cannot be copied, reproduced, distributed or republished without express written permission.

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startups

Building company culture from the ground up

By Kristopher Powell

Y

your culture. A company’s ou’ve obtained funding, culture 40 years ago was found a location and much different than the culhave a business plan. ture of today.

You have started signing up clients, producing your Constructing a mission products, generating some cash Begin by writing down your flow. Your dream is starting to core values. Write down your grow and become a reality. The vision for your company’s futime has come to start adding Kristopher ture. From there it is easy to people to the mix. Time to hire Powell construct the mission of your your first employee. company and establish the Before you place an ad, bedriving force of your organization. Write fore you hire a recruiter, you need to ask it down. Make it tangible. Make it the comyourself: “What kind of person am I lookmon language that everyone speaks. ing to hire? Will they get along with me personally and will they fit within my vision for the future?”

Congratulations. You have started building the foundation for your company’s culture. Establishing your vision of what you would like your company’s culture to be is paramount for your organization's success. Company culture does not grow from vague or canned mission statements, adding ping-pong tables in your lobby or tasty snacks in the breakroom. It’s about the heart, personality and drive of a company. It’s about the employees’ respect and commitment in a poUse your mission to hire people who sition in which they are allowed to thrive.

By this point you may be asking: “I share your core values. Everyone you just started my company, how do I even hire should share your vision of the comknow what my culture is?” A company pany, and speak that same language. culture is established by the founder’s Your team of leaders and dedicated emcore values and business goals. It is ployees will grow from there.

A great company culture doesn’t about identifying those goals and understanding the steps necessary to happen by accident. It happens due to achieve them. A culture is about who a well thought out plan, which is much you and who your employees are. Your easier if established from the beginning. actions, your behaviors, your treatment You have taken time to develop a sucof clients and one another. Culture must cessful business plan. Now is the time be adaptive. It is organic. As industries to establish a carefully constructed plan for your culture. A great company culchange, as workforce changes, so should

Company culture is a strategy.

Probably the most important strategy you will have as an organization.

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ture is one of the most valuable assets a company can have.

In order to build a successful culture one must literally build it. Create a strong foundation of core values, add to that the framework of people who share your goals and vision. Add walls of respect, consideration and collaboration.

Paint with open and frequent communication and, lastly, decorate with a fun, supportive, relaxed atmosphere.

“If you build it, they will come,” holds true for building a great company culture. By building a strong foundation and a great culture, you will attract and retain top talent. Yours will be the organization that people simply want to work for, and a strong team drives a successful business.

Company culture is a strategy. Probably the most important strategy you will have as an organization. I will leave you with four rules to live by to nourish and help grow your company’s culture. First, always be the boss you would want to work for. Second, find the best in people and build on that. Third, focus on the positive, and manage the negative and, last but certainly not least, spend time laughing each day. Use these rules to help establish your culture. Hire people who fit your vision, and create a strong team that will help build your growing enterprise.

Kris Powell is the CEO and president of HRPro/BenePro. With over 30 years’ experience in the benefits and HR arena, Powell is a highly respected authority in the industry. Serving on the board of United Benefit Advisors (UBA), a group he helped charter in 2002, he is constantly striving to find new and exciting solutions for his clients’ benefit and HR administration needs.

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impact

Sending out an

SOS

By Joyce Wiswell

No one — not her siblings, not her friends, not even her kids — knew that Renee Avery was homeless the summer of 2015. to South Oakland Shelter She had left a good job to (SOS) in Lathrup Village, care for her ailing father Mich., for help. Each week a who eventually died. But by different congregation hosts then Avery’s job had been an overnight shelter and filled, she lost her rented provides meals, transportatownhouse and she was tion and other services. hopelessly behind financialThe first few days were ly. She sent her teenage kids very rough. to live with their father in “I was still shell-shocked Westland, Mich., and stayed and I just wanted to be by myfor a while with her sister, self,” Avery recalls. “But then but that situation quickly I started to feel more combecame untenable. The next fortable. The people there thing Avery knew, she was saw how I was struggling to living in her car in a gated lot get back on my feet and they at Providence Hospital. helped me so much.”

“I would slip into one of Avery told her kids that the unoccupied rooms and Renee Avery attending a Detroit Tigers game with her children she was staying with a friend. shower. I watched TV in “I never skipped a beat at betheir waiting room. I still had ing a parent,” she says. “I always went to see them my Planet Fitness membership so I would work at their dad’s house and made sure they had things.” out and shower from there,” she says. “I never Meanwhile, Avery worked at any job she could thought I would be in that situation, not after get and saved every penny. She promised her kids earning three degrees and paying student loans.” she would have a place for them all back in Oak After nearly four weeks, Avery, now 47, turned 8

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About SOS What started in 1985 as an impulse to get the homeless out of the harsh Michigan winter elements has grown into a thriving non-profit that offers much more than temporary shelter.

South Oakland Shelter (SOS) works with 67 religious congregations, including churches, synagogues and a mosque, to operate a rotating shelter system. Each week a congregation hosts SOS’s shelter guests with overnight accommodations, three daily meals and transportation.

“We’re really unique because our programming is not in any way theologically driven,” says CEO Ryan Hertz. “It’s secular but the resources are all motivated by the volunteers’ commitment to their faith and faith community. People who are not overtly religious are also involved.”

The goal is to get clients into longterm housing as soon as possible. SOS formed a subsidiary called Spero Housing Group in 2015 dedicated to providing quality, affordable housing for low/ moderate-income people. That may include building or renovating existing structures.

“It’s likely to be done in partnership,” says Hertz, who is also Spero’s president.

“We don’t intend to go into a completely different line of work.”

Securing quality housing in a safe neighborhood with decent schools may cost more at first, but it’s actually a cost savings, Hertz says.

“All the barriers related to why clients became homeless are better addressed with a bigger bang for the buck when they are in housing. Expecting someone to find a job when rotating from shelter to shelter is not a recipe for success.

When they are in a chaotic external environment or tackling addiction, they are not going to be as successful.”

Each client works with a case manager to develop and implement a plan

of goals and action steps. That approach has led to impressive success rates: in 2015, 80 percent of sheltered households successfully exited into housing, and 86 percent sustained housing for a full year.

