East Lansing : In the News

An East Lansing web company has been honored a second time by Entrepreneur magazine.

GiftZip.com has been named one of “10 Hot Startups” by the national magazine.

According to an excerpt from the article:

They are the companies that capture the hearts and minds of their potential customers and, with them, that indispensable thing called market share. They're invariably run by men or women with an eye for sustainability—and expansion.

The list runs the gamut of sectors. Some have venture capital money behind them; most were bootstrapped. Some are service companies. A few are manufacturers. Others are retailers. And while we routinely receive news of hot startups, and it's usually impossible to compare apples to oranges—or in the case of this list, apps to beer—these 10 independents, with their fast-paced success and future potential, are the ones that made even our seasoned staff and contributors say, "Wow!"

Read the entire article and what they had to say about GiftZip.com here.

The Michigan Hot Dog Experiment plans to open on M.A.C. Avenue and is seeking a special liquor license.

According to excerpts from the article:

The license the business wants is offered to establishments that open in areas of a city that are designated for redevelopment.

This is the first time the city has approved one of these licenses for its downtown. Mayor Vic Loomis said this was the perfect test case because the eatery is small, seating only about 50 people.

“It’s kind of a niche operation,” he said, adding that he’d like to see the license used in a similar manner in the future.

Read the article here.

A 21-year-old Lansing woman is enjoying the internship of her dreams this summer in the Los Angeles office of NASCAR.

Mariel Moorer is one of 23 young men and women selected from hundreds of applicants to participate in the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based company's diversity internship program.

According to excerpts from the article:

This summer marks Moorer's second stint with the company — she spent the summer of 2008 working on research and marketing for NASCAR's entertainment group in Los Angeles.

Moorer went to East Lansing High School and graduated in May from the University of Michigan with a degree in communication studies.

In addition to her gigs at NASCAR, Moorer has interned for WKAR radio in East Lansing and worked in marketing for Michigan State University's athletic department.

Her previous internship involved helping coordinate celebrity appearances at NASCAR events. Now she tracks media coverage on the West Coast.

Read the entire article here.

As Lansing kicks off its Common Ground Music Festival, the region takes stock of the myriad benefits of its growing concert and festival lineup.

According to excerpts from the article:

From city-sponsored events to events sponsored by arts councils and businesses, organizers say the main goal is to increase the quality of life in the community.

Businesses near free-concert venues also find themselves often benefiting, creating a mix that seems to make free concerts pay off for everyone involved.

The East Lansing Summer Concert Series helps draw people to the downtown business area. But it's also a way for the city to express how much it values community events, arts and culture, and bringing the community together, said Ami Van Antwerp, East Lansing's communications coordinator.

"One of the things people really value about living here is all of the festivals and events you can attend," she said.

Read the article here.

Two political theory and constitutional democracy seniors at Michigan State University (MSU) stepped out of their comfort zones to try their hands at creating a marketing campaign in a nationwide competition. The result: a shared $5,000 scholarship and a trip to Washington, D.C.

According to excerpts from the article:

When Laura Kovacek and Maria Bianchi’s presentation won them both $2,500 scholarships at the first Washington Media Scholars Case Competition, Kovacek said she was shocked. MSU’s James Madison College also was given $5,000 for scholarships.

At a network reception with 65 other teams of finalists and about 250 people in the profession, Bianchi and Kovacek were announced as the winners on June 10. The top six teams were invited to go to Washington, D.C. during Media Scholars Week, where they meet individuals who work for advertising and marketing with companies such as Facebook, Google and CNN.

The competition was hosted by the Washington Media Scholars Foundation, which was founded to provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to meet executives in public affairs advertising, said Robin Roberts, president of the Washington Media Scholars Foundation.

Read the rest of the article here.

Local middle and high school students spent a week at Michigan State University (MSU) learning crime scene investigation techniques from police and FBI agents.

According to excerpts from the article:

The program—run by the Office of Gifted and Talented Education, part of MSU's Honors College—ended Friday.

