Small Business Spotlight

Small Business Spotlight podcast: How an independent furniture retailer survives

tsimpson@crain.com (Ray Zerki, Jay Davis) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 21:10:11 +0000

Small Business Spotlight: Planted Detroit grows sustainable salad business

tsimpson@crain.com (Dwight Roston, Meg Burritt, Jay Davis) — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:45:33 +0000

Small Business Spotlight podcast: Manufacturing business owners work to diversify industry, give back

tsimpson@crain.com (Rita Fields, Dan Kendall, 313 Industries, Jay Davis) — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 02:14:18 +0000

Small Business Spotlight podcast: Avalon bakery's Jackie Victor on creating community

tsimpson@crain.com (Jackie Victor, Jay Davis) — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 11:40:16 +0000

Small Business Spotlight podcast: Summer hiring outlook

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, Michael Greiner) — Sun, 15 May 2022 23:53:00 +0000

Michael Greiner, Oakland University assistant professor of management, talks about the current hiring challenges and opportunities facing small and seasonal business owners.

Small Business Spotlight podcast: Tips for choosing office space

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, Ben Blankenship, Arin Rentz) — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 19:09:56 +0000

Crain's Detroit Business reporter Jay Davis talks to Ben Blankenship and Arin Rentz of Robotic Precision Therapy about their experience finding the right space for their business.

It's tax season: What small businesses should know in 2022

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, Jamie Lopiccolo) — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Longtime accountant Jamie Lopiccolo offers tips on what small business owners need to look out for as they file their taxes this year.

Nonprofit turns to tech to save, bolster events

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, Marie McCormick) — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000

How Dan Gilbert’s philanthropy is being spread across Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 14:50:19 +0000

Laura Grannemann, vice president of the Rocket Community Fund and interim executive director of the Gilbert Family Foundation, talks with Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood about how Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert plans to spend $500 million over ten years on philanthropic initiatives in Detroit. Grannemann spoke to Livengood during Day 3 of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

MHA’s Brian Peters and Chris Mitchell discuss hospital staffing crisis in fourth surge of COVID cases

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:31:57 +0000

Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood interviews Michigan Health & Hospital CEO Brian Peters and outgoing Senior Executive Vice President Chris Mitchell at the Mackinac Policy Conference about current hospital staff shortages amid a fourth surge in new cases of COVID-19.

Deloitte’s David Parent on the future of the workplace – and where people will work

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:01:14 +0000

Crain’s Managing Editor Michael Lee interviews David Parent, Michigan managing partner of Deloitte, on Sept. 22 at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference.

Mackinac conference: New MEDC CEO Quentin Messer Jr. on Michigan’s economic development toolbox

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 13:54:54 +0000

Crain’s Managing Editor Michael Lee interviewed Michigan Economic Development Corp. CEO Quentin Messer Jr. on Day 3 of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Gov. Whitmer talks state budget, COVID-19 and auto insurance reform at Mackinac Policy Conference

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 13:26:25 +0000

Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood interviewed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Day 3 of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

John Rakolta talks UAE ambassadorship, Walbridge construction industry growth, growing education “crisis” in Michigan

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 22:01:58 +0000

John Rakolta Jr., chairman of Detroit-based construction giant Walbridge, and his daughter, Lauren, CEO of DFM Solutions, talked with Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood about their family business and John Rakolta’s experience as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates under former President Donald Trump.

Marathon refinery GM Dave Leaver on the refinery’s home-purchase program

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 21:21:05 +0000

Crain’s Managing Editor Michael Lee interviews Marathon refinery General Manager Dave Leaver on Day 2 of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference.

Conrad Mallett: Duggan to come out in favor of Detroit reparations ballot proposal

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 18:31:34 +0000

Conrad Mallett Jr., deputy mayor of Detroit, talks to Crain’s City Hall reporter Annalise Frank

Detroit Future City CEO: Private sector ready to make equity changes ‘we have not seen before’

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:54:11 +0000

Crain’s City Hall reporter Annalise Frank interviews Detroit Future City CEO Anika Goss on Day 2 of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Bollinger Motors CEO Robert Bollinger on taking a different road to electric trucks – and why the auto business is hard

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:04:24 +0000

Crain’s Managing Editor Michael Lee interviews Bollinger Motors CEO Robert Bollinger on Day 2 of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Mackinac conference: Detroit CFO Jay Rising: Sports betting, casino taxes are “savior” of city budget this year

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:41:02 +0000

Detroit Chief Financial Officer Jay Rising talks with City Hall reporter Annalise Frank about the city’s finances 18 months into the coronavirus pandemic. Frank interviewed Rising at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Mackinac conference: HAP CEO Michael Genord on the lessons of COVID

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:14:56 +0000

Crain’s Managing Editor Michael Lee interviews HAP President and CEO Michael Genord on Sept. 20 at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference.

Duggan talks re-election campaign, towing, Detroit infrastructure issues at Mackinac Policy Conference

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:38:03 +0000

Crain’s reporter Annalise Frank interviews Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Day 2 of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Mackinac conference: DTE Energy Vice Chairman Dave Meador talks workforce development, tree-trimming and burying power lines

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:21:23 +0000

Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood interviews DTE Energy Vice Chairman Dave Meador about workforce development issues and the summer of power outages from severe weather on Day 2 of the Mackinac Policy Conference.

Mackinac conference: Lt. Gov. Gilchrist talks transit, equity, state budget and pandemic lessons learned

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:03:07 +0000

Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood interviews Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II on Sept. 20 at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference in the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Mackinac conference: Soon-to-retire Antoine Garibaldi on why Detroit Mercy is expanding to Novi, what’s next

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 19:59:05 +0000

Crain’s Reporter Annalise Frank interviews University of Detroit Mercy President Antoine Garibaldi on Sept. 20 at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference on the Grand Hotel’s front porch.