Roughly half the funding comes from federal, state and local government contracts and the rest is private contributions and proceeds from three annual fundraisers, including Dancing with the Detroit Stars. The staff includes 21 fulltime employees (of which nine serve SOS through AmeriCorps programs) and three part-timers. Hertz says that 89 percent of SOS resources go directly to client support and services.

Some 8,000 volunteers also pitch in.

“There are all kinds of ways to get involved,” Hertz says. “It is no less meaningful to help plan a party than to cook a meal.”

Only about 20 percent of clients fall into the category of chronic homelessness, “this image people have of who the homeless are,” Hertz says. They need the most help and are also the most expensive to serve, with some 80 percent of resources going toward that group.

The majority of clients are educated.

More than 52 percent have at least some college and most have work experience and are able to take care of themselves once they have a home.

“Homelessness is a solvable problem,” Hertz says. “The only thing lacking is our community’s will to solve the problem.”

Park, Mich., by the time school started in September, which was also the 90day limit SOS imposes for shelter guests.

She found a duplex with just a week to spare.

“SOS helped me with the deposit, gave me vouchers and helped me cover my rent when I got into a bind,” she says. “They made a profound impact on my life. I was so excited to be back in my own space, it was pure bliss.”

Today, her kids are doing well in high school and Avery is working steadily as a contract employee, but longs to land a

permanent managerial position in physician billing or accounts receivable. She has been pre-approved for a mortgage by the non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America and hopes to buy a home this spring.

None of it would be possible, she says, without SOS. “I want people to know that they actually care — this is not just a job for them. They put their hearts and souls into helping people.”

Recently, Avery summoned the courage to tell her children the truth about that summer.

“I think,” she says, “they love me a little bit more because of my struggle.”

Homelessness, she says, can happen to anyone. “It can be as simple as you ran out of money. But no one wants to hear that because they want to believe that all the people in a shelter are derelicts. I was very ashamed and thought I was such a loser. But then I said to myself, ‘Renee, how dare you put yourself down! You are still the person you always were — kind and hardworking.’ Now I am quite proud to tell my story.”

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2014-2015 Income Contributions and grants $1,276,562 Donated services and materials $1,549,340 Fundraisers (2014-2015) $226,859

2015 Statistics 581 homeless or at-risk individuals served 37% of shelter clients were homeless for the first time 17% of shelter clients were children 32,253 meals served 10,842 nights of shelter 45% of eligible SOS clients exited with employment Learn more at SouthOaklandShelter.org.

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grandcircus.co

education

Detroit's Grand Circus students embrace hands-on learning.

Fast Track to IT Skills

By Peter Haapaniemi

F

ive years ago, Damien Rocchi saw an opportunity in Detroit.

On the one hand, a number of people were looking for jobs. On the other, companies had a growing need for skilled information technology workers. Venture-capital firm Detroit Venture Partners saw the same opportunity — and, working together, the firm and Rocchi launched a technical-training institute, Grand Circus, in 2013.

“From the beginning, the goal was to bridge the gap between people who are looking for work or to change careers, and employers who are desperate for tech talent,” says Rocchi, CEO of Grand Circus. With that formula, the company has grown, and has been able to round out its venture funding with revenuebased programs.

Of course, Grand Circus has not completely eliminated that gap, but it has 12

SPRING 2017 : : venture michigan

had a real impact. More than half of its graduates who look for jobs find one within a month, and 92 percent have fulltime employment within three months with a median salary of about $50,000.

Those statistics point to the business world’s exploding need for technical talent — and to the opportunity the tech sector holds for entrepreneurs in Detroit and across the state.

The Bootcamp Approach New organizations typically face a learning curve, and Grand Circus’ success did not happen right out of the gate. Early on, the institute began providing training to the IT teams of corporate clients, but saw only modest results.

“We realized that companies were not really interested in having us train them. What they wanted us to do was provide them with talent,” says Celena

Mancina, director of operations at Grand Circus. “That kind of flipped the light switch for us and brought us to our current model, the Coding Bootcamp.”

As the name implies, Grand Circus Coding Bootcamps focus on teaching people to write computer code through a 10-week, hands-on learning experience. At the end of a bootcamp, students are ready to go to work for corporate employers.

“We wanted to find a way to teach differently,” says Rocchi. “Traditional learning institutions often have lecturebased courses, but in our experience, that doesn’t work. If you want to engage people and get the best learning outcomes, classes have to be more interactive.”

Grand Circus’ approach also features a focus on diversity, “a hugely important theme in tech today,” says Rocchi.

Indeed, the institute has a high percentage of women and people of color in its

programs, compared to tech training programs across the country.

“We pride ourselves on keeping those percentages really high,” says Mancina.

“But we also realize there is more we could be doing.” Overall, she points out, “women make up about 57 percent of the U.S. workforce, but they fill just 25 percent of tech roles.” In the effort to do more, Grand Circus created a “DEVELOP(her)” bootcamp last year that specifically targets women students.

The Development of DEVELOP(her) Like other Grand Circus bootcamps, DEVELOP(her) offers 10 weeks of intensive training designed to prepare students for the real world, with learning that covers more than technical skills alone. The institute wants to “align itself with employers’ needs,” says Rocchi, and companies have made it clear that they are not always getting all they want from the more-traditional schools.

“We’d often hear from CEOs that they wish the students they were seeing had better soft skills. The ability to communicate, to work in teams — that sort of thing.”

Grand Circus bootcamps cover those soft skills and, at the same time, offer sessions focusing on getting jobs: writing resumes, creating LinkedIn profiles, going through mock employer interviews and so forth. In addition, Grand Circus wanted the DEVELOP(her) program to be offered at no cost to students. It was able to do so with funding from the Hagerman Foundation in Flint, Mich., and the TEKSystems IT staffing firm in Southfield, Mich.

The 2016 DEVELOP(her) bootcamp enrolled 20 women from Detroit and Flint. Nineteen of those graduated and 17 are working as full-time developers today.

“That first DEVELOP(her) program was hugely successful,” says Rocchi. Not only did those women find good jobs, he says, but also “the fact that we developed a program that addresses the lack of representation of women has had a great reception in the tech community.”

