Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber

The theme of this month’s Morning Edition was all things U-M. The University of Michigan Athletic Department not only sponsored the June Morning Edition, but they also hosted us at the Junge Family Champions Center, adjacent to Crisler Arena. The morning speakers, all graduates of the University of Michigan, included Mitchell Rohde, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, Quantum Signal, LLC; Jennifer Fike, Executive Director, Food System Economic Partnership; Adrian Fortino, Co-Founder & CEO, Shepherd Intelligent Systems and David Brandon, Athletic Director, University of Michigan.



Mitchell Rohde, COO of Quantum Signal, LLC was full of energy as he described his company. Quantum Signal has the luxury of choosing the projects they take on since the demand for them is so high. Mitchell explained that they choose projects with challenging technical problems and choose things they love. Quantum Signal does not advertise; you will never see a Quantum Signal billboard on I-94. They rely on word of mouth for their continued growth and success. Mitchell said that because of their growth they estimate they will need to hire up to 10 new people this year. For more information, visit their website.



Jennifer Fike, Executive Director of the non-profit, Food System Economic Partnership uses a regional approach to represent five counties in southeast Michigan. The goal of the Food System Economic Partnership is to help farmers farm profitably. They encourage business/restaurants to buy and consume locally grown food. They also work with schools to encourage local consumption of food. The FSEP worked with the University of Michigan South Quad to buy local apples from Dexter in 2006. As a result, apple consumption of students doubled! For more information about how you can buy and consume locally, visit their website.



Adrian Fortino, Co-Founder & CEO of University of Michigan company, Shepherd Intelligent Systems, explained the amazing technology to track the bus system. Through a text message you can find out when the bus will arrive at the bus stop, with a less than 30 seconds accuracy rate. How does it work? They install conventional GPS hardware on all of the vehicles, which picks up signals of their location. The University of Michigan Bus System experience a 22% increase in passengers after the system was put in place. Shepherd Intelligent Systems is also growing across the county and even the world. Adrian said they will always remain an Ann Arbor based company.



David Brandon, Athletic Director at the University of Michigan and former football player for Bo Schembechler, recognizes that there is more than one sports program at the University – 25 to be exact. David Brandon, who considers himself a ‘marketing guy’, explained that it is about the ‘game day experience’. The construction of the Big House suites is almost completed, which the audience was able to tour after the event.



The University is looking to break records in a big way. On the night of 12.11.10 the University of Michigan Men’s Hockey team will face Michigan State University at the Big House hoping to break the record for largest crowd at a hockey game. (U-M played at MSU on 10.06.01, which ended in a 3-3 tie – I was there and I will be there again on 12.11.10!) Prior to the Frozen Four played at Ford Field earlier this year, Michigan State University has held this record. Over 100,000 tickets have already been sold. Ticket will go back on sale once the incoming freshmen arrive. There may be an opportunity to sell standing room only tickets, which means the University could also break the record for the largest crowd at the Big House history. The University has several events planned included club and local high school hockey games to be played at the Big House as well as the possibly of a community open skate.



David also discussed the many improvements that are being made to the Men’s and Women’s Basketball facilities. The $22 million basketball renovations will make Michigan’s facilities more competitive with programs such as Ohio State and Michigan State. David believes the Michigan’s athletic department is the marketing department of the University, citing that enrollment increased 23% after the 1997 University of Michigan Football team’s National Championship. David and his team are working hard to make the “Game Day Experience” the best it can be whether you are at a Men’s Gymnastics event or a Women’s Water Polo game.



Next month’s Morning Edition will return to Weber’s Inn on Wednesday, September 15.



Megan Crosbie
@A2Y_Chamber

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of the upgraded A2YChamber iPhone application to boost the visibility of local businesses. The A2YChamber iPhone application extends the reach and accessibility of the Chamber’s Member-2-Member (M2M) Discount Program with an innovative mobile format. The A2YChamber iPhone application now includes an events Calendar, Blog and News section — tremendously increasing the visibility and exposure of Chamber members.