Consumers Energy CEO Garrick Rochow: Time to rethink utility industry’s resistance to burying power lines

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 18:20:37 +0000

Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood interviews Consumers Energy CEO Garrick Rochow on Sept. 20 at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Crain’s kicks off podcast interviews from the Mackinac Policy Conference

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:29:45 +0000

Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood interviews Brad Williams, vice president of government affairs for the Detroit Regional Chamber, at the Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery on Mackinac Island ahead of the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, which runs Sept. 20-23.

How outsourcing can ease the workload

tsimpson@crain.com (Scott Trossen, Jay Davis, Michigan HR Group) — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 20:00:00 +0000

Staying ahead of the game in a pandemic

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, Julie Everitt, Rick Claggett) — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:00:00 +0000

How to stay alive in a changing industry

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis) — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 15:00:00 +0000

The rewards and challenges of gig work

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, CJ Patterson) — Thu, 20 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Michael Lee on WJR: Decade of decline for recycling | Home care caps

tsimpson@crain.com (Michael Lee, Paul W. Smith) — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 10:39:33 +0000

Crain's Detroit Business Managing Editor Michael Lee talks with WJR's Paul W. Smith about the top stories from the current issue of Crain's.

Detroit Flower Co. owner learns to run her business on the fly

tsimpson@crain.com (Jay Davis, Ja'Nye Hampton) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Planning an infrastructure future without flooded freeways, basements in metro Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 15:22:44 +0000

On this final episode of Detroit Rising for 2020, Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood talks with Suzanne Coffey, chief planning officer for the Great Lakes Water Authority, about GLWA's new 40-year master plan. The blueprint for underwater infrastructure includes plans for alleviating frequent flooding of metro Detroit's freeways.

Beyond the pandemic: Will new college scholarship program help frontline workers gain new skills for future jobs?

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 21:51:15 +0000

This week on Detroit Rising, Henry Ford College President Russ Kavahluna talks about the state's new Futures for Frontliners college scholarship program that aims to help workers whose in-person work has essential during the pandemic climb the economic ladder. He also talks about how the Dearborn community college's operations are faring during the COVID-19 pandemic amid the ongoing shutdown of in-person instruction on campus.

Challenges ahead for distributing COVID-19 vaccines in Detroit, Michigan; a chat with the Oakland County attorney who runs the IVaccinate.org campaign

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Wed, 9 Dec 2020 20:00:00 +0000

Veronica McNally, an Oakland County attorney who founded the IVaccinate.org campaign, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the challenges ahead with distributing a COVID-19 vaccine and whether employers should mandate it for their workers.

Abdul El-Sayed talks public health infrastructure, Whitmer's handling of COVID-19 pandemic and his future in politics

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 02:12:55 +0000

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit city health department director and 2018 Democratic candidate for governor, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the surging cases of COVID-19 and the need for investing in public health infrastructure and systems in Michigan. El-Sayed praised the work of his former gubernatorial opponent, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in her handling the of the pandemic. He also talked about his book, "Healing Politics," and what's next in his career as a political activist and commentator.

Eric Larson: Downtown Detroit retailers, restaurants struggling after seven months of pandemic downturn, steep decline in patrons and visitors

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 14:25:56 +0000

Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, speaks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the struggles and challenges retailers, restaurants and bars are facing in downtown Detroit with just one-fifth of the pre-pandemic downtown workforce to patronize their businesses.

Black women-owned staffing agency in Detroit sees growth opportunities in energy, aerospace and entertainment industries

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:30:00 +0000

Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood speaks with Kerry Buffington and Tammy L. Turner, co-founders of Kapstone Employment Services in Detroit, which specializes in recruiting diverse candidates for corporations.

MEDC CEO talks new FCA plant and auto supplier opportunities in Detroit, community redevelopment and revived Pure Michigan ad campaign

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 9 Oct 2020 22:02:58 +0000

Mark Burton, president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the state budget for the MEDC, the resurrection of the Pure Michigan tourism-attraction campaign, where the agency is focusing its economic development work in Detroit after the construction of a new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plant on the city's east side.

From streetscape project to COVID-19, Narrow Way Café navigates adversity on Detroit's Livernois Avenue of Fashion

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Thu, 8 Oct 2020 01:27:59 +0000

David Merritt, co-owner of Narrow Way Café, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about how his northwest Detroit coffee shop has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion, which is undergoing a transformation with new investment in businesses and an overhaul of the street's design and traffic flow.

FCA's Mark Stewart talks about Detroit's new Jeep plant, challenges with COVID-19 and job opportunities for Detroiters

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 18:35:05 +0000

In an exclusive interview with Crain’s, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Chief Operating Officer Mark Stewart talks about the automaker’s $1.6 billion transformation of two engine powertrain plants on Detroit's east side into an assembly plant that will start pumping out Jeep Grand Cherokees and a new three-row Jeep SUV early next year.

Detroit ed tech startup delivering science to students learning at home

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Thu, 3 Sep 2020 12:04:20 +0000

This week on Detroit Rising podcast, Alecia Gabriel and Deirdre Roberson, co-founders of The Lab Drawer, discuss their Detroit-based education tech startup company that has a subscription service for science experiments and projects that comes in a box in the mail that looks like a science lab drawer.

Nikolai Vitti on Detroit Public Schools' reopening plans, education funding equity and deteriorating buildings

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 11:19:06 +0000

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the district's plans to reopen school buidlings and offer an online-only option this fall for families concerned about the spread of COVID-19.

Rocket Companies COO Bob Walters on Dan Gilbert's mortgage company going public, stock for employees, future of Quicken Loans brand and returning to the office

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood, Nick Manes) — Thu, 6 Aug 2020 20:28:01 +0000

Bob Walters, president and chief operating officer of Rocket Companies, talked with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood and tech and finance reporter Nick Manes hours after Rocket Companies began trading on the New York Stock Exchange for the Detroit-based mortgage giant's Initial Public Offering.

