DETROIT - Tony Scott, the former chief technology officer for General Motors, who now works as the chief information officer for Microsoft, talks about the five fundamentals all CIOs need to know. Scott was a keynote speaker at the Midwest Technology Leaders Conference.
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DETROIT - Tim Cox, CIO at OnStar, talks about the technology at use for this General Motors in vehicle telematics prodict, and the new wrinkles that will be rolled out in September. Cox was a keynote speaker at the recent Midwest Technology Leaders Conference.
DETROIT - Phil Bertolini, CIO for Oakland County, was one of three recipients of the Corporate Commitment To Michigan Award, at the Michigan Technology Leaders Conference. In this News Maker Interview, Bertolini talks about all the technology and Internet communications tools the state’s second largest county is using to make it easier for residents to access government services.
GRAND RAPIDS - The latest generation of Apple’s smart phone, called the iPhone 3G (Third generation) made its debut on Friday morning across the country at AT&T corporate stores. Bill Bendetti, director of sales for AT&T in West Michigan and Northern Indiana, talks about what this smarter, faster, and less expensive phone has to offer consumers and businesses in this edition of News Maker Interview.
ANN ARBOR - Two veteran venture capitalists, Jack Aherns from TGap Ventures, and Tom Churchwell from Midwest Venture Partners, discuss the state of Venture Capital in Michigan. Both men also are coaches for Michigan’s Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business-plan contest. Listen to what they have to say in this special Entrepreneur’s Corner edition of News Maker Interview.
ANN ARBOR - Daixo, a new business idea category participant in the spring 2008 Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business plan writing contest, delivers the July 2008 elevator pitch. Daixo is a web-based electronic medical record system to be custom-built initially for dermatologists who need to better manage their work flow.
MANISTEE - Eclipse Distributing, at the June Michigan Energy Fair, demonstrated a line of energy efficient, yet environmentally friendly stoves that burn pellets, wood, biodiesel and other sources of energy. To find out more, listen to this GreenTech edition of News Maker Interview.
GRAND RAPIDS - Michigan entrepreneurs have yet another resource they can use to make their dream companies become reality - the Accelerating Michigan Entrepreneurs project developed by the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center. Harry Blecker, director of the new entrepreneurial resource, talks about how entrepreneurs can get thousands of dollars worth of services each month for just $100.
LANSING - OcuSciences, an Ann Arbor technology start up, has won the $25,000 Grand Prize in the Emerging Company category of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest. OcuSciences was co-founded by Drs. Victor Elner and Howard Petty from the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center and has developed a rapid and unique non-invasive imagining technique to detect retinal diseases earlier than current methods. The OcuSciences plan was pitched by Matthew Field, who participated in this special GLEQ edition of News Maker Interview.
DETROIT - Continental CIO Bill MacFarlane is the ConnecTech May Mentor of the Month. He is paired with ConnecTech member/mentee Angela Brown. To hear what MacFarlane said are the best reasons for working as a CIO, and for mentoring up and coming CIOs, listen to this special ConnecTech edition of Newsmaker Interview.
DETROIT - On June 4 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Detroit, you’ll be able to meet and greet some of the area’s prominent technology and community leaders at the cocktail reception while contributing to two great Foundations - SIM (Society of Information Managers) and the Michigan Council of Women in Technology. On June 5, a day-long event for Directors of IT and CIOs, with guest speakers including Tony Scott, CIO of Microsoft, John Crary, CIO of Lear, Timothy Cox, CIO of OnStar and Tom Peck CIO of MGM Mirage, Las Vegas. Midwest Technology Leaders Founder Tracy-Ann Palmer discussed both in this News Maker Interview.
