Something Good is Brewing at Cap 'N' Cork

Beer kits from Cap 'N' Cork

Michiganders know good beer and have many award-winning Michigan breweries to choose from when they want a satisfying brew. Instead of searching for the perfect beer, some craft brew enthusiasts choose to make their own at home, and Cap 'N' Cork Homebrew Supply in Macomb Township provides everything the novice and the advanced homebrewer needs.

I had the opportunity to visit Cap 'N' Cork for its Basic Brewing Class, presented by Cap 'N' Cork's owner, Andy Moore, on a Saturday afternoon in January (Cap 'N' Cork also holds wine and mead making classes). Moore began working at Cap 'N' Cork thirteen years ago and purchased the business three years ago, and he has experience brewing with Black Lotus Brewing in Clawson and Sherwood Brewing Company in Shelby Township.

Cap 'N' Cork carries a wide variety of grains

Moore says now is the best time to begin homebrewing because high-quality ingredients and equipment are readily available. Cap 'N' Cork carries Michigan-made malt and hops (unfortunately, there are no Michigan-made yeasts for brewing), as well as pre-packaged beer kits with recipes that Moore and his staff created (the store also sells kits for making wine and cheese). The kits contain all of the ingredients and instructions needed for a novice brewer to make his or her first batch of beer. Moore's recipes include "clones" of several famous brands that allow customers to re-create their favorite craft beers at home.  For customers who do not live near the store, Cap 'N' Cork has an online store.

Q&A: Exported From Michigan's Jon Vander Pol

Exported From Michigan is a documentary about the people and businesses in Michigan who are making strides to bring the state's economy back. Michigan native Jon Vander Pol directed the film and agreed to discuss his documentary with me.

Jon Vander Pol at the World Solar Challenge in Darwin, Australia

Was there any one person who served as your inspiration to make Exported From Michigan?

I was inspired to respond to the Chrysler “Imported From Detroit” campaign to make a positive film showing authentic stories of real people and companies who are creating innovative solutions to these social and economic problems. It’s a positive film. It’s not anti-Chrysler, but it bugged me that Chrysler was trying to trick people into buying emotional stock in their company when there are so many other Michigan businesses worth celebrating. Exported From Michigan highlights the people and organizations who are proving themselves worthy of believing in for the long term.

Where did you come up with the funding for the documentary?

Financing an independent film is one of the hardest parts; even with me and most of the crew working for free it still isn't cheap to make a movie. I fund-raised continuously for three years to cover the production expenses. Through the help of 17 private investors, a successful kickstarter campaign and a very generous grant from MSHDA, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, we were able to complete the film.

What is your background as a filmmaker?

I’ve always been intrigued by the power of story to inspire people, especially in the documentary format. I got a degree in digital filmmaking from the Art Institute of Colorado in 2007 and after working as a crew member on other people’s projects for years, I set out to tell Michigan’s comeback story in a feature-length documentary in February of 2011. It took 3.5 years to finish the film, and it premiered at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids on June 28th of 2014.

Exported From Michigan: The Fall and Rise of the Great Lakes State

Exported From Michigan at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids

"There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still." -Franklin Roosevelt

Over a period of a few decades, Michigan's economy went from one of the country's strongest to one its most depressed. Michigan became complacent, stood still, and lost its innovative edge. After years of its industries drying up or moving jobs out of state, many people looked around and thought, "What happened and what do we do to fix this?"

Grand Rapids native Jon Vander Pol's documentary Exported From Michigan explores the many Michiganders who are answering these questions and creating new and innovative ways for Michigan's economy to move forward. The film does not cast blame but instead preaches hope through the stories of Michiganders from varied backgrounds who believe in the state's future.

Best of the Net 3/19-3/31

A dog, a child, a family, a community

Some stories remind us of humanity's capacity for kindness while also reminding us of the unique bond between humans and dogs. The Battle Creek Enquirer recently featured one such story. Five-year-old David Facey was born with cerebral palsy and severely addicted to drugs, and doctors did not believe he would live past his first birthday. Despite his health issues, Arlen and Betty Facey fostered David and later adopted him. They then invested thousands of dollars to get Venture, a service dog, for David.