Meeko Williams: Mandatory police residency would help officers connect with Detroiters

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 03:00:11 +0000

Detroit political activist Meeko Williams spoke to Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood about his experience with police officers, why he believes police residency should be mandatory and how he’s not in favor of defunding the police.

Warren Evans: Requiring police officers to live in Detroit a 'great concept' but 'very impractical' to enforce

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 21:48:29 +0000

In Detroit, just 23 percent of the nearly 2,500 police officers live within the city limits. A 1999 law outlawed local ordinances requiring police officers to live in the city where they serve. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, a former county sheriff and one-time police chief in Detroit, says requiring police officers to live in Detroit is "a great concept" but "very impractical to be able to enforce." He spoke with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about police residency, construction of a new Wayne County jail, how the county's health department is tracking the coronavirus pandemic and other issues in a wide-ranging interview on Detroit Rising.

Can solar energy turn Detroit's vacant lots into profit?

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 15:45:02 +0000

How auto insurance reform is supposed to drive down premiums in Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 1 Jul 2020 15:25:03 +0000

Skidmore Studio growing an online farmers market from Detroit for Michigan food producers

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 15:30:07 +0000

Drew Patrick, owner and president of Skidmore Studio, and Meg Burritt, a managing partner of Planted Detroit, talk with Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood about Skidmore’s new online farmers market and delivery service, MichiganFields.com. The design studio launched the service during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Planted Detroit, an indoor vegetable growing operation on Detroit’s east side, is selling its salad greens through the website after its commercial restaurant work dried up during the coronavirus shutdown of dine-in restaurants.

Detroit’s decision-making tables need more African Americans, Hudson-Webber Foundation CEO Melanca Clark says

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 16:00:15 +0000

How an unconventional hospital was stood up for COVID-19 patients inside Detroit's TCF Center

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Thu, 28 May 2020 08:00:28 +0000

TCF Center was converted from a convention center to an unconventional hospital in April at the height of the coronavirus outbreak. Lynn Torossian, a retired Henry Ford Health System executive, talks with Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood this week on the Detroit Rising podcast about what went into standing up the now-idled temporary hospital and how it might be used in the event of a second wave of COVID-19 infections in Southeast Michigan.

What's next for Detroit's construction industry? Return to boom or pandemic bust?

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood, Kirk Pinho, Annalise Frank) — Thu, 14 May 2020 05:00:19 +0000

Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood talks with Sachse Construction owner Todd Sachse about the construction industry returning to work after a six-week shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. After the interview, Chad talks with his Crain's colleagues Kirk Pinho and Annalise Frank about the construction and real estate business in Detroit and what's on the horizon for the city as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

Michigan Manufacturers Association CEO talks business adaptation, survival in the coronavirus outbreak

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 7 Apr 2020 00:32:29 +0000

John Walsh, president and CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about how his members are adapting to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's order that non-essential businesses shut down during the coronavirus outbreak. Walsh is a former state budget director and state representative from Livonia.

Lon Johnson see opportunity for Detroit in supplying capital for water tech development

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 10:09:50 +0000

Lon Johnson, CEO of WaterWorks Fund, knows Milwaukee is ahead of Detroit in developing technology for clean drinking water. But he thinks Detroit could overtake other Great Lakes towns by becoming the Capitol for water technology investment capital that can fuel innovation. Johnson, of Detroit and a former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, has recently co-founded a Detroit-based online investment platform aimed at crowdsourcing equity capital for water technology projects at WaterWorksFund.com. He recently spoke with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about his new business initiative on the Detroit Rising podcast.

Detroit Rising: Greektown Casino betting on growth from sports betting

tsimpson@crain.com (Kurt Nagl, Chad Livengood) — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Marvin Beatty, chief community officer of Greektown Casino, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood and reporter Kurt Nagl about the downtown Detroit gambling hall's foray into sports betting and what has changed since Penn National bought Greektown from billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert's Jack Entertainment.

Detroit Rising: Detroit CFO Dave Massaron talks frankly about city finances 5 years after bankruptcy

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 06:48:00 +0000

Five years after Detroit exited a historic bankruptcy, the city's chief financial officer Dave Massaron talks with Crain's senior editor Chad Livengood and reporter Annalise Frank about Detroit's municipal financial outlook and challenges ahead in the next decade when pension contributions will resume and an economic recession could hamper tax growth.

Detroit Rising: Expiring tax payment plans threaten new wave of foreclosures in Detroit next year

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 06:52:00 +0000

Laura Grannemann, vice president of strategic investments at the Quicken Loans Community Fund, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the company's efforts to educate low-income Detroiters about the eligibility to get exempted from paying property taxes and avoid foreclosure for unpaid taxes. Mayor Mike Duggan and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans are lobbying lawmakers to relieve homeowners in Wayne County of past fees and interest charges for unpaid property taxes to avert another wave of foreclosures in 2020. The legislative effort follows several years of groundwork by housing advocacy groups and the Quicken Loans Community Fund, which has funded door-to-door campaigns to educate low-income residents in Detroit on how they may qualify for an exemption of property taxes.

Detroit Rising: How Detroit is trying to get Detroiters in line for FCA auto plant jobs

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 04:57:00 +0000

Nicole Sherard-Freeman, executive director of workforce development for Mayor Mike Duggan, talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about the employee recruitment program the city developed to get Detroiters at the front of the line for the nearly 5,000 new jobs that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles intends to offer at its east side Detroit assembly plants.

Detroit Rising: Compuware has returned to its mainframe computer software roots — and is growing

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:57:00 +0000

Compuware Corp. CEO Chris O'Malley talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about how the information technology company has reinvented itself over the past five years since spinning off several divisions of its business and returning to its roots of developing software for mainframe computers, which remain the mainstay of IT operations for banks, airlines and insurance companies. Compuware remains based in the former Compuware Building (now called One Campus Martius), the headquarters of Quicken Loans.

