Joe Hessling built 365 Retail Markets from nothing. After scoring $1 million in seed capital, the company is among the Gazelle 100, our list of the fastest-growing startups in metro Detroit.
Ten years ago the concept behind crowdfunding barely existed. Today, it's a mainstream source of investment for businesses, artists, communities and real estate. Which means, a new, growing industry of crowdfunding platforms has taken root in metro Detroit.
Attracting young, professional talent from outside the state can be tough for metro Detroit firms looking to hire the best and the brightest. Lifestyle is as important as job fit. That means overcoming the negative perceptions non-Michiganders have about a state many have never visited.
The auto industry has rebounded but the ad industry is in a state of flux. So what does that mean for metro Detroit firms? Metromode sits down with Team Detroit's Toby Barlow to get his thoughts on where things are, where they're headed, and how local agencies fit in.
In 2009, Troy-based 365 Retail Markets generated $42K in revenue. This year it's projected to make $15 million. Read how one of Michigan's most under-the-radar tech companies is reinventing the vending machine experience and reaping big business in the process.
Some people want to make money. Others want to change society for the better. Social entrepreneurs want to do both. But in the Darwinian world of venture capitalism, convincing investors to compromise on profits for greater social good can be a tough sell. Metromode looks at how socially oriented startups can bridge that gulf.
Developers trying to get a wind turbine project off the ground often face steady headwinds in otherwise progressive urban communities. Metromode asks why, and also takes a look at successful renewable energy projects at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and in the Downriver communities of Taylor and Southgate.
Metro Detroit has a long history of cultural silos and regional segregation. So how does its tech and entrepreneurial community create opportunites for greater racial and cultural diversity? There's no easy answer but places like Silicon Valley are implementing aggressive and sustained efforts to bridge a divide local business leaders barely acknowledge.
States known for tech innovation and new economy success have shed their old school non-compete contracts to attract the best and brightest talent while fostering greater cross-pollination of ideas and inventions. So with all the noise Michigan is making about creating a 21st-century economy, why are we clinging to a 20th-century business practice?
When it comes to selling a house you know the drill: real estate agent, open houses, price adjustments, weeks - sometimes months - of showings and negotiations. If SellerNation has its way, things will change for the better. And given the success the Southfield-based company has had so far, that change might not be far off.
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