capitalgains - Innovation & Job News

MSU Invests More Than $400,000 in Innovative Animal Clinic

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Michigan State University (MSU) has invested more than $400,000 in an innovative back-pain clinic for horses.

“Nobody has really focused on the back like this,” says Robert van Wessum, who heads up MSU’s McPhail Equine Back Pain Clinic. “Nobody, as far as I know, has all the tools together to do this in one facility.”

Van Wessum says specialists frequently have a difficult time diagnosing back pain in horses because the back is so complicated. Tissues, disks, joints, vertebrae and cartilage all need to be examined in order to diagnosis a problem.

“If you want to see what’s going on, you need to use quite a lot of technologies,” he says.

Van Wessum says at least 10 to 15 percent of equine lameness problems can be traced to problems in the back.

“If we did more research, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the percentage is actually higher,” he says. “People will often try to treat the lameness as a problem in the leg, when the problem is really in the back.”

Other performance issues, such as bucking, rearing, stiffness and a general resistance to work also can be signs of a back problem, even if there are no overt signs of lameness, he says.

In the last three years, van Wessum has worked with about 500 equine back pain cases at the MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) and reports that nearly all are now performing at their original level or higher. By opening a clinic at the VTH specifically devoted to this area, he hopes to bring this success to a wider audience.

Specialists form all over the country have visited MSU to check out the new facility.

Source: Robert van Wessum, MSU

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

LCC Investing More Than $400,000 in New Media Program

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lansing Community College (LCC) is launching a two-year Digital Media, Audio and Cinema Program designed to prepare students for jobs in media, movie and television production, an industry that’s expected to see substantial growth in Mid-Michigan.

“The curriculum is primarily designed to meet the needs for the way we use media these days, which is much different than in previous days,” says John Lightner, with LCC.

Though the program comes on the heels of the new statewide movie tax incentives and the announcement of the construction of a new film studio in Lansing, Lightner says the school has been trying to update its media program for years.

“What we’re trying to do is position our students to enter the industry as it exists out there,” he says. Several businesses, including Ahptic Film and Digital and the Gillespie Group, want to build a $9 million studio in Downtown Lansing.

If LCC’s program is a success, students will be prepared to take on some Lansing-based Hollywood jobs, Lightner says. LCC would like to partner with the new studio to create internship opportunities for students.

“We want to get students into the environment where they’re using equipment that we might not be able to afford, but we also want them in an environment were they’re making a major picture of some sort,” Lightner says.

LCC is investing more than $400,000 in the new program for equipment, lab and software upgrades.

“It’s going to be a fairly substantial investment,” Lightner says.

According to Lightner, several LCC students who have gone on to work in Los Angeles and New York say the new studio may encourage them to move back to Michigan.

Source: John Lightner, LCC

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Company to Launch New Compact Power Product at Lansing Airport

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As EnerFusion owners Joe Kobus and Tom Davis will tell you, everyone who travels on a plane—from laptop-toting business professionals to cell phone yapping teenagers—has a sob story about how they can never find a power source in an airport.

Two years ago, they started developing a new technology to address this problem. Now they have the “Power Dok,” which is a freestanding power station equipped with two three-prong outlets.

Power Doks look like computer servers and cost about $1 for a 10-minute charge. They will be placed near terminals and can be loacted under airport seats or at the end of each row of seats, giving travelers immediate, ample access to power.

“We’re effectively adding plugs to an area that would otherwise have to be added with a major redevelopment,” Kobus says.

Rather than pulling from the airport’s power source, each Power Dok will run on an internal battery. Kobus and Davis say they plan to have a EnerFusion location near every airport hosting a Power Dok so they can change out the batteries.

EnerFusion will introduce the Power Dok to Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport this fall.

“This is the just the beginning of something that’s really going to develop,” Davis says, noting that the Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport’s played an invaluable role in the product launch. Davis says the Capital Region International Airport is the perfect place to launch the Power Dok because the airport’s always been an innovator and hosted one of the first airlines to let users reserve tickets on the airline Web site.

“This airport has always been seen as an innovative airport and now the nation is watching Lansing as we continue to innovate,” Davis says.

Once the product pilot stage is finished, EnerFusion hopes to expand Power Dok’s presence in other markets.

Source: Denyse Ferguson, LEAP

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Lansing Engineering Group Puts $50,000 Into International Project

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Members of the Greater Lansing Professional Partners Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) are on their way to Honduras to build a water distribution system for residents in San Carlos.

The engineering professionals are spending $50,000 on the three week trip. While they’re in San Carlos, they’ll create a 25,000 gallon concrete water tank for the community. The water tank is the first phase of what will be a multi-faceted project.

