East Lansing : Innovation & Job News

A new kind of course is launching at Michigan State University, new both in content and context. The Foundations of Science is a MOOC, that is, a massive open online course. It's completely online with no location requirements and it's free to both the general public and students alike.
 
"People from this area are hungry for this type of experience," says developer and founder Dr. Stephen Thomas. "People are trying to figure out how they can broaden their exposure to different educational experiences." Foundations of Science promises to help participants think, see, speak, and act like a scientist, all within exploration of distinguishing science from pseudo science.
 
"The course will help a diversity of folks develop critical thinking skills," explains Thomas. Students will study the differences between astrology and astronomy, witches and cognitive bias; explore psychics, homeopathy, and ghosts; and will use modules in biology, physics, chemistry, and psychology to evaluate many of scientific myths we're so familiar with.   
 
Registration is currently open and operates on a rolling basis, so students can join at any time. Thomas is optimistic that the blending of both formal and informal education methods will help engage participants, allowing them to truly get something out of the course, leaving them with a positive emotional connection to the topics.
 
Source: Stephen Thomas, Foundations of Science
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
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Created to engage the next generation of Wharton Center patrons, NextGen@Wharton seeks to connect with people who aren't all that familiar with the Wharton experience and give them a way to get to know the performing arts center amidst a group of their peers.
 
"The 'unknown' of any experience is very often a barrier to people to take a chance — especially when it's an experience that comes with a ticket price," explains Advisory Councilmember, Robin Miner-Swartz. NextGen@Wharton is a group of active professional and creative minds, who will get to see some fantastic shows, but also have access to backstage tours and social opportunities centered around Wharton events.   
 
"We wanted to create a program that was a fun, easy way for young professionals to get to know Wharton Center better and make it a destination for them to meet new and existing friends," says Miner-Swartz.
 
A free kick-off event is scheduled for May 16. Attendees can look forward to a mix and mingle evening that includes a peek behind the curtain, seeing what's coming up for the new season, enjoying some treats from Red Haven and thinking about adding a show or two to their social calendar next season.
 
Event details can be found at: http://nextgeninauguralevent.eventbrite.com/
 
Source: Robin Miner-Swartz, Wharton Center Advisory Council
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
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The Oetzel-Hartman Group, a real estate appraisal firm specializing in appraising commercial properties and based in East Lansing, announced that it has combined with 41 other appraisal firms to form Valbridge Property Advisors, which provides independent valuation and advisory services to local, regional, multi-market and national clients.
 
"Becoming part of Valbridge Property Advisors will enable us to better serve our local, state wide and regional clients," says Principal, Jim Hartman.

Oetzel-Hartman embraces innovation outside of this national partnership, as well. Hartman explains: "Innovation allows us to continue to produce high quality appraisals more efficiently. As market data become more readily available, managing, sorting and analyzing the data has become more critical."   

Valbridge immediately ranks among the top three national commercial real estate valuation and advisory services firms, with 145 MAI designated appraisers, 59 office locations and 600 staff across the U.S.
 
Source: Jim Hartman, The Oetzel-Hartman Group      
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
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The MSU Science Festival is hosting more than 150 diverse scientific offerings in a ten-day festival on campus. With something for everyone, the festival celebrates the science that touches every day lives. Subjects span the science spectrum, from astronomy to human behavior to robotics to zoology.
 
"We see science as opening doors to the future," says Festival Coordinator, Renee Leone. Organizers hope that by making the festival free, that those doors are made accessible to everyone.
 
Events, held April 12 through 21, are presented by members of the MSU scientific community, as well as a number of science and technology community participants. Community participants include organizations like Fenner Nature Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, Lansing Makers Network, and Impression 5.
 
"Research shows that attendees haven't had a substantive exchange with a science professional," explains Leone. "We'd love to help encourage an interest in science and provide a new experience for young people and lifelong learners alike."
 
