Man does not live by gluten-free vegan cuisine alone. Some might argue that's not living at all. For all the love that's given to the how-green-is-my-garden folks, Metromode's Nicole Rupersburg feels it's time to give a big bloody hug to locals who want to put their incisors to good use.

Sometimes it's not about adding to what you've got but making the most of what you have. For nearly a decade the Michigan Suburbs Alliance has helped metro Detroit communities to redevelop their existing assets. Now, the program is being adopted by the MEDC in order to go state-wide, and they're discovering that regional cooperation is a key component for success.

For more than 20 years Dr. Robert Buxbaum's Ferndale-based company has been designing technologies that filter hydrogen. That may not sound particularly exciting to the everyday Joe but when you consider that he has contracts with the U.S. and U.K. Navies and believes his product could have prevented the Fukushima meltdown you understand how focusing on something very small can have a very large impact.