The release of the A2YChamber iPhone application is the development accomplishment of The Whole Brain Group, LLC and Arbormoon Software, Inc. in partnership with the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber. The demo of the upgraded iPhone application, available on the Chamber’s website, is powered by TorranceLearning’s eClickMap technology, and provides an interactive view and auditory description of the new features of the iPhone application.



Released in conjunction with the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chamber’s merger, the A2YChamber iPhone application allows businesses to offer new discounts every week, while simultaneously providing users with convenient access to discount information “on the go.” Due to the unique partnership between all four organizations, the A2YChamber iPhone application is now available to the public as a free download from the iTunes App store and a business listing in the M2M directory is a complimentary service provided to Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber members.



The A2YChamber iPhone application features business listings searchable by category, as well as discount details with click-through links to visit the business website, email or dial the business, and view a Google map of the business location. Members may update their discount offers electronically through the Chamber’s website and the new information will appear weekly as an update on the iPhone. The A2YChamber iPhone application now features upcoming events including location, speakers and sponsors. The detailed news section increases exposure of Chamber members who send news and press releases to the Chamber for distribution.



For more information and to view a demo of the new A2YChamber M2M Discount iPhone application visit click here.



Thank you to our partners for making this possible and thank you to our Sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan!



The Whole Brain Group, located in downtown Ann Arbor, is a 100% woman-owned, web development company dedicated to helping its clients work smarter and greener. The company applies its philosophy of Integrated Thinking to develop balanced and sustainable websites, mobile and web applications; growing and adapting these systems with the client’s evolving needs.



TorranceLearning is an elearning design and development company that builds custom online training courses for large organizations to teach their employees, customers, or members when they can’t all be in the same place at the same time to attend a class. TorranceLearning combines instructional design, graphic design, audio and video production, and some technical magic to make learning engaging and effective.



Arbormoon Software, Inc. specializes in working with clients to building custom iPhone applications which showcase their brands. The company has years of experience working with a wide variety of clients, and looks forward to working with new clients to bring their brands into the mobile economy.



Megan Crosbie
@A2Y_Chamber



In celebration of the merger, the Chamber is having a contest during the month of June.



To be entered in a drawing to win one of several fabulous prize packages, members must:

• Become the Chamber’s fan on our new Facebook Page
• Join the Chamber’s new LinkedIn group
• Visit the Chamber’s revamped homepage and email Megan Crosbie indicating what’s new / different

Winners will be announced the first week of July!



Questions? Please contact Megan Crosbie, Marketing & Membership Coordinator at (734) 214-0108.



Megan Crosbie

@A2Y_Chamber



The historic merger of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Area Chambers of Commerce becomes official today (June 1, 2010) forming the new Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber.



“We are proud of our new logo that symbolizes the two communities coming together and overlapping to cause a ripple effect throughout the county,” explains Diane Keller, Chamber President & CEO. “Today we launch not only our new logo, but a call to action. We hope businesses will understand the strength of numbers in public policy, buying power, networking, along with all that membership has to offer and join the Chamber,” continues Keller.



“We are pleased to have a collaborative board representing both communities,” says the new entity’s Chair of the Board Karl Couyoumjian. “The newly formed board will work closely together to create a Chamber that truly is an advocate for the area’s businesses.”



