A publication of
EXPLORING MICHIGAN’S EMERGING TECH SECTORS WINTER 2016 $3.99
CREATION
EVOLUTION The changing face of manufacturing
+ A leader’s perspectives on manufacturing + Pratt & Miller focuses on product innovation + Cooking with the pros in Metro Detroit
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WINTER 2016 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1
THE WESTBORN S T O RY Doug Moore, the pioneer and founder of Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, has been serving the fine community of Dearborn for over 31 years. Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram now has its third generation working at the dealership and learning the business to take it to the next level. When Mr. Moore started in the business over 45 years ago, Lyndon Johnson returned to power after a landslide victory. It was also the year the Beatles took the world and America by storm and Beatlemania went into overdrive as they released a series of number-one hits, including “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “All My Loving.” Other British groups also found success, including the Rolling Stones and the Animals. Together, with the American talent of the Supremes and Bob Dylan, many say this was one of the greatest years for music in the last century. Also, one young, loud, talented boxer by the name of Cassius Clay won the boxing world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston. Sony also introduced the first VCR Home Video Recorder. Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has stood the test of time and has witnessed many of the great things that have happened in this great country. Not only has the Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram stood the test of time, they are still
WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS LIFESTYLE
features
22 people profile
NCMS’s Rebecca Taylor shares thoughts on manufacturing
Pratt & Miller focuses on product innovation
24 business profile 28 focus on
14
technology Creation evolution: The changing face of manufacturing
34 lifestyle
All the right ingredients: Cooking with the pros in Metro Detroit
34
departments 4
editor’s letter
6
automation alley update Views and news from Automation Alley
10
metro retro Vacuum tech – still cleaning up
12 health+tech Seeing brain tumor tissue more clearly; healthy blood vessels; Beaumont Hospital research 14 tech+design A new paradigm in flying
16 education kaleidoscope Michigan’s tech education pipeline 20 newsmakers Billhighway launches academy; U-M funding supports innovation; entrepreneurship and innovation at MCCC; EIBC’s annual gala; YEA! comes to Detroit 40
expert outlook Is STEM taking root?
42
making the scene Capturing tech events
delivering the best in new and used vehicles and, most important, they still deliver the best service in Michigan. Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram looks forward to serving the great community of Dearborn for another 31 years to come.
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www.xologymagazine.com
editor'sletter ANGIE BAAN
www.xologymagazine.com
W
elcome to the winter issue of X-OLOGY Magazine. We’re happy to announce that X-OLOGY is now in its 10th year, a major milestone for a niche publication and one our entire team is very proud of. From the start, our goal has been to focus on the innovative technology companies, people and resources in Michigan and, specifically, in the Southeast Michigan region. The emerging sectors we began covering 10 years ago are now fully developed industries that have brought the region back from its economic slump. Today, Southeast Michigan has a reputation for tech innovation, thriving companies and top talent. And this trend continues as STEM education initiatives move higher on the list of priorities for leaders in business and education. As we celebrate a decade in print, this issue of X-OLOGY Magazine takes a look at Automation Alley and the role it is playing in expanding robotics and manufacturing technology throughout Southeast Michigan. Automation Alley’s Technology Center was created to promote innovation, share knowledge and inspire the STEM workers of tomorrow. Writer Ilene Wolff speaks with the center’s director, Alex Violassi, about the area businesses involved in the Technology Center that offer insight into advanced manufacturing technologies and more. Our People Profile introduces Rebecca Taylor, senior vice president of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), headquarted in Ann Arbor, MI. As a leader of the organization, which represents all sectors of the manufacturing base — aerospace, automotive, energy consumer products and medical, among others — Taylor emphasizes the need to continue to evolve to stay on the cutting edge of innovation in manufacturing. One company that has learned to grow and change to maintain its competitive edge is Pratt & Miller, featured in our Business Profile. The company has embraced the latest in advanced manufacturing techniques, including work with robotics to incorporate automation into its manufacturing environment. On another note, if you’ve always had the urge to fly your own airplane, you’ll be interested in our Tech+Design feature, which highlights the ICON A5. This two-person Light Sport Aircraft is described as “simple and safe enough that anyone can learn to fly it.” A $2,000 deposit will get your name on the waiting list. For our readers who would rather stay inside this winter with their feet on the ground, our Lifestyle feature presents culinary programs that will have you cooking with the pros. You’ll read about a variety of cooking venues that offer classes ranging from Mediterranean style dishes to bacon and bourbon concoctions, sweet treats and more. The X-OLOGY team wishes you a Happy New Year. We look forward to your input and ideas for 2016.
Jane Racey Gleeson Editor jane@XOLOGYmagazine.com 4
WINTER 2016 • X-OLOGY
E DI TOR I A L EDITOR | Jane Racey Gleeson EDITORIAL ADVISORS Ken Rogers Erin Sommerville COPY EDITOR Judy Solomon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Julie Baumkel Jeanine Matlow Peter Haapaniemi Leslie Mertz Nicole Kampe Ilene Wolff Rosemary Lane C R E AT I V E CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Alex Lumelsky CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Hannah Metler Max Wedge Beth Singer PRODUCTION | SKY Creative P U B LI S H I NG PUBLISHED BY RDE ENTERPRISES INC. Publisher | R. David Eick PRINTED BY GRAPHICS EAST Account Executive | Chuck Rymal
A DV E RT I S I NG MANAGING DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING | R. David Eick ACCOUNT MANAGERS Scott Cooper Greg “Porky” Campbell INTERNAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Joseph P. Pietrangeli FOR ADVERTISING CONTACT: 248.231.8067 or david@xologymagazine.com
X-OLOGY IS A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED FOR AUTOMATION ALLEY. THE MISSION OF X-OLOGY IS TO UNCOVER THE MOST SURPRISING AND RESONANT STORIES ABOUT THE PEOPLE, COMPANIES, TECHNOLOGIES AND IDEAS THAT ARE TRANSFORMING SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. THE PUBLICATION IS DISTRIBUTED TO 20,000 IN 8 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AND THE CITY OF DETROIT. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, PLEASE CALL 248-231-8067. ALL CONTENT HEREIN IS THE PROPERTY OF RDE ENTERPRISES, INC., AND CANNOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED OR REPUBLISHED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF RDE ENTERPRISES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO X-OLOGY MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 38, BIRMINGHAM, MI 48012
Reliable, modernized grid Energy is essential to the way we live, work and play. ITC operates, builds and maintains the region’s electric transmission infrastructure. We’re a Michiganbased company working hard to improve electric reliability and increase electric transmission capacity throughout the Midwest.
We’re ITC – your energy superhighway.
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X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
5
automationalleyupdate meet automation alley’s new directors: bruce legge and nancy smith Automation Alley recently hired two new directors to support the association’s commitment to its members and dedication to its mission. Bruce Legge, director of defense, and Nancy Smith, director of membership and sales, report to Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers. As director of defense, Legge oversees Automation Alley’s efforts to assist local companies looking to diversify into the defense industry. Automation Alley’s relationship with defense industry leaders provides multiple access points for companies to approach the industry, including the Department of Defense and defense-sector original equipment manufacturers. In addition, Automation Alley partners with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to find innovative, hightech companies with capabilities related to ground vehicle technology. Legge retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994 as a lieutenant commander. He joins Automation Alley with more than 35 years of hands-on and management experience leading people and highly technical project teams. Most recently, Legge served as program manager and manager of business development at Alion Science and Technology, where 6
WINTER 2016 • X-OLOGY
he provided technical and programmatic oversight and engineering expertise to projects being performed at Alion’s Warren, MI, site, and interfaced with vehicle OEMs, government vehicle program management offices and TARDEC. Prior to joining Alion, Legge served as director of business development for Maryland-based Sotera Engineered Solutions and also worked for General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI, as a senior manager of technology and business development.
Legge holds a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the United States Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Illinois State University. As the new director of membership and sales, Smith is responsible for managing and growing Automation Alley’s membership portfolio, which includes nearly 1,000 businesses, educational institutions and government entities in Southeast Michigan. Smith is also in charge of enhancing the overall member experience by identifying new trends and best practices to improve Automation Alley’s membership offerings. Smith comes to Automation Alley with extensive business experience, having worked most recently as national sales manager at Global Office Solutions in Novi, MI, one of the largest independent providers of office supplies and services in Michigan. Prior to that, Smith held senior sales positions at large corporations including Sprint-Nextel and Xerox. Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in communication arts from the University of Detroit (now Detroit Mercy) and her master’s degree in organizational communication from Wayne State University in Detroit.
about automation alley®
Automation Alley is a technology business association and business accelerator dedicated to growing the economy of Southeast Michigan and enhancing the region’s reputation around the world. Automation Alley offers talent and business development programs and matchmaking services to tech-focused businesses of all sizes — from startups to large corporations — to help them grow and prosper. Since its founding in 1999, Automation Alley’s membership has grown to include nearly 1,000 businesses, educational institutions, government entities and nonprofit organizations from the city of Detroit and the surrounding eight-county region. Automation Alley provides a variety of exclusive benefits to its members to help them succeed, including networking opportunities, meeting space and public relations tools. Automation Alley also serves the general business community in five key areas: entrepreneurship, talent development, international business services, emerging technologies, and defense and manufacturing. Automation Alley collaborates with regional partners to provide its members and clients with the best business resources available, to drive local economic growth, and to positively influence the stories being told around the globe about the people and businesses of Greater Detroit.