To complete the project, the engineers will have to install four kilometers of pipe and build a water treatment system. The entire project could take two years to complete.

The timetable "is really contingent on how quickly we can raise the money,” says Susan MacNeil with the Greater Lansing EWB.

MacNeil says more area engineering companies are focusing on volunteer-related engineering projects.

“A lot of students that graduate in engineering right now are asking—when they’re looking for jobs—they’re asking different companies what they’re doing to help people in developing companies,” she says.

Having an EWB chapter in Mid-Michigan is attractive to these students and could help keep Michigan engineering graduates in the area, she says.

“It’s definitely something students are talking about,” she says.

The Lansing EWB chapter started in 2006 and now has 20 members. MacNeil expects the chapter to continue to grow.

Source: Susan MacNeil, Greater Lansing EWB

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

$25,000 Grant Goes to Michigan Nonprofit Association

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Lansing-based Michigan Nonprofit Association received a $25,000 grant from the DTE Energy Foundation to help other nonprofits with mergers, alignments and organizational issues.

“In the face of every tightening budget and the rapid growth of nonprofits, these types of alignments are even more important,” says Michigan Nonprofit Associatio's President and CEO, Kyle Caldwell.

Caldwell says when nonprofits merge, they frequently can’t figure out how to transfer organizational roles.

“It’s hard work,” Caldwell says about merging nonprofits. “It’s always difficult to merge, not just the operational part of two organizations, but the cultures. It’s the cultures that take up the most amount of energy. You can put governance policies in place, but really, culture takes a lot of time and a lot of effort and continuing attention.”

The Michigan Nonprofit Association is one of 10 nonprofits that received the DTE Energy Foundation’s 2008 Achieving Excellent Award.

"The DTE Energy Foundation believes that nonprofit organizations that strive to maximize their time, money and efforts should receive praise, gratitude and support. That is why we created the Achieving Excellence Awards in 2003 and have presented more than a million dollars toward recipients since then," says Fred Shell, DTE Energy Foundation president.

Source: Kyle Caldwell, Michigan Nonprofit Association

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Medical Records Company Launching Service in Lansing

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Several years ago, in an effort to better monitor medical records, the country started moving from a paper-based medical records system to an electronically based medical records system.

However, the system is not uniform, requires doctors to enter duplicate information and hasn’t done much in the way of improving the medical system, says Rae-Claire Johnson. Johnson is the founder of CareCk, a Mid-Michigan-based medical records company that could revolutionize the medical records industry.

Johnson has created a bio-ID system that would give patients and their doctors access to medical records via a patient’s thumb print. Every time the patient sees any doctor for any ailment, their vitals, medicine, procedures and treatments would be logged in the system, preventing patients and doctors from filling out redundant paperwork.

The system also crosschecks current medications with new prescriptions and warns the patient and doctor about any potentially hazardous combinations.

“We know who you are electronically,” Johnson says. “We know who rendered care and we’ve simplified data input by providing a very easy way to document the encounter. It will take a doctor less than 1.5 minutes to document your information.”

The big draw to the system is that it has the potential to save lives and money. Sixty-one cents of every health care dollar goes to overhead, fraud, abuse and administration, Johnson says. Increasing efficiency within the system will greatly increase the amount of money actually spent on patient care.

“In Lansing, we expect the community—if everyone is on the system—the community should see a $180 million savings in health care expenses every year,” she says.

Johnson, who is based out of Florida, initially decided to launch CareCk in Lansing because it’s close to her family. However, she says the area gives her access to several large health care companies. She is looking for office space and working to get 75,000 pledges from potential clients by this fall.

Source: Rae-Claire Johnson, CareCk

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

MSU Biorefinery Training Course Attracts 179 Students and Entrepreneurs

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As of June, 179 students had enrolled in the Biorefinery Training program, which is a Michigan State University (MSU) alternative energy program sponsored by the Mid-Michigan Innovation Team (MMIT) and the U.S. Department of Labor.

The program aims to develop the area’s alternative energy sector, including preparing workers for jobs in a bio-based economy. The week-long training sessions have been held at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) in Edwardsville, Illinois, but the Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville is now hosting the training.

Michigan Brewing Company uses cooking oil to make diesel. Students learn about this process, observe the process and then work through the process themselves. Paul Hunt, MSU’s associate vice president for research, says the majority of the students in the classes have a manufacturing background and are looking for ways to carry their manufacturing background into the new economy.

“That group certainly exists,” Hunt says. “Some folks are individuals who are interested in biodiesel as a personal entrepreneurial activity, and some folks are those who are thinking about investing in biodiesel and want to understand the process.”

Hunt notes that this course is the result of organizations, such as Prima Civitas and Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), that are trying to creating collaborations between higher education and the private sector to keep the state’s workforce in the area.