Detroit Rising: Two cannabis entrepreneurs at different ends of Michigan’s green rush

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 14:50:00 +0000

Chris Jackson and Anthony Sabatella are cannabis entrepreneurs who are building companies at different ends of Michigan’s green rush. Jackson is co-owner of Indica LLC in Ypsilanti, a state-licensed marijuana provisioning center that does business under the name “Sticky Ypsi.” Sabatella is the founder of THC 123, a back-office support firm tailored to marijuana growers, distributors and retail stores. Jackson and Sabatella sat down with Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood last month at the 2020 Net Impact Conference at TCF Center in Detroit to talk about how they got into the budding industry and what challenges they see ahead.

Detroit Rising: Ashley Williams' path from media to millennial marketing entrepreneur in Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:07:25 +0000

Ashley Williams is founder and CEO of Rizzarr, a content-creating platform for consumer brands seeking to market their products to millennial customers. She talked to Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood on the Detroit Rising podcast about her Detroit company. The platform has a network of 5,200 freelancers who produce articles, videos, podcasts and photos that companies use on their social media, websites or marketing materials. The company also does market research on millennial customers for corporate brands. Rizzarr's clients have included JPMorgan Chase & Co., Glassdoor, DTE Energy Co., Bridgewater Interiors, First Independence Bank and Warby Parker eyeglasses.

Detroit Rising: Detroit needs a convention hotel attached to TCF Center, Bedrock exec says

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 22:10:35 +0000

Andrew Leber, vice president of hospitality at Bedrock Detroit, says the city needs a new large-scale convention hotel attached to TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center). "It's one of the things that limits the ability of the city of Detroit to attract larger-scale convention business," Leber said in the Detroit Rising podcast. "And that business is hugely impactful to the economy." The executive in charge of Bedrock and billionaire Dan Gilbert's downtown hotel properties discussed the hotel and hospitality market in an interview with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood.

Detroit Rising: Detroit's broadband haves and have nots

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 20:54:15 +0000

At the Detroit Digital Inclusion Summit event on Oct. 7 in TechTown, Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood talked with four IT professionals about Detroit's digital divide between the greater downtown and the city's neighborhoods. The guests on this episode of Detroit Rising include:

Joshua Edmonds, director of digital inclusion for the City of Detroit

Katrina Turnbow, Google Digital Coach and founder and CEO of Kanopi Social consulting agency

Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, founder and CEO of Connected Insights

Karlos Harris, co-founder of the Detroit School of Digital Technology

Detroit Rising: Stephanie Byrd on how her Midtown restaurant's rebranding helped it thrive

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 4 Oct 2019 17:41:45 +0000

Stephanie Byrd, co-owner of The Block restaurant in Midtown, talked with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about how her family-owned restaurant has thrived since it rebranded. She talks about coming back to Detroit to join her father's restaurant and hospitality. "I didn't expect to make it this far," shes said.

Detroit Rising: High-rise Midtown condos at The Mid could approach $1 million

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 10:36:22 +0000

Emery Matthews, co-founder of Real Estate Interests LLC, and his firm's managing director, Damon Jordan, talked with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood at Detroit Homecoming on the "Detroit Rising" podcast about their brokerage work on The Mid high-rise mixed-use complex planned for 3750 Woodward Ave. in Midtown. Matthews said the 30-story tower will include a hotel and 51 condos at the top, some of which could reach $1 million in cost.

Detroit Rising: Bob Thompson and Jalen Rose talk education with Tonya Allen at Detroit Homecoming

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 15:45:55 +0000

At the last day of Detroit Homecoming VI, charter school philanthropist Bob Thompson, Danielle Jackson from Thompson's University Prep schools and charter school founder Jalen Rose talked with Skillman Foundation CEO Tonya Allen about their work in improving Detroit's public education system. Thompson, a road-building magnate, talked about the network of charter schools he founded in Detroit.

Detroit Rising: Expats Ken Buckfire, Ty Fahner talk pension debt and land use at Detroit Homecoming

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 14:30:57 +0000

At the sixth annual Detroit Homecoming, Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood talked to Detroit expats Ken Buckfire of Miller Buckfire & Co. and Chicago attorney Ty Fahner about Detroit's finances, the city's post-bankruptcy recovery, future land use and how debt-ridden Chicago is at risk of the same financial peril that landed Detroit in bankruptcy court.

Detroit Rising: Xenith CEO Ryan Sullivan on the Detroit football helmet maker's upward trajectory

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 20:19:38 +0000

Xenith LLC, the football helmet and protective gear company owned by billionaire Dan Gilbert, now claims 10 percent market share of the helmet business and is closing in on producing 100,000 units annually at its southwest Detroit manufacturing facility. Xenith CEO Ryan Sullivan recently sat down with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood to discuss the company's upward trajectory, the business impact of tariffs on Chinese-made parts for its helmets and what's next for the company as it branches off into other football protective gear and apparel.

Detroit Rising: Suneel Gupta joins Techstars Detroit to mentor entrepreneurs of mobility startups

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 14:16:12 +0000

Tech entrepreneur Suneel Gupta has joined Techstars Detroit as a founder-in-residence focused on mentoring other entrepreneurs with technology-based startup businesses. He and Techstars Detroit Managing Director Ted Serbinski and Program Manager Kelly Kang talked with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood on the Detroit Rising podcast about Gupta's new role with the business incubator, which is now based in Lear Corp.'s innovation center in Capitol Park in downtown Detroit.

Detroit Rising podcast: Venture for America's entrepreneurship taking root in Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:18:59 +0000

Amy Nelson, CEO of Venture for America, and her organization's Detroit director, Sarah Craft, talked with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood on the Detroit Rising podcast about the entrepreneurship-focused fellowship for young professionals, which has brought 145 fellows to work in Detroit startup companies over the past seven years. They were joined by VFA alum Lauren Kase and Ashton Keys, a current fellow with the program who is working at Quicken Loans. Keys is a Detroit native and graduate of Cass Tech.