Automation Alley’s
15th Annual Awards Gala Thank you to our sponsors Premier Sponsor
Registration Sponsor
Dinner Toast Sponsor
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Gift Bag Sponsor
Program Sponsor Marketing Communications Print Packaging Solutions On Demand
MARKETING & PR FOR INNOVATIVE COMPANIES
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Outstanding Educational Initiative Award Sponsor Kelly Services, Inc.
Startup of the Year Award Sponsor Foster Swift Collins & Smith
Contributing Sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield | General Dynamics Land Systems | HIROTEC AMERICA | Macomb County NITS Solutions | Oakland Community College | Oakland County | Pratt & Miller Engineering
Supporting Sponsor TechTown
DISCOVER HOW AUTOMATION ALLEY CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS 800-427-5100 | info@automationalley.com | automationalley.com
automationalleyupdate
The Automation Alley Innovation Lab showcases technologies that are shaping the future of manufacturing in Michigan.
innovation lab showcases the latest in advanced manufacturing technologies Automation Alley opened its Innovation Lab at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Innovation Lab, located inside Automation Alley’s Technology Center at OU INC, showcases technologies that are shaping the future of manufacturing in Michigan, such as 3D printing and scanning, robotics, and modeling and simulation. The lab will give owners and managers of local small and medium-sized manu-
facturing firms a close look at the technologies and information about how to implement these technologies in their companies. Alex Violassi, director of Automation Alley’s Technology Center, says the goal of the Innovation Lab is to create awareness and spark an interest in the latest emerging technologies, which is critical to industry growth across Southeast Michigan. Violassi estimates some 3,500 businesses in the
region could benefit from the lab’s more than $10 million in technology offerings. “Last year, we opened the Automation Alley Technology Center at Oakland University (see cover story, page 28), partnering with leading manufacturing and software companies to provide affordable training to individuals, students and business professionals on digital design and manufacturing software,” says Violassi. “The new Innovation Lab will enhance what we’re doing at the center, offering product demonstrations of the latest advanced manufacturing tools and technologies available.” More than a dozen local companies currently partner with the lab, Violassi says. Having a presence at the Innovation Lab will give companies more exposure for collaboration with other area businesses. For additional information or to schedule an Innovation Lab walkthrough, contact Automation Alley at 800-427-5100 or info@automationalley.com.
save the date: automation alley technology industry outlook Come celebrate the art of innovation at Automation Alley’s signature event: The Technology Industry Outlook, Feb. 22, 2016, 8-11 a.m., at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). Join hundreds from the metro Detroit technology business community as we unveil the key findings of our annual Technology Industry Report. We’ll discuss what the future holds for tech talent, jobs and innovation in the region and reveal how we compare to other nationally recognized technology hubs. This annual sellout is Michigan’s only major event reporting on the state of Southeast Michigan’s technology economy. The event will include a strolling breakfast, networking and a Technology Center Partner Spotlight, featuring cutting-edge technology demonstrations designed to educate and engage attendees in the majestic Great Hall of the DIA. The cost is $25 for members and $45 for non8
WINTER 2016 • X-OLOGY
Automation Alley’s Technology Industry Report examines the region’s tech industries and how they compare with other technology hubs.
members. Visit automationalley.com to register. This event is sponsored by Oakland County, Oakland University, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the New Economy Initiative.
sign up for automation alley’s trade mission to hannover messe 2016 Automation Alley is planning a trade mission to Hannover Messe, April 23-29, 2016. Located in Hannover, Germany, Hannover Messe is the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology. In addition to trade show exhibits, local companies attending the trade mission will participate in matchmaking meetings at the show, breakfast briefings, a city tour, receptions and more. Interested companies should contact Automation Alley at 800-427-5100 or info@automationalley.com.
Automation Alley Foundation Members Automation Alley would like to thank its Foundation Members for their regional leadership and support in contributing to the success of the organization. Airfoil All Covered Altair Arab American and Chaldean Council Autodesk Inc. Baker College Blue Cross Blue Shield Butzel Long Central Michigan University City of Southfield City of Troy Crain’s Detroit Business Delphi Corporation Detroit Economic Growth Corporation Detroit Regional Chamber DTE Energy FCA US LLC General Motors GlobalAutoIndustry.com Goodwill Industries Grand Circus HR Pro/BenePro Keaton Publishing Group Kelly Services, Inc. Kettering University Lawrence Technological University Macomb Community College Macomb County Government Macomb Daily Michigan Economic Development Corporation Microsoft New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Oakland Community College Oakland County Oakland County Workforce Development Board Oakland Press Oakland University Plante Moran Quality Metalcraft Quicken Loans Rave Computer Salesforce.com Siemens PLM SMART Strategic Staffing Solutions The Resource Network, Inc. Troy Michigan Works! U.S. Army TARDEC/NAC UHY Advisors Wayne County X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
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metroretro
From left: Ives McGaffey’s Whirlwind; James Spangler’s Suction Sweeper; Hubert Cecil Booth’s Puffing Billy; Hoover circa 1950; James Dyson’s bagless model; The Roomba robot vacuum.
still cleaning up BY ROSEMARY LANE
I
n 1906, James Spangler, the inventor of the modern vacuum cleaner, was working as a janitor at an Ohio department store. The 48-year-old spent his nights sweeping the store’s floors, and suffered allergy and asthma attacks as a result. Fed up, Spangler decided to create his own solution. He built the first portable vacuum cleaner out of his wife’s pillowcase, a soapbox, an electric motor from a sewing machine and a broom handle. Spangler’s invention was one of many incarnations of the vacuum cleaner over its 146-year history — the machine has been dragged around by horses on a wagon, powered by two people teeter-tottering back and forth and fashioned out of hog bristles. The many hands who tinkered with the vacuum — janitors, engineers, china shop owners — not only helped cement its place in almost every home in America, but forever transformed household cleaning. Before the invention of the vacuum cleaner, carpet cleaning was a laborious task. In her 1841 A Treatise on Domestic Economy, household expert Catharine Beecher offered exhaustive instructions on carpet cleaning. Homemakers were to rub damp tea leaves into carpets with a broom. Carpets were to be dusted once or twice a year, taken outside, and beaten with whips. In the years following the Civil War, inventors sought to help housekeepers actually remove dust from a room instead of sweep10
WINTER 2016 • X-OLOGY
ing it into the air. One of the more successful was Ives McGaffey of Chicago, whose 1869 carpet sweeper — a precursor to the vacuum — sucked up surface-level dust with a hand-cranked fan. His “Whirlwind,” which resembled an upright guitar, wasn’t heavy, but it did require hard work, as the operator had to turn a wheel as he dragged it. Melville Bissell improved upon McGaffey’s design in 1876. Bissell owned a crockery shop with his wife, Anna, in Grand Rapids, MI. Sick of cleaning sawdust out of the carpet of the store, Melville came up with a solution: He attached hog bristles to rubber wheels, which rotated and dislodged dirt as the sweeper was pushed, capturing dust in a box. When Bissell died in 1889, his wife took over the business, becoming the first female CEO in the U.S. A decade later, Hubert Cecil Booth, an engineer who had designed Royal Navy battleships, Ferris wheels and bridges, debuted the first motorized vacuum cleaner. Booth had attended a demonstration for a new railroad cleaner that blew dirt from seats into a container. He realized that suction would be much more practical than blowing. Booth tested the idea at a restaurant one night, placing a damp handkerchief on an armchair and sucking on it, causing a thick layer of dust and dirt to form on the underside. Booth’s vacuum cleaner, called the “Puffing Billy,” was heavy, and had to be carted around on a horse-drawn wagon. Opera-
tors parked the machine outside homes and dragged a hose through the front door. The hose sucked dirt into a cloth filter. The machine was loud and scared the horses, but it was successful. The Puffing Billy couldn’t be stored in a closet, though. Enter Spangler, the Ohio janitor. His portable vacuum used an enginepowered fan to create a drop in air pressure at the base, causing debris to be drawn in to a pillowcase. Spangler’s suction sweeper had promise, but he didn’t have the funds to mass market it. Luckily, his cousin Sarah Hoover and her husband, William H. Hoover, decided to buy the rights and bankrolled it. Soon, Hoover had six employees making six machines a day. In 1926, Hoover improved upon Spangler’s model, adding beater bars that shook up dust and dirt, inspiring Hoover’s advertising, “it beats as it sweeps as it cleans.” Advertising for Hoover glamorized housework, transforming it from a backbreaking chore to work that could be done in high heels. By 1941, nearly 47 percent of Americans had a vacuum cleaner. Over the next few decades, few major innovations were made in vacuums. In 1993, James Dyson invented the bagless vacuum after five years of 5,127 prototypes. And in 2002, the robot-powered Roomba hit the floors, giving couch potatoes everywhere one more reason to sit back and spectate.