Source: Paul Hunt, MSU

Ivy Hughes, development and news editor, can be reached here.

Lansing Techies Host First Get-Together for Area Twitter Fans

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With text messaging, email and social networking groups, staying connected is extremely easy, but it’s not very personal. During the past couple of months, networking groups have been popping up in the Mid-Michigan area to put a little face-to-face recognition back into communication.

This month, four tech-savvy women from the Lansing area will host the area’s first “Tweet Up.” A Tweet Up brings together fans of Twitter, a Web-based communication tool that solves the problem of long emails and multiple texts by giving co-workers, family and friends real-time updates.

Tweet Up organizers include Kasey Anderson with Donovan & Smith Marketing and Media, Betsy Weber and Jennifer Middlin with Techsmith, and Julielyn Gibbons with Progress Michigan.

“With everyone just signing on in droves right now, it just seemed like the right time,” Anderson says.

The Mid-Michigan Tweet Up really extends beyond Mid-Michigan. Anderson says the networking event will likely include Tweeters from West Michigan as well. Detroit already has a Tweet Up group.

“It looks like it’s going to be a pretty big event,” Anderson says. “It’s more or less a mixer. It gives people an opportunity to meet face to face. Really the point is to get people together in the area who are just really jazzed about technology and social media.”

The first Tweet Up will be at Dublin Square in East Lansing July 31. For more details, click here.

Anderson says the group will have a Ning site soon.

Source: Kasey Anderson, Donovan & Smith Marketing and Media

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Eastside Lansing Entrepreneur Pulls Creative Class Together

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ashley Medina is a skilled connector. As a member of Lansing's "creative class," she has deep ties with artists, musicians and models. But she also knows psychologists, accountants and developers, and she’s bringing them all together with her new networking group, F.A.M.I.L.Y. (fashion, arts, music, image, lifestyle, young entrepreneurs).

Through F.A.M.I.L.Y., Medina aims to bring Lansing’s best and brightest together so they can help each other network, fine-tune ideas and products and become successful.

“It’s about getting exposure for all of us,” Medina says. Getting exposure includes multi-tasking—Medina recently suggested a F.A.M.I.L.Y. musician put an ad for another F.A.M.I.L.Y. member’s business on the back of his promo fliers—and creating double takes.

At night, F.A.M.I.L.Y. members relax at Medina's business, C.H.I.L.L. (Creating Hope in Lansing Lives). C.H.I.L.L. sits in one of Lansing’s hotspots at 603 E. Michigan Ave., it’s right next to Rum Runners in the Stadium District, and the late night jam sessions and dancing that can be seen from the street through Medina’s large front windows.

“It creates kind of that V.I.P. feeling,” she says. “We represent Lansing area’s best artists and entertainers.”

C.H.I.L.L. embodies every portion of F.A.M.I.L.Y. Through C.H.I.L.L., Medina offers her services as an image consultant, fashion designer, life coach and stylist.

“There’s so much going on in Lansing right now and I think we need to support that,” Medina says. “I want to promote going out and having a good time in Lansing.”

Medina hand picks her F.A.M.I.L.Y. members. Right now she has 75 members. Medina says she’d ideally like 150 to 200 F.A.M.I.L.Y. members.

Source: Ashley Medina, C.H.I.L.L.

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Holt-Based Home Staging Business Grows by 50 Percent

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Downturns in the real estate market haveyielded positive results for Holt-based entrepreneur, Joan Fabiano, whohas seen her client base grow by 50 percent in the last five months.

Fabiano owns Romancing Your Home, helping clients who want to sell their houses redecorate their space before putting it on the market.

“There are two reasons we’re growing,” Fabianosays. “One is word of mouth. Two, homeowners that are listed but notgetting any showings are now considering home staging, where before they were a little skeptical.”

Fabiano got her home staging start in thelarger market of Chicago. Fabiano says home staging has been a trend inlarger cities for quite some time, but it’s starting to catch on inMid-Michigan.

“In larger metro cities, home staging hasbecome almost like calling your Realtor,” she says. “When you call yourRealtor, you also call your home stager.”

The trend toward selling homes on the Internet has been a major player in Fabiano’s growth.

“In this kind of market, it’s extremelyimportant to have beautiful pictures on the Internet,” she says, addingthat 85 percent of home seekers check the Internet for listings.

Fabiano doesn’t have any immediate plans to physically expand her home-based business, but expects the growth to continue.

Source: Joan Fabiano, Romancing Your Home

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

East Lansing Marketing Company Wins Three National Awards

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

East Lansing-based marketing communications firm, Publicom, recently won three awards for creating outstanding advertising campaigns.

The winning entries were developed for the Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center, the Doctors Medical Center and the Ingham Regional Medical Center.