Detroit Rising: Canadian consul general talks Enbridge Line 5, trade and Gordie Howe bridge work

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 19:32:36 +0000

Joe Comartin, Canada's consul general in Detroit, sat down with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood to discuss his country's concerns about attempts by Michigan politicians to shut down Enbridge Energy's Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, the status of trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada and the outlook for early construction work on the long-planned Gordie Howe International Bridge.

Detroit Rising: Tony Michaels on designing the Ford Fireworks, Parade Co.'s need for new space

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 03:21:33 +0000

Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Co., talks with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood about how the Ford Fireworks come together each year and the not-for-profit company's need for a new warehouse to build and store floats for America's Thanksgiving Parade.

Detroit Rising: Arab American & Chaldean Council working on 7 Mile revitalization

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 10:17:24 +0000

Fred Batayeh and Kimberly Hassan of the Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC) discuss the non-profit's plans for a mixed-use housing development at John R Street and 7 Mile Road as well as ACC's partnership with Quicken Loans for four years of community improvement projects in conjunction with the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA golf tournament at the Detroit Country Club. They talked with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood for an interview on the Detroit Rising podcast.

Detroit Rising: Chasing medical fraud in Michigan's no-fault auto insurance system

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 14 May 2019 18:38:29 +0000

John Hohmeier, an insurance industry defense attorney at Scarfone & Geen in Madison Heights, talks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about the fraudulent claims he sees in Michigan's unlimited medical coverage under the 1973 no-fault auto insurance law.

Detroit Rising: Should Michigan more closely regulate auto insurance companies, premiums?

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 5 Apr 2019 19:13:37 +0000

Michigan's no-fault auto insurance law allows insurance carriers to "file and use" their rates with little oversight by the state. In this week's segment of the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast, senior reporter Chad Livengood talks with insurance industry researcher Doug Heller, who has studied Michigan's law for the Coalition to Protect Auto No-Fault.

Detroit Rising podcast: Steve Tobocman on how immigrants can fill Michigan's talent gaps

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 12:37:35 +0000

Steve Tobocman, executive director of Global Detroit, discusses how foreign-born immigrants have helped stem Detroit and Michigan's population loses in recent years and how more highly-educated immigrants could fill the state's workforce shortages.

Detroit Rising podcast: Detroit Vegan Soul owners eye statewide expansion

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 12:39:50 +0000

Kirsten Ussery, co-owner of Detroit Vegan Soul, and JPMorgan Chase bank executive Peter Scher talk with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about JPMorgan Chase's Entrepreneurs of Color Fund and how the vegan restaurant used the loan fund to open its second location on Detroit's northwest side.

Detroit Rising: Lt. Gov. Brian Calley reflects on Snyder administration's intervention in Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 22:01:56 +0000

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley sat down with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood to talk about outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder's emphasis on turning around Detroit and taking the city through a historic bankruptcy reorganization.

Detroit Rising: Ford's autonomous vehicle team in Corktown forges ahead on driverless cars

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 9 Dec 2018 12:56:38 +0000

Sherif Marakby, CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, discusses how Ford Motor Co.'s team working on the business strategy and deployment of autonomous vehicles is utilizing the automaker's first building of an eventual campus in Corktown anchored by Michigan Central Station. Marakby sat down with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood for an interview at The Factory at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Rosa Parks Boulevard.

Detroit Rising: Todd Sachse on why the skilled labor shortage is slowing construction projects

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 11:44:19 +0000

Todd Sachse, CEO and founder of Sachse Construction in Detroit, discusses his company's efforts to recruit more young people into the skilled trades and why the current labor shortage is slowing the number of construction projects in metro Detroit.

Detroit Rising podcast: The changing landscape of options for commuting into downtown Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 11:34:10 +0000

Kevin Bopp, vice president of parking and mobility for Bedrock, discusses the real estate management company's partnerships for reducing downtown Detroit congestion inside a May Mobility semi-autonomous shuttle as the vehicle makes its one-mile loop through downtown Detroit's central business district.

Detroit Rising podcast: Detroit chamber backs Gretchen Whitmer for governor

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 15:39:11 +0000

For the first time since 1990, the Detroit Regional Chamber is endorsing a Democrat for governor. The chamber's political action committee backed Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday over Republican Bill Schuette, who has racked up the majority of endorsements from business groups in Michigan. Brad Williams, vice president of government relations for the Detroit chamber, sat down with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood at Hopcat in Midtown to discuss the business group's endorsements in the Nov. 6 general election.

Detroit Rising podcast: Bunker Labs aims to nurture veteran-owned businesses at WeWork

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 20:39:17 +0000

Eight military veterans are launching businesses from WeWork's shared office space in Campus Martius through Bunker Labs, a national organization that helps former service members become entreprenuers.

Detroit Rising podcast: Tech entrepreneur Angel Gambino's re-engagement with Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 10:11:56 +0000

Tech entrepreneur Angel Gambino discusses how her purchase of depressed property in Corktown in 2010 triggered her re-engagement with her hometown of Detroit. She's now building small mobility and social media marketing businesses in the city. She's joined on this episode of "Detroit Rising" by local businesswoman Stefanie Kwiatkowski, owner of Barre'letixx, a maker of grippy shoes for yoga. Barre'letixx is one of Gambino's social media clients.

Detroit Rising podcast: Local fashion apparel companies working to scale industry

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 16:42:27 +0000

New York fashion designer Tracy Reese, a native of Detroit and Shinola VP Jen Guarino and former Donna Karan CEO Jeffry Aronsson discuss their efforts to scale Detroit's fledgling fashion apparel industry by creating an apprenticeship program in industrial sewing and working to attract outside investors.

Detroit Rising: 'Talent is determining where corporations make real estate decisions,' DEGC CEO says

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 9 Sep 2018 13:19:38 +0000

Kevin Johnson, CEO of the Detroit Economic Development Corp., speaks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about why human resources directors are driving business location decisions within large companies these days. He also argues Detroit needs a larger presence of state universities in the urban core to attract talent and businesses.