Southfield Town Center
Visit the Southfield Town Center Website for More Information on the Complex
Southfieldtowncenter.com
health+tech
beaumont hospital research
seeing brain tumor tissue more clearly Neurosurgeons at the University of Michigan are using an innovative microscopic technology to help differentiate between normal brain tissue and tumor tissue. Using the stimulated Raman scattering microscope, U-M surgeons have successfully imaged more than 60 patient samples in the last six months. U-M neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Orringer, who is currently piloting the technology, says his team is able to see tumors that would normally be invisible in the operating room, adding that the decision-making process is now driven by real-time data. The Raman scattering microscope, which could be submitted for approval by the Food and Drug Administration in the next two years, would be accessible in the operating room, allowing surgeons to immediately test tissue samples. Currently, the tissue must be frozen, sectioned, stained and interpreted by pathologists, a procedure that often takes a half hour or more.
maintaining healthy blood vessels Keeping blood vessels healthy during and after surgery is often difficult, but a Northwestern University research team has found a potential way to ensure this through the use of nitric oxide. Patients who undergo vascular procedures are at risk of blood vessel damage, which can lead to cellular overgrowth resulting in restricted blood flow. These complications potentially can be prevented by the use of nitric oxide. A research team led by Guillermo Ameer, Sc.D., professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and Surgery in Evanston, IL, has changed the traditional drug protamine sulfate into a nitric oxide-releasing drug by exposing it to highly pressurized nitric oxide gas. While other nitric oxide-releasing drugs currently exist, most become toxic after the gas is expelled. Ameer’s team was able to convert protamine into a nitric oxide donor without changing its natural structure. Because protamine naturally occurs in the body, it did not leave behind toxic byproducts. 12
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Researchers at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, are focused on innovative, less invasive treatment methods for those sustaining injuries on the battlefield as well as at home. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is considered the number one cause of disability for the U.S. military. But many combat-related injuries do not receive proper medical treatment. Stem cells could help these injuries heal. However, on the battlefield, setting up a stem cell transplantation program is nearly impossible. Kevin Baker, Ph.D., director of Beaumont Hospital - Royal Oak orthopedic research laboratories, has been awarded a $260,000 Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program grant to study post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The grant will fund pre-clinical research to develop a stem cell-based therapy that could delay or eliminate the onset of cartilage degeneration following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear or sprain, a common knee injury. Current methods of using stem cells are expensive and laborintensive for this kind of treatment. Beaumont researchers are developing a method to allow doctors to use a patient’s own stem cells without ever processing them outside of the body. This kind of treatment could help military personnel, and other members of the community, receive the help they need quicker. Baker is also part of a research team working on a plastic derived from cornstarch combined with montmorillonite clay, which is found in volcanic ash. Indigenous cultures and healers have used montmorillonite clay for centuries as an internal and external healing agent. This plastic is intended to help heal the bones of patients with orthopedic injuries who need bone replacement. Traditional bone graft procedures require surgeons to remove bone from another part of the patient’s body to heal the affected area and encourage new bone growth. Harvesting a patient’s bone can result in complications at the harvest site. Eliminating the need to harvest bone and performing only one surgery using the synthetic material would help reduce related complications. Unlike current procedures, which often require a metal or plastic implant for added strength, the synthetic material doesn’t require additional hardware placed in the patient’s body. According to Baker, this improves outcomes for the patient because internal hardware can result in infection and can complicate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) imaging tests.
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tech+design COURTESY ICON AIRCRAFT
a new paradigm
14
WINTER 2016 • X-OLOGY
m in flying BY JANE GLEESON
The ICON A5 Light Sport Aircraft features: • Foldable wings • Retractable landing gear • Complete air parachute • Spin-resistant airframe • Angle of attack gauge • Planing wingtips • High visibility canopy • Removable side windows • GPS moving map • Digital attitude indicator • Seawings water platforms • High intensity lighting • Custom towing trailer
I
f you’re a fan of the wild blue yonder, this flying marvel might have you headed up, up and away. The ICON A5, produced by California-based ICON Aircraft, is an amphibious Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) that recently began delivering orders to a growing list of customers. Touting top-notch engineering and world-class product design, the A5 has won some of the world’s most prestigious design awards, including the recent 2015 Spark Design Award, which recognizes “design that improves the world.” The company cites the plane’s ease of use and cost as factors in its popularity. And although the basic model, priced at a hefty $200,000, isn’t affordable for everyone, the company feels it might be viewed as a more lucrative investment than a luxury boat or sports car for some, including Sean Tucker. Last July, ICON delivered its first A5 to Tucker, an aerobatic pilot and chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles, an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of pilots by providing introductory flight experiences to youth. WHERE IT BEGAN Interest in aircraft like the A5 began in 2004 when the Federal Aviation Administration created a new classification of two-person Light Sport Aircraft. LSAs are targeted toward recreational pilots who primarily fly for fun. They’re designed to be affordable, lightweight and easy to operate and enable a new classification of sport pilots to fly in lower altitude, uncongested airspace during daylight and in good weather. The sport pilot license focuses on the fundamentals of flying and requires a minimum of 20 hours of in-flight training, reducing the time and cost of a traditional private pilot license by about half. According to the EAA, the new rules have brought about “the biggest change in aviation in 50 years.” PRODUCING A WINNER ICON Aircraft, located about 50 miles northeast of San Francisco, spent seven years developing its two-seat aircraft, described as “simple and safe enough that anyone can learn to fly it.” The aircraft has innovative safety features, including an intuitive cockpit, complete airframe parachute and an angle of attack safety system that tells pilots what they need to know about speed, load and maneuvering, making it possible for pilots of all skill levels to handle the controls. The A5 weighs approximately 1,000 pounds and can reach speeds of up to 100 mph. Takeoff requires a speed of only 40 to 50 mph. The A5 requires less than 900 feet for takeoff and landing on water and less than 650 feet on a runway. It’s also economical, with a 100-horsepower engine that can travel 427 nautical miles on one tank of regular automotive fuel. A rear-mounted propeller enables an unobstructed view. The wings fold back, allowing the A5 to sit on a trailer for towing and to fit through a garage door. With a three-year backlog, the company believes the A5 will become a global phenomenon. And with a $2,000 deposit, you can get in line to be a part of it all. X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
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educationkaleidoscope The Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (ISD) operates the Careerline Tech Center, where 1,300-1,400 high school students spend half of each school day developing hands-on career and technical skills. While attending, students also gain real-world work experience with area employers, and have opportunities to earn college credit.
tech education pipeline
Out-of-the-box thinking benefits students and businesses BY LESLIE MERTZ
T
echnical education opportunities are helping to prepare Michigan students for the careers of the future. They’re also creating the skilled workforce that industries and businesses need now and will continue to demand in the years to come, says Karen McPhee, education advisor to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. McPhee is well aware of the benefits of technical education programs. Before she joined the governor’s staff last April, she was superintendent of Michigan’s Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (ISD), which not only operates the Careerline
16
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Tech Center — one of the oldest such high school centers in the state — but has also initiated several new technical education programs for students of every age, even kindergartners. A NEW APPROACH “Ottawa’s Careerline Tech Center is a more traditional tech center,” McPhee says, explaining that some 1,300-1,400 high school students spend half of each school day at the Tech Center developing hands-on career and technical skills in one of about 25 program areas, gaining real-world work experi-
OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Welding is one of approximately 25 program areas offered by the Careerline Tech Center, which receives considerable support from the area business community. These technical initiatives are designed to help students gain expertise and explore career possibilities.
ence with area employers and earning college credit. “We have very high support from our community, our businesses and our taxpayers, so we’ve been able to build, equip and reequip to provide a robust set of skill-training options at the Tech Center,” says McPhee. Expanding on that success, the Ottawa Area ISD decided that such technical education offerings should be available to the students who weren’t participating at the Tech Center. “We started thinking about how career exploration and access to work-embedded experiences were really the right of every child, and that we need to start long before high school in order to get kids engaged in the really interesting kinds of work in our business and industry community,” she says. That line of thinking led to the launch of the futurePREP’d Academy in 2012. FuturePREP’d is an initiative that includes several career and technical education programs (see sidebar, page 18). Some are short-term, lasting just a couple of
weeks in the summer, while others run the length of the semester or the entire school year, according to McPhee. Regardless of timeframe, all programs are designed to help students envision how their education might apply in the workplace. “They’ll have a better understanding of that connection and also have a much better idea of what careers are available.”
“In project learning, we give students EXAMPLES ABOUND The Ottawa Area ISD hardly corners the market the problem first for technical and career education programs, and then they have McPhee says. to learn everything “At the Kent ISD, for example, there’s a new, career-focused, project-based-learning technical they need to solve that problem. It’s a high school right in their tech center.” Project-based learning is an education model natural way to learn.” that runs counter to the typical classroom methodology of providing a foundation of understanding first and then giving students a project that uses that understanding. >>
– KAREN MCPHEE, EDUCATION ADVISOR TO MICHIGAN GOV. RICK SNYDER X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
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OTTAWA AREA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
As part of the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s Sundae School program, kindergartners through fifth graders invent new sundae combinations while working in local ice cream shops. The students, including the youngsters shown here, learn about the importance of decision-making skills and market research along the way.
