University Center for Regional Economic Innovation

REI Update for September 14, 2012

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Announcements

Thank You for Making the Innovate Michigan! Summit a Success!

On Thursday, September 6th, REI hosted the first Innovate Michigan! Summit at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing. Participants were able to learn about, discuss, and influence innovative economic development tools, policies, models, and practices for Michigan. The presentations will be available on our website soon!

Thank you to all the presenters and moderators who made the Summit possible!

Claire Glenn
Tracy Pierce
Richard Wooten
John Kaczynski
Charlie Cavell
Norman Tyler
Ben Hooper
Eric Frederick
Elizabeth Reisser
Rayman Mohammed
James Van Dyke
Matt Lewis
Anna King
James E. Bonfiglio
JD Snyder
Crystal McLain
Kimberly Kleinhans
Joel Rash
Steve Weiland
Patty Cantrell
Martha Schlesinger
Deborah Groban Olson
Victoria Bennett
Richard Deuell
Brad Beck
Ross Yednock
Sue Pigg
Ned Staebler
Mark Wilson
Arnold Weinfeld
Ken Corey
Robin Boyle
Dennis West
John Egelhaaf
Mike Polzin
Dave Bee
Chris Hnatwi
Christina Keller
Jennifer Bruen
Rex LaMore

Keynote Speaker Christina Keller, Cascade Engineering
Source: Kassandra Ray Smith

Lincoln Room during Morning Burst
Source: Kassandra Ray Smith

Jeanette Tamayo, Chicago Regional EDA Director
Source: Kassandra Ray Smith

Issues to Innovations to Successes:

At the Innovate Michigan! Summit we asked the participants to give us their input on current emerging themes regarding issues in economic development in Michigan. Throughout the day the REI team posted the issues and asked participants to think of solutions. We received 135 economic development issues with the three largest themes being workforce development, lack of collaboration across the state, and a need to encourage progressive education. Please visit our website in the coming weeks to see a summary of the issues and solutions identified at the Summit!

If you have an idea for a solution to an economic development issue visit reicenter.org to submit your idea!

Michigan Business Network Innovate Michigan! Summit Coverage:

Thank you to the Michigan Business Network for covering the Summit! If you would like to hear participant interviews from throughout the day you can visit the Michigan Business Network website.

Listen to an interview with REI Consultative Panel Member, session moderator, and Director of the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, John Egelhaaf's interview with Michael Rogers!

Summer 2012 Webinar Series

Check out REI's Co-learning Plan and Student Feasibility Study webinars!

If you were unable to attend the Summit or would like to learn more about the co-learning plans or student feasibility studies, visit reicenter.org to see the following recorded webinars:

Food Innovation Districts
St. Martha's Community Vision
Innovation Brokering
Microenterprise Development in Michigan
On-Site Technology Training for Small, Rural Michigan Businesses
Small Scale Urban Developers as Agents of Real Estate-Led Economic Development
Open Educational Resources

Look for announcements on reicenter.org, Twitter and LinkedIn about their availability on the website.

Student-Led, Faculty-Guided, Technical Assistance Projects

REI is still accepting applications for innovative student-led, faculty-guided, feasibility studies and technical assistance projects from colleges and universities across Michigan!

Apply Now!

We will accept applications until Wednesday, September 26, 2012 for the fall semester. Also, please note that the deadline for spring semester funding has changed to an earlier date: Friday, October 12, 2012.

Congratulations to MSU and Madonna University on your Technical Assistance Project awards for the Fall 2012 Semester!

Madonna University - Julie Pulgini, Gerald Charbonneau

This project will look at the socioeconomic opportunities o f Urban Gardening for at risk inner-city communities and the enhancement of the quality of life. A Qualitative Study using visual data to analyze research will be the method to test the hypothesis. Using a documentary cinematic process as the medium students will focus on three communities.

Michigan State University - Zenia Kotval

A group of German students from Dortmund University will team up with students from MSU to do a five day visioning session focused on the Meridian Mall Property in Meridian Township. The results from the visioning session will become a part of the Meridian Mall project that is funded by MSHDA/HUD as part of the Capital Access Initiative and Corridor Development Study.

Michigan State University - Forrest S. Carter

This project is known as the Helping Entrepreneurs Revitalize Our Economy and Society (HEROES) project. This is a project to establish a collegiate chapter of the Lansing Black Chamber of Commerce in order to impact the number of entrepreneurs among members of urban and distressed communities. The project involves three major components: network development, mentoring and economic assistance, and training and innovation technology transfer.

Social Media

Thank you to our REI members who have helped us reach over 330 followers on our Twitter feed and 180 members on our LinkedIn group.