The new 2010 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber Board will be comprised of:



Maudie Abraham, owner of Moments Like This Estate Sales, LLC

David Behen, VP/Public Sector & Education of GDI Infotech

Robert Boonin, Attorney at Butzel Long

Laurel Champion, Executive Vice President of AnnArbor.com

Karl Couyoumjian, President of TeL Systems

Larry Doe, Treasurer of Charter Township of Ypsilanti

Sean Duval, President of Golden Limousine

Paul M Ganz, Regional Manager of DTE Energy

Tom Harrison, President of Michigan Ladder Company

Mary Kerr, President of the Ann Arbor Convention & Visitor’s Bureau

Sarah Kersey Otto, Acting Director of Career Services Center

Michael Kestly, Owner of Kestly Development

Rebecca Lopez-Kriss, MPP Student at the Ford School of Public Policy

Michael Manchester, Attorney at Manchester & Associates

Ron Maurer, Vice President of Administration for Zingerman’s

Ted McMullen, VP of Leasing for McMullen Company

William Nickels, City Council, Ward 2 of the City of Ypsilanti

Mark Ouimet, Washtenaw County Commissioner

John Petz, Director/Gov’t & Community Relations

Debra Power, President of Power Marketing and Research

Ted Schork, VP Relationship Manager at Key Bank

Christine Sing, CPA at Wright, Griffin and Davis

Pat Taylor, Dean of Student Support Services at Washtenaw Community College

Dennis Ticknor, Ellsworth Office Manager of Bank of Ann Arbor

Kevin VanKannel, President of University Office Technologies

Daryl C. Weinert, Executive Director of U of M Business Engagement Center



For more information about the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber please visit our website.



Megan Crosbie
@A2Y_Chamber

On Friday, May 21st, the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw (WXW) is hosting its third annual day-long forum. This year’s event provides twice as many workshops, an excellent panel of high-powered business women, breakout sessions, and plenty of chances to talk amongst yourselves and form business connections (including a lengthy happy hour).



For those of you who’ve never been to a WXW event, attendees find that our format is different from most other business organizations. Our tagline is “Now We’re Talking” because we create every opportunity for our attendees to have meaningful conversations about their business successes and challenges. This means that our attendees talk openly and much of our meeting content is based on their questions, needs, and input. Often women who attend the events say, “Wow, I’ve never talked with anyone about these pressing work issues. It’s great to say these things out loud, get input, and figure out solutions!”



When we started WXW back in early 2008, Debra Power and I had no idea that the organization would catch on quite like it has. Clearly, women like to talk about business and they love the format. Since 2008,  we’ve hosted two annual forums that each drew over 225 attendees. We’ve also hosted numerous monthly events, built a mailing list of over 800 people, and helped women form all kinds of meaningful connections around the region. Wow, that’s so rewarding!



Speaking of rewarding, Debra & I and the awesome women of WXW went to Lansing on April 29th to join in the festivities at the 2010 Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards Ceremony. Thanks to a nomination by our local SBTDC office (hurray for Charlie Penner and Shannon Beeman!), we won the SBA’s “Women in Business Champion of the Year” award for the State of Michigan. Check our Facebook page for photos.



If you’re looking to improve your business, career, and/or life in the coming months, we’d love to see you at the WXW Forum10 on May 21st. You’ll benefit from two intensive, 2-hour workshops, as well as meet and talk with women business leaders from the region. We’re expecting a huge turn out this year, and workshops are filling up quickly, so register soon. We can’t wait to see you there!



Last week I attended a graduation ceremony on campus that may have as much lasting significance for the region as the one coming up next week at Michigan Stadium.  President Barack Obama’s visit will garner more media attention and larger crowds, but the future of Michigan’s economy was on display at the TechArb graduation.  On April 15th eight student-led startup companies “graduated” out of the University’s business accelerator and 14 new student enterprises prepared to take up residence at the facility beginning in May.



TechArb represents the latest example of an evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem around campus.  TechArb began last year as a group of student entrepreneurs sought out co-working space in town.  Eventually the University and RPM Ventures (a local firm) got on board, and the group now has a permanent home in the McKinley Towne Centre, next door to Ann Arbor SPARK and Google.