A detailed schedule can be found at: http://sciencefestival.msu.edu/schedule
 
Source: Renee Leone, MSU Science Festival
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
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East Lansing based real estate broker, Tomie Raines, Inc., finished 2012 up 26% in sales volume from 2011, in addition to being up 27% for the first quarter of 2013 compared to the first quarter of 2012. This growth, in addition to an increased staff, is welcome after years of reductions.
 
As to the reason behind this encouraging growth, President and CEO, Debbie Barnett offers: "Michigan’s economic recovery is well underway and Greater Lansing is leading the way. We are benefitting from this, but since housing is a primary driver of the economy we are also a participant."
 
Tomie Raines has over 70 agents who are independent contractors and 12 employees. Their agent base is growing and employee count is stable and plan to expand their office to accommodate that growth. Barnett says, "The most important thing, even amidst growth, is to ensure we're investing in our staff; this is what ensures sustained growth and the ability to face the recovery productively." 
 
Barnett is positive about the future of Lansing, calling on major community assets like General Motors, insurance companies, MSU, and the State government as drivers of the positive housing trends the area is experiencing.
 
Source: Debbie Barnett, Tomie Raines, Inc.     
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
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East Lansing based marketing communications firm, Publicom, Inc., has won six national creative awards at the 10^th Annual Service Industry Advertising Awards competition. This, in addition to successive growth, has Publicom poised for an outstanding 2013.
 
The national awards included work for Lansing's Gateway Community Services and Peppermint Creek Theatre Company.
 
"Our growth is organic in that much of our business comes from client referrals," says Public Relations Specialist, Erin Incarnati. "Despite the down economy, each of the past five years has each been successively better than the previous year."
 
Publicom employs a total of 11 staffers and three paid interns, and anticipates hiring an additional two to three team members in the upcoming year.
 
Of building their staff, Incarnati says: "We've been able to attract some top talent to and from the Greater Lansing area. Publicom is always looking for talented people who fit well with our professional, high-quality culture."
 
Source: Erin Incarnati, Publicom, Inc.  
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News.
 
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It's not often you hear of a 19 year old and a 20 year old opening a business, and creating their own business plan to boot. But that's just what MSU students and long time friends Alex Lennard and Hunter Mowers did when they launched State's Cheese Steaks last week.
 
"We wanted to start our own business and had originally thought about opening a hot dog stand," explains Lennard. The City of East Lansing wouldn't grant a permit for that, which got Lennard thinking.
 
While in Panama City for Spring Break, the friends came across a cheese steak stand that had a line that lasted throughout entire day. Pair that inspiration with an entrepreneurial drive to provide something new in the East Lansing culinary scene, and you've got the recipe for a food stand.
 
Located on the corner of Abbott and Albert, the stand is open Thursday through Sunday. They hope to be able to hire 2 to 3 employees beyond themselves once business gets further off the ground.
 
A finance student, Lennard says "This is teaching us way more than the classroom could; we're dealing with real people and a real business."
 
Source: Alex Lennard, State's Cheese Steaks
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News.
 
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Wireless Developer Agency (WDA) puts relevant information in front of the people at the right time and in the right way. The East Lansing based high-tech mobile marketing company believes that special technologies need to provide customers with a more enriched experience.
 
President and CEO, Konny Zsigo says, "Consumers are looking for a more enchanting experience with their personal devices as they gain more control over them; the world is going to demand advertising as less of an interruption and more of a presentation of valuable information."
 
WDA is managing toward growth with that demand in mind; they’re looking at doubling their top line of sales in 2013 and plan to expand staff in response. An anticipated 16 employees will be added to the existing staff of 40 by the end of the year.
 
A big part of the WDA story is that they don’t generally hire people who are in their industry; they hire local and welcome them to an incubative culture. Of the choice to remain in the Lansing area, rather than head to other tech hubs like NYC or LA, Zsigo says: "We’d rather provide the culture that makes the magic, not move somewhere that has the culture."


Source: Konny Zsigo & Brennan Hayden, WDA
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News.
 
Have an innovation news story? Send Veronica an email here.
 