Mancina says the Grand Circus team was also pleasantly surprised by the

level of enthusiasm that women had for the program.

“There are so many women who are interested in transitioning into a career in technology that we actually ended up routing a lot of them into our other regular full-time programs,” she says.

And based on that interest, Grand Circus is offering the DEVELOP(her) bootcamp again this summer, expanding it to include 45 students. The program is adding Michigan locations in Lansing and Grand Rapids, which will offer standalone bootcamps for the students.

Women in the Detroit program will be offered scholarships and will be added to the general bootcamps. All the women in DEVELOP(her) will once again be able to attend free of charge.

Help wanted: the need continues Looking ahead, the demand for coding professionals is not likely to abate. According to Rocchi, projections indicate that by 2020, there will be 1 million tech jobs in the U.S. that can’t be filled by existing computer-science educational programs.

“So there is a shortage today, and it’s really growing all the time,” he says.

In Michigan, Rocchi expects the auto industry to be a key driver of demand.

“We’re seeing the Big Three reposition themselves as mobility companies built on technology,” he says. “I think that technology is going to find a much larger role in the [state’s] economy as a result of that.” He adds that the auto industry’s shift to mobility is also likely to generate more startup activity in the area, as it provides a focal point for entrepreneurs and their innovations.

The type of skilled IT workers being turned out in Grand Circus’ programs will be an important enabler of that scenario — and to the potentially broad impact that tech can have in Michigan.

“There’s a multiplier effect with tech jobs,” says Rocchi. “For every tech job that gets created, there are another five jobs that get created outside of information technology. That shows the opportunity that tech has for Detroit and the state.”

Grand Circus: Learning and Connecting The Grand Circus IT training institute was established on “three pillars: events, co-working and education,” says Celena Mancina, the organization’s director of operations. For example, Grand Circus hosts a number of tech-related community events, including some held by the well-known Techstars business accelerator and Google. In addition, its co-working space now houses nearly two dozen companies. Grand Circus is one of just nine organizations in North America to be named a tech hub in the “Google for Entrepreneurs” network, which provides hubs with technical content, business tools and infrastructure upgrades.

In terms of education, Grand Circus launched its bootcamp programs in 2014 with a handful of courses. Students were sponsored in part through third-party funding from the City of Detroit and the Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation, the city’s workforce agency. The program has been growing ever since, becoming popular enough to allow Grand Circus to transition to tuition-based programs in 2015. Last year, it ran 12 bootcamps and graduated 250 students.

Grand Circus rounds out its educational offerings with workshops designed for working IT professionals who want to enhance their skills.

It has also pioneered the use of apprenticeships in tech education, offering programs in which students go through six weeks of training at Grand Circus, then work for a company for a year of on-the-job learning. Then, says Mancina, “if all goes according to plan, they can come out of the program as a full-time salaried employee of that company.”

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13

cover

Safety First Identilock founder develops a revolutionary product to help prevent gun-related tragedies by matthew totsky

S

tirred by a series of mass killings by gunmen in civilian settings and accidental shootings in traditional households, the ownership and control of guns has become a hotly contested political issue in the United States. Gun-control advocates point to the fact that countries with stricter gun laws — including Japan, Australia and Norway — have lower incidences of gun violence. On the other hand, gun rights proponents argue that gun ownership is protected by the Second Amendment and more gun control laws would infringe upon the right to bear arms.

The search for answers that will satisfy both sides of the argument has led to innovative and resourceful entrepreneurs coming up with solutions to help prevent further gun-related tragedies.

Omer Kiyani is one such resourceful businessman, and he lives and works right here in metro Detroit. the birth of an idea The shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on December 14, 2012, was the deadliest example of gun violence at a school on 14

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American soil and the third-deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in the country’s history. Twenty-year-old gunman Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 students and six staff members before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide.

“The Sandy Hook incident shook us all and I wanted to do something,” Kiyani says. “I had an interesting idea for a long time, but this tragic event pushed me to take the plunge.”

Kiyani’s idea was Identilock, a fi rearm safety device that attaches to and completely covers access to a gun’s trigger, making it different than any other trigger lock on the market. It can be locked and unlocked with a fi ngerprint, via a biometric scanner that stores up to three fi ngerprints per device.

“The concept behind Identilock is simple,” Kiyani says. “It is designed to prevent unauthorized access to a gun until the owners – and only the owners – need to use it. This product does not alter, modify or tamper with fi rearm mechanics at all. It’s not a magic solution that solves everything. Instead, we are focused more on incidents like acciden-

tal gun discharge in homes and maybe teen suicide.” how it works Identilock is lightweight and portable, measuring approximately the size of a wallet and weighing less than 12 ounces.

It’s also easy to use and engineered to securely fi t a variety of gun makes and models. Each adapter accepts a family of fi rearms so users have the freedom to easily switch the device to different guns in their collection. It’s also compatible with any USB Type-C charging outlet. A single charge can last up to six months in standby mode.

The trigger is released when the owner places his or her fi nger on the touch pad. Once they do, the fi ngerprint is authorized within 300 milliseconds — literally the blink of an eye, making Identilock the industry’s fastest and most reliable fi ngerprint technology.

“With just a touch of the device’s button, its sensor quickly reads the fi ngerprint and automatically unlocks the gun,” Kiyani says. “Our technology can store multiple fi ngerprints in 360 degrees of orientation. It then creates

“the concept behind Identilock is simple: It is designed to prevent unauthorized access to a gun until the owners — and only the owners — need to use it.“ – omeR KIYaNI

venture michigan : : SPring 2017

15

a mathematical representation of the fi ngerprint and compares this to enrolled fi ngerprint data to identify a match and unlock your gun.”

“I do believe in gun ownership,” says Kiyani, himself a victim of gun violence as a teenager. “And owning a fi rearm is a responsibility. Everyone should secure their fi rearm to help protect against unauthorized use and a fi ngerprint is one of the best keys in the world.”

Kiyani understands that the gun industry is a landmine of politics.