“We are very honored by this national recognition,” says Publicom's president, Lisa O’Connor. “We thank our health care clients for their confidence in Publicom and for their collaboration in creating award-winning campaigns that provide results.”

Publicom received a silver award for the Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center’s “As Close As Trouble Itself” print advertising series, which promotes the hospital's emergency department services.

Publicom received a bronze award for Doctors Medical Center’s “Thinkers. Dreamers.” special event holiday card. The card was part of a larger image campaign suggesting that the hospital provides superior service because it’s willing to think and dream big.

The firm also received a merit award for its Ingham Regional Medical Center’s “Strong at Heart” radio spot. This spot introduced Ingham’s new Chi Heart & Surgery Center. It was based on the premise that Ingham is "strong at heart" in both their medical skills and in their heart team's commitment and dedication to their craft and patients.

The awards were presented at the 25th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards national competition. Judges evaluated the more than 4,400 entries on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.

Source: Lisa O’Conner, Publicom

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

$1.3 Million Enables MSU to Bring First MRI Unit to Africa

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Through donations from Michigan State University (MSU) alumni and individual departments, MSU physician Terrie Taylor has been able to bring the first MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine to Malawi, Africa.

Taylor studies cerebral malaria, but has not been able to study how the disease effects living patients’ brains because the research team hasn’t had access to an MRI. Without an MRI, Taylor has only been able to study the effects in autopsies after the patient has died.

“This will help in so many ways,” Taylor says. “We will use it for the research we do, we’ll be able to use it for everyday patients that come through the hospital, and it will help to attract and retain more doctors to Malawi.”

This is the country’s first MRI, but will serve Mozambique and Zambia, neither of which has an MRI. The technology allows physicians to assess malaria damage before a child dies and is expected to help diagnose a wide range of illnesses that affect the local population.

So far, one of the most significant findings from Taylor’s study is that one-quarter of the children who were thought to have cerebral malaria turned out, on autopsy, to have died of infections, diseases or conditions that were completely unrelated to malaria.

“This calls into question a lot of the work that’s been done on severe malaria to date,” she says. “The studies might have included patients who were not suffering from malaria at all, because the researchers were using case definitions that lacked precision.”

The new MRI unit will service an average of 18 patients a day. The more than $1.3 million in donations got the machine to sub-Sahara Africa, an area of the world that sees more than two million malarial deaths a year.

Source: MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

City of Lansing Provides $20,000 in Grants for Neighborhood Projects

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Several Lansing neighborhood organizations and community groups recently benefited from 58 individual grants totaling $20,000.

The City of Lansing distributed the grants to help the groups make small changes—aesthetic and structural—to their communities.

“It’s not a huge amount of money, but it’s seed money,” says Joan Nelson with the Allen Neighborhood Center. “Sometimes, literally, seed money is used to purchase flowers or things to beautify neighborhoods. There’s a lot of small ways to do that.”

Every neighborhood has its own method of “improving” the community. The Allen Neighborhood Center has used the grants to take neighborhood seniors on field trips. Other groups host block parties, put the money into a neighborhood watch fund or add toppers to the neighborhoodstreet sign.

“Folks have gotten small grants for neighborhood projects, but those projects bring neighbors together,” she says. “They are usually small amounts, but they have a huge impact.

The individual grants range from $100 to several hundred dollars.

“It’s one of the few funding sources that leaders and small neighborhood groups can go to for small-scale projects that make a big difference,” she says.

Source: Randy Hannan, City of Lansing

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Lansing Caterer Averages 18% Growth, Expands to Grand Rapids

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

International Catering Services in Old Town Lansing recently expanded its operations to Grand Rapids.

“The groups and individuals we cater to are all professionals and this industry exists in the Grand Rapids area,” says International Catering Services co-owner, Edmond Chammas.

That group also exists in Lansing and allows Chammas and his partner, Paul Fajardo, to serve 400 to 700 customers a day.

“Business has been steady, actually,” says Chammas. “Year after year we’ve had growth of about 18 percent.”

Chammas opened International Catering Services six years ago to serve the thousands of state employees, lobbyists and business owners in Downtown Lansing. His business has expanded outside of the Downtown area and now includes an extensive Mid-Michigan client base.

“I think we’re doing pretty good,” Chammas says. “Actually, we’re doing very, very good.”

Eight employees work at the Lansing location. So far, the new, 1,200 square foot Grand Rapids location has two employees. Chammas and Fajardo say they’re considering a Lansing expansion that may include a new banquet facility.

Source: Edmond Chammas, International Catering Services

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

East Lansing Real Estate Company Receives National Top 10 Ranking

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

East Lansing-based realty company, Tomie Raines, was recognized by Quality Service Certification (QSC) and Leading Research Corporation as one of 10 companies in the nation to provide outstanding customer service in the housing industry.