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“In project learning, it’s just the reverse: We give students the problem first and then they have to learn everything they need to solve that problem,” she says. Many schools are now adopting this approach to education, McPhee says. “It’s a natural way to learn.” She also drew attention to Kalamazoo County’s Education for Employment programs, many of which are embedded at the workplace, and new programs under development in the Detroit area, such as the construction industry training options at the A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical Center on Detroit’s west side, that partner industries and businesses with schools to “cultivate talent and invest in the next generation of kids,” she says. “These are all great examples of outof-the-box thinking, and there are many different models around the state.” CREATING AN EDUCATIONAL PIPELINE One of the reasons McPhee decided to take the position as education advisor to the governor was his call for K-12 and postsecondary institutions, business and industry communities and Michigan citizens to create an educa18
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tional pipeline that prepares students for 21st century jobs. “Gov. Snyder’s goal is for 60 percent of our workforce in Michigan to have a work credential, which might be a college degree but could also be a journeyman license or some other skill certificate or card, and that has really changed the dialogue in our schools, our businesses and our communities to talk about honoring all kinds of talented individuals and how we need every one of them to keep this economy moving.” This focus involves a high level of cooperation between different sectors, she says. “There was a time when we thought it was solely the school’s job to prepare students, but there are something like 90,000 different jobs out there, and schools can’t do that all alone. It has to be government, schools, industry and other employers looking at how they can collectively prepare students for careers,” says McPhee. “The call to action is starting to work well in the state, and everybody is beginning to understand that they have skin in this game. We’re all beneficiaries and we all have an important role at the table.”
The Cherry on T p
Sundaes and Other Learning Paths The Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (ISD) has started several innovative educational programs to give its students a leg up when it comes time to find a job. Two that have garnered considerable attention are the IChallengeU and Sundae School programs, both of which fall within the futurePREP’d initiative. Developed for 11th and 12th graders, IChallengeU connects local businesses with teams of five to seven students from different schools. Each team spends two weeks at a local business or organization, such as HermanMiller, Haworth or United Way. Drawing on a foundation of problem-solving skills learned at their schools, the students on each team work on solving a real-world problem for that business or organization and make recommendations at the end of the two-week period. “The teams in IChallengeU are competing for scholarships and get college credit. At the end of those two weeks, these kids come up with recommendations that are mindblowing,” says Karen McPhee, education advisor to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and former Ottawa Area ISD superintendent. The students develop transferable skills and the businesses gain an appreciation for “how talented our kids are,” she says. “For a two-week program, it’s an incredible experience.” Sundae School is geared toward students from kindergarten through fifth grade. In this program, teams of children compete against one another to invent the best new sundae concoction while working in a local ice cream shop. “They have to do market research, they have to understand about ingredients and they have to test the market. We make connections with students, including what they’re learning about refrigeration and science, how things are grown, why consumer research is important, how to deal with the positive and negative feedback and how to make product adjustments,” McPhee says. Students have a chance to see their sundaes offered on the menus of their scoop shops during the summer. Besides Sundae School and IChallengeU, a variety of other programs, including semesterand year-long options, are available for Ottawa Area ISD students through futurePREP’d. “It offers a different way of looking at career and technical education,” McPhee says. “The whole idea is to drive home relationships between what the students are learning in school and what they might do later on. This realworld approach makes sense to kids, and they’re really excited about it. “I think it’s where more and more education is headed. It’s a very dynamic time in Michigan right now.”
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X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
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newsmakers
to provide resources to encourage, assess and accelerate innovations in software and other digital matter. • The funding will also support the launch of the MGoForward Program at the Center for Entrepreneurship at the U-M College of Engineering. The investment will provide for mentoring, training and technical support to graduating students with startups that show market potential.
billhighway launches academy LANCE NELSON PHOTO
EIBC recognizes amy butler The Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (EIBC) held its annual gala on Nov. 10 in East Lansing, MI. Among the night’s events was the induction of Amy Butler, executive director of OU INC and the Clean Energy Research Center, into the EIBC Energy Innovators Hall of Fame. During her acceptance speech, Butler announced the Amy Butler and Paul Kennaugh Energy Innovators Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded each year beginning in the fall 2016 semester to an Oakland University engineering student who is pursuing an education and career in an energy-related field. The EIBC is a business trade association representing companies in Michigan’s growing advanced energy sector. Other gala honorees included Grid Logic, Inc., and Navitas Systems as Businesses of the Year; Neuvokas Corporation and ZeroBase Energy as Emerging Businesses of the Year; and General Motors as Employer of the Year. Invenergy LLC received the President’s Award and Grand Rapids, MI, Mayor George Heartwell was named Public Official of the Year.
U-M gets innovation funding The University of Michigan has received $4.4 million from the Detroitbased William Davidson Foundation to support programs that encourage student and faculty innovation. Here’s how the university plans to distribute the funds: • The U-M Medical School’s Fast Forward Medical Innovation effort will receive $2.9 million over three years. Fast Forward Medical Innovation supports technology commercialization based on the ideas of its faculty scientists and physicians. • The U-M Office of Technology Transfer and Center for Entrepreneurship will receive $1.5 million over two years for designated programs. The tech transfer office will also launch the Digital Discovery Center 20
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Many companies are struggling with a shortage in qualified software development talent. According to a survey conducted across the United States and Canada by Technology Councils of North America (TECNA), Apollo Education Group and its subsidiary, University of Phoenix, more than two-thirds of employers said they are taking action to address the shortage by offering internships and training. Billhighway is one of these companies. The financial management software developer headquartered in Troy, MI, recently launched Billhighway Academy, an intensive multi-month training and mentoring program that exposes junior developers to critical aspects of the Billhighway ecosystem. The Academy’s first Junior .NET Developer is Sean Sterling, a computer science graduate from Grand Valley State University specializing in object-oriented design and application development. “As the inaugural member of the Billhighway Academy, Sean has been fantastic,” says Patrick Steele, senior developer. As part of this program, Sterling will be tackling real business issues and, after graduation, will assist senior staff in the design and development of highly scalable web applications that run nonstop. According to Suzy Elfishawy, development team leader, “The Billhighway Academy program provides a unique experience, where mentors from our team help guide junior developers in focused tasks that help with their development skills, while they are also gaining domain knowledge about our complicated system. This ensures that at the time of graduation from the program, the Academy graduate is in a much better position to provide immediate value to the development team and have significant impact.”
supporting innovation and entrepreneurship When the voting was tallied at the Macomb Community College Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) student pitch competition, three startup businesses were awarded a total of $9,000. The event, sponsored by First State Bank and Northwood University, was held Oct. 16 at Macomb’s Center Campus in Clinton Township, MI. The winner of the competition, awarded $5,000, was Brittney Feggan of Mount Clemens, MI. A business administration student, Feggan developed Beezy, an easy-access baby garment that uses magnetic fasteners instead of snaps, buttons or zippers. She plans to use
the prize money to create a limited liability company (LLC), apply for a design patent, create a website and develop prototypes and marketing initiatives. The second place prize of $3,000 was awarded to LaShay Edwards of Chesterfield Township, MI, for her business, The C.O.R.E. Edwards plans to sell customized clothing to women ages 18 to 25. Edwards, who is studying marketing at Macomb, says she will use the prize money to develop a website and logo, set up an LLC and create the first batch of The C.O.R.E’s signature t-shirts. Computer science student Yousuf Hussain was awarded third place for The Com.unity Co., an online platform and mobile app that will reward users with coupons and other incentives for interacting with local businesses. Points are given for visiting local shops and volunteering for nonprofit organizations. Hussain plans to use the prize money to help pay for intellectual property protection, supplies, marketing and establishing a beta community. Com.unity received the “audience choice” award, a gift basket with prizes from various shops and gift items from the college. The student pitch competition involves a student presentation to a panel of five judges. Students are ranked according to strength of idea, understanding of the target market and competition, competitive advantage, financial viability and plans for how the prize money would be spent. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a resource for students and community members for entrepreneurship education and training, mentorship for startups and existing small business and access to capital. The center sponsored the competition to introduce students to the world and process of entrepreneurship.
yea! comes to detroit The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA!, is a national innovative entrepreneurship education program that teaches middle and high school students how to start and run their own businesses. Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors for startup funds and launch and run their own, fully formed companies and social movements. The project-based program empowers students to take charge of their futures. The newest YEA! site, located in the Midtown Detroit campus of Wayne State University, is the first YEA! program in the country to focus exclusively on preparing female entrepreneurs. The driving force in establishing this site was the foundation of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Greater Detroit Chapter (NAWBO/EXCEL). “Our goal is to show girls at a young age how to be successful business owners, and continue to support the growing trend of successful women-owned businesses in our community,” says Carol Kirkland, president of NAWBO/EXCEL. “The YEA! experience can be applied to any field, and will provide young women with the necessary skills to become future leaders of their industries.” X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
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“Scuba diving has taught me lessons I use in everyday life. A scuba mantra is ‘plan the dive, dive the plan.’ Unless you know what, where and how you want to dive, you can’t be successful. The same is true in the business world. Know your goals and how you plan to achieve them. This is the strategy for success.”