Detroit Rising: Teacher preparation for third-grade reading mandate lacking

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 11:19:40 +0000

Jeanne Jeup, co-founder of the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education in Southfield, discusses the importance of better-educating teachers on how to teach reading during an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast at Louisiana Creole Gumbo, 13505 W Seven Mile Road, in Detroit. Jeup's company trains teachers in schools across the country in the foundations of the English language.

Detroit Rising: City's business liaisons branch out into neighborhoods

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:01:26 +0000

The Detroit Economic Growth Corp. has hired seven business liaisons for individual City Council districts who serve as a conduit between city government and businesses large and small in Detroit. Tenecia Johnson, the business liaison for District 1, and DEGC Vice President Mike Rafferty talked to Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about the new outreach and what the DEGC is doing to help foster small business development in the city's neighborhood commercial cooridors.

Detroit Rising: Louisiana Creole Gumbo adds restaurant on northwest side, food truck service

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:36:57 +0000

Joe Spencer, owner of Louisiana Creole Gumbo in Eastern Market, talks about how he opened a second restaurant on Detroit's northwest side and started a food truck service for manufacturing plants without traditional bank financing. Sherita Smith, executive director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp., discusses retail and restaurant business opportunities on Detroit's northwest side.

Detroit Rising podcast: Stroh's now brewing three beers in Detroit, plans to add more

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 11:30:03 +0000

Stroh Brewery Co. brand manager Andy Gurjian and Kacha Azéma, executive creative director for Skidmore Studio, discuss Stroh's re-engagement with Detroit and the three beers the iconic Detroit brand is brewing and bottling at Brew Detroit in Corktown. They sat down to talk about the marketing strategy for Detroit-made Stroh's beers with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood.

Detroit Rising podcast: Schuette backs Trump's attempt to get 'fairer trade deals'

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 11:52:07 +0000

Attorney General Bill Schuette, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for governor, speaks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about his agenda for Detroit and broader plans for Michigan should he be elected the state's next governor.

Detroit Rising podcast: Whitmer vows to ban auto insurance redlining, stop 'raid' on school funding

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 15:28:37 +0000

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer discusses her agenda for Detroit and broader plans for Michigan should she be elected the state's next governor. She vows to stop a $750 million "raid" on the state's School Aid Fund for K-12 schools to provide money for public universities and community colleges.

Detroit Rising podcast: Colbeck wants to end 'winners and losers' economic development

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 20:49:04 +0000

State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton Township, is running a long-shot campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. In an interview with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood, Colbeck details his plan for eliminating the state's 4.25 percent income tax and getting the state "out of the game of picking winners and losers" in economic development.

Detroit Rising: Saginaw doc running for gov seeks to cap medical provider payments in auto no-fault

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 3 Jul 2018 16:37:09 +0000

Jim Hines, an obstetrician from Saginaw County, is running for the Republican nomination for governor in a long-shot bid to be Michigan's next chief executive. He spoke with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about his views on tax incentives that "pick winners and losers" and his plans for fixing the state's roads, improving educational outcome in K-12 schools and lowering auto insurance rates.

Detroit Rising podcast: Rapidly-growing StockX pushing e-commerce platform beyond sneakers

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 1 Jul 2018 10:54:27 +0000

At less than 29 months old, StockX is one of Detroit's fastest growing startups, employing 300 people in the city. The e-commerce company is a so-called stock market of things, seeking to commoditize high-end luxury consumer goods like sneaker, watches, handbags and street wear. StockX CEO Josh Luber and Chief Operating Officer Greg Schwartz sat down with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood recently to talk about the company's rapid growth and where it might be headed next in the evolving world of online commerce.

Detroit Rising podcast: Shri Thanedar wants to replace 'corporate welfare' with small biz incubators

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:11:50 +0000

Ann Arbor businessman Shri Thanedar, a Democratic candidate for governor, talks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about his plan gut "corporate welfare" tax incentive programs, invest in small business incubators and seek $30 billion in new state debt for investments in roads, bridges, underground infrastructure and schools. Thanedar is running in the Aug. 7 Democratic primary against former Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing and Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit city health department director.

Detroit Rising podcast: Calley talks Detroit policy issues, plans to accelerate road-funding

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 11:26:37 +0000

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, talks about how he will approach policy issues affecting Detroit and governance in an interview with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood for the Crain's Detroit Rising podcast. If he's elected governor, Calley said he will propose speeding up by one fiscal year the state's plans to spend $1.2 billion more annually on roads.

Detroit Rising podcast: Abdul El-Sayed takes on health, auto insurers in bid for governor

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:41:58 +0000

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, Detroit's former health commissioner, is campaigning for governor on a platform of creating a state-run, single-payer health insurance that he says would eliminate the need for medical coverage that drives up the cost of auto insurance. In this week's segment of Detroit Rising, El-Sayed talks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about his plans to tackling Detroit's biggest problems if he's elected Michigan's next governor.

Detroit Rising podcast: Mobile app developer Detroit Labs adding space, tech talent downtown

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 7 Jun 2018 15:36:02 +0000

Erika Languirand, director of training & development for Detroit Labs, talks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about the mobile app development company's apprenticeship program and how it's continuing to grow into more downtown office space on Woodward Avenue.

Detroit Rising podcast: Mackinac confab focused on Michigan's future amid rapid change, uncertainty

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 27 May 2018 10:56:18 +0000

Detroit Regional Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah and PwC's Detroit managing partner Ray Telang join Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood on this week's "Detroit Rising" podcast to discuss the pillars and themes of this year's Mackinac Policy Conference, which runs Tuesday, May 29 through Friday, June 1 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island,,

Detroit Rising podcast: How a Detroit high school is putting students on career paths

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 24 May 2018 15:35:04 +0000

At Detroit Cristo Rey High School, a student's enrollment is contingent upon working to support the school's bottom line in lieu of a five-figure tuition bill that would be out of reach for the school's low-income Hispanic and African American families. One day a week, students work in business across metro Detroit as part of their education. In this week's segment of Detroit Rising, the high school's president and CEO Michael Khoury discusses the program along with two Detroit business leaders who employ the students — Ed Mannino, chief financial officer of Strategic Staffing Solutions, and Sylvia Gucken of Ideal Group.