QSC is Web-based service that allows home buyers and sellers to rank their realtors, much like travelers rank hotel stays.

“The QE Award is based upon feedback from 250,000 consumer surveys of more than 500 participating companies and their 30,000 real estate agents,” says QSC CEO Larry Romito.

Debbie Barnett and her company, Tomie Raines, Inc., were ninth on the list.

“We’re the only company in Mid-Michigan that is QSC-certified,” Barnett says. “Everybody talks about this industry, but not everyone can prove their level of service.”

On the site, agents are scored according to the service they provide. Among other things, clients are asked to evaluate whether the property sold in a reasonable time frame, if the agent counseled them and if they contacted them after closing.

“It’s kind of scary for agents, because it’s real,” Barnett says.

Scary or not, Barnett decided to connect her agents to the site well before many other companies in the area jumped on board.

“We’ve been doing this for years, so we’re ahead of the curve in the industry,” she says.

RE/MAX First in Clinton was the only other Michigan firm to make the list. Three companies from North Carolina made the list, as did one each from Texas, Oregon, Florida, Kentucky and Colorado.

Source: Debbie Barnett, Tomie Raines

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Lansing-Based Dry Cleaner Supports 19 Locations With Double Digit Growth

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Not everyone knows how to say it, but everyone who lives in Michigan sees the Baryames name — and they see it all over the place.

Baryames Cleaners is a family-run dry cleaning business that has seen double-digit growth during the last five years—a growth rate that’s allowed the company to expand to 19 local locations.

“As the town has grown, and as people have responded to what we’re doing, we’ve met the demand by opening in more areas,” says Baryames' owner, Art Baryames.

They company has also kept up with customer demand by providing drive-through and pick-up services.

“That’s what we’ve been focusing on internally—making sure customer needs are met or exceeded,” Baryames says.

Baryames employs roughly 100 people in Mid-Michigan. Baryames says that dry cleaning, like many businesses, has taken a hit because of rising gas prices. But once the economy bounces back, they’ll look at new in-state options.

“It’s (expanding out of state) an extremely difficult thing to do in the dry cleaning business because it’s so hands-on,” he says.

Source: Art Barayames, Baryames Cleaners

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Homeland Security Agencies Look to MSU Identification Technology

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The federal government, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Homeland Security and state and local law enforcement officials are looking to Michigan State University (MSU) to help them perfect a tattoo identification system.

MSU researcher Anil Jain has created an automatic image retrieval system that allows law enforcement to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims.

“The number of people getting tattoos is rapidly growing. About 20 percent of the population has at least one tattoo and this percentage is even higher among delinquents,” Jain says. “In fact, many gangs have a unique membership tattoo. So, with the rising popularity of tattoos, it makes sense to put these markers to good use.”

Currently, it is extremely difficult to run a tattoo through the existing identification system.

“The only way to identify someone from his or her tattoo is to look through books the size of a phone book and try to visually match tattoos based on some keywords,” he says. “This takes a lot of time and the process is often inaccurate.”

Jain’s “Tattoo-ID” software system uses biometrics to match tattoos with all suspects and victims who have a similar tattoo and are in the criminal database system.

Fingerprint identification has been used in the criminal justice system for years, but if a first time offender is arrested, it’s unlikely that law enforcement has their fingerprints on record. However, if the suspect has a recognized gang tattoo, they can be traced to a group and identified.

Last month, the state police helped Jain add more than 100,00 images into the database. The database will grow as the technology becomes better at identifying tattoo details.

“To my knowledge, we are the only university working on this problem,” Jain says. “This can also be used to identify victims in mass disasters whose bodies are often decomposed.”

Source: Anil Jain, MSU College of Engineering

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Consortium Supports Lansing With $330,961 in Grants

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The federal government recently awarded the Lansing-area Power of We Consortium $330,961 in capacity building grants, giving the organization the ability to help 17 nonprofit and faith-based gencies fund various programs.

“The focus of this is called a capacity building program, which allows faith-based organizations to serve underserved populations, so these organizations can go out and do what they do better,” says Peggy Roberts, with the Power of We Consortium.

The Power of We Consortium distributes the funds to a variety of nonprofit groups like the Black and Child Family Institute in Lansing. With the money, the organization will upgrade its technology and offer staff training.

This round of funding focuses on Lansing, specifically programs that help Lansing’s homeless, prisoner or youth populations. The first round of grants the Power of We Consortium received were distributed throughout Ingham County.

“When we applied for the next round of grants, they were asking us to focus on areas of high poverty and we felt that, geographically, we could best focus on the City of Lansing,” says Roberts. Giving to non profits helps those in need, but it also helps improve the quality of the community.