Venture and David quickly bonded. David learned to accomplish physical goals with Venture's help, and Venture alerts when David's oxygen becomes low. Unfortunately, Venture suffered a leg injury that would have made him unable to serve David. However, several charities worked to raise money for Venture's surgery. Thanks to the help of strangers, Venture is now helping David succeed again.

Rebuilding lives from crumbling buildings

Jewelry company Rebel Nell uses graffiti from crumbling Detroit buildings to make jewelry. As reported by PolicyMic, Rebel Nell's co-founders have partnered with the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS) to hire women staying at shelters. Rebel Nell's ultimate goal is to help the women transition into permanent housing.

Best of the Net 2/25-3/2

Holland to Star in a New Movie

Hollywood movie makers again will be coming to Michigan to film a new movie starring Bryan Cranston and Naomi Watts. "Holland, Michigan" is scheduled to be filmed in Holland and is currently in pre-production. The Grand Rapids Business Journal describes the film as a Hitchcock-like thriller set during the tulip festival.

Eight Women Who Are Transforming Detroit

Huffington Post Detroit features eight women who epitomize the energy of Detroit's resurgence. The article highlights an artist-musician, a blight buster, a music teacher, and more women who give back to the city in different ways.

Kids Honor Their Classmate by Donating Jeans

Quiniece Henry,  a 13-year-old at Forrest Hills Middle School, recently passed away from Burkitt lymphoma. Her classmates, teachers, and friends remembered her as a young girl who wanted to help others, so they decided to honor her by helping the homeless. MLive reports that a Girl Scout troop and the school's student council organized a jeans drive to collect jeans for Grand Rapids-area homeless. The drive collected 151 pairs of jeans, despite bad weather shortening the week of the drive.

Best of the Net 2/10-2/17

Traverse City Is For Lovers

Michigan has its share of romantic spots for Valentine's Day, and Travel + Leisure has named Traverse City as the 10th most romantic town in the United States, noting its romantic outdoors attractions. Travel + Leisure ranked cities based on the number of "romantic" spots, like romantic hotels, brunch spots, and picnic-friendly parks.

Run Kalamazoo

USA Today has named the Kalamazoo Marathon as one of 14 spring races all runners should try. The publication commends the marathon for its unique course through "the area's parks, trails, neighborhoods and downtown mall."

A Tree Farm In Detroit

Detroit has vacant land and blight, but instead of seeing failure, some entrepreneurs see opportunity. Hantz Farms LLC plans to open the nation's largest tree farm on 15 acres on Detroit's east side between Mack and Jefferson avenues near Pennsylvania Street. Crain's Detroit Business describes the company's struggle to start the farm and its ultimate plans for approximately 150 acres on the east side.

Making Films In Lansing

Major motion pictures have been shooting in Detroit over the last several years, but other areas of Michigan have growing filmmaking scenes as well. Capital Gains highlights the movie industry and the the growth of independent filmmakers in the Lansing area. The article also features the Capital City Film Festival and Fortnight Film Contest's contributions to Lansing's filmmaking scene.

Making A Difference In Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids Urban Innovative Exchange features local artist Hugo Claudin's efforts to help his community and to increase graduation rates for local high schools. Claudin works as a Natural Helper for the Believe 2 Become program that tries to "help children succeed through summer enrichment, after-school experiences for students, and workshops and mentoring for parents." Claudin also hopes to help his community by using his gallery to highlight and encourage local artists.

Spring Is In The Air

The boys of summer are back in action, as the Detroit Tigers have reported for Spring Training. The Tigers are hoping to make another run to the World Series and are staying warm in Lakeland, Fla., until Detroit thaws. Opening Day is on March 31, when the Tigers host the Royals.

Best of the Net 1/13-1/26

Happy Birthday to Michigan!

Michigan celebrated its 177th birthday yesterday. Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837. After 177 years, the Great Lakes State is as beautiful as ever.

Opportunities to Succeed in Detroit

Southeast Michigan Startup features a great summary of career preparation programs for children in the Detroit area. One of the programs featured is Go-Girl, which encourages 7th grade girls to build skills in science, technology, engineering and math. The feature also highlights programs that encourage interest in health professions and entrepreneurship.

Ice Climbing In The U.P.