“I’m aware of it, but my engineering training didn’t train me for all of that,” he says. “I am just an engineer who is making it easier for responsible owners to store their fi rearm. Our product allows gun owners to keep their families 16

SPring 2017 : : venture michigan

safe from the very guns that were bought to protect them. Overall, gun owners have been very receptive to Identilock because they see it as a viable solution to solve a problem without any concerns.” made in the motor City Kiyani was born in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and immigrated to the United States to study engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. After graduating in 2005, he worked at a nuclear power plant on the outskirts of Chicago.

“It was a good job, but there was nothing new as far as innovation in the plant,” he says. “The place was 40 years old and my job was to just keep things running smoothly. I wanted something more challenging and innovative.”

Kiyani later got an offer from an au-

tomotive supplier in Michigan to work on the next generation of air bag systems.

“I moved to Germany for a few years and that’s where I learned my core engineering skills,” he says. “It was exactly the type of challenge I was looking for and it got my juices fl owing.”

During the following decade, the idea for Identilock stayed on Kiyani’s mind.

Eventually, in 2015, he left his engineering job to launch his own company, Sentinl, in Detroit.

“I wanted to leverage the latest technology with the engineering, craftsmanship and heritage of Detroit,” he says.

“I was inspired by the challenge of working in the shadows of the automotive giants.

“People here understand my product and the market for it,” he says. “There has been a huge push for software startups in Detroit which is great, but there are other solutions that sometimes get overlooked.”

Kiyani feels there is a need to refocus on the products that the Metro Detroit area is good at, instead of trying to copy what is happening in places like Silicon Valley.

“There is talent here to replicate what Silicon Valley does, but we are built on sustainability,” he says. “There is a focus here on software startups, but our products like automobiles are hybrids of software and hardware, so we need more focused funding for that. There is a huge talent pool and resources here that could change the world in so many positive ways. This hardware skill set is not easy to come by, but we have it here. The fact that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offi ce opened its fi rst offi ce outside of Washington, D.C., right here in the Detroit area says a lot about what is going on here.

“The bottom line is that I’m glad to be here in Detroit,” Kiyani says. “Our product leverages the strengths of the area and puts them in a package. There is nowhere else on the planet with better designers, engineers and manufacturers that can design, test, build and manufacture Identilock. I fi rmly believe that.”

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focus

Startup Success Experts share advice for entrepreneurs

By Ilene Wolff

I

f you’re an entrepreneur courting a venture capital firm and it’s time to host a meeting at your office, put your efforts into what you have to say and don’t fret about your particleboard desks and hand-me-down furnishings — your humble surroundings may actually work in your favor.

“That shows us where you spend your money and what your priorities are,” says Tony Grover, managing director of RPM Ventures and chairman of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, both in Ann Arbor, Mich. “It means you’re a pretty frugal team.”

RPM is a 17-year-old seed and early stage venture firm whose investment focus is on business-to-business on-demand software; cloud and social media infrastructure; online sales sites; and automotive information technology, including the connected car, mobility and transportation. The company invests in businesses in the Great Lakes region, New York and Silicon Valley.

This information is from RPM’s website and demonstrates another point that Grover and others in the VC world stress: Learn as much as possible about a venture capital firm before approach18

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ing it. Fortunately, such firms are highly transparent on their websites, and list key information that entrepreneurs need to know: the type of companies they invest in; at what stage they invest; the size of their funds and the amounts they tend to invest; and their geographic reach.

In addition to his company’s website, Grover repeatedly mentions LinkedIn as a good source of information, but there’s at least one more, says Maureen Miller Brosnan, executive director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA), a trade association that focuses on hightech and the life sciences.

Easy-to-access resources “The first big thing to do is to get your hands on our ‘Entrepreneurial & Investment Landscape Guide’,” Miller Brosnan says. “It’s meant to keep track of all the changes going on in the entrepreneurial space.”

The guide lists detailed information about angel and venture capital groups in the state, organizations that offer support to entrepreneurs and MVCA member service providers, as well as the trade organization itself. The interactive, online “Michigan Entrepreneurial & In-

vestment Landscape Map” shows where angel and venture capital groups and their portfolio companies are located.

A second MVCA publication, an annual research report, provides additional information about investment money activities during the prior year.

The MVCA’s publications pay off not only for entrepreneurs, who may target their pitches for support more accurately as a result of the information they offer, but for its members as well.

“What we’ve found with our members is they are getting higher-quality calls from startups,” says Miller Brosnan.

“The MVCA office is getting fewer general information calls from startups too.”

Covering all the bases However, once an entrepreneur seeking funding follows the advice of Grover and Miller Brosnan, he or she still has more homework to do.

“Develop complete knowledge of the market you’re going after,” advises Skip Simms, a managing member of the Michigan Angel Fund and a vice president at Ann Arbor SPARK, a Michigan SmartZone. SmartZones, created by the Michigan Economic Development Cor-

poration (MEDC), are designed to help stimulate the growth of tech-based businesses throughout the state.

In fact, when Simms hears that an entrepreneur has the greatest new invention, one so good that after he builds it people with just fl ock to buy it, he suspects that person hasn’t done his or her due diligence.

“They haven’t talked to customers, haven’t identifi ed the sales cycle,” he says. “This manifests itself when the entrepreneur talks in generalities and can’t say what customer told him this or that.”

Simms says the entrepreneur has to contact at least 20 and up to 50 potential customers. This often means making cold calls to targeted businesses.

“It’s not necessarily the CEO or even the COO. Sometimes the best person is a manager or a line person,” he says.

“You’re looking for initial feedback: be succinct, identify a problem and tell him how your product will solve it.

“The idea is to ask leading questions to get the person to tell me more: Even better if he says come visit me and show me. Nothing replaces face-to-face conversations.”

On the other hand, if the person says the problem you’re trying to solve is not a problem for him, you’ve got to rethink your product, Simms says. more tips for success Our experts share other dos and don’ts for startup success … simms: Assemble a team. There has to be more than one person engaged in the company, including a product person and a businessperson knowledgeable about sales and other administrative issues.

“It is rare that one person can be both,” Simms says. “One person won’t have the knowledge, contacts and experience.” miller brosnan: Network. Investigate entrepreneur support organizations in Michigan that host opportunities throughout the state for entrepreneurs to get together. These organizations host days to pitch ideas, too. Some angel groups or VC group members may attend the meetings. Talk to other people

who have gone before you about the lessons they learned.