“By improving the efficiency and the organizational capacity of the community, we find that the delivery of services to our vulnerable population is vastly increased, and, therefore, as services increases it can raise the level of safety for these populations, which benefits the community,” she says.

Source: Peggy Roberts, Power of We Consortium

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Start-Up Fund Invests $200,000 in Lansing-based AFID Therapeutics

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative among Michigan's 12 SmartZones and the Michigan Economic Development (MEDC), recently put $200,000 into Lansing-based AFID Therapeutics.

AFID Therapeutics develops proprietary chemical compounds that are used by pharmaceutical chemistry and drug discovery and development companies to create new medicines. The compounds target diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders.

AFID Therapeutics recently launched an anti-viral campaign with new chemical compounds that can block the spread of influenza viruses. It needs funds to help get the compounds to market.

“We are going to take care of regulatory aspects of it and do some test formulations and make some product prototypes, and this will help,” says Rawle Hollingsworth, who started AFID Therapeutics in 2003.

“The fund’s investment in AFID is a testament to the tremendous wealth of technology and entrepreneurship we have here in the Greater Lansing region,” says Matt Dugener, president and CEO of LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership).

XG Sciences is the only other Mid-Michigan start-up that’s received funds from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, which is designed to support high-tech start-up companies with early-stage capital. Both companies were launched using technology licensed from Michigan State University.

AFID Therapeutics has 300 to 400 products on the market currently, and plans to continue expanding. Hollingsworth has already added staff and plans to add more depending on the company’s workload.

Source: Patty Mallet, LEAP

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

$50,000 Grant Will Help Lansing Businesses Go Green

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

East Lansing-based Urban Options, the Greater Lansing Go Green! Go Lansing! initiative and the Team Lansing Foundation received a $50,000 to help turn area restaurants and hotels some shade of green.

The Go Green! team is hoping to serve at least 50 businesses. Each business can apply for the green grant. If they’re an appropriate candidate, they get a green assessment to determine what kinds of improvements can be made to reduce energy use.

“We’ll get an idea of what their energy use is,” says Taylor Heins, with Lansing’s Go Green! initiative. “If they’re not using a lot of energy, they’re probably not a good candidate because we really want to reduce energy use.”

The group is specifically targeting restaurants and hotels because they use a lot of energy.

“We’ve offered similar services for smaller businesses, and now we’re looking to expand to larger facilities like hotels,” she says.

After the assessments are complete, Go Green! will help the businesses implement energy saving changes. Heins says she hopes the assessments will be complete by late August or early September.

Source: Taylor Heins, Go Green!

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

East Lansing Maintains Strong AA+ Bond Rating

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A steady employment base, increased investment in the downtown and increased business investment has helped the City of East Lansing get an AA+ bond rating from Fitch Ratings.

Fitch Ratings assesses municipalities’ financial stability based on a variety of financial factors.

“The city’s general fund balance has improved in recent fiscal years due to gains in the local economy and its strengthened financial management practices,” according to Fitch Ratings.

A good rating from Fitch Ratings tells lenders that the city is financial stable and meets its debt obligations.

“The city’s five-year forecast anticipates continued increases in reserve levels, and the recent adoption of financial policies and controls should guide financial performance,” according to Fitch Ratings.

Mary Haskell, with the City of East Lansing, says the city has received fairly good ratings for the past few years.

“With a good ranking we get more favorable rates on bonds and we’re more attractive to investors because it ensures them that we have financial controls and policies, and we’re stable in how we manage our government,” she says.

Fitch Ratings notes that the City of East Lansing maintains healthy employment rates even though the many regions in the state are struggling. Fitch Ratings also noted that the city’s property tax base has grown five percent every year since 1993.

Source: Fitch Ratings

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Old Town PR Firm Lands Awards, Looks to Grow Staff

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Old Town Lansing public relations company, Pace and Partners, recently won ten communications awards for work it completed in 2007.

The agency received the awards, including eight Pinnacle Awards, from the Central Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

“I think we might have won 14 last year largely because of the size of our firm—we’re one of the largest marketing and communications firms in Lansing and we’re being recognized for doing good work,” says Debbie Horak, with Pace and Partners.

Horak adds that Pace and Partners couldn’t have won the awards without outstanding staff and supportive clients.

“Really, if it weren’t for the great relationships we have with our clients and their willingness to do the kind of work we recommend to them, we wouldn’t be able to win these awards.”

Pace and Partners currently has 18 employees, but has plans to add at least two employees in the next year to accommodate a growing client base.

“We’ve been pretty stable for the last few years, but now we’re looking to grow again,” says Lisa Crumley, with Pace and Partners.