It may be really cold in the Upper Peninsula during the winter, but the frigid temperatures do create opportunities for outdoor adventures. Pure Michigan explores the sport of ice climbing. In the Pure Michigan story, ice climber Bill Thompson shares the thrill of climbing the Pictured Rocks along Lake Superior. The Pictured Rocks are not the only location to ice climb in Michigan. The state has the highest concentration of ice climbs in the nation. To learn more about ice climbing, daring adventurers can visit the Michigan Ice Fest in Munising this weekend.

Detroit Lives

Detroit Lives, LLC is one of many Detroit success stories. Crain's Detroit Business highlights the company's growth from a T-shirt company to video production house with new headquarters in the David Stott Building in Downtown Detroit.

Best of the Net 1/6-1/12

Pure Michigan Is #1 Again

The Pure Michigan travel campaign continues to be the gold standard of state tourism campaigns. Its advertising campaign already wins more awards than any other state's tourism campaign. Pure Michigan also can claim the most-visited state travel website in the United States for the seventh straight year. According to Experian Hitwise, Pure Michigan's website michigan.org had more than 9 million web visits in 2013. Michigan's website attracted nearly 1 million more visits than second place Florida.

Detroit's Co-Working Opportunities

Co-Lab Detroit's co-working week will commence on January 20th. As reported by Michipreneur, the five-day event will feature several of Detroit's co-working spaces. Each participating co-working space will host visitors and provide information about its collaborative environment, as well as information about Detroit's creative economy.

These Teens Are Fired Up

Water Street Glassworks in Benton Harbor is a nonprofit school and studio dedicated to glass and metal arts. Its Fired Up! program allows local teens to learn glassblowing, fusing, bead making or stained glass. Michigan Nightlight highlighted the after school program's efforts to teach teamwork and other important life skills. The 27 students who participate in Fired Up! attend the program tuition-free thanks to fundraising efforts.

New Year's Best of the Net 12/23-1/5

Happy New Year! A lot of good things happened in Michigan in 2013. Let's hope 2014 is even better for the Great Lakes State. The last week of 2013 and the first days of 2014 saw some good economic news and, of course, Michiganders doing good deeds during the holidays. Here are some of the best stories of the last two weeks.

Michigan Is Gaining Population

For years, Michigan has seen a population decline, but new reports show that migration from Michigan is halting and that the state has grown in population for the second straight year. United Van Lines released its 37th annual migration study showing that the number of inbound and outbound moves to Michigan were essentially equal. Crain's Detroit Business reports that this is the first time in 16 years that Michigan did not have more outbound migration than inbound migration.

Michigan also retained its spot as the ninth most populous state after increasing its population for the second straight year according to the Detroit Free Press. The Free Press cites U.S. Census Bureau data that shows the state had a slight gain of 13,103 residents or 0.1%.

Good Deeds During The Holidays

Although the Jewish and Muslim communities may not celebrate Christmas, nearly 1,000 members of three Jewish congregations and the Michigan Muslim Community Council spent December 25 serving meals at social services agencies throughout Metro Detroit. The Detroit News reported that the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit organized the event, called "Mitzvah Day." For more information about Mitzvah Day, click here.

One Metro Detroit boy decided to help people less fortunate when he was only six years old. The Detroit Free Press tells the story of Caleb White and how seeing a homeless person motivated him to spend each Christmas in Downtown Detroit to pass out presents to the city's homeless population. Caleb, who is eleven years old now, gave 150 care packages to homeless people this Christmas.

Walk Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor makes a lot of "best of" lists, and it now can include itself among the most walkable cities in the United States. Governing magazine ranks Ann Arbor as the fourth most walkable city, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. The bureau's statistics show that more than 15% of Ann Arborites walk to work. The list is dominated by towns with large universities, with Cambridge, Mass., Columbia, S.C., and Berkeley, Calif. ranked one through three.

Ideas For Next New Year's Eve

Why travel to New York's Times Square to huddle up with 200,000 people to watch performers badly lip sync songs when Michigan has plenty of New Year's Eve activities of its own? Two publications recently highlighted two of Michigan's ball drops.

The growth of Campus Martius in Detroit now offers Detroiters a ball drop of their own. Crain's Detroit Business recently highlighted the creators of Detroit's New Year's Eve ball, Erik and Israel Nordin, and their company, Detroit Design Center.

