Paul Jacobs, CEO of Southfield-based mobile apps firm jacApps, thinks that talent rather than experience is critical to building success in today's ever-evolving mobile technology industry. Jon Zemke chats with Jacobs about the challenges of and strategies for attracting the best and brightest to his growing company. 

A study by CEOs For Cities found that 58 percent of a region's economic health comes from the educational attainment of its residents. So, how does our region cultivate a culture that properly educates, trains and retains its talent? That's the focus of several local initiatives and a conference next week at Oakland University.

Yousif Ghafari is the living embodiment of the American immigrant success story. He was born in Lebanon, earned multiple college degrees in the U.S., and spent decades building a business from scratch. The result has been wealth, community status, political connections, and a reputation for philanthropy. Needless to say, Ghafari has some strong opinions about the role of immigrants in our region's success. Dennis Archambault gets the story.

When it comes to the forefront of scientific, technical, and leadership roles, women are still running in place, for the most part. Civil Air Patrol Major General Amy Courter, president of the Michigan chapter of Women in Defense, writes this week on how more women can achieve line positions in Michigan's burgeoning defense industry.

Metro Detroit is one of the largest contemporary art markets in the country, according to George N'Namdi, founder of the N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, a visual and performing arts venue housing one of the world's finest collections of African American art. This week George writes about the guest curators and artists who are turning Detroit's Sugar Hill arts district into a showpiece of the modern art circuit.

There is a method behind the madness associated with creations like a Red Green Robot or a Cupcake Electric Vehicle, we promise. Their inventor, i3 Detroit hackerspace co-founder Nick Britsky, is here to talk this week about his community toolbox, the Maker Movement, and the state of DIY.