Rebecca Taylor
Senior Vice President, National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
WOW FACTOR Taylor has been a strong leader in the traditionally maledominated field of manufacturing since graduating from college in 1988. She was pursuing her interest in economics when an opportunity to practice trade policy led her to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 1991, she joined the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, where she now creates strategic partnerships for those in the manufacturing industry and leads a team drawn from government relations, communications and external relations. “I’m still excited about manufacturers fueling the competitiveness and security of our nation.” PASSION FOR INDUSTRY “Children believe they can build anything; they haven’t yet been taught to believe they can’t. Creating with Legos and clay is the foundation of manufacturing: belief in the power of making something, then doing it. Keeping manufacturing attractive to young people growing beyond Legos stirs my passion for it.” VIEW FROM THE TOP NCMS, the largest nonprofit research and development consortium in North America focused on manufacturing, was created 30 years ago by executive order of the president to ensure the nation’s industrial base would be available for the defense of the country. Taylor says the consortium has shown it is a model for long-term sustainability that now includes 400 members from all sectors of the manufacturing base, including aerospace, automotive, energy consumer products, medical and many more. The membership includes many small and medium-sized manufacturers who are innovators and job creators. “Their involvement is key to ensuring American success.”
CORPORATE CLIMB Taylor has spent 25 years representing NCMS and says the work has never been boring. “You have to keep learning because technology and manufacturing are always evolving. The NCMS mission has not changed but the activities and projects have evolved to be on the leading edge of innovation. What was rapid prototyping 25 years ago is now evolved to 3D printing, allowing even children the opportunity to build. That is what has kept me engaged in working in the nation’s leading manufacturing consortium.” CREDENTIALS • Bachelor’s degree, international relations and economics, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. • Master’s degree, economics, London School of Economics, U.K. • 2014 Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) honoree VOICE OF EXPERIENCE Taylor says one of the frustrations for the industry she represents has to do with the challenges small and medium-sized companies face when trying to adopt new technologies. The complexity and cost of these new capabilities are often beyond the reach of most manufacturers. That’s where NCMS can help. “We’ve always been about leveraging the risk, time and cost to new technology innovation. A vibrant nation needs a vibrant industrial base and we are leading the charge. America’s future won’t be made, but manufactured.” – Interviewed by Julie Baumkel
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robotics role in
Top of page: Pratt & Miller’s machine shop is steps away from its design engineering office. Above: The AVeTar combines a highly mobile, autonomous vehicle platform with GPS-based path-following technology and a zone-based hit detection system intended for live fire target training.
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Stepping into Pratt & Miller Engineering headquarters in New Hudson, MI, one thing becomes clear: This is an operation with a passion for embracing the very latest in advanced engineering and manufacturing techniques.
manufacturing BY PETER HAAPANIEMI
P PHOTOS COURTESY PRATT & MILLER
ratt & Miller Engineering does a fair amount of sophisticated but lowvolume manufacturing for its automotive and military clients. The company develops electrical vehicles, manufactures prototypes and builds racecar chassis, body panels, cargo beds, hoods and fenders for military vehicles and automotive market clients. The company, which embraces the latest ideas in manufacturing, is now exploring the use of robots in its processes — not to increase volume, but because of the efficiency and repeatability they bring. “We are working with industrial robotics companies to build an automation capability into our manufacturing stream,” says Lynn Bishop, vice president of engineering services. The products these robots will be work-
ing on? Robots — or more precisely, robotic vehicles. Pratt & Miller has had a great deal of success with its robotic vehicles, but that work is a relatively new line at the company. The firm got its start in a much different field — designing and building racecars. In 1989, Jim Miller, a successful entrepreneur who enjoyed driving in races, teamed up with Gary Pratt, a long-time designer and builder of competition vehicles, to form the company. Pratt & Miller quickly made its mark in the racing world. By the late 1990s, this led to the company becoming one of a handful of firms designing and building vehicles for General Motors’ racing program. That partnership has proved to be a resounding success over the years. Working with GM, Pratt & Miller has won numerous prominent racing events, with Corvettes winning their class at
the prestigious “24 Hours of Le Mans” event eight times, and taking the American Le Mans Series championship 10 times. LEVERAGING HIGH PERFORMANCE IN NEW FIELDS In 2005, the company reached a key turning point in its history when it entered into an exclusive racing agreement with GM. “That really gave us a solid foundation as a business,” says Bishop. The company decided to build on that foundation by diversifying into businesses beyond motorsports. In time, events provided another motivation for that change, as the 2008 economic crisis hit the auto industry — and especially GM. Faced with that uncertainty, Pratt & Miller asked, “what are some of the other services that we could offer, using the expertise >> X-OLOGY • WINTER 2016
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businessprofile
The Pratt & Miller lobby is a showcase for the company’s award-winning history in racing and engineering services.
>> that we’ve developed in motorsports?” says Bishop. The diversification effort eventually took the company into businesses such as electric automobiles, the restoration of classic vehicles, product development services and, of course, robotics. The robotics field may seem like something of a stretch for a racing firm. However, Pratt & Miller saw that it could bring some valuable assets to the table. “Racing is about high performance and being lightweight and very durable, which is a good fit with robotic vehicles,” says Bishop. At the same time, the company saw a growing market. “The Department of Defense, the automotive companies and others were starting to show a lot of interest in autonomous and robotic vehicles,” says Bishop. The company quickly found traction in the market, working with Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) on two projects. One was a large Army robotics research and development effort, the other was the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge, with Pratt & Miller providing development and simulation support for the creation of a mobile robot designed to operate in dangerous environments. Pratt & Miller also worked with GM to create a demonstration model of a “future mobility platform,” Bishop says. “This looked at how future transportation systems could transform, say, urban mobility by including autonomy, the electrification of the vehicle and different mobility controls on a single platform.” 26
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Pratt & Miller built five of these prototype vehicles. “GM has since continued to develop that platform, and they are continuing to use it for transportation research,” he says. In 2012, Pratt & Miller partnered with GM and NASA on the space agency’s “robonaut,” a human-like robot designed to perform dangerous tasks on the International Space Station. Here, Pratt & Miller provided prototype ankle, foot and hip-joint parts — basically helping to give the robonaut legs to walk on. “That was a pretty unique milestone for us,” says Bishop. “We’d gone from being a small racing company to building parts that are now on a robonaut on the space station.” FORMALIZING THE STRATEGY Pratt & Miller’s pursuit of these robotics projects was essentially opportunistic, with the company tackling each one as it came up. By 2012, however, this work added up to a lot of experience, and the company decided to take the next step. “We recognized that we had some unique capabilities and technologies based on robotics, so we formally launched our robotics strategy, which focuses on high-performance ground mobility platforms,” says Bishop. Under that strategy, Pratt & Miller received U.S. Army funding to develop and build an autonomous target system for the Army, to be used in infantry training. Known as AVeTar (Autonomous Electric Vehicle Target), this vehicle is designed to drive around a course while marksmen try to hit it. Bishop and the company viewed this as an opportunity to take robotic vehicles to new
levels. The automated target vehicles traditionally used by the Army are not especially sophisticated, and they run on tracks. As a result, their behavior is predictable, and riflemen quickly learn to anticipate where they will go — which limits the efficacy of training. The AVeTar, on the other hand, runs freely, without human intervention, sensing and responding to its environment as it moves. A full truck-size vehicle, it can be fitted with silhouettes to look like an insurgent’s pickup, a tank and so forth. AVeTar also has a degree of built-in intelligence. “We’ve designed and built different path and training scenarios for the vehicle, so that the behavior can be completely random,” says Bishop. The system also reacts to incoming fire. If it senses a hit by a sniper’s bullet, it behaves as if driven by a human, changing speed and zigzagging to avoid being hit again. “Depending on where the target is hit, the system could take on an aggressive or defensive posture,” he says. “It can change behaviors, depending on the training scenario. This adds a lot more realism, which really enhances the efficacy of the training.” A LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE Looking ahead, Bishop says that there are opportunities to take the company’s expertise further into the commercial sector — exploring, for example, the use of heavy-duty autonomous vehicles in mining operations. In addition, two auto companies are now tapping into Pratt & Miller’s robotics expertise for their autonomous vehicle programs. “We’re demonstrating that robotic platforms can be robust, have true autonomous behavior, operate at high speeds with off-road mobility and do it all safely,” says Bishop. With that, he adds, the Pratt & Miller robotics group is essentially drawing on the company’s roots in motorsports. “We’re really just focused on continuing to stretch the performance envelope of these platforms.”