YPSILANTI - The task for four accomplished and veteran investors and entrepreneurs, come up with a business plan for a self sustaining, green-friendly, island community in less than 10 minutes. Yes, the second annual Battle of the Elevator Pitches at the New Enterprise Forum had a Gilligan’s Isle flavor to it and in the end Ann Arbor’s Biggest Gilligan won, Dick Beedon, CEO of Mac Beedon Group, won, for the second time in a row. Beedon bested Ron Reed of Seneca Partners, Roger Newton, Co-Discoverer of Lipitor and Founder of Esperion, and Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations. A tongue-in-cheek News Maker Interview captured the spirit of this event.
YPSILANTI - You wouldn’t think of Michigan would be home to an Internet wine sales company that wants to take the wine eCommerce market by storm, but that’s the game plan for WineBuys.Com. Two long-time friends and business partners are behind this business plan, which calls for $10 million in sales over the next 18 to 24 months.
YPSILANTI - Rick Galdi, long time investor and entrepreneur, is the new President of Great Lakes Angels, replacing David Weaver who moves up to Chairman. Galdi, in this News Maker Interview, talks about the changes he wants to make to one of the state’s largest angel investing groups and how he hopes his investor-members will serve as mentors to the companies in which they invest. Galdi also wants to steal a page from Ohio angel groups and get the state of Michigan to match investments in Michigan companies.
ANN ARBOR - Diane Durance, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs’ Quest, discusses the overwhelming registration success of the spring cycle 2008. Some 79 entrepreneurs or teams of entrepreneurs have registered for the business-plan writing contest, nearly double the former record of 46. GLEQ is a sponsor of ConnecTech and the ConnecTech channel.
ANN ARBOR - It’s not too late to sign up for the spring cycle of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business-plan competition, where first prize is $25,000 in cash. The deadline to sign up - not submit your business plans - is Friday April 18, says GLEQ Executive Director Diane Durance. For all you tech entrepreneurs or would-be tech entrepreneurs you’re going to want to get all the details in this special GLEQ channel edition of News Maker Interview.
KALAMAZOO - GlobeFunder is a secure, online lending marketplace where Borrowers are in control. By eliminating the traditional middleman, this unique lending platform offers lower costs to Borrowers for fast, efficient loans. Co Founder and President Ben Decio talks about the company and its business plan to build a billion dollar loan portfolio in this Elevator Pitch.
ANN ARBOR - GeneVivo creates transgenic – or genetically modified – animals for biomedical research. The transgenics market is $750 million and growing at 12percent - 13 percent per year. GeneVivo’s proprietary method enables the company to expand the market by genetically modifying strains of mice (analogous to breeds of dogs) that were not amenable to transgenesis by previous methods, opening up a much-needed new chest of tools to the research community. Sean Ainsworth, CEO, discusses the company in this Elevator Pitch.
Michelle Zellen, communications director at Automation Alley, talks about the technology networking group’s Business To Business Development Program. Seasoned business professionals will teach entrepreneurs, small businesses and even mature businesses how to operate better.
GRAND RAPIDS - Carol Lopucki, the state director the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, talks about what her SBA-backed organization can offer entrepreneurs and small business in terms of training and support. If you’re in need of better business knowledge, you don’t want to miss this News Maker interview.
ANN ARBOR - Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest in January announced its Phase 1 winners in both the New Business and Emerging Company categories during the ACE 2008 expo. To find out which companies won, and how your start up can sign up for the Phase II stage of the business-plan writing contest, which starts Feb. 1, listen to this News Maker interview.
ANN ARBOR - Ron Suarez, founder of LoudFeed, a digital music promotions company for independent record labels, is headed to Cannes, France, this week for the world’s largest independent music convention. Suarez, also founder of MediaRica.Com, the podcast partner of MITechNews.Com, hopes to ink some contracts in Europe with record labels that will propel his company to the next level.
TROY - Barry Demp of Barry Demp Coaching will serve as a coach and facilitator for a new Mentoring Program that will be offered in early 2008 by ConnecTech, the successor organization to the GLIMA Network. To learn all the details about this innovative new program listen to this special edition of News Maker Interview.
