Blogs
Thursday, December 03, 2009
How does your garden grow? Rather than silver bells and cockle shells, perennially practical Detroiters are turning city wasteland into food for the masses. Patrick Crouch, program manager of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen's Earthworks Urban Farm, will plant his ideas about food justice and permaculture in our heads this season.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Turkey season and football playoffs signal another cold winter kickoff, but thankfully it's springtime for green entrepreneurs in Detroit. Meet Chanell Scott and Jordan Contreras, recent Bizdom U grads and co-founders of Guffly.com, a new shopping website for eco-buffs. This week they put their heads together to discuss Detroit's entrepreneurial climate and their eco-friendly approach.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
While kiosks and bulletin boards are still littered with those hangy tear-off strip fliers, they've been overshadowed by interactive web directories, where visitors can post reviews and find hip happenings. Give a shout-out to Mariah Cherem, Metro Detroit community manager for Yelp.com, who will be reviewing the benefits of community and sense of place.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Ironically, early auto workers once rode the streetcar to work in factories. This new model year, facing a crumbled rail system and plant closings, the communities of greater Detroit are assembling a regional transit authority. Megan Owens, the executive director of Transportation Riders United, outlines a timeline of transit and what's needed to make the jump from jalopy to streamlined bus service and regional light rail.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Do we need to run around in a rabbit suit to conjure up our region's lost wealth? Dr. Paul Nielsen, entrepreneurial owner of the Wunderground Magic Shop, amuses us this Halloween's Eve with spirited tales pulled from his hat. Learn to make coin from castoffs and marvel at Houdini's winter freestyle under Detroit River ice caps.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Talk is easy. Putting weight behind your words is another matter. Take it from Dr. Britany Affolter-Caine, a half-marathoner and director of Intern In Michigan, an initiative to attract and retain college graduates through internship opportunities. Britany discusses how Michigan's educational, economic, and business stakeholders have moved past the chatting stage to actively join together in collaboration.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Dancer and choreographer Anuja Rajendra, the creator and CEO of Bollyfit (Bollywood-themed fitness dance classes) puts a positive spin on downsizing in a region known for both employment woes and beefy waistlines. This week, Anuja shows how we can bhangra our way to a state of cultural understanding, good health, and good spirits.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
On the menu at Detroit's Park Shelton are young neighboring entrepreneurs Torya Blanchard, chef and owner of Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes, and Greg Lenhoff, owner of Leopold's bookstore. Enjoy some food for thought this week as Torya and Greg discuss what sparks their artisanal ventures.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
With Michigan Public Act 295 the state must obtain 10% of its energy from renewable sources by 2015. As the wind turbine blades turn, alternative energy employment is becoming a vast new horizon for the region. Mary Templeton, an Executive VP at Wind Energy Consulting and Contracting, explains her career switch from the auto industry to renewable energy, and Michigan's efforts to foster talent in this new field.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Nationwide, it's cyclists and pedestrians, not cars, that spin the gears of cool cities. This week, bike and trail advocate Todd Scott, Detroit Greenways Coordinator for the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, shows what true fuel economy means for Metro Detroit.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Rick DeVos is the creator behind ArtPrize and other ventures that have a common theme of empowering, expanding, and enlightening conversation. His interest in using social media to decentralize control of the event, an international art competition, has excited some and rankled others. Whichever side you fall on, one thing is certain: This inaugural year represents a huge social experiment. Rick's here to talk about it this week.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Creating green, sustainable communities in Detroit will take more than just fuzzy, eco-friendly sentiments. For Peggy Brennan, co-owner of the soon-to-open Green Garage, a Detroit-based business incubator for conservation-minded businesses, it's mission critical. We bring back Peggy's blog on net zero energy design, why LEED certified isn't enough, and how Detroit is ready to go green.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
A celebrity demographer if there ever was one, Kurt Metzger, director of the Detroit Area Community Indicators System, is the go-to-guru for the latest trends in population flow. This week, Kurt holds forth on the importance of immigration to the region's vitality, right-sizing the city, and neighborhoods of opportunity.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Hollywood is new on the Michigan scene, but Metro Detroit has always been the beachhead for Carrie LeZotte. The executive producer at One of Us Films and founder of OICmovies.com, Carrie knows her lines when it comes to the movie biz. This week she'll talk about starting a news and entertainment site for the deaf and hard of hearing, film technologies, and how to break in.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Paper and plastic bags, be gone! Plastic grocery sacks, now banned everywhere from China to South Africa to San Francisco, make eco-blogger Jeff Newsom's tank top shirt bags a viable choice. Proceeds from these fashion-cum-function totes support A-ShirtBag, his environmental education non-profit. This week, Jeff waxes eloquent on what it takes to start a non-profit in Detroit...