If you live near Ludington and want to experience a New Year's ball drop, you are in luck. Yahoo Travel listed Ludington's Mitten Bar as one of eight places to celebrate New Year's Eve that are better than Times Square. Customers can stay in Mitten Bar while watching Ludington's ball drop outside.

Great Lakes, Great Books

The Library of Michigan has released its 2014 list of notable Michigan Books. The list includes 20 books about Michigan people, places and events. The list includes a biography of former Detroit Tiger Mark Fidrych, a history of Chief Pontiac's Rebellion and a collection of poems and stories about the Upper Peninsula.

Grand Rapids Is A Best Buy

The Grand Rapids Business Journal reports that the Grand Rapids housing market is the number 11 best buy city for housing according to Forbes. Forbes determined that Grand Rapids was one of several cities with high job growth and undervalued home prices, making the city a good place to invest in a home. For the Forbes report, click here.

West Michigan Helps Detroit

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has expanded its operations to Detroit, according to a report by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. The Battle Creek-based foundation already supports Detroit financially (with $25 million in grants to Detroit last year alone), but now it has opened an office in Downtown Detroit to better assist the city's children and families. The foundation focuses on creating healthier and better educated children as well as providing resources to raise families above the poverty line.

Michigan State Wins The Rose Bowl

Coach Mark Dantonio's Michigan State Spartans won the Rose Bowl with their signature dominating defense. In the 100th Rose Bowl game, Michigan State proved they deserve mention as one of the nation's elite college football teams with their 24-20 victory over Stanford . The Spartans finished their season 13-1 and were a few plays (and questionable calls from the refs) from finishing their season undefeated. It would have been interesting to see their elite defense line up across from Florida State's explosive offense.

Congratulations to the Spartans on an amazing season!

Best of the Net 12/9-12/15

Grand Rapids Is Not Lonely At The Top

Michigan has always styled itself as a tourist destination with its abundance of outdoor activities, but its cities are now being recognized as vacation hot spots. Travel website Lonely Planet recently named Grand Rapids its number one travel destination in the U.S. for 2014. 

Lonely Planet extols Grand Rapids for its craft brewing scene, Meijer Gardens, the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the ArtPrize art competition. The travel website also mentions the city's proximity to Lake Michigan's Gold Coast and notes that this shoreline may rival Hawaii's and Southern California's coasts.

Detroit Gets Love From Out-Of-Towners

Grand Rapids is not the only Michigan city receiving praise from travel experts. Fodor's placed Detroit on its Go List for 2014. Fodor's applauds Detroit's newer cultural and design-savvy businesses, emerging culinary scene and old standards like the Detroit Institute of Arts and Eastern Market.

The Chicago Tribune praises Detroit and its suburbs for its many breweries. Writer Kevin Revolinski features many of the microbreweries in Metro Detroit and concludes that the "craft beer scene alone is reason enough to visit Detroit."

Great Idea Gives Books To Michigan Kids

The Petoskey News features the Great Start Collaborative, a nonprofit that helps get used books into the hands of Northern Michigan children. The article shows how a few people with good intentions and a great idea can make a difference. The program started with a total of 500 books and now gives 1,000 books per month to children.

Michigan Artists Give Back

The Detroit Free Press reports that several Michigan musicians have recorded a Christmas album to help abused, abandon and neglected Michigan children. The album, "A Michigan Christmas of Hope," benefits Holy Cross Children's Services and features music by artists such as Jeff Daniels and the Silver Bullet Band. To purchase the CD, a minimum donation of $10 can be made here.

Lawrence Tech Building In Detroit

Crain's Detroit Business reports that Lawrence Technological University is breaking ground on a new design center in Midtown. The new building at Woodward Avenue and Willis Street will house three Lawrence Tech College of Architecture and Design programs as well as programs that are centered on community-based projects for Detroit.

The building also will house Ann Arbor-based Quinn Evans Architects, Inc., Invest Detroit and possibly a restaurant.

Grand Rapids Is Planting Trees

Grand Rapids is becoming greener according to Mlive. The city is working towards a goal of having a tree canopy over 40 percent of its land. The city recently received a significant financial contribution to help realize this goal. The Grand Rapids Community Foundation has donated $189,200 to the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to help promote tree planting on private property.