TRAVERSE CITY - On Tuesday, at the Traverse City Business Expo, Traverse Angels officially opened its doors for business. The private equity finance group is looking for fundable comapanies in Northern Michigan and to tap what founder Robert Ochtel said was an untapped source of funds from high net worth individuals who live in this more rural area of Michigan. To learn more, listen to this News Maker Interview.
PITTSBURGH - GSP Consulting provides this Congressional legislation update: The US House has passed legislation that would let Angel-funded companies apply for Small Business Innovation Research Grants from the federal government. Rich Overmoyer from GSP provides this news and more in this News Maker interview.
DETROIT - Jim Epolito, the president of the Michigan Economic Development Association, said Michigan’s biggest problem these days is its bad attitude. With a ground breaking UAW-GM autoworker contract in hand, and a new Michigan state budget for the current fiscal year, the dark days are behind the state. Epolito made his remarks at the E2Detroit Conference at Wayne State University. To hear what he had to say in full, listen to this News Maker interview.
DETROIT - Randal Charlton, the director of Wayne State University’s technology and life sciences incubator, TechTown, talks about the great strides made at this downtown Detroit facility and what’s in store for the future. Charlton, the former chairman of Asterand, and of MichBio, made his remarks during the E2Detroit conference Oct. 1 at WSU in this News Maker Interview.
DETROIT – Wayne State University is working with Rain Source Capital of Minneapolis to create an angel fund to pump money into the fledgling technology and life sciences the university is nurturing at its TechTown incubator. Steve Mercil, CEO of Rain Source Capital, talks about next steps in this News Maker Interview.
PLEASANT RIDGE - Josh Linkner, just 37 years old, already has founded his fourth company, ePrize, an online promotions company that develops interactive marketing for the likes Proctor & Gamble and other Fortune 500 companies. Linkner talks about his Michigan entrepreneurial experiences and the Michigan technology and entrepreneur talent pool in this News Maker interview recorded Oct. 1 during the first day of the E2Detroit conference at Wayne State University.
PITTSBURGH - Joe Kuklis, a founding partner of GSP Consulting in Pittsburgh, talks about Small Business Innovation Research federal grants and how Michigan companies can get them. SBIR grants help take promising technology from inception to commercialization and don’t dilute the positions of other investors. Learn about this innovative government program in this Newsmaker Interview.
ANN ARBOR – Did Dick Beedon, CEO of Mac Beedon Group, use a performance enhancer to win the New Enterprise Forum’s May Battle of the Elevator Pitches. Some participants contend the serial entrepreneur did. MITechNews.Com Editor Mike Brennan interviews all the players in this spoof of the popular Newsmaker Interview podcast.
GRAND RAPIDS - Jody Vanderwel, president of Grand Angels, talks about what her private equity finance group in West Michigan has invested in so far, and what they’re looking at investing in now. Grand Angels is one of five angel groups in Michigan that fund promising Michigan entrepreneurs, particularly in life sciences and high technology. If you’re a Michigan entrepreneur searching for funding, you need to listen to this special BL Government Affairs edition of Newsmaker Interview.
ANN ARBOR - Michael Spink, an intellectual property attorney with Brinks Hofer Gilson and Lione, discusses how bankruptcy and affect the ownership of technology licensing. With the Michigan auto industry consolidating, forcing many auto parts makers into bankruptcy, the fate of technology licensing becomes an important issue. Listen to all the details in this special Newsmaker Interview sponsored by Brinks Hofer Gilson and Lione.
ANN ARBOR - Jim Cleland, an intellectual property attorney with Brinks Hofer Gilson and Lione, talks about when to bring a lawsuit for patent infringement. One wrinkle he explores is you don’t have to own the technology to file a lawsuit. This is a special Newsmaker Interview sponsored by Brinks Hofer Gilson and Lione.
TROY - Blaze Biomedical Devices, which develops diagnostic devices for blood transfusions, won the 2007 spring New Business Idea category at the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs’ Quest contest. Founder Michael Tarasev talks about his new company in this special GLEQ podcast.
