I sent an email (original article – below) to my newsletter list on the day before this week’s midterm elections. The results of the election, to be frank, were mixed. While Donald Trump certainly didn’t achieve “total victory” as he claimed on the day after, the Dems did lose some high profile governor and U.S. […]
This morning, in the aftermath of a national election that was both disappointing and encouraging, I am reminded of the power of persistence and faith. Twenty-two years ago, in 1996, I had just sold the company that I and my two co-founders spent twelve years building. Ours was a journey that required tremendous persistence, faith, […]
In July of 2017, I began serving at Wayne State University in the role of Senior Counselor to the Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The brief for this position was to help the Provost and the VP of Economic Development develop and begin to execute the University’s vision for an updated and invigorated approach to […]
The Fall 2018 edition of my Urban Entrepreneurship course at University of Michigan is underway, and I’m excited by the participation of students and Detroit entrepreneurs in this newly updated course. This semester, we have six teams of five students each working with six different urban-focused entrepreneurial ventures in the Detroit area. By the end […]
Last night was the final session for U-M ENTR490.012 Urban Entrepreneurship, Fall 2017 edition. Students presented the business models they developed to a distinguished panel of judges. Really interesting business proposals, great presentations, insightful and probing questions from the judges. Thanks to the students for the privilege of being their instructor and facilitator this semester. […]
The Issue WOW Cable’s TV and internet services are better than decent. Their prices are fair. However, their billing policies are absolutely atrocious. That is, they SUCK. Like those of many other corporate behemoths, their billing practices create an undue burden on working folks. This must change. Background I signed up for WOW (Wide Open […]
Once again, we’re livin’ for the city. Fall is almost upon us, and so it is time for the next edition of my University of Michigan class, “Urban-Focused Entrepreneurship.” In this class, students learn to create a for-profit business model to solve an important urban problem. The process begins with students engaging an urban community […]
As of July 17, 2017, I have accepted a senior administrative position with Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan. The position is Senior Counselor to the Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In this role, I will provide guidance and overall strategic direction to the University in areas of innovation and entrepreneurship, and will administer […]
On this Martin Luther King Day 2017, I can do no better than to reprise the remarks I delivered at the University of Michigan MLK Spirit Awards reception in January, 2014. The movement still reverberates, the issues I raised are more relevant than ever, and the future that I outlined draws ever closer. Watch the video… […]
Last Fall, in conjunction with the Urban Entrepreneurship Symposium in Flint, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing the music of Mama Sol, who performed at our Matrix Networking Reception. Now that was a real treat. I can’t say that I’m a fan of rap music in general, but there are a few artists whose work transcends […]