Young Detroiter Inspires

In July, Governor Rick Snyder named Travis McClendon Michigan's Youth Volunteer of the Year. Detroit 2020 now has named McClendon its Person of the week. The Detroit Loyola High School student was born without forearms, yet he is living his young life by caring for those less fortunate than him.

He has performed hundreds of hours of community service during the past year through a variety of organizations. To read the Detroit 2020 article and to see a brief video about McClendon, click here.

Muskegon Hotels Expect A Strong 2014

2013 was a flat year for Muskegon area hotels, but they are expecting a boom for fiscal year 2014. According to the Grand Rapids Business Journal, Muskegon hotel owners expect increased occupancy rates due to several events that are expected to draw more visitors to the area this year.

Among the events mentioned in the article are the Bassmaster fishing tournament, the Bike Time motorcycle convention and the Michigan State Open Championships for bowling.

Best of the Net 11/25-12/8

Hope For Young Detroit Engineers

Focus: Hope is a nonprofit that has battled "hunger, economic disparity, inadequate education, and racial divisiveness" in Detroit since 1968. One of their many education programs is the Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT). CAT allows students to earn a salary while obtaining an engineering degree tuition-free from Lawrence Technological University, Wayne State University, University of Detroit Mercy or the University of Michigan.

Management consulting firm Principia LLC's blog recently highlighted the CAT program's partnership with the University of Michigan College of Engineering. Since 2007, two Detroit students have obtained Nuclear Engineering Bachelors degrees and another obtained a Bachelors in Material Science while four students are continuing their engineering studies.

U.P. Love

Author and Michigan native Jim Harrison wrote what amounts to a love letter to the Upper Peninsula for The New York Times. The piece includes a stunning slideshow of photos, Harrison's favorite locations in the U.P. and some of his favorite childhood vacation memories. Reading Harrison's review of the U.P. makes me want to load up the car and make a trek over the Mackinac Bridge.

Kids Learn About Entrepreneurship

Michigan's support for entrepreneurs and startups is not limited to adults. Michigan's Kidpreneur offers classes, workshops and events to children aged 9 to 13 about entrepreneurship and technology. Michipreneur reports that Kidpreneur recently finished its first pilot program in Northville and Novi with 10 children finishing the nine-week program and another 40 children completing workshops.

Starting in January, the program will expand to Downtown Detroit with a possible expansion to Ann Arbor in the future.

The Real Slim Shady Stands Up

Wolverine Human Services is a Michigan-based charity that provides support to abused, neglected and delinquent children. Michigan's own Eminem agreed to match up to $100,000 for donations made to the charity on Tuesday, December 3, according to MLive. Wolverine Human Services supports youth and families throughout 38 Michigan counties with substance abuse, residential treatment and independent living programs.

Ultimately, the donations did not reach the charity's goal of $100,000, but it did raise $72,174 that Eminem's Marshall Mathers Foundation will match.

W.A.R. Against Human Trafficking

The Rapidian reports that Wyoming-based charity Women at Risk International (W.A.R. Int'l) assists in the fight against human trafficking in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. One of the ways W.A.R. raises money is through its two boutiques in Rockford and Wyoming, Michigan. The boutiques sell items made by women who have been assisted by W.A.R. The items include ornaments, jewelry, purses, books and fair-trade coffee and the proceeds go back to the organization's efforts to prevent trafficking and to the women who create the products.

All For Detroit

Detroit nonprofit All Four One strives to create more college opportunities for Detroit students. Detroit Unspun featured the nonprofit's work in Detroit and its recent roundtable discussion for 50 high school students. Wayne State University hosted the discussion about college opportunities and preparedness for college life. The article also focuses on All Four One founder and Detroit native, Ishmail Terry, and his initial struggles in college and how he eventually found success.

A Superior Youth Program

Michigan State University Extension educator Joan Vinette developed the Life of Lake Superior Youth Program 13 years ago to give Upper Peninsula children in Alger County a sense of appreciation for the largest great lake. Michigan Nightlight reports that the program gives children aged 9 to 14, and their parents and grandparents, the "opportunity to explore their community and appreciate local arts, natural resources, history, culture, recreation, and careers relevant to those who live in proximity to the lake's shoreline."