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THE CHANGING FACE OF
MANUFACTURING Automation Alley’s Technology Center leads the way BY ILENE WOLFF
H
as Detroit lost its rustbelt image once and for all? Yes, according to a 2015 analysis by the Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution, which examined the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas and their concentration of advanced industries. Portions of the metropolitan area (Detroit, Dearborn and Warren, specifically), where almost 15 percent of workers are employed in advanced enterprises, make up the United States’ fourth largest hub for employment in 50 industries. These advanced enterprises range from manufacturing industries such as automotive and aerospace to energy industries such as oil and gas extraction to high-tech services such as computer software and computer system design. >>
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The Automation Alley Technology Center brings advanced manufacturing experts together.
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The report notes the astonishing new technologies — including advanced robotics, 3D printing and the digitization of everything — “are provoking genuine excitement, even as they make it hard to see where things are going.” Not only is the Detroit area a hotbed of advanced industry companies — unlike places like Oklahoma City, where energy jobs are prevalent, or Boston, which is concentrated with computer and software developers — the Motor City’s jobs are deep and balanced across multiple specialties. Not all of the news from the study is good: The nation is slipping in terms of innovation and in having enough employees educated and trained in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that qualify workers for well-paying positions in advanced fields. “The United States is losing ground to other countries on advanced industry competitiveness,” according to the report. “The nation’s private and public sectors must engage to defend and expand America’s advanced industries.” Automation Alley is doing its part — working to promote innovation, share knowledge and inspire the STEM workers of tomorrow — through its Technology Center, located on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, MI. TRUSTED GUIDES The Automation Alley Technology Center has enlisted area businesses focused on 3D printing (aka additive manufacturing), product lifecycle management, simulation, machine communication, data management 30
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and other essential facets of advanced manufacturing and brought them together in one spot. Experts are available from the businesses to offer insight on how to incorporate advanced manufacturing processes in a shop. What’s more, visitors can try out some of the technology for themselves or see it in use. The center also hosts young students — like the group of sixth-grade VEX robotics competitors from Notre Dame and Marist Academy in Pontiac who recently spent a morning there — in an effort to get them excited about pursuing careers in advanced manufacturing. “Their eyes almost came out of their sockets when Dataspeed showed them its (Lincoln) MKZ that’s controlled with an Xbox,” says Alex Violassi, the center’s director. Dataspeed, of Troy, is developing technology for driverless vehicles, among other projects (see sidebar on page 31). The center has attracted the likes of global manufacturing businesses Autodesk, Siemens PLM and Wenzel America, along with American companies DASI Solutions of Pontiac and SimaFore Analytics of Ann Arbor (see sidebar on page 32 for list of sponsoring companies). It opened in 2014 with a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and in-kind donations from participating companies. David Darbyshire, president of DASI Solutions, which supplies Stratasys 3D printers, Solidworks software and support for both, says his company’s participation is part of its philanthropic outreach. He views himself and representatives from the other companies involved as trusted guides operating in a clearinghouse with lots of different technology that they and other firms can learn and share. “When you collaborate, you can reach more people,” says Darbyshire. “When we’re at the Innovation Lab (in the Technology Center), our business is less important; it’s promoting Southeast Michigan as an innovation and technology hub.” The Technology Center is open to any business, but Violassi, an expert in product lifecycle management, has his sights set on Automation Alley’s small and medium-size manufacturers. “Part of my metrics is how many people on a weekly basis are in here,” Violassi says, explaining that his goal is to host up to 10 companies each week. Right >>
WORK ROLES FOR ROBOTS Picture a factory worker who does exactly what he’s told, never makes a mistake and doesn’t need to take a lunch break. Does it sound more like a robot than a person? It is. Robots — some that even look faintly human — are becoming indispensable workers in manufacturing as they become cheaper, faster, lighter, easier to program and are designed to operate safely side by side with humans. “I saw one at Fabtech where they were actually programming the robot by moving it by hand,” says Randy Vosberg, senior vice president of recruitment at PointOne Recruiting Solutions (Racine, WI), an affiliate of executive recruitment company MRINetwork, of his experience at the world’s largest metal manufacturing trade event held in November in Chicago. “I was shocked at the amount of robots that were at the show. They were spraying coatings or painting, welding, performing pick-and-place, there was even a robot who was golfing.” Teeing up on the fairway aside, “We’re seeing more and more of it,” says Vosberg’s colleague Kevin Moran, director of recruitment at PointOne. “Some companies have been a little behind the times but we’re definitely seeing some growth. As long as they see a return on investment within a short period of time it’s really going to make sense.”
Statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) bear Moran out. From 2010 to 2014, yearly sales increases of industrial robots worldwide averaged 17 percent, largely due to demand from the automotive parts and electrical/electronic industries, according to the IFR. Closer to home, Paul Fleck, president and owner of Dataspeed in Troy, MI, has invented a mobile base for a humanoid robot called Baxter (created by Rethink Robotics of Boston). Fleck met his first Baxter robot at a trade show in Chicago several years ago. “I saw that and I said, ‘great these guys get it.’ And I said I’m going to buy one,” recalls Fleck. “But within about 10 seconds of seeing that robot I said we’ve got to figure out a way to make this move.” Dataspeed’s Baxter mobility base is in production, and he’s sold some to research universities. He says the base probably wouldn’t meet durability standards for factory use right now, but he’s working on
additional improvements to make it suitable for the shop floor. Fleck describes Baxter’s professional life: “First shift, he helps make products; second shift, he’s now deployed to help clean your factory and stage materials for the next day; third shift, he’s monitoring the safety of your building as a security guard. So that robot can be deployed 24/7.” Talk of robots that can perform tasks better than humans, and work 24/7 makes some people nervous about whether people have a future in manufacturing. Recruiter Vosberg helps dispel some of those fears. A robot is programmed to do the same thing day after day exactly the same way, but sometimes a supplier sends a metal with a different alloy than the last metal, he says. “We have to have people with intelligence who understand what needs to happen when the process goes awry,” says Vosberg. “It takes a special type of employee to work with some of those robots.”
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focusontech
now the Center hosts three or four companies per week, he says, but he’s confident the Center offers a service that points to the future. “We’re here to help Automation Alley members see some of the emerging technologies,” says Violassi. “For example, what should they be aware of as far as technology in 3D printing?”
COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN AUTOMATION ALLEY’S TECHNOLOGY CENTER • Autodesk, Novi • DASI Solutions, Pontiac • Dataspeed, Troy
THREE-DIMENSIONAL SUCCESS • DELRAY Systems, Rochester While 3D printing was invented in the 1980s, and has been • Geometric Solutions, Warren used by automotive companies for almost as long, it has yet • PROLIM Corporation, Farmington Hills to become widespread in the mainstream of American manu• PTC Inc., Troy facturing. • Rave Computer Association, Sterling Heights Entrepreneur Joseph Rocca, president of DELRAY Systems, • Siemens PLM Software, Troy oversees the Center’s 3D printer “farm.” Rocca’s been 3D • SimaFore Analytics, Ann Arbor printing for 20 years, mostly in the automotive industry, and • Tata Technologies, Novi recently started his own company to offer 3D printing services, • Wenzel America, Wixom as well as training and technology for additive manufacturing. DELRAY is a tenant at OU INC, a business incubator in the need to be made. same building as the Technology Center. “If you follow this line of thinking, you’ll have to calibrate The farm has desktop printers from Stratasys, Makerbot and your machine periodically,” says Gaskell. “All of this has been others. Violassi has ordered an industrial 3D printer. Rocca is there to educate manufacturers about incorpo- done before on conventional machines and is covered by Inrating 3D scanning and printing into manufacturing. “Even ternational Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards.” ISO sets voluntary, consensus-based standards covering although the technology has been around, there are emerging techniques that can create efficiencies, making jobs quicker most every industry to ensure quality, safety and efficiency. Gaskell says some startups and established manufacturers and less expensive,” he says. want to become suppliers in the automotive, aeronautics and That’s not all. “Companies like to bring 3D printing in-house because medical industries, but “If they can’t meet the rigorous standards of the Food and Drug Administratheir confidential information doesn’t tion (FDA), the Federal Aviation Adminisget dispersed (to a vendor),” says Roc“We’re here to help tration (FAA) and the Big Three autos, it’s ca. Even so, Violassi says he would like Automation Alley going to hold back not only 3D printing, to offer printing services to clients. members see some but a lot of advanced manufacturing.” Also on the 3D printer farm is a of the emerging $100,000 industrial CT scanner from TECH CENTER 2.0 Wenzel America of Wixom, used for technologies.” Violassi has developed a wish list to make making sure 3D printers and the parts – ALEX VIOLASSI, it even more meaningful to his visitors. they produce are up to spec. DIRECTOR, AUTOMATION On his list is a white-light laser scanner, “People are used to the idea that you ALLEY TECHNOLOGY CENTER used to check whether parts are true to make parts and measure them,” says their CAD drawings, and for reverse enGiles Gaskell, applications manager for Wenzel America. “Normally, 3D printing isn’t that accurate. Our gineering; and computer numerical controlled technology that mentality is that if it comes off the computer it has to be right. uses computing to control machining with lathes, mills, routers and grinders. Believe it or not, Violassi had a Schwinn mounThey might be accurate, but you don’t know.” Using an industrial CT scanner is the only way to check tain bike on the list, which has arrived. To demonstrate the whether parts that are too intricate for calipers or a tape mea- Internet of Things, his plan is to equip the bike with sensors to sure comply with a computer-aided design, he says. Makers offer feedback on when preventive maintenance is needed or can use “virtual calipers” on a computer screen to compare when something goes wrong. Automation Alley’s Technology Center may not compare the CT image of a part with the CAD drawing. “The CT scanner can show you where the part is out of to an international trade show, but it offers a whole lot of spec and you can determine if it’s bad enough that you have expertise with no need for local companies to book hotel accommodations. to redo it,” says Gaskell. Using Gaskell’s methods can even tell a user if his 3D printer is out of calibration, and help determine which adjustments For more information, call 800-427-5100. 32
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lifestyle HANNAH METLER
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BAKE! is Zingerman’s bakery and baking school in Ann Arbor, MI.
all the right
ingredients Cooking with the pros in Metro Detroit BY JEANINE MATLOW
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f you’re craving a creative outlet that yields fabulous food, look no further than these local venues with culinary programs as varied as the fare that is prepared. Testing new recipes lets you connect with others while learning new techniques to try at home.