Detroit Rising podcast: DTE engineer's career pathway opened up through FIRST robotics

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 12:02:15 +0000

Native Detroiter Samia Rahman, an operational analyst at DTE Energy, got her start at the utility company in high school after she presented her school's robot to DTE employees. In this segment of Detroit Rising, she discusses how the FIRST robotics program opened up career and educational opportunities.

Detroit Rising podcast: How GM is building an engineering talent pipeline through FIRST robotics

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 11:52:15 +0000

Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, chief engineer for next-generation SUVs at General Motors, discusses how the FIRST robotics program is creating a pipeline of engineering talent for the Detroit automaker. He was joined on the Detroit Rising podcast by students from Detroit Cristo Rey High School, the school's robotics team coach Ann McGowan and Milton Martinez, a global diagnostics strategist at GM's Milford Proving Grounds.

Detroit Rising podcast: Real estate course teaches Detroiters how to get into the business

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:44:19 +0000

Chase Cantrell, founder and executive director of Building Community Value, talks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about his organization's "Better Buildings, Better Blocks" seminar that teachers Detroiters how to build, rehabilitate and manage residential and commercial real estate in the city. The course is taught by Dietrich Knoer, president and CEO of The Platform.

'Detroit Rising' podcast: Ideal Group grows in southwest Detroit into multifaceted company

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Sun, 8 Apr 2018 09:59:54 +0000

Ideal Group President Loren Venegas talks with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about how the company his brother founded in 1979 has grown from a steel fabrication business into a multifaceted enterprise that designs and builds bumper post bollards for major retailers, sells obsolete auto factory machine parts around the world and does general construction contracting. In 1995, founder Frank Venegas Jr. began moving his business from Livingston County to a shuttered General Motors plant on Clark Avenue in southwest Detroit's Mexicantown.

'Detroit Rising' podcast: Urban Land Institute meeting in May to showcase Detroit revitalization

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Mon, 2 Apr 2018 21:35:10 +0000

Real estate developers Jill Ferrari of Shelborne Development and Eric Larson of Larson Realty Group and the Downtown Detroit Partnership discuss the Urban Land Institute bringing its spring meeting to Detroit, May 1-3, in an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast with Senior Reporter Chad Livengood at Sister Pie bakery in Detroit's West Village.

Detroit Rising podcast: Barton Malow's Doug Maibach sees decline in workers' reading, math skills

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 10:40:37 +0000

Barton Malow Enterprises Chairman Doug Maibach and two educators — Michael Addonizio of Wayne State University and Randy Liepa of Wayne Regional Educational Service Agencies — discuss the School Finance Research Collaborative's study of funding for public schools in Michigan and how much money is needed to educate children to the state's standards.

Detroit Rising podcast: Leveraging technology in tracking Detroit blight-removal demolitions

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 10:35:54 +0000

Brian Farkas, director of special projects for the Detroit Building Authority, discusses how Detroit's blight-removal program has become more technology focused to give city officials real-time data on demolitions of houses and commercial buildings and provide real estate developers, investors and residents information on building permits, side lot sales and property for sale in the city.

'Detroit Rising' podcast: Sister Pie owner has no plans of opening bakeries beyond West Village

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:12:08 +0000

Sister Pie owner Lisa Ludwinski discussed her West Village bakery's growth as well as the redevelopment of the east side Detroit neighborhood alongside real estate developer Clifford Brown of Westborn Partners, which recently opened The Coe, a 12-unit mixed use building at Coe Street and Van Dyke in West Village.

Detroit Rising podcast: Recapturing service industry sales one hair 'blowout' at a time

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Wed, 7 Mar 2018 06:19:00 +0000

Detroit natives Nia Batts and Katy Cockrel opened the Detroit Blows hair blow-drying salon in downtown Detroit last fall in response to a need for the specialty service that could previously only be found in the suburbs.Their business model aims to fill one of the many voids Detroit still has in the service industry that causes both Detroiters and suburban residents who work in the city to head to the suburbs for services every day. They also have a social entrepreneurship mission built into their business model.

Detroit Rising: Detroit Chamber's policy conference focused on building regional culture of civility

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 09:17:00 +0000

The Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Detroit Policy Conference on Thursday will focus on making a business case for creating a culture of civility in a region with a long history of divisions among race, geography and wealth. Devon O'Reilly of Detroit Regional Chamber and Jeanette Pierce of the Detroit Experience Factory joined Crain's reporter Chad Livengood for a discussion on the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast about the conference's civility pillar.

Detroit Rising: Primary care physicians in short supply in Detroit's neighborhoods

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 06:14:00 +0000

Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC in southwest Detroit discusses his direct primary care business model during an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast with senior reporter Chad Livengood at Bamboo Detroit's downtown co-working space.

Detroit Rising podcast: Growth opportunities for more food businesses, affordable housing in Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 05:11:00 +0000

Melinda Clemons, senior loan officer for Capital Impact Partners, and Ashley Mizzi with the Detroit Community Loan Fund, think there's an opportunity for more food-based businesses and subsidized affordable housing developments to create jobs, access to fresh food and residential density. Clemons and Mizzi talked about their organizations' work in Detroit in the respective fields of real estate development and lending to small business start-ups during an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast at Bamboo Detroit, 1420 Washington Blvd.