The program does not charge fees for children to attend, and it runs for four days each July with an average of 75 children participating. The program also teaches children and families to live healthier lives by providing nutritional meals as well as an introduction to the many outdoor activities available in the U.P.

Wayne State Grad Starts From Scratch

Michigan is full of entrepreneurial-minded individuals who are working to get their businesses off the ground. Crain’s Detroit Business highlights one entrepreneur, Rakesh Katragadda, who started his business with a credit card and the help of government and nonprofit economic development funds. Katragadda’s company, Ann Arbor-based AMF-Nano Corp., makes wireless environmental sensors to “monitor water and air quality, temperature, humidity, soil quality and other conditions.”

This inspirational story shows how a good idea, some risks and support from various sources can lead to a successful business.  Katragadda, a Wayne State alum, projects revenue of $500,000 to $1 million next year and up to $12 million in three to four years.

Michigan State Smells Roses

Michigan State University's football team clinched its first Rose Bowl in 26 years with a huge upset of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship game this past weekend. Do not tell the Spartans it was an upset though. They played old school line-‘em-up-and-knock-‘em-down football on Saturday night with dominating performances by their offensive line and defense. With their 34-24 victory over the Buckeyes, the Spartans finished a season in which they beat every Big 10 opponent by 10 points or more.

This Michigan fan has been impressed by their defense all year and would love to see how they would measure up against Florida State or Auburn. Instead, they will play a Stanford team in the Rose Bowl that also likes to play power football. 

Congratulations to Coach Dantonio and his Spartans on an almost perfect season. Good luck in the Rose Bowl!

Best of the Net 11/18-11/24

Kellogg Foundation Helps Kids

Battle Creek's W.K. Kellogg Foundation is selecting 100 people for fellowships to help vulnerable children and their families. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that the fellows will primarily represent the priority areas of Michigan, Mississippi, New Orleans and New Mexico.

The Foundation will grant each fellow a $20,000 stipend and another $5,000 for a leadership project in the program's final year. The fellowship's three-year curriculum hopes to develop community leaders who will remove barriers to children's healthy development, academic success and economic security.

Literary Scene is Thriving in Detroit

Online magazine Ozy recently highlighted Detroit's literary scene. The excellent review reveals how Detroit often has been overlooked by publishers scheduling book tours and how Literary Detroit is promoting Detroit as a literary city. The volunteer organization hosts events for authors and serves as a network to connect readers with authors' works.

In addition to mentioning Literary Detroit and several authors and poets from Detroit, Ozy acknowledges InsideOut, a program that places professional writers in Detroit schools. The writers help students express themselves and provide opportunities for students to publish or perform their own work.

Grand Rapids Business Innovates

The Grand Rapid Business Journal reports that Grand Rapids-based Varsity News Network won the $500,000 grand prize at the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. According the article, investors from 77 global firms attended the competition and 50 companies competed for the grand prize.

Varsity News Network provides a platform for high school athletic departments to promote their athletics programs online. According to the company's website, it also provides opportunities for students to learn about writing, web design, marketing and entrepreneurship.

Flint is Growing...Produce

In the heart of an urban area, Flint River Farms is growing produce and teaching children about farming. Michigan Nightlight features the farm's history and outreach efforts within the community. The farm started in 2010 and provides education programs for children through the FoodCorps and edible flint programs.

The farm also sells its products to Flint restaurants and farmers markets. According to Roxanne Adair, one of the farm's founders, the farm also hopes to sell its produce in local stores that currently sell only junk food.

Michigan Starts Up

Michigan is full of opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs to gain help creating and building their businesses. Two recent options for startups to grow their businesses are Detroit Innovate and Startup Weekend.

Michipreneur reports that Detroit Innovate, an early stage fund, recently launched. According to the report, the fund will offer investments of $50,000 to $500,000 for healthcare, transportation and advanced manufacturing startups. The fund's website states that the fund is working to develop high-growth companies within the entire Detroit region.

Startup Weekend is a national organization that provides designers, marketers, developers and entrepreneurs the chance to share ideas, build networks and launch startups. Michipreneur reports that Startup Weekend recently concluded programs in Detroit and Kalamazoo and that it will be coming to Grand Rapids in January and Ann Arbor in February.

