Hatch Detroit Partners with Comerica Bank, Announcing 2nd Contest!

Hatch Detroit announced today it will partner with Comerica Bank for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, the nonprofit's second annual retail business competition. The bank will be the presenting sponsor of the contest, providing the full prize amount of $50,000 for the winning business idea and a significant amount of inkind support to further Hatch Detroit's efforts to help entrepreneurs in Detroit.

"We founded Hatch Detroit on the premise that vibrant and diverse retail is the lifeblood of a thriving urban community," said Nick Gorga, co-founder of Hatch Detroit. "With Comerica's sponsorship, we are thrilled to bring together the energy and passion of the city's grassroots organizations with the breadth and strength of one of the city's venerable companies to help support, promote and fund the amazing ideas percolating in our city."

Hatch Detroit launched in 2011 with overwhelming success. The inaugural contest garnered hundreds of Detroit retail business ideas and ignited tremendous community support for the 10 semifinalists, culminating in thousands of public votes cast for the winning idea. Last year's winner Hugh, a home furnishings shop featuring classic bachelor pad style, received $50,000, in addition to a suite of donated services from individuals and companies to help the shop "hatch" and thrive. Hugh will open for business in fall 2012.

This year, the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest is set to be bigger and better than last year with even more of a local impact. More than simply a competition with one winner, the effort will delve into the community to provide resources to small business owners and serve to inspire entrepreneurship in the region.

"Comerica is committed to the City of Detroit and to supporting the small businesses that are a driving force in MichiganAs economy," said Thomas D. Ogden, pressident, Comerica Bank Michigan. "As a bank that has a stake in the future of our region, we are proud to make this investment in Hatch Detroit, and in the city and communities we serve." Hatch Detroit expects to begin accepting applications for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest on June 1, 2012. Further details will be announced at a later date.

Visit http://www.hatchdetroit.com for more information.

CNN Covers "Valley To Detroit" And Our Hot Tech Scene (video)

Strong Push To Turn Detroit's Belle Isle Into State Park

NPR 

Governor Snyder is pushing for a plan that would turn Detroit’s Belle Isle into a state park.

Detroit and the state have signed a consent agreement that, among other things, lays out broad plans to restructure the city.

One of those listed: a plan for the city to lease Belle Isle to the state. The state’s Park Endowment fund would then pick up the maintenance costs.

“So we could actually do improvements on Belle Isle, have it available for the citizens of Detroit and the citizens of Michigan, and then free up dollar resources that are now going currently going to Belle Isle that could help the neighborhoods," Snyder said this week.

The Governor said state officials are trying to launch "a dialogue" with the Detroit City Council and Mayor’s office about the plan. But he basically told the Detroit City Council and mayor’s office to get moving on the issue.

“I hope that could be one of the faster ones [in the consent agreement] we could process, in terms of figuring out how to do that," Snyder said.

The idea of turning over control of Belle Isle is a politically touchy one in Detroit.

Snyder emphasized the city would continue to own the island. But at some point, a state park entrance fee would come into effect.

New Microlending Website Helps Detroit's Small Biz Owners

Jennifer Guerra
Michigan Radio


Several Detroit non-profits want to help potential small business owners get some much needed capital.

They’ve launched a microlending website called Kiva Detroit, an extension of the California-based Kiva.org. Small business owners post their idea online and anyone can give a loan for as little as $25. The site went live this Wednesday.

Delphia Simmons wanted to start a ‘street newspaper’ for the city of Detroit. Instead of turning to a bank for a loan, she used the new website to get a $1,000 loan. She says the money will go toward the first printing, which she expects will cost around $950. Simmons says that will give her "about 5,000 papers to start with."

Simmons will distribute the paper, called Thrive Detroit, to the city's homeless for 25 cents each, who will then sell the papers to the public for $1. She plans to launch the newspaper in August.

The Knight Foundation, one of the nonprofits behind Kiva Detroit, contributed $250,000 to match all grants made on the website. The other groups involved in the new site are Michigan Corps, ACCION USA, and California-based Kiva.org.

Detroit Makes Pitch for Ousted Yahoo Employees

PCWorld

Quicken Loans and two affiliated Detroit venture capital firms have issued a call for the roughly 2,000 Yahoo employees who received pink slips last week to move to the Motor City to bolster the blighted city's efforts at revitalization.

The companies claim that Detroit is experiencing a tech boom, pointing to Twitter's recent decision to open an office in Detroit, primarily to sell advertising to the automotive industry. Twitter will rent space in the M@dison Building, a converted theater that now bills itself as a tech incubator.

Josh Linkner, the CEO of Detroit Venture Partners, said there are 300 to 500 open tech jobs at Quicken Loans and other companies backed by his venture capital firm and Rockbridge Growth Equity, an equity firm run by Quicken CEO and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. Detroit Venture partners has put up a website called Valley to Detroit to support its efforts to bring Yahoo talent to the Motor City.

Linkner said that demand for tech employees in Detroit currently outpaces supply. Denise Lidell, the CEO of High-Tech Professionals, a staffing company, agreed.

Linkner suggested that Detroit's latest effort to diversify its economy is in keeping with the city's history.