King Media, a boutique, full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations firm based in East Lansing, "delivers the right message, at the right time, to the right audience every day," says marketing coordinator, Kerri Molitor.
 
The firm, founded in 1999, currently staffs 10, and intends to hire 1 to 2 people in the next year; a job growth of 10-20%.
 
Of being part of the Lansing area, Molitor says: "We are a woman-owned small business and we have always loved being rooted in the Greater Lansing community. Because of the State Capital and the University, the local economy has been surprisingly stable. It has been this economic stability and growth even in the recent economically challenged times that we have been grateful for.  In addition, we love the diversity of our great State of Michigan and as the capital; Lansing is the perfect example of that diversity."
 
King Media keeps focus on their customers and growing those businesses even more, knowing that if their clients are successful, they are successful. Additionally, they understand that technology has changed the way people shop, how they receive information, and how they communicate. Molitor says that continued education is mandatory for each member of the King Media staff in order to stay head of trends and to know where the market is going.

Over the past year, Michigan Creative has expanded quite a bit in both customers and in staff.  They have begun to expand their reach to both small and large Michigan businesses and are continually investigating and adding more services to better serve their customers. CEO Brian Town says: "we are working towards being a marketing company that anyone can come to for any business need."
 
Michigan Creative currently has a core staff of 5 in addition to 9 interns. The fluctuation of student interns is vital to the company, as it brings in new faces and new knowledge. Town says they’re looking to grow as much as they can, to as many people as they can.
 
Of the future, Town says: "We are always coming up with wild and crazy dreams and very lofty goals.  I have a team of very ambitious staff members that are always looking to help move us to that next step.  Long term, we want to turn Michigan Creative into a truly full service marketing company; video recording studios, photography studios, a large venue for company events, and so much more." Michigan Creative is also looking into a few different small business ventures of their own; which include a tie company as well as a food truck.  Short term, Town looks to hire full time staff and expand the intern program.

Courtland Consulting is an equal opportunity employer based out of East Lansing. The consulting firm focuses on hiring exceptional people for both public and private sector contracts with a specialization in project management, project evaluation, system conversion and deployment, training development and delivery, and web design and programming. 
 
Relationships are important at Courtland. Director Sharon Pizzuti says, “We are proud to be based in Greater Lansing and we have maintained a strong community presence. Our outreach activities include: participation in community volunteer work, Lansing-based networking groups and local firm business partnerships. Working in Greater Lansing has provided us access to local high quality employees, and strong IT community partners.”
 
In addition to their existing team of 23, Courtland anticipates hiring 12 new staff members to work on anticipated contractual consulting work. In the last year, they have hired 8 additional resources from Michigan for Michigan-based jobs.
 
On innovation, Pizzuti explains, “For over 20 years, Courtland evaluates and contributes to technology and industry trends by continually building on our best practices while balancing contract work with ongoing training, research and development.”

LAP Respite Center has provided crucial relief to those in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties caring for family members with disabilities, chronic illness, or age-related condition for over 20 years. Executive Director, John Stauffer explains: “We provide only well-trained care providers, so that the person who normally takes care of someone with a disability can have some much deserved time off and truly enjoy it because they are confident their loved one is in good hands.”
 
LAP is unique in the respite service industry in that it provides multiple programs, to serve a larger diversity of clients. “We have five different types of respite programs,” says Stauffer; “we have an after school program, which is very helpful for single parents who have a child with a severe disability; we have a respite house where parents can drop their child off for an entire weekend; we have in-home care for children with disabilities and also an in-home program for adults who are frail or chronically ill, and our most recent respite program is an adult day care program that we just acquired from the City of East Lansing called Active Living for Adults (ALFA).”
 
The East Lansing center currently employs 8 administrative staff and approximately 60 care providers. Stauffer is looking to hire at least one new supervisor over the next year, in addition to the 3 management team positions he is currently in the process of hiring. If his executive vision comes to fruition, he anticipates doubling the staff of LAP as the non-profit grows to include more respite houses and facilities across the area.