A TASTE OF EUROPE Cooking is making a comeback. Just ask Dawn Bause of Cooking with Dawn, Commerce Township, MI, who offers classes, tours and tastings at various locations with a focus on corporate dinners, interactive cooking parties and culinary tours to Italy. “The death of the dinner hour in the 1970s changed our culture dramatically,” Bause says. “People are embracing getting back in the kitchen and eating healthy foods. “My whole focus is the pleasure of the table. Traveling and living in Europe for five years, my business evolved and I wrote a cookbook,” says Bause, who especially enjoys teaching in a home environment, including her own. “For corporate clients, a house is
more relaxed for a class or a team-building event.” Larger events take place at Trevarrow, Inc., in Auburn Hills, MI, says Bause, whose specialty is Mediterranean food made with premium ingredients. “People mark special occasions with cooking parties. With couples, the men often wear the aprons while the women drink wine and laugh at them, she says. During corporate team-building events, “Shy people who are always in the background come out of their shells and people from different departments and levels get to see each other in a casual setting and have fun,” says Bause. Men often request classes, especially those who have recently gone through a divorce. “For professionals, cooking is a good way to >>
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lifestyle Dawn Bause of Cooking with Dawn specializes in Mediterranean classes.
>>
relax and destress. It’s a way to be creative.” Bause is motivated by the results. “My goal is to touch everyone and have them walk away saying that they like cooking and it’s not as hard as they thought.” cookingwithdawn.com HEALTHY LIVING A broad mix of events are hosted throughout Metro Detroit by Lisa Howard, cookbook author, culinary speaker, recipe developer and cooking instructor, including hands-on classes, presentations and corporate lunch-and-learns. “I can come to a location and set up a no-cook cooking class. You don’t have to do it to get it,” she says. “For employee wellness, I might talk about food upgrades. When you make quick meals, you pay for convenience. You’ll pay extra for shredded Brussels sprouts and precooked lentils, but you can just dump them in a bowl and they’re not processed, just cooked. You can actually make healthy fast food.” Other presentations may feature a beverage bar where participants can mix their own drinks with natural sweeteners like maple syrup or teaching people how to read food labels. Her talk on gluten-free foods is among the most popular. Howard enjoys sharing myth busters, like the fact that it can actually cost less to eat better, and she doesn’t believe in counting calories. 36
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Instead she stays focused on quality. Come January, many are thinking healthy thoughts to go along with their New Year’s resolutions and she knows how to get the ball rolling. “I love doing ethnic food,” says Howard, who teaches a class about fun and easy street food from around the world based on her travels. “I’ve been there, done that and tasted it.” In January, she will be a guest chef at Great Lakes Culinary Center in Southfield, MI, for “Heat up your Winter,” a night of Latin food and dance where guests will learn to make ensalada Latina with chimichurri dressing and dips like pico de gallo and guacamolewith a twist before the classroom turns into a dance school to learn some smooth bachata moves.. theculturedcook.com KITCHEN MAGICIANS Cooking gets a boost in a well-equipped kitchen, according to the experts. Trevarrow, Inc., in Auburn Hills, MI, distributor for upscale builtin appliances like Sub-Zero, Wolf, Asko, Best, Franke and Scotsman, offers a unique venue for culinary programs, product presentations and demonstrations. “In our showroom, people can see appliances in proper settings,” says Ginger Trevarrow, director of showroom and gallery events, of their dream kitchen vignettes. On the second Saturday of each month, they host a free product
presentation for people to make educated decisions about which appliances best fit their cooking styles. “We have four live kitchens here for cooking demos on equipment,” says Trevarrow. The Culinary Auditorium can seat 85 in deluxe leather chairs, making it the perfect spot for culinary and other training. Culinary training happens on the third Thursday of each month. “We bring in certified chefs from restaurants, country clubs and culinary schools for a four-hour live demonstration with full samples. We want chefs to challenge us, but show something that’s doable at home,” she says. Like their other offerings, the monthly Cuisine de Jour is not hands-on. “We found that attendees want to learn, write down everything and ask questions,” says Trevarrow. The majority are “lecture, demonstrate, taste” style presentations. Demonstrations include some of the latest products like the new convection steam ovens from Wolf that heat in multiple ways. “When the rice from last night’s Chinese food has turned to gravel, the Wolf can make the food taste like it did the night before,” Trevarrow says. Their flexible space can be rented for fundraisers and events. Classes include everything from perfecting grilling skills to cooking with a pizza oven, with topics like Down on the Farm with a focus on >>
Sweet sensations Ann Arbor, MI, is a hot spot for foodies and Zingerman’s Bakehouse is a cult favorite. Amy Emberling, co-managing partner, says the 23-year-old artisan bakery makes breads, pastries and cakes using real ingredients and traditional recipes. Zingerman’s introduced BAKE! a decade ago offering more than 90 classes, mostly based on their own recipes. “We’re a bakery and baking school for home bakers to take our recipes and make them at home,” she says. Selections include everything from breads and sweets to savory dinner combinations. Special events and private classes are also on the menu, like a cookie baking and decorating bridal shower where guests bring their own wine. Corporate meetings might involve pizza making. “It’s great for an offsite event where people can do some work here and have fun together,” says Emberling. All classes are hands-on and they’re typically smaller in size. They measure ingredients beforehand and participants take home what they make along with the recipes. Familyoriented classes let you get creative and they handle the mess. “We have a huge number of repeat customers who like the Zingerman experience. It’s an informal but informative environment. These are real recipes with great instructors who demystify it and they’re so engaging,” says Emberling. “We’re different because we’re a bakery teaching what we really know well. People want to learn the real secrets, and we should have them by now.” www.bakewithzing.com
Sweet retreat Though Cake Crumbs in Southfield, MI, is relatively new to the scene, sisters Chelly Williams, head vegan chef, and Renea Smith, owner and head chef, brought more than a dozen years of experience to their unique retail location where they sell decadent baked goods like cakes, cupcakes and cake pops and can accommodate common food allergies. Known for hosting events like a Cakes, Couples & Cocktails date night, they can tailor parties and classes to suit any taste. “It could be for a group of architects who want to sculpt a cake into a building before covering it in fondant,” says Williams. “You actually see it from start to finish and create this masterpiece while eating sweets.” Cookies can be shaped to resemble anything from violins to jewelry boxes while cakes might mimic modern technology, such as an iPhone or Xbox. Crumb Cakes also offers party packages and the ever-popular daddy/daughter dates. Williams has nothing but praise for her sister, “Renea is a true artist at heart. She’s a visionary and a culinary architect who makes the edible incredible. We can make anything you can imagine into a cake, from gorillas to robots. We use technology, creativity and sheer passion to get the job done.” cakecrumbsonline.com COURTESY CAKE CRUMBS
BETH SINGER
Culinary training happens on the third Thursday of each month at Travarrow in Auburn Hills, MI.
HOW SWEET IT IS!
lifestyle
Mary Spenser of Taste: A Cook’s Place in Northville, MI, offers a variety of cooking classes.