TROY - RealKidz, a company that makes plus sizes for children and a social network for parents, was the runner up in the 2007 spring Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest competition. RealKidz founder Merrill Guerra talks about her company in this special GLEQ podcast.
WARREN - Robert Skandalaris, chairman and founder of Noble International, a $1.5 billion laser welding company, said in a keynote address at the awards ceremony for the 2007 Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest that Innovation will be the key to rebuilding Michigan’s battered economy. He summarizes his address in this Newsmaker Interview.
TROY - BA Maze, a Michigan startup company that makes products to help the Aging Baby Boomer set better cope with their lives, was the grand prize winner in the 2007 Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest contest, winning $25,000. Founder Robert Mazor talks about what he’ll do with the money in this podcast interview produced for GLEQ.
ANN ARBOR - PromoVUZ, an online music promotional service for up and coming musicians, won second place in the Emerging Company category of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest 2007 contest. Run Suarez, an Ann Arbor Councilman and Michigan entrepreneur pocketed a check for $5,000. He talks next steps in this podcast interview produced for GLEQ.
LANSING - A fifth Angel Investing group may be forming in Lansing, says David Weaver, president of Great Lakes Angels, in this Newsmaker Interview. Investors representing Capital Angels have approached Weaver and others seeking their help and guidance. Angel Investors typically pump several hundred thousand dollars into promising companies.
KALAMAZOO - First Angels, a private equity finance group set up by Southwest Michigan First, has made its first investment, a mid to high six figure deal in an undisclosed life sciences company in the Kalamazoo area. First Angels Managing Director Paul Neeb provides more details in this Newsmaker Interview.
Media G was seriously thinking about leaving Michigan because the web development company in Madison Heights was having trouble recruiting programmers and other IT professionals. Now armed with a $3.7 Million Mega Tax Credit from the state of Michigan, Media G President Antoine Dubeauclard said he’s moving his company to trendy Royal Oak, a cool city that future employees will want to flock to. Listen to the rest of the story on this Newsmaker Interview podcast.
LANSING - State Rep, Steve Bieda from Warren was one of the chief negotiators for the development of recently announced plan to replace the single business tax. Bieda, chair of the House Tax Policy Committee, provides the inside story on the negotiations for the new Michigan Business Tax plan that almost never was. This interview was arranged by the BL Government Affairs group in Lansing and is part of the BL Government Affairs Tax and Legislative Update series.
ANN ARBOR - Dick Beedon, of MacBeedon Partners in Ann Arbor, thinks Michigan-based pension funds should put their money where their mouths are. Beedon, who is developing a $50- to $100 million venture fund to invest in Michigan technology start ups, thinks the $40 plus billion state of Michigan pension fund, and the multi-billion dollar pension funds run by state universities and colleges, should invest in Michigan, and not other states as has been past practice.
Dick Beedon - State Pension Funds Should Invest In Michigan: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (328)MANISTEE - Manistee County has been named one of the 2007 winners of our America’s Crown Communities Awards this year for its work on the Michigan Energy Fair. Manistee is among an elite group of communities whose projects represent some of the finest examples of local leadership at work. County Commissioner Alan O’Shea will represent the county at the event. The interview is with Associate Publisher Bill Wolpin.
Interview with Brandan Ringlever of Butzel Long’s Government Affairs Group in Lansing. Ringlever kicks off a new podcast news series at MITechNews.Com that will update Michigan citizens about what tax and budget issues are afoot in Lansing. This week’s episode examines the budget compromise that has been proposed to close the state’s nearly $1 billion budget deficit.
An interview with Fred Killeen, CTO, for the information Systems Group at General Motors Corp., talks about globalization and the Impact on Business Process and IT at General Motors. Killeen was a speaker at the Midwest Technology Leaders 2007.
Interview with Teri Takai, chief information officer for the state of Michigan. Takai talks about the state winning the State Advocacy Award from the Health Information Systems Society for getting named the state that has done the most to promote IT in the healthcare industry.