At the TechArb event I listened to each graduating company provide a five minute summary of their experiences.  It was clear that the support these students gained from each other and the community was phenomenal.  The commercial success of some ventures was also breathtaking.  Several graduating companies have already been purchased by other firms, and several have clear paths to further growth and revenue.  But all of the students gained invaluable experience.



Earlier this year I visited Boulder, Colorado to garner further ideas to jumpstart entrepreneurism in Ann Arbor and at U-M.  While there I visited with Jeffrey Powers and Vikas Reddy, U-M alumni who co-founded Occipital LLC, a technology startup focused on mobile visual search.  Jeff and Vikas told me how they had moved to Boulder in 2008 because they couldn’t find the resources or community support to help them take their ideas forward in Michigan.  Hopefully TechArb will provide fertile ground for new entrepreneurs to plant their seeds in Michigan going forward.



Daryl Weinert is the Executive Director of the University of Michigan’s Business Engagement Center. Daryl Weinert writes a biweekly blog for Business Review on annarbor.com. Click here to follow him.


Patrick Savage and JPaul Dixon, representing Hylant Group, kicked-off Morning Edition sporting matching red tennis shoes. The pair introduced a trivia game to the audience with questions about Hylant Group, the sponsor for April’s Morning Edition Breakfast. Participants who answered the trivia questions correctly were given a ‘cash’ prize from the collection of coins already placed on everyone’s table. Following the trivia game, Patrick and JPaul brought Tim Marshall, President & CEO of Bank of Ann Arbor, up to the stage to talk about the upcoming Battle 4 Change to raise money for the United Way of Washtenaw County. The gentlemen asked the audience to dig into their pockets to kick-start their Battle 4 Change competition, raising  $219.96 from the generous Morning Edition attendees.



Megan Torrance, Owner of Torrance Learning, was our first speaker. Clients of Torrance Learning need to teach something to a group of people and the old way just isn’t working for them anymore. Some companies struggle to get everyone together at one time, other companies need to train several people at different times. Torrance Learning creates custom internet based learning solutions that provide quick and cost-effective business training. The internet based solutions Torrance Learning creates provide more flexibility; and can measure how many times they are used and who they are used by. Megan and her company are continuing to provide quality solutions for their customers.



Torrance Learning created the e-Click map for the Ann Arbor Chamber’s m2m iPhone application.



Art Timko is the Executive Director of WEMU-FM, a public local radio station licensed to Eastern Michigan University, featuring the best local news, jazz and blues in addition to excellent NPR programs. Being that we are in a college town and college student are getting ready for final exams, Art gave his presentation through an exam that was at everyone’s place setting. The letters associated with the correct answers spelled one of their most humorous, popular and informative segments they broadcast, CINEMA CHAT.



Jim O’Connell is the Associate Director of Business Formation for the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer. The University of Michigan is a leader in creating startup ventures. U of M is also responsible for creating Michigan Venture Center, a one-stop hub for entrepreneurs, investors and faculty inventors to access technology, expertise, recourses and connections to create new startup ventures. The University continues to promote the creation of start-up ventures.



Terry Bertram of Legacy Law Center focuses on estate planning and elder law. He explained that they used to be in the death planning business, but now the focus has shifted to the life planning business. There is an ‘explosion’ of services available to families; the problem is that people are now aware of how to get access to these services. Terry helps families access these services. Between 2011 and 2030 the number of elderly people will grow from 4.2 million to 70.2 million. With the growing number of elderly people, the services of Legacy Law Center are reaching an even larger audience.



Sean Duval is President and CEO of Golden Limousine International, a company providing transportation for clients using sedans, vans, limousines and buses, while providing exceptional service. Golden International does much more than provide clients a ride to the airport or limousines for your wedding party. They recently started Golden Wine Tours, a tour through on of Michigan’s beautiful winemaking region in the comfort and style. Golden is proud to be a local company and support local organization’s such as Ele’s Place. Sean is committed to helping the community through volunteering his time as well as donating and sponsoring other local organizations and non-profits.

