Jon Zemke

The Artists’ Touch: How creatives’ investments in upper floor housing built a neighborhood

There’s something different about the Eastern Market neighborhood of Detroit. It’s evident today in the creative investment happening on Gratiot just north of Russell, where a beautiful Art Deco building is being brought back to life, inside and out. The project continues a trend that began on the same block more than 30 years ago when upper floor housing first made an appearance in the neighborhood. Now, the residents living in Eastern Market make the mixed-use area uniquely vibrant, spurring increased redevelopment.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Businesses

Over the last decade and a half Media Genesis has not only weathered the ups and downs of the softward industry but thrived. Now, the Troy-based firm is lending a hand to start-ups, some that might even be viewed as potential competitors. Why? Reread the title of this story for the answer.

The Apps Metro Detroit CEOs Can’t Do Without

It's an app app app world. Metromode's Jon Zemke quizzes some of Metro Detroit's CEOs on which business apps they can't live without, which apps others should use, and which locally produced apps are worth checking out.

Cafe Zola and Tech Brewery social entrepreneurial impact scene

M@dison building and the rise of Silicon Valley 2.0

How place impacts entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship isn't what it used to be. The scene today is explicitly about social engagement and collaborative leadership. This special report finds examples in three key Michigan places where new models for growth are being created and nurtured.

Shifting Gears: A Conversation with Sean Simpson

Sean Simpson isn't just the co-founder of a lean, mean start-up, he lives his life like his start-up. As one of the brains behind Autobike, a company working to make a smarter, more intuitive gear shifter, Simpson chucked the 9-5 grind of corporate engineering to enter the burn-the-candle-from-both-ends world of entrepreneurship. He couldn't be happier.

Being A Mompreneur: A Conversation with Lynne Golodner

Working from home is one thing. Running a successful business with employees out of your house is another. Lynne Golodner not only found a way to stay at home and grow her PR firm, Your People, she attracted a like-minded staff. Metromode asks her how she does it.

What Does It Mean To Be Business Friendly? A Conversation with Valentine Vodka’s Rifino Valentine

Rifino Valentine chucked his Wall Street trader job to follow his dream: to open a distillery in Detroit. Today, Valentine Vodka may not call Motown its home but it is a successful top shelf brand that's starting to expand beyond Michigan's borders. Metromode chats with Valentine about why Ferndale was the right fit for his company and how the city could become ground zero for high quality spirits.

From Passion To Profession: A Q&A with Itai Ben-Gal

Itai Ben-Gal is in it for the long run. An anomaly in start-up culture, the co-founder of iRule isn't actively pursuing acquisition but is instead looking to build a company that lasts. That's meant a focus on local investment. And not just friends and family. Ben-Gal's start-up counts Compuware as one of its angels.