"A hundred years ago, Detroit was the Silicon Valley of the day. This is where people from all around the world, the best and the brightest, came to launch their entrepreneurial businesses and to build incredible technology of the day," he said.

Click HERE to read the rest of this article on PC World!

President Obama Coming To Detroit For $1M Pizza Party

Fox News

President Barack Obama is coming to the Motor City for a $1 million pizza party being thrown for him compliments of Denise Ilitch, daughter of Little Caesars’ founders Mike and Marian Ilitch.


Ilitch is opening her home April 18 for the fundraiser where movers and shakers are being asked to pony up thousands to add to his re-election coffer while getting a chance to rub shoulders with the most powerful man on the planet.

“I’m honored to have been asked,” by the Obama campaign to host,” Ilitch said of the event she and husband, Jim Scalici, will hold at their Metro Detroit home. She made the comments on “Michigan Matters” when asked about media reports. 

Prada Features Vintage GM Vehicles in its 2012 Spring/Summer Campaign

Pewabic Hosts Annual Staff & Student Exhibition Through June 10

In its 41st year, Pewabic Pottery’s annual Staff and Student Exhibition showcases the artistic diversity of Pewabic’s students and staff. The exhibit will feature some of the area’s homegrown talent in a one-of-a-kind display. The show will be free and open to the public now through June 10.

The show will highlight the creative range of skills within Pewabic Pottery, represented in a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, fiber, and of course, ceramics.

Pewabic will also host a special opening reception on April 13 from 6 – 8 p.m. where guests can enjoy drinks and light snacks while enjoying the exhibit.

This exhibit was generously funded by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Detroit Recreation Department.

Pewabic Pottery is a non-profit arts and cultural organization and National Historic Landmark which is dedicated to engaging people of all ages in learning experiences with contemporary ceramic art and artists while preserving its historic legacy.

Pewabic is a historic working pottery which is open to the public year round and offers classes, workshops and tours to children and adults. Pewabic creates giftware, pottery and architectural tile, showcases more than 80 ceramic artists in its galleries, and operates a museum store that features pottery and gift tile made on-site. Visitors are welcome, free of charge, Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. To learn more about Pewabic Pottery call (313) 626-2000 or visit www.pewabic.org. Pewabic Pottery is located at 10125 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit across the street from Waterworks Park.

Detroit's Roast Makes CNNGo's "10 Quintessential U.S. Meals" List

Tom Tiberio
CNNGo

Excerpt from: "10 quintessential U.S. meals and where to get them"

Just about every U.S. city has its legendary steak place, but Michael Symon’s Roast in Detroit is the one that sizzles in our dreams.

The restaurant is located inside the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit hotel, but executive chef Andy Hollyday says don’t be intimidated by the valet or linen. Waiters here wear jeans and the loose, happy-hour vibe at the bar sets the tone for the restaurant.

Hollyday’s favorite is the 450-gram house-aged rib-eye, aged for three weeks, then grilled over hardwood charcoal and topped with a marinade of orange juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and roasted blue cheese.

1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit; +1 313 961 2500; www.roastdetroit.com; $34

Click HERE to read the full article on CNNGo! 

@Twitter Opens Downtown Detroit Office in the M@dison Building

There's a new trending topic in #Detroit, as tech giant Twitter announced today it is opening an office in the city's growing downtown technology district. The company's first Michigan location will be based in the M@dison Building, owned by Rock Ventures LLC, the umbrella entity formed to provide operational coordination, guidance and integration of Dan Gilbert's portfolio of companies, investments and real estate.

Based in San Francisco, Twitter is a real-time information network that connects people to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news. The company's Detroit office will house a team of employees whose primary focus will be helping marketers and advertising agencies in Detroit leverage Twitter's Promoted Products suite of advertising products. Twitter expects to hire more employees over time as it grows its Detroit presence.

"Detroit's emerging mix of automotive and digital cultures made it a natural location for Twitter's newest office," said Adam Bain, Twitter's president of global revenue. "We're excited to work face-to-face with the city's most established brands and happy to play a role in downtown Detroit's digital renaissance."

By choosing to open a new office in downtown Detroit, Twitter adds to the rapidly growing tech district forming in the heart of the city along the "WEBward Avenue" corridor. The social media giant joins other expanding firms including Detroit Labs, a mobile app developer; Are You a Human, an alternative to squiggly CAPTCHA verifications; and UpTo, a next generation mobile calendar that allows users to share events with their social network.

Rock Ventures' full service property management firm, Bedrock Real Estate Services LLC, helped recruit Twitter and brokered the company's lease. Rock Ventures and Bedrock are seeking businesses looking to be part of an innovative, tech-focused urban core where people want to live, work and play. In the last 18 months, they have helped nearly 40 new-economy companies find a home in downtown Detroit.

"Twitter coming downtown is exactly the kind of innovative company Detroit needs to advance our vision of becoming one of the most exciting high-tech and web-centered corridors of growth and activity found anywhere," said Gilbert, Chairman of Rock Ventures and Quicken Loans, and Majority Owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Twitter chose Detroit because of the city's growing, young and energetic environment. This is further proof that the country is starting to wake up and take notice – if you want to create a thriving, growing tech business, downtown Detroit is one of the best places to be," Gilbert added.

Tune In Tues: Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr "We Almost Lost Detroit" (video)