The next Morning Edition is Wednesday, May 19th at Weber’s Inn from 7am - 8:45am.

Megan Crosbie
@A2Chamber

The Arts Alliance recently held a launch party introducing their new website, a3arts.org, connecting to the Ann Arbor Area Arts Community. The Arts Alliance supports efforts to increase participation in arts and cultural activities and strengthen the Ann Arbor Area culture community and organizations that provide these programs.




A3arts.org is a central website for the arts and cultural communities of Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline and Ypsilanti. Artists are encouraged to create a profile on the website to make their work available to the public, promote events and their organization’s programs and services. The profiles on the website can also be used for artist collaborations. Artist can share resources with other artists as well as post thoughts on arts and culture in Washtenaw County.



The website is also a great resource for information about venues, organizations and events in the area. Having a strong and vibrant arts and culture sector is a vital part of a community. The Arts Alliance has created a website for the community to showcase to the world what an outstanding arts and culture community we have.



In 2001, the Arts Alliance was formed with the support of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce.



Megan Crosbie

@A2Chamber

Celeste Choate, Associate Director of Services, Collections and Access, for the Ann Arbor District Library recently spoke at the Ann Arbor Chamber’s Ambassador meeting about the services the Library provides for businesses. Many of the meeting’s attendees were shocked to learn about all of the services, events and classes the AADL offers.



The Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) system is composed of the Downtown Library and four branches including: Malletts Creek, Traverwood, West and Pittsfield. The AADL provides free services to all residents living within the Ann Arbor School District’s boundaries as well as businesses in the School District’s boundaries. Employees of these businesses may also take advantage of the free services. Employers may get library cards for all of their employees.



The AADL subscribes to several databases yearly that are advantageous for business professionals. Having a library card gives employees access to these databases at their desk, rather than having to come to the library.



The DVD collection of the AADL, including TV on DVD, has been compared to that of Netflix. Library card holders may take advantage of renting all of the latest DVDs for FREE!



The AADL provides several monthly Computer Classes ranging from Beginning Email to the more advanced Online News Delivered class.



For more information about how your business can benefit from services provided by the AADL please contact Celeste Choate, Associate Director of Services, Collections and Access at 734.327.4241 or visit aadl.org.



Megan Crosbie

@A2Chamber

Every time I walk across the Diag on the University of Michigan campus, I can’t help but be impressed by the students I meet. They represent a pool of talent that businesses can tap, even before they graduate.



More and more U-M students are working with local, national and global companies as a part of their class work to address challenging problems and to formulate creative solutions that ultimately drive innovation and productivity.



Student projects benefit both the companies and the students. Companies often adopt new products, approaches and solutions generated by the student teams while students receive professional mentoring and project experience from faculty advisors and practitioners in the field.



On April 15, 2010, the College of Engineering will present a wide range of student projects at its semi-annual Design Expo, held at the Duderstadt Center on the University of Michigan’s North Campus.  Many of the displays will focus on examples of local industry/academic partnerships. The Ann Arbor Hands-on-Museum, for example, commissioned a group of students to design a new exhibit showcasing integrated engineering. Another team of students will explain their cost-effective proposals to help a local restaurant reach its goal of becoming LEED certified.  In biomedical engineering realm, students will present a new neurosurgical device for use during surgery developed for Xoran Technologies, a local health care imaging company.



The examples above represent just a fraction of the student project opportunities around campus. The Ross School of Business, the School of Information, the School of Natural Resources and Environment, and the U-M Dearborn all offer opportunities to connect with project teams in a variety of disciplines.



The Business Engagement Center is a great starting point for companies looking to tap into university resources. If you are interested in learning more, visit our Web site, or give us a call at 734.647.1000.



In the meantime, I hope to see you on April 15.



Daryl Weinert, Executive Director of the Business Engagement Center, oversees the campus-wide strategy for corporate interactions at the University of Michigan.