“A hello, a handshake and a business card go a long way,” Miller Brosnan says. grover: If you’re fortunate enough to get a fi rst meeting, RPM always asks the entrepreneur if he or she would prefer to go through a pitch deck (slides) or have a conversation. It doesn’t matter how long the pitch deck is, according to the MVCA. It’s more important to convey your business message. Be ready to validate your idea, talk about the customers with whom you’ve tested it, explain the return on investment for the customers who may buy your product and more.

Being able to have a conversation without the crutch of a slide show demonstrates that you have a deep understanding of all the elements of a business, Grover says. simms: Listen, listen, listen – to potential customers, prospective employees and would-be investors.

“If you’re not listening, I guarantee you will not succeed,” Simms says. “Their commentary and questions will contain hidden gems of what you need to do.” grover: Be open and honest with potential investors. If you have a mistake in your past — a legal issue from a previous business or a driving under the infl uence conviction, for example — be the one to offer the information and don’t hope that it will remain hidden.

“Take ownership of the mistake,” Grover says. “Be upfront and transparent about it.” miller brosnan: Don’t let your dayto-day activities devoted to building your business idea keep you tethered to work.

“The only don’t I would say is, don’t stay buried in your offi ce,” Miller Brosnan says. “We have a state that has totally embraced entrepreneurship and it would be silly not to take advantage of it.”

Who knows? Maybe once you’ve followed the advice of the experts, your company will grow to the point where you can afford to replace your hand-medown furniture with something nice — and brand-new.

Beyond startups Once a startup begins accumulating assets or making money, an entrepreneur often looks beyond the world of venture capital for additional cash.

If that happens, the savvy business owner will already have established a relationship with a local banker.

“A lot of times, commercial bankers will sit down with you and listen to your pitch and offer advice,” says Brad Wahr, vice president of commercial lending at Mercantile Bank of Michigan, in Mt. Pleasant. “Early on, it’s very much like an interview.”

When the time comes to apply for a bank loan, it may help to know what criteria bankers use to evaluate an applicant.

“Generally, we evaluate everything on the fi ve Cs of lending,” Wahr says.

This includes: character: Do you live your personal and business life in an ethical manner? Bankers may pull your personal credit report, check court records for bankruptcy fi lings and request references. cash flow: Do you have enough cash to pay back the loan, with money left over? You will have to provide business and personal fi nancial statements, including income tax returns and a net worth statement. collateral: If you can’t repay the loan, do you have assets the bank can sell to get its money back? This is an area where a lot of entrepreneurs fail, Wahr says. capital: What other sources of money not tied to the business do you have: an inheritance, personal savings or equity in a house? condition: What will the money be used for? What other factors may affect repayment of the loan that are unrelated to the business and beyond the owner’s control: advances in technology, changes in government regulations or workforce availability? venture michigan : : SPring 2017

19

design

From cycling to recycling

By Connor McNeely

O

ld is in. From industrial interiors to vintage fashion fads, design tends to repeat itself.

Art, too, is experiencing a form of reincarnation. Reclaimed art is a medium that bestows history in both theme and the sum of its parts.

Metro Detroit artist Dozer knows a thing or two about reclaimed art, noting that artists and designers have been reclaiming for centuries.

“It’s the ability to see something within something else that makes it work,” says Dozer (who prefers to go by his artistic pseudonym) from his Dozer Cycle Studio in Clawson, Mich.

Given his background in industrial arts, finding fresh use for old objects is a staple of Dozer’s artistic aura. “Industrial arts are about function and problem solving through design and engineering,” says his wife and business partner, Cate Strumbos.

“Dozer’s use of found and formerly used objects and materials comes from an appreciation of their form, function and history, and that aesthetic was likely influenced by growing up on a farm and learning to appreciate resources on hand,” says Strumbos.

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Before establishing a name for himself in steel making, the artist inherited the name “Dozer” as a nod to his strong ability to clear trees for an excavating company.

Once a full-time builder of custom motorcycles, Dozer has dedicated most of the last decade to functional art, using plenty of found material in the interim.

His most recent piece of functional art combines two of Detroit’s most prominent treasures: music and automobiles.

Stamp sounds “The Salute to Bertoia” is Dozer’s homage to Detroit’s great 20th century sound sculptor, Harry Bertoia. Bertoia’s famous “Table Tonal” sculpture was an assortment of vertically standing bronze rods that, once given a gentle nudge, would sway and chime against each other, creating a musical sound.

Dozer’s rendition consists of industrial negative cutouts — likely used to stamp out materials for automotive engines — that he sourced from laser shops around town.

Although it was Dozer’s intention to build something capable of emitting sound when he discovered the materi-

als, he was merely trying to solve a functional design predicament involving his home.

“I was building it for a spot in front of our house, where at night, if the light is on, you can see into the window from the street,” says Dozer, noting that his plan was to block the view into his house.

But “Salute to Bertoia” ultimately became a prominent piece at The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s 10th annual gala, held in October. The gala’s theme was metal work, and Dozer’s contribution made plenty of noise. Salute to Bertoia is currently on display at Dozer Cycle Studio.

Shifting gears Strumbos, Dozer’s partner at Dozer Cycle Studio, claims he is an iconic image in the motorcycle world. A cluttered counter in their 7,500-square-foot workspace showcases countless keepsakes from custom build shows, including awards from national competitions, magazine covers featuring his builds and even a tshirt with his face on it.

Dozer’s decision to switch gears from bike building to functional design

From top of page: Steel panel cubicles/ Latte bar (Detroit School for Digital Technology); Little Tree table base; Belt buckle Right: Flamingo Opposite page: Muse motorcycle venture michigan : : SPRING 2017

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Behind bars Most recently, Dozer has taken his industrial problem solving to a new level.

Developers of Detroit’s third precinct have recruited his talents to help transform an old jail into the Detroit School for Digital Technology, a post-secondary school for digital media.

By using discarded negative cutout panels, like those used to build “Salute To Bertoia”, Dozer turned 22 jail cells into private study cubicles. Naturally, Dozer used some reclaimed material from the jail, which was built in 1929, to function as desks in the new study cubicles.

“We used the original jail cell plank beds, so there are still all the old jailhouse carvings on them. There’s cool history here,” says Dozer.