Pace and Partners has local and national clients. The company focuses on social marketing, a niche Crumley says hasn’t really been met in the Mid-Michigan area.

“There’s a lot of work to do in Michigan,” Horak about the firm’s future. “Social marketing probably been our greatest growth area. By social marketing, what we’re talking about is marketing communications that supports decision-making or behavior changes that benefit individuals or a society at large.”

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

MSU Alumni Start Virtual Design Company

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In January, three enterprising Michigan designers launched Tridea, an innovative design Web site that’s finding success with an interest-driven business model.

“The thing that’s interesting to us is that we want to work with people whose business we have an interest in, not just any project to get a paycheck from it,” says John Phillips, with Tridea.

The Tridea trio, including Phillips, Andrew Saulter and Tyler Smeltekop, met each other at Michigan State University (MSU) while working through the university’s professional writing program. In 2006, they started tossing around the idea of starting a company. Tridea was born in January, 2007

“We’re already established here,” Phillips says. “As of now we’re still not doing this full time, but we’re getting a lot of new projects and we’re doing really well.”

Tridea works with clients in Michigan, but thanks to its virtual existence, the group also works with clients in Arizona and New York. The three founders don't even physically work together. Smeltekop’s is located in East Lansing, Phillips is in Royal Oak and Saulter is in Ann Arbor.

“We definitely work virtually,” Phillips says. “We would like to have our own office, but working virtually actually has been pretty nice.”

The team meets online every week to discuss projects and potential clients. Phillips says one thing that’s particularly neat about Tridea-Design, other than its virtual existence, is its commitment to communicating with clients. “We’re so keen on communication, so that’s one thing that’s been a challenge for us."

Tridea’s portfolio includes new socially progressive MSU magazine, Amplifx, and teen and tween sites, Girl Headquarters and Generational Alliance.

Source: John Phillips, Tridea-Design

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Lansing-Based Technology Partnership on Target to Reach $150,000 Goal

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Lansing-based non-profit Information Technology Empowerment Center (iTec) is on target to meet its 2008 fundraising goal of $150,000.

iTec is a non-profit partnership that provides teachers who travel around the Lansing area offering students science, technology, engineering and math skills.

“iTec is really a model for a type of education,” says iTec's director, Kirk Riley. “In many ways, it’s best to think of iTec as a project, and that project can be carried out at any location.”

iTec recently announced an agreement with Lansing-based Spartan Internet to create an “IT hub” in the old Holmes Street School. Spartan Internet is refurbishing the building. iTec will use the first floor as its headquarters. Spartan Internet is one of several IT companies that’s expressed a desire to expand efforts to keep IT talent in the area.

“With them (Spartan Internet) being in the building, there are a lot of companies, I think, that will relish being in proximity to this facility,” Riley says. “It’s a very well respected company.”

Riley says the number of kids who go through the iTec program is contingent on funding. During the 2008-2009 school year, Riley hopes to serve at least 500 students.

Source: Kirk Riley, iTec

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

$75,000 Grant Helps MSU Extend AIDs Treatment Capacity

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Michigan State University (MSU) is using a $75,000 grant from the Michigan Health Initiative fund to offer medical care, case management and financial and advocacy services to HIV patients in Central Michigan.

Peter Gulick, a professor with MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, says before the clinic was opened, AIDs patients living in central Michigan near Mt. Pleasant and Harrison, MI, were forced to go to Traverse City and Chicago for treatment.

“We’re doing education up there for the providers, but we’re also doing it for the community so we can make sure patients and high risk individuals are aware that we exist,” Gulick says.

Central Michigan has the third largest HIV population in the state. Detroit and Grand Rapids have the first and second highest HIV population.

The new clinic will allow also Gulick to expand his HIV/AIDS-related research. Gulick and his staff are in the middle of a drug trial that tests the effectiveness of a number of pharmaceuticals.

“Yes, the people in mid-Michigan will benefit from this,” he says. “Right now, we’re looking at a new agent that could possibly prevent the virus from affecting the cell. The drugs we have now only work when the virus is in the cell, but this one could prevent it from getting it.”

Gulick and his colleagues also used $250,000 from the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act to fund the project.

The clinic’s been open for about two months. June is national HIV testing month.

Source: Peter Gulick, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Vision Creative in Downtown Lansing Nabs 13 Awards, Adds Employees

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Times have been good for Downtown Lansing-based brand development and Web marketing company, Vision Creative.

This year they nabbed 13 awards at the 2008 ADDY Awards, as well as a PACE Award for their work on the "You Are Here" attraction and retention booklet for young IT workers as part of a Capital Area IT Council project.

They’ve also added two more employees (with another on the way) and are increasing their nationally recognized client base.