To participate, students needed at least a 3.5 grade-point average, strong test scores and a teacher recommendation. The weeklong overnight camp cost $1,127. Scholarships were available.

During Friday's lesson, forensic artists from the FBI and Michigan State Police discussed how to interview witnesses to create composite sketches of suspects.

Other camp activities included identifying characteristics of skeletons, observing a pig autopsy, fingerprinting, matching tire and shoe impressions, and analyzing a mock crime scene using evidence such as blood spatters and bullets.

Read the rest of the article here.

East Lansing city officials are looking for "cultural entrepreneurs" to help keep the arts alive on a tight budget.

According to excerpts from the article:

The arts and culture portion of the city's budget has dropped almost 50 percent, or $154,567, during the past five years, according to city documents. That is pushing officials to be creative when trying to attract musicians and artists downtown.

Instead of funding some music and art festivals with the city's money, officials want to bring in people who can organize them on their own. These "cultural entrepreneurs," as they've been dubbed, would rent space in a city-owned area, such as a park, to set up an event.

Roger Peters, a member of the East Lansing City Council and liaison to the Arts Commission, said individually sponsored events outside the city's budget keep the arts alive. The financial constraints have impacted almost every artistic endeavor the city puts on, he said.

Read the entire article here.

Lease commitments are generating interest among local developers for the proposed large-scale East Lansing redevelopment project known as City Center II.
 
According to excerpts from the article:

A lease, set to begin in 2013, was signed by the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau and two letters of intent have been signed by a national bank and a large Italian concept restaurant, said Scott Chappelle, president of Strathmore Development Co., the developer of the project.

City Center II is a $116.4 million mixed-use project slated to be developed on the corner of Abbot Road and Grand River and Evergreen avenues.

Although financial backing will remain the foremost question in the development’s progression, the signings are a good omen, East Lansing City Councilmember Roger Peters said.

Read the full article here.

The Great Lakes Entrepreneur Quest (GLEQ) will soon announce the winner of its SmartZone Award, a contest among Michigan entrepreneurs challenged to write the best business plan.

According to excerpts from the article:

This year’s business-plan writing contest features participants from all parts of the state, including six from the Upper Peninsula, nine from the upper Lower Peninsula, 41 from the west side of the state, 67 from mid-Michigan, and the balance from sections of Southeast Michigan.

The industries represented are across the board, with the highest concentrations in IT (including software, wireless applications, e-commerce, electronic medical records, video and new media), Life Sciences, Alternative Energy, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, and Food and Agriculture.

GLEQ has risen to the challenge thanks to its statewide network of support. Through collaborative relationships with the SmartZones, universities, industry associations, entrepreneurial support organizations, and economic development agencies, GLEQ has a roster of 250 volunteers that support the competition as Ambassadors, Coaches and Judges.

Read the rest of the article here.

Two projects, both with plans to build upward along Albert Avenue in downtown East Lansing, are slated for discussion on July 20.

According to excerpts from the article:

The first development is an eight-story building planned for the area near Grove and Ann streets. A rental home and one other building could be demolished to make way for the high-rise structure, which is planned to house restaurants on the first level and 42 apartments on the other floors. Construction could begin in May 2011 if Cron Management, the developer, can acquire the necessary funding. According to city documents, the structure is slated to be about 8,013 square feet.

The other downtown development could be completed in two phases. The area where The Post Bar is, 213 Ann St., could be expanded to three stories and used for restaurants or businesses. Kris Elliot, who also owns The Post, is spearheading the project.

This plan also eliminates the buildings at 215-217 Ann St. to allow for a separate, four-story structure. That building is planned to contain two floors of retail space and two floors of lofts. Construction could begin this summer. The project is 6,436 square feet, according to city documents.

Read the rest of the article here.

Michigan State University (MSU) played host to the greater Capital region's most innovative thinkers and doers for the area's first TEDx event.

According to excerpts from the article:

TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a national conference held each year to showcase the country's best and brightest innovators.