And there you have it. History repeating itself. Again and again.

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Michael Farabaugh Studio jeff holter

was influenced by the market downturn in 2007, which led to a considerable reduction in consumer demand for expensive custom bikes.

“Motorcycles were always a passion and a part of my life but for me it was more the art,” says Dozer. “Cate and I met because of motorcycles but we both lean toward the art side of everything.”

Dozer’s innate love of art and function is visible in many of his bikes. Most notably, his multi-award-winning bike from 2012, “Muse.”

According to Dozer, the initial motivation behind Muse was to design a bike that had no straight pipe in its frame.

“I wasn’t building for the motorcycle, I was building the design,” he says. “All the driveline components of this motorcycle just enhance the frame and to me it doesn’t make the bike because I can take everything out and the frame is so beautiful and organic that I could leave it without ever putting anything in it.”

From top of page: Dandelion; Crusader; Last Ride

health Harnessing Brain Power A concept that began in 2010 at the University of Michigan’s Direct Brain Interface Laboratory in Ann Arbor has become the foundation of Neurable, a promising new startup.

The company — founded by former U-M student researchers Ramses Alcaide, Michael Thompson, James Hamet and Adam Molnar — recently moved from Ann Arbor to Cambridge, Mass., after securing $2 million in seed funding to bring its software platform to market.

The technology involves innovative algorithms to detect a person’s brain activity, recorded with an EEG cap, and turn it into real-time control of software and a variety of connected devices using the power of the brain. According to the company’s website, the technology has enabled people to play games, control toys and drive a full-sized car using only their thoughts.

The company’s core technology was developed by Alcaide while working on his Ph.D. in neuroscience under U-M’s Dr. Jane Huggins, a renowned researcher in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and a faculty member in the departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and of Biomedical Engineering. Huggins leads U-M’s Direct Brain Interface Laboratory, which develops ways to interpret brain activity to enable people with disabilities to operate technology.

Alcaide, who often speaks of watching his uncle struggle after losing the use of both legs in an automobile accident, became determined to help people with disabilities. Neurable’s ultimate goal, according to its website: To create a world where people live without limitations.

Huggins supports this goal with her ongoing work at U-M’s Direct Brain Interface

Dr. Jane Huggins controls computer software by detecting and interpreting her brain's activity through the use of algorithms.

Laboratory. “There is a lot of potential to positively impact the lives of people with disabilities and the need is so great,” she says, acknowledging that brain-computer interface technology will always be a small market with funding challenges.

Neurable, she says — created out of a desire to commercialize this technology — is doing its part to move the initiative forward. Ultimately, this will help those with disabilities to live a better quality of life.

Seeing the Light Restoring vision was the motivation behind a novel gene therapy developed by a group of scientists at Wayne State University in Detroit. The group came together to create RetroSense Therapeutics in 2009.

Now located in Ann Arbor, Mich., the

biotechnology company’s gene therapy is designed to restore functional vision to patients robbed of theirs through retinal degenerative disorders. The gene therapy has realized encouraging results in animal models.

In retinal degenerative conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and dry agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), photoreceptors die, thus reducing a patient’s visual acuity and ability to see in dim lighting. Progressive loss of these photoreceptors leads to blindness. The RetroSense gene therapy will deliver a new photosensitivity gene to retinal cells to restore the ability of eyes to sense light.

The treatment involves a one-time injection into the eye, similar to routine injections given by retina specialists.

The gene therapy has been proven safe in human clinical studies. venture michigan : : SPRING 2017

23

weekend

Spring Break North on A refreshing departure from tradition

By Nicole Serra

S

pring has arrived, and with it, the much anticipated Spring Break.

Michiganders across the state are finalizing travel plans: packing swimsuits, flip flops and car snacks for drives to Florida, the Carolinas and other popular vacation spots.

However, as nice as it is to soak up the sun for a week, the prospect of traffic, construction and yet another drive south on Interstate-75 (I-75) may take some of the thrill out of your travels.

This spring, why not break the mold and head north? That’s right, turn the car around and reinvent your vacation.

Trade sandy beaches for frosted waterfalls, seagulls for elk and cruise ships for freighters. Northern Michigan has long been the go-to destination for summer trips, but there’s nothing quite like seeing it in its most rugged form.

I-75 north stretches close to 400 miles from southern Michigan to the northern border at Sault Ste. Marie. Along the way, exits reveal hidden gems: mom-and-pop pasty shops, museums, sightseeing and countless other surprises.

Venture Michigan has mapped it 24

SPRING 2017 : : venture michigan

all out for you and planned the perfect spring break road trip along I-75 in the Great Lakes state.

Gaylord The Alpine Village is home to a scenic downtown and much more. Strolling through the streets you’ll find great shops such as the Alpine Chocolat Haus, a dessert and candy store filled with fudge, local specialty desserts and chocolates. Fan favorites include boysenberry bark and elk patties, a clump of potato chips covered in chocolate. These are tasty, despite their uncanny resemblance to the droppings of Gaylord’s famous herd.

Outside the streets of the bustling downtown, you can see elk up close while visiting Gaylord’s City Elk Park.

The park is home to about 70 elk and is a popular stop for tourists and locals. The herd started with three elk 15 years ago, but has grown since. The elk are cared for by the city and can be seen from the Elk Lodge off Grandview.

For those interested in seeing elk in a natural environment, check out the

free ranging herds of the Pigeon River Forest. Although not as easy to track as the city elk, they are often seen on Fontinalis Road, East Sturgeon Valley Road and near the intersection of Osmun and Clark Bridge roads.

Spring is a great time to view elk since there are few other tourists and the animals are especially active eating new growth during daylight hours. For more information on elk viewing, go to gaylordmichigan.net.

For the kids (or your inner kid), stop by the Call of the Wild Museum and take a tour guided by Pokey the black bear.

The museum, though a little corny, is full of fun and is a great way to get a break from the brisk spring air. The walking tour consists of 60 wild animal displays and a kids’ theater, during which you’ll hear the sound a deer makes.

Afterward, weather permitting, you can head next door to the Bavarian Falls Park for go-carting and adventure golf.