“In the last year we’ve picked up a couple more national-level clients, and the companies that we’ve been working with for awhile have been growing well also,” says Vision Creative's owner, Camron Gnass.

While Vision Creative does not have plans to expand its physical space on Michigan Avenue, it will continue to expand its client base. Vision Creative has created brand identities for local companies such as Tavern on the Square, Troppo and Dublin Square.

“In this so-called tough economy our clients seem to be doing well, and we’re lucky enough to be growing with them,” Gnass says.

Source: Camron Gnass, Vision Creative

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

New Internet Marketing Company Opens in Okemos

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Most companies have adjusted to the reality that if they don’t have a Web site, they don’t exist. But now, they’re going a step further, asking companies like Okemos-based newcomer Netvantage Marketing to analyze and maximize their presence on the Web.

“We’re marketers with just enough programming and analytical knowledge to make an impact on the Web,” says Joe Ford, with Netvantage Marketing.

Netvantage Marketing analyzes Web sites, giving companies advice on how to make the site more accessible to its users. They also analyze the site’s presence on the Web and on search engines.

“The site may have good visuals and be well done, but if no one’s getting to it, it’s not worth anything,” Ford says.

Netvantage Marketing opened its doors at the beginning of May.

“We are just starting up here,” Ford says. “We’re tying to serve what we see as a market that has pent-up demand.”

Netvantage has four employees, but due to what Ford perceives as unmet demand, employee growth is expected in the next 12 to 18 months.

“Our plans are to expand next year,” Ford says. “Ideally from a year’s time, we would go from four to six full time employees.”

In the meantime, Netvantage Marketing will actively recruit interns from Michigan State University (MSU).

Source: Joe Ford, Netvantage Marketing

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Okemos-Based TechSmith Launches Latest Version of Popular Software

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Okemos-based TechSmith Corp. just snagged yet another innovation after releasing SnagIt 9.

SnagIt 9 enables computer users to take screenshots of exactly what they see on their computer screens to communicate ideas, explain concepts and archive electronic information.

Jennifer Middlin, spokeswoman for TechSmith, says one of SnagIt 9’s most popular features allows clients to capture portions of Web sites or photos and add them to a presentation. Other programs require the user to edit these components before adding them to a presentation.

“The reason it’s so beneficial is that it’s much faster,” Middlin says. “You don’t have to edit it out.”

SnagIt 9 is used to share images, text, video, scrolling windows and menus via email, instant message, PowerPoint, MS Office documents, marketing and sales materials, Web sites and blogs.

SnagIt is the world’s most popular screen capture software with millions of users worldwide.

More than seven million people in the world use SnagIt. TechSmith is internationally recognized for providing screen capture and recording solutions.

Source: Jennifer Middlin, TechSmith

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

$3,000 Gates Foundation Grant Supports Updates to Grand Ledge Library

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Grand Ledge District Library used a $3,000 technology grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to replace several outdated technologies, bringing the library up to speed with community needs.

Suzanne Bowles, with the Grand Ledge District Library, says the library continually needs funds to upgrade technology. The library got its last upgrade two years ago.

During the past two years, the Library of Michigan has administered more than $2 million in "Public Access Computer Hardware Upgrade Grant" (PAC HUG) program dollars to hundreds of public libraries statewide as part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Libraries program.

Bowles says libraries appreciate the donations because it allows them to access sources, such as the Internet, that citizens might not otherwise have access to.

Delta Township also received $8,134 to update its library technologies.

Source: Suzanne Bowles, Grand Ledge District Library

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.

Cooley Adding Locations, Watching Admissions Grow

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Steady growth has characterized Lansing-based Cooley Law School for the last several years. In April, Cooley Law School applications were up six percent compared to the same application period (September through April) in 2007.

“I think the word is out that Cooley Law School is the largest law school and we have an excellent program,” says Stephanie Gregg, assistant dean of Admissions for Cooley.

To meet this growing demand, Cooley Law School has expanded both in Grand Rapids and Auburn Hills. In January, Cooley opened a 63-acre campus in Auburn Hills, which is already being expanded upon.

Gregg says Cooley needed to expand to the two other locations because the main Lansing campus was getting too big. As the largest law school in the country, Cooley gets students from all over the world.

“When applicants are applying, they might wrongly think that just Michigan people are applying to Cooley, but only about 24 percent of our applicants are residents of the State of Michigan,” Gregg says. “We’re very much a national law school.”

Cooley students call 40 states and 33 foreign countries including Belize, Bosnia, Hati, South Korea and Pakistan, home.

Gregg says the school is on target to continue increasing application numbers.

Source: Karen Hogan, Seyferth Spaulding Tennyson Inc.

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.