>> local food, French cuisine, smokehouse entertaining, wild game and Thai fusion. “We vary topics and we try to stay seasonal or just ahead of the season,” says Trevarrow. With so much to offer, they seem to be ahead of the curve indeed. trevarrowinc.com STIR THINGS UP There’s a whole lot happening in Royal Oak, MI — and Holiday Market’s cooking school, Mirepoix, is no exception. As director Eric Blotkamp explains, the hot spot teaches people how to cook like the pros in order to be successful in their own kitchens. They share tips that make it easy to follow recipes, like gathering ingredients in advance. “When it’s all in front of you in measuring cups, it’s a little more streamlined,” says Blotkamp. In addition to public and private cooking classes, the unique space can be rented for events like a recent 50th anniversary party for 70 where the hosts opted to have Holiday Market do the catering instead of having their guests participate. “The chefs actually cook in the room, so you get all the nice smells and you can engage with the chefs,” says Blotkamp, who suggests tastings for everything from wine to chocolate or whiskey for those not interested in cooking. One of their most popular classes teaches knife skills. “We show them all the knives an average chef will have. Each has its 38
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own purpose; one is good for cutting bread and another for shucking oysters. You can’t shuck an oyster with a bread knife or you could end up in the hospital,” he says. Participants practice on foods that pair well together, like leeks and potatoes. “They make something from the ingredients, like a potato leek soup,” he says. Chicken and peppers chosen for different dicing techniques can end up as fajitas. “It all comes together,” he says. Make and Take Pasta is especially tempting during the fall and winter months. Everyone makes pasta from scratch and gets a batch to take home. Meat-themed classes, which often appeal to men, include a class that shows how to smoke meats without a smoker. Grilling and braising are other popular options. Class sizes are small and sell out quickly. Look for date nights around Valentine’s Day with a discounted price for couples. Themes include everything from European Delights to Latin American and Asian foods. All classes are hands-on. “It’s a professional kitchen with top-notch equipment, including Viking appliances,” Blotkamp says. “People want to try everything out, like really heavy stockpots. It’s part of the fun to try the real things that chefs use. It’s like playing with little toys at home and then you get to operate a bulldozer.” mirepoixcookingschool.com HOOKED ON COOKING In downtown Northville, MI, you’ll find Taste: A Cook’s Place, where culinary instructor Mary Spencer offers a variety of cooking classes. “We like to give tips, techniques and recipe ideas for different menus,” she says. “People can either enjoy them as a meal or they can come learn and make them at home for their family.” Though Spencer does demos at other locations, in Northville her classes range from Bacon & Bourbon to Cooking with Seafood. “We run the gamut and cover different ethnicities and techniques like braising, roasting and grilling. You name it, we’ve done it,” she says. “Whether you like to cook or just sit and watch and eat, it’s fun either way.” She offers a full meal and people can bring their own wine. This winter, look for soups, stews and classes that share recipes from historic Detroit eateries. Most are not hands-on classes. Regardless of skill, Spencer shows there’s hope for everyone. “I got married and I couldn’t cook, so I took classes over 30 years ago. I got hooked on it and I went home and practiced what I learned,” she says. “Fifteen years ago, I started teaching and I could barely boil water. It sparked an interest in me and I loved cooking and pursued it as my career.” tasteacooksplace.net
work
in Oakland County
Do you see it?
Energy. Excitement. Limitless opportunities. A place with a global footprint few states can match. What county in America has nearly 1,000 international firms from 38 countries? Which county employs more life science and health care workers than the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic combined? Where can you find some of the most innovative and sophisticated manufactured products in the world? Now you see it? It’s Michigan’s business address: Oakland County.
MedicalMainStreet.org photo by: Phalinn Ooi
expertoutlook
is STEM taking root? BY DAVID DARBYSHIRE
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dustry, business and t’s no secret. Southeast Michieducation need to come gan’s talent pipeline is in trouble. together to encourage and Business, as well as industry leadinspire the young minds of the ers, are becoming concerned that future workforce. The future of when the future arrives, there will the economy is in Science, Technolbe a shortage of workers needed ogy, Engineering and Math (STEM) to operate effectively. With more and its learning opportunities. There than 58,000 workers reaching are many Career Technology Educaretirement each year, the skilled DAVID tion (CTE) programs and STEM initiatrades gap of the future workforce DARBYSHIRE tives around the state that are geared is growing more inevitable. toward inspiring young people to A recent survey conducted by the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Infor- pursue career pathways in these skilled trades. One of the most well-known programs mation and Strategic Initiatives will be leveraged by state officials to gain a better under- worldwide is For Inspiration and Recognition standing of the needs of employers around of Science and Technology (FIRST). The prothe state. This was the first such survey con- gram was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen as ducted in the state of Michigan since 2006. a way to inspire students to pursue education It will serve as a starting point to understand and careers in STEM-related industries. The how the demand for middle-skills jobs, espe- FIRST program has proved successful for more cially those in skilled trades, will increase in than 25 years. According to the organization’s the near future. Employers will be looking to website, FIRST has seen significant growth in fill a projected 6,700 skilled trade job open- recent years and is now recognized and implemented around the world. Projected numbers ings each year through 2022. Three of the five most in-demand jobs for for the 2016 season are more than 44,000 recent college graduates are in the field of teams compiled from over 400,000 students. engineering. This trend has been on the rise since the economy’s recovery from the 2008 Students involved in FIRST are touched in recession. The manufacturing industry, where many ways: most skilled trades jobs are found, is at the • They are twice as likely to major in science or engineering in college. top of the list of industries where employers feel most optimistic about hiring prospects. • Out of all FIRST participants, 41 percent major in the field of engineering. Engineering careers are one of the most desirable career paths for college students • Of female students involved with FIRST, 33 percent major in engineering. these days. Many universities, including the University of Michigan’s College of Engineer- • Ultimate impact: 89.6 percent of all FIRST alumni are currently in a STEM field as a ing, have seen significant enrollment increasstudent or professional. es in each of the last 10 years. This current fall/winter semester for U-M has reached an Michigan is a national leader in FIRST Roall-time high with 9,248 students enrolled. botics teams, with more than 340 registered teams going into the 2016 competition seaSTEMMING FROM THAT For these industries to grow and survive, in- son. The state supports the teams through 40
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$2 million in grants as an effort to encourage students to study science, technology, engineering and math. Detroit will also welcome teams from around the world in the near future, as one of two hosts for FIRST championship events from 2018 to 2020. Houston is the other host city. THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE These teams and other STEM programs play a big role in state efforts to lead the nation in building a talented workforce. Michigan is on the forefront of this national initiative to make STEM education a priority, and is on its way to being a national leader in talent development. The future economic prosperity of the state is closely linked with student success in the STEM fields. To succeed, capacity and diversity of the STEM workforce pipeline must be expanded. Michigan’s economy, competitiveness and outlook will be tasked in the coming years to fill the gaps left by retiring baby boomers, but with much involvement from education, industry and government, the future of Michigan will surely improve.
David Darbyshire is the owner and cofounder of DASI Solutions, a reseller of 3D engineering technology. He has a passion for bringing the latest technologies to emerging sectors to create thriving communities. He is actively involved in a number of business and educational communities, including Automation Alley, Jackson Area Manufacturers Association and Michigan Industrial & Technical Education Society.
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makingthescene
DETROIT CENTER FOR DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
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Lawrence Technological University (LTU) hosted a ribbon-cutting and opening reception for its Detroit Center for Design and Technology (DCDT). The event took place Oct. 30 at the Woodward Willis Building in Detroit’s Midtown district. Nearly 100 LTU students are currently taking classes at the center. The DCDT will increase the university’s impact on the city by bringing its Detroit-based programs together at one site and will provide an urban setting for university courses in urban design, architecture, graphic design and industrial design. The event featured networking opportunities among the 200 attendees as well as a host of speakers, including Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones; Harvey Hollins III, director of the Governor’s Office of Urban Initiatives; Amy Deines, interim dean of LTU’s College of Architecture and Design; Douglas Ebert, chairman of LTU’s Board of Trustees; LTU President Virinder Moudgil; LTU Provost Maria Vaz; and Mark Brucki, LTU executive director of economic development and government relations.
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ACCELERATE MICHIGAN
1. LTU’s Detroit Center for Design and Technology. 2. John Petty (right) of LTU speaks with a guest. 3. Brenda Jones of Detroit City Council, and Virinder Moudgil, Amy Deines and Douglas Ebert of LTU take part in the ribbon cutting. 4. A standing-room-only crowd. 5. LTU Professor Joongsub Kim speaks with architecture students. 6. Joongsub Kim (right) of LTU speaks with a guest. 7. Kristin Lusk and Christopher Stefani of DCDT and Mary Johnson of LTU.
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6TH ANNUAL ACCELERATE MICHIGAN INNOVATION COMPETITION The 6th Annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition was held Nov. 6 at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in downtown Detroit. The event was attended by investors, entrepreneurs, funders and experts in the innovation sector from around the world. The $500,000 grand prize went to food innovation company Banza. The second place prize of $100,000 was awarded to Genomenon, a life sciences company focused on personalized medicine with simplified genome interpretation software. Accelerate Michigan also hosted a business venture idea contest for student-led teams from throughout the state of Michigan. Students were judged on content, structure, delivery and creativity and were eligible to win $15,000 in prizes to help launch their ventures. This year, CARt was awarded first place for creating a platform to provide reliable transportation for low-income, underserved individuals to get to and from supermarkets for fresh, healthy food options.
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1. Denise Christy of iSelect Custom Benefit Store and Christine Gibbons of HistoSonics. 2. Banza took home the grand prize. 3. CARt won first place in a business venture idea contest. 4. Ryan Waddington of Arsenal Ventures, Jean Redfield of NextEnergy and Patricia Glaza of Invest Detroit and Detroit Innovate & First Step Fund. 5. An audience member interacts during an information series. 6. The event attracted attendees from around the world.
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