Wolverine Travel 20 miles north on I-75 and you’ll find Wolverine, a rustic town known

Driving across the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge to Canada Nicole Serra

venture michigan : : SPRING 2017

25

Left: Springtime gardens in bloom at the Silent Sport Lodge Below: Antlers restaurant, in Sault Ste. Marie, is a museum of taxidermy

Nicole Serra

or ketchup. This place is sure to please even the pickiest of pasty snobs, and is conveniently located right off of I-75.

for its solitude, winter sports and wilderness. Although small in population, the town makes up for it with incredible forests and beautiful rivers. For an authentic “up north” experience, look no further than the Silent Sport Lodge.

Owners John and Rhonda Smit built their lodge years ago to make the dream of operating a B&B a reality.

Named for the many winter activities offered by the adventurous duo, the Silent Sport Lodge often hosts weekends filled with themed activities.

While staying at the lodge, you can enjoy countless outdoor sports such as snowshoe treks (and even snowshoe making), fly fishing, kayaking, sleigh rides, and more — all weather permitting.

Mackinaw City At the very tip of the Lower Peninsula sits Mackinaw City. The historic town is filled with character — from the Old Mackinac Lighthouse and Fort Michilimackinac to the countless fudge shops on Main Street. Spring in Mackinaw is the perfect time to enjoy a bit of sight26

SPRING 2017 : : venture michigan

seeing on your way to the Upper Peninsula, including a thawing Lake Michigan and far less crowded tourist attractions.

Mackinaw City is also home to the Headlands International Dark Sky Park, a must-see for those traveling through the area near nightfall. The park is known for its undeveloped shoreline and preserved night sky, meaning the stars are brighter and more visible to the naked eye. The Northern Lights are frequently spotted from the park.

Exploring works up quite the appetite, but luckily Mackinaw City is home to Hunt’s Mackinaw Pastie & Cookie Co. The small restaurant serves up authentic Michigan pasties (pastry pies stuffed with beef, chicken or veggies) served with gravy

Newberry Crossing the Mackinac Bridge, the third longest suspension bridge in the world, is its own adventure on your way to Newberry, home to one of Michigan’s most beautiful attractions: Tahquamenon Falls. Although a bit of a detour from I-75, the drive is well worth it. Tahquamenon Falls, while impressive year round, is even more so in late winter and spring.

The copper colored water contrasts starkly against the melting snow banks, and, if it has remained cold enough, the massive icicles formed against the banks of the river.

Although the Upper and Lower falls are worth seeing, Upper Falls is the safer hike if you’re heading to Newberry in questionable weather. The views of Upper Falls can be reached within a short distance and require no trekking through difficult terrain.

Just a short drive from the Falls is Oswald’s Bear Ranch. Home to 29 black bears, Oswald’s is the largest bear-only ranch in the United States.

The bears are rescues, and now live in large, natural enclosures. Opening dates for the ranch vary based on the hibernation patterns of the bears, so double check with the ranch before visiting. Call 906-293-3147.

Paradise Still north of I-75 (but not far from Newberry) sits the little town of Paradise.

The small community is a perfect place to explore the back roads of the Upper Peninsula and catch great views of Lake Superior.

Paradise’s most famous attraction is probably the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, located on Whitefish Point. Unfortunately, the museum does not open until May 1, but should be kept in mind for those planning a later trip. Visitors can see artifacts and exhibits that tell the stories of sailors and ships who braved the waters of Lake Superior and those who were lost to its powerful waves.

Whitefish Point offers more than the museum. On the same campus is the Whitefish Point Light. The lighthouse is vital to freighters and ships. Built in 1847, the light was cared for by keepers until 1971 when the radio beacon, fog signal and light became automated and controlled from Sault Ste. Marie.

The campus also features a viewing platform of Lake Superior. Standing on the wooden dock, you’ll feel the strength of Superior’s winds and see the chaos of the waves, the factors that have contributed to numerous shipwrecks in the area and gave Whitefish Point the nickname “Graveyard of the Great Lakes.”

For nature buffs, visit the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, a migration hotspot for over 340 species of birds.

Guided tours of the observatory are available starting in April.

Sault Ste. Marie At the end of I-75 is the city of Sault Ste. Marie. As far as spring break destinations go, Sault Ste. Marie is sure to give Fort Lauderdale a run for its money.

The city is filled with great restaurants, sights and history.

Downtown Sault Ste. Marie is a wonderful spot to wander. It features a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as multiple art galleries and the Kewadin Casino.

Of course, a visit to Sault Ste. Marie isn’t complete without a trip to the Soo Locks, a set of parallel locks that

enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. To save yourself time, go to marinetraffic. com to track the progress of freighters in the Great Lakes. This allows you to time your trip to the visitor’s center and observation decks, instead of standing in one place for hours waiting (although you might want to anyway).

For a closer look at the Soo Locks, take a boat tour and cruise the St. Mary’s River. You can travel through the Locks while enjoying dinner and learning about passing freighters.

Sault Ste. Marie was developed into a European settlement in 1668 by Father Jacques Marquette, making it the oldest settlement in the Midwestern United States.

Multiple historical attractions in the city include the Museum Ship Valley Camp, the River of History Museum and the Tower of History Museum. The Museum Ship Valley Camp is onboard the SS Valley Camp, a lake freighter that sailed for almost 50 years before its conversion to a museum. In addition to the museums, Historic Water Street is a great place to spend some time exploring.

The Tower of History is an enormous concrete structure that quite literally towers over the city. It features a few exhibits of Native American cultural artifacts and Sault Ste. Marie history. Views from the tower are breathtaking. The entire layout of Sault Ste. Marie can be seen from the viewing platforms, as well as the International Bridge to Canada.

At night, the bridge’s colored lights are clearly visible: red, white and blue for the American side, and red and white for the Canadian side.

If history isn’t your cup of tea, you’re sure to find something else that is. The colder months are filled with activities such as snowmobiling and tube sledding.

The nearby campus of Lake Superior

The Plaza Motor Motel is a distinctive motel with 21 finely appointed guest rooms one would more likely find in a country inn or bed and breakfast but we have the convenience and price point of a traditional park-at-your-door style motel. Stroll our beautiful gardens, enjoy your first cup of coffee in our gazebo and create some happy memories to journey home with.