Mount Clemens Welcomes Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are moving into Mount Clemens according to a report by the Macomb Daily. Businesses are moving into empty offices due to low rents, the Clinton River waterfront and their proximity to the city's restaurants and bars.

The article features several of the entrepreneurs who recently have made Mount Clemens their home. Some of the newer businesses include architectural firms, software developers and marketing firms.
[Update: The link for this article from November 24 is no longer online].

Best of the Net 11/11-11/17

Detroit's Midtown Continues To Impress

Midtown Detroit, Inc. is a planning and development nonprofit organization working to maintain and revitalize the Midtown district in Detroit. Its efforts have helped Midtown become one of Detroit's success stories in recent years. MLive reports that the Urban Land Institute (ULI) has named Midtown Detroit, Inc. as one of twelve Global Award for Excellence winners.

According to the MLive report, ULI commended Midtown Detroit Inc. for its efforts with the Woodward Garden Block development, the Sugar Hill Art District, the Ellington and Whole Foods Market development, the Auburn and the Green Garage. In addition to these developments, Midtown offers many cultural attractions through the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library and Wayne State University.

Midtown is not done reinventing itself though. Model D reports that a Knight Foundation grant will support the TechTown Living Room, a public space at Cass and Burroughs that will be available to the approximately 400 entrepreneurs who will be moving into the new TechTown co-working space in Midtown.

Filmmakers Feature U.P. Bike Trails

The Upper Peninsula offers an abundance of outdoor activities including the up-and-coming sport of snow biking. Clear and Cold Cinema is a U.P. production company that seeks to highlight the beauty of the U.P. Upper Peninsula's Second Wave reports that the production company is releasing a new film called Cold Rolled. The action-packed documentary features snow biking on the trails of Marquette's Noquemanon Trail Network.

For a brief trailer for the film, click here.

LaughFest Is Coming To Grand Rapids

Gilda's LaughFest, the annual comedy festival held in Grand Rapids since 2011, has announced its 2014 lineup. The Grand Rapids Business Journal reports that comedians Jay Leno, Lily Tomlin, Chris Tucker and Jim Gaffigan, among others, will be performing between March 6 and 16.

The festival raises funds for Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, which provides cancer, grief and emotional health support to the community. Gilda's Club is named in honor of legendary Michigan comedian and original Saturday Night Live cast member Gilda Radner.

To Be Should Not Be A Question

The original king of comedy (and tragedy), William Shakespeare, hopes to come to Detroit this summer. Shakespeare in Detroit (SiD) aims to bring three outdoor Shakespeare plays to the city in 2014. If SiD is able to stage the plays in Detroit, it will also hire Detroiters to prepare and perform in the productions. Last summer, the company produced Othello in Grand Circus Park.

However, the company needs help raising funds according to a report by Hell Yeah Detroit. Sam White, the founder of SiD, is asking for financial help through a Kickstarter campaign. If you would like to help, click here to see a video from White explaining her goals and to make a donation. As White explains in the video, other major cities have outdoor Shakespeare productions, and if it is good enough for them, it's good enough for Detroit.

A Flint Made Man Gives Back

Eric Woodyard is a journalist from Flint who refuses to believe that he succeeded despite growing up on Flint's north side. Instead, he believes his success is a result of the grit and toughness he developed while growing up in Flint. MLive highlights Woodyard's production of his short film "Flint Made Me." The film features interviews with people who inspired him and helped him obtain academic scholarships while also showing the neighborhood he grew up in.

Woodyard will use proceeds from the film to help fund a scholarship. For a preview of the film, click here.

Symphony Broadens Its Reach

The Grand Rapids Symphony is trying to gain interest from younger music lovers through its MySymphony360 program. The membership program is designed for professionals between the ages of 21 and 35. The Grand Rapids Business Journal reports that the symphony will offer discounted tickets to the program's members and that it hopes to partner with restaurants and bars to offer additional discounts to members on concert nights.

Detroit's Unseen Sights

Shinola, manufacturer of bicycles and luxury watches, is one of Detroit's newer businesses that is bringing jobs and positive press to the city. Sight Unseen asked Shinola's creative director Daniel Caudill to give snapshots of his new hometown. The story features several photos of Caudill's favorite places and businesses in Detroit and includes his commentary about why these places are special.