TEDx events are local, independently organized conferences under that umbrella.

The central message of all those innovative speeches? Despite the area's economic woes, mid-Michigan isn't dead yet. People here can still innovate or start up their own companies.

Greater Lansing, TEDx faithfuls will tell you, is buzzing once again.

Read the entire article here.

Young leaders in Lansing are on the cutting edge of Twitter innovation, applying the social media tool to a variety of local needs and entrepreneurial opportunities.

According to excerpts from the article:

Capital Area Michigan Works communications officer Kate Tykocki, 29, uses Twitter primarily to post Lansing job leads. It gives her a way to interact with local employers and job seekers in real time.

"It's been invigorating to connect with people and hear these stories and know we are making a difference," Tykocki said.

She said it took her a while to warm up to the idea of using Twitter.

"I was almost a little resistant to start," Tykocki said. "I didn't want to waste a bunch of time. I waited to jump on the bandwagon."

Brett Kopf, 23, didn't hesitate to dive in and start using Twitter—and now it's his job. The MSU graduate recently started Social Bonfire, a social media consulting company.

Read the entire article here.

Tim Potter, who grew up in Okemos and went to MSU, has been helping to establish a new Lansing Bike Co-Op. The co-op recently held its Spring Launch Party at Basement 414 in Downtown Lansing.

According to excerpts from the article:

Casey McKell, a Lansing resident, helped organize the co-op after a Power Shift Conference last fall, which brought together student activists from across the state. McKell said one of the sessions focused on the idea of bike co-ops and some Lansing community members decided to start one.

McKell said the Lansing Bike Co-op will work to advocate bike-friendly practices and construction in Lansing as well as work to raise awareness about biking events in the area.

“As a part of the U.S. Social Forum, people will be biking from all over the country to come to Detroit for a national summit,” she said. “At least 50 people and maybe more will be passing through Lansing. We’re hosting them in a tent city on the east side of Lansing and will have a knowledge share, a community service project and then bike from there to Detroit together.”

Read the entire article here.

Fathy Shetiah's Lansing-based company, Global Image Network, uses more than 400 freelance translators around the world to handle projects in 35 different languages. The venture is just one of Shetiah's many ongoing entrepreneurial projects, and it's growing quickly.

According to excerpts from the article:

Fathy Shetiah starts most days at about 6 a.m., checking to make sure everything is running smoothly at three or four of the 20 Biggby Coffee stores he co-owns with his

He then heads over to his office in Lansing, where he runs Global Image Network, a translation service company. Shetiah switches focus back and forth throughout the day, depending on which business demands more attention.

Shetiah, 35, has been performing this balancing act for about two years. But it seems to suit him.

"I'm a marketing guy," he said. "I can't sit still."

Shetiah moved from Egypt to the United States in 1989, when he was 14. He attended East Lansing High School and graduated from Michigan State University in 1999 with a degree in marketing.

Read the entire story here.

Using farmland to produce food is more energy efficient than using the crops to produce fuel, according to a recent Michigan State University (MSU) study.

According to excerpts from the article:

"It's 36 percent more efficient to grow grain for food than for fuel," said Ilya Gelfand, an MSU postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study. "The ideal is to grow corn for food, then leave half the leftover stalks and leaves on the field for soil conservation and produce cellulosic ethanol with the other half."

Other studies have looked at energy efficiencies for crops over shorter time periods, but this MSU study is the first to consider energy balances of an entire cropping system over many years. The results are published in the April 19 online issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

"It comes down to what's the most efficient use of the land," said Phil Robertson, University Distinguished Professor of crop and soil sciences and one of the paper's authors. "Given finite land resources, will it be more efficient to use productive farmland for food or fuel? One compromise would be to use productive farmland for both—to use the grain for food and the other parts of the plant for fuel where possible. Another would be to reserve productive farmland for food and to grow biofuel grasses—cellulosic biomass—on less productive land."

Read the entire article here.