It’s all in the way you travel the journey…

Plaza Motor Motel 3901 I-75 Business Spur Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 Local: 906-635-1881 Toll: 888-809-1881 plazamotormotel.com

venture michigan : : SPRING 2017

27

incubate

Automation Alley helps manufacturers break through growth ceiling

A

Lighthouse Electronics Protection

funding where appropriate and secure vanced manufacturing and technology utomation Alley, a nonprofit entrepreneurs seek accelerated com- first beta customers. technology business associaStep 5, Capital: With first beta cusmercialization for their product, service tion serving Southeast Michior technology. The program consists of tomers secured, companies meet with gan, offers a free assessment a customized seven-step process that investment entities to secure capital. through its entrepreneurship program, Step 6, Commercialization: Compathe Automation Alley 7Cs™. The pro- includes intense coaching and a firm gram is geared toward second-stage commitment from Automation Alley to nies will rapidly scale production, secure resources, create jobs and, in turn, mentor manufacturing and technology compa- invest resources and capital. new Automation Alley 7Cs™ participants.

Here’s how the program works: nies that want to grow, are looking for Step 7, Community: Companies beStep 1, Concept: Companies meet strategic or Industry 4.0 technology with Automation Alley’s entrepreneur- come Automation Alley members in orassistance or just want to know how der to tap into the memthey’re doing. bership base.

Dom Holmes, AutomaThe program also tion Alley’s manager of enincludes a component trepreneurship and innovacalled First Look, a collection, says the assessment tion of two-minute sales allows those companies that videos promoting each have hit a growth ceiling to of the Automation Alley reach their full potential by 7Cs™ clients and showfocusing on company culcasing their products and ture, a clear strategy and services. the resources and systems “The videos give porequired to execute. While tential customers a ‘first these three elements are look’ at the innovative the keys to long-term profitproducts and services able growth, it’s vital to prioffered by our 7Cs™ clioritize which one a company Employees of Lighthouse Electronics Protection, a 7Cs ents,” Holmes says. “This needs to focus on first. And participating company, observe the company’s low-pressure is an integral part of the that’s where the assessment overmolding system. program because one of comes in, Holmes adds. the major challenges faced “Participants who comby entrepreneurs today is securing that mit to report operational metrics will re- ship team to determine if they are a very first customer.” ceive a qualitative profile, a quantitative good fit for the program.

To date, Automation Alley has inStep 2, Context: A business model analysis and a list of findings for improvement, prioritized by importance and ur- is developed resulting in a working value vested over $9 million into 60 startups across Southeast Michigan. Those comgency,” says Holmes. “Past participants proposition.

Step 3, Clarity: The value proposi- panies have been awarded more than have reported that the assessment pro$142 million in follow-on capital. vided their leadership team with invalu- tion is refined through market research.

Step 4, Customers: Companies deable insights.”

Automation Alley’s 7Cs™ program velop a prototype to take to market for To learn more, contact Dom Holmes at helps early-stage and second-stage ad- analysis and feedback, explore crowdholmesd@automationalley.com.

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Invent a weekend from page 27 State University is another great place to explore, as well, and while it may be too late in the year to watch the school’s hockey team, ice skating is available at multiple ice rinks in the city.

Sault Ste. Marie has plenty of options for lodging. You’re sure to find accommodations that suit your needs at a very reasonable price. One of the city’s most popular places to stay is the Plaza Motor Motel, a small, well-kept property with beautiful gardens in the warmer months.

When it comes to dining, Sault Ste. Marie will not disappoint. The city is filled with options for all meals. In the morning, stop by the Superior Coffee Roasting Company Cafe for fresh coffee roasted right in the city. Lunchtime calls for a sandwich and dessert at local favorite Penny’s Kitchen. For dinner, head over to the Antlers Restaurant. A Soo staple, Antlers was originally named the Bucket of Blood Saloon. During the

Before you leave, grab your passport and take a quick drive across the bridge to Canada to see Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Prohibition era, its front was an ice cream parlor. Today, Antlers is a family restaurant filled wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with taxidermy. You can even enjoy a burger while looking at the stuffed form of a two-headed calf.

Before you leave, grab your passport and take a quick drive across the bridge to Canada to see Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Get a bite to eat at the West Side Cafe. The small restaurant is a bit of a dive, but serves some of Canada’s best poutine (a delicious concoction of fries, cheese curds and gravy).

Bay City Traveling back down I-75, stop off in Bay City’s many antique and specialty shops. Bay City is also a great place to get a bite to eat — check out Gatsby’s — and to stretch your legs after a long drive. You may even spot freighters passing through on their way to Sault Ste. Marie.

Michigan is bursting with adventure during every season.

Your vacation doesn’t have to be warm to be fun, and what the Mitten lacks in warmth it makes up for in beauty, wilderness and fantastic experiences. So this spring break, head for the beach - I recommend choosing one on Lake Superior.

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scene TechTown Detroit: Salute! Awards Photos by Julianne Lindsey

N

early 400 guests of TechTown Detroit's Toast of the Town 2016 enjoyed a strolling supper, signature cocktails, silent auction and raffle prizes, as well as music from local DJ, Amy Dreamcatcher. The first-ever Salute! Awards were presented to five Detroit-area entrepreneurs. The Salute! Awards recognize standout individuals and companies who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship, nominated by a committee of leaders in the startup and small business community. The evening included Marketplace featuring TechTown clients from Labs (tech) and Blocks (neighborhood) programs, such as Detroit Skate Factory and Posh Fashions.

2016 Salute! Award Winners The Shaker — Entrepreneur of the Year: Sean Ainsworth/RetroSense Therapeutics The Mixologist — Business Champion of the Year: James Feagin IV TechTown on Tap: Omer Kiyani/Sentinl Regina Gaines/House of Pure Vin Lana Rodriguez/Mama Coo’s Boutique

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SPRING 2017 : : venture michigan

Photos by Julianne Lindsey / jlindseyphotos.com

Attendees enjoy the festive atmosphere of TechTown Detroit's Toast of the Town, emceed by Mark S. Lee of Crain’s Detroit Business and WXYT radio 1270 (above left).

venture michigan : : SPRING 2017

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SPRING 2017 : : venture michigan