Detroit Rising podcast: As automakers race to build electric vehicles, 'range anxiety' persists

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sat, 3 Feb 2018 10:08:00 +0000

As Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and other automakers race to build a new generation of electric vehicles, so-called "range anxiety" persists because of a limited number of publicly-available electric-charging stations and the time it takes to charge EV batteries. Consumers Energy Co. and DTE Energy Co. are starting to work with the Michigan Public Service Commission to build an infrastructure and business model around supplying the energy needed to propel the future of electric vehicles. PSC commissioner Norm Saari sat down with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood to discuss how utility regulators are tackling this emerging issue for Detroit's automakers and Michigan's energy companies.

'Detroit Rising' podcast: At Bamboo Detroit, a wide variety of businesses working under one roof

tsimpson@crain.com (Crain's Detroit Business) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 06:02:00 +0000

CellularEMT CEO Dwain Watkins and business and non-profits consultant Chanel Hampton operate vastly different businesses under the same roof at Bamboo Detroit, a co-working space in downtown Detroit. In this segment of the "Detroit Rising" podcast, they talk with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about how their start-up businesses have thrived at Bamboo and what Detroit needs to do to continue fostering small business growth.

Detroit Rising podcast: Bamboo Detroit co-founder sees changing downtown office space landscape

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 06:58:00 +0000

Mike Ferlito, co-founder of Bamboo Detroit, and one of the tenants of the downtown Detroit shared office space, Jennifer Foster of Catalyst Media Factory, discussed the co-working office space model and how it could become more prevalent during an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast.

Detroit Rising podcast: Lightweight materials R&D takes root in one-time auto parts plant

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 04:55:00 +0000

Larry Brown, executive director of Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT), discusses the joint manufacturing institute that LIFT operates with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood inside the old Mexican Industries auto parts plant. The facility's research and development equipment and capabilities will be showcased during the industry preview days of the North American International Auto Show.

Detroit Rising podcast: Mayor Mike Duggan talks Amazon HQ2 bid, auto insurance reform, 2018 politics

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Mon, 8 Jan 2018 05:52:00 +0000

During an interview with Crain's, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talked about the city's bid for Amazon's second headquarters, the prospects of another large auto parts manufacturing plant coming to Detroit and how he's not giving up on reforming auto insurance in Michigan. Duggan also talked about the 2018 race for governor, which he has declined to enter.

Detroit Rising podcast: Workforce board to replicate job-training, skilled trades programs in 2018

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 05:52:00 +0000

DTE Energy Co. Vice Chairman Dave Meador and Strategic Staffing Solutions CEO Cindy Pasky discuss the Detroit Workforce Development Board's 2017 accomplishments and 2018 agenda in an interview on the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast. Meador said the panel of c-suite executives are working to "rewire" a broken workforce training and development pipeline.

'Detroit Rising' podcast: Revitalizing city neighborhoods goes beyond fixing dilapidated homes

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 06:46:00 +0000

Real estate investor David Alade is betting the young millennials filling up apartments and condominiums in Midtown and downtown will eventually want a little more space to spread out, put down roots and possibly raise families in Detroit. Alade, a native of Queens, New York, says Detroit's high auto insurance costs and the quality of the city's public schools remain barriers to getting young families to buy single family homes in Detroit.

Detroit Rising podcast: Service businesses missing in Midtown

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:31:00 +0000

Midtown Detroit Inc. Executive Director Sue Mosey and James Cadariu, roastmaster at the Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company, discussed business development, residential construction, parking and mobility in Midtown in an interview for this week's "Detroit Rising" podcast.

Detroit Rising: Bridging gaps in Detroit's workforce

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 04:26:00 +0000

Detroit Employment Solutions Corp. CEO Nicole Sherard-Freeman and Jeff Donofrio, executive director of workforce development for Mayor Mike Duggan, discuss barriers Detroiters face getting into the workforce in an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast at Narrow Way Cafe, 19331 Livernois Ave., in Detroit.

Detroit Rising podcast: Tax reform bills in Congress reduce urban redevelopment incentives

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Fri, 1 Dec 2017 04:14:00 +0000

Aaron Seybert, social investment officer at The Kregse Foundation, and Develop Detroit Vice President Ben Phillips discussed the potential impact of federal tax reform bills in Congress on community development financing in Detroit during an interview with Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood. Competing plans in the House and Senate would reduce or eliminate tax credits for low-income housing, rehabilitation of historic buildings and the New Markets credits for business investment in high-poverty cities like Detroit.

Detroit Rising podcast: City's restaurants struggling with worker retention

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 09:06:00 +0000

Scott Lowell, owner of Traffic Jam & Snug, and Detroit Restaurant Association Director Herasanna Richards talk to Crain's Senior Reporter Chad Livengood about issues facing the city's dining and hospitality industry on the "Detroit Rising" podcast at Narrow Way Cafe, 19331 Livernois Ave.

Detroit Rising podcast: Owners of McClure's Pickles, Valentine Distilling talk food industry growth

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:59:00 +0000

In this week's "Detroit Rising" podcast, Joe McClure of McClure's Pickles and Rifino Valentine of Valentine Distilling Co. discuss how they got into the food and spirits businesses and have grown those respective businesses in and around Detroit.

Detroit Rising podcast: TechStars Mobility entrepreneurs on changing perceptions of Detroit

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 08:55:00 +0000

Ted Serbinski and Ian Sefferman of Techstars Mobility discuss their Detroit-based organization's accelerator program for startup companies in the mobility industry in this week's edition of the Detroit Rising podcast. Sefferman, who previously worked at Amazon, also shares his perceptions of Detroit's bid for the online retail giant's second North American headquarters.

Detroit Rising podcast with Chad Livengood: Small business development along Detroit's corridors

tsimpson@crain.com (Chad Livengood) — Sat, 4 Nov 2017 20:50:00 +0000

Chad Livengood, senior reporter with Crain's Business Detroit, sits down with Jonathan Merritt, co-owner of Narrow Way Café on Livernois Avenue, and Mike Rafferty, vice president of small business services for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp, to talk about the efforts being made in Detroit to rehabilitate and reinvigorate neighborhood commercial corridors in Detroit.