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Award-Winning MAXPRO Leverages Centrepolis Accelerator Expertise
Award-Winning MAXPRO Leverages Centrepolis Accelerator Expertise southfieldcc_3ik8d2

When Nezar Akeel officially became an entrepreneur, he had what many fellow entrepreneurs didn’t have. He had age and experience. A lot of experience.

At 52, Akeel has the solid foundation of a well-established corporate career in engineering management. This experience gave him the chance to test out new ideas and concepts much like an entrepreneur would. “I was responsible for new ventures and new relationships within an often global setting, which helped a lot,” says Akeel. “So I’m not the typical young kid working on an idea with nothing to lose.”

His career experience contributed to his success as he launched MAXPRO, an all-in-one smart gym system that is topping best-of lists. In October 2019, MAXPRO won the “Best of Innovation” award for health and fitness for CES 2020, and Akeel received the award in Las Vegas in January 2020.

The decision to connect with the Southfield City Centre-based Centrepolis Accelerator was highly beneficial to getting MAXPRO to market, Akeel says.

As a small manufacturer and hardware entrepreneur organization, the Centrepolis Accelerator is a perfect fit for Akeel’s MAXPRO, which is a manufactured product with smart connectivity. Akeel felt this match from the first time he connected with Centrepolis Accelerator director Dan Radomski.

“We met at a Centrepolis Accelerator hardware development seminar in Detroit, and Dan understood the concept right away. I went to an additional workshop on lean design where I connected with other entrepreneurs and saw the support infrastructure and services that are available for entrepreneurs who are past idea phase,” says Akeel. “It was really the beginning of me connecting with the Southeast Michigan entrepreneurial world.”

As he was being mentored by younger entrepreneurs, Akeel recognized how much he could learn through these connections, including techniques for leveraging funding.

“The Centrepolis Accelerator helped me write a grant to the Business Accelerator Fund at Michigan Small Business Development Center, which has a high-tech grant and my product qualified,” Akeel says. “I ended up getting $25,000 in support just at the right time in the development process.” Centrepolis Accelerator connected Akeel to other resources, including crowdfunding, legal services, design, development and supply sources.

Throughout the process, Akeel has participated in multiple pitch competitions and match meetings and has learned the art of describing the value of his product for the investor audience. These experiences have resulted in financial support and ongoing conversations.

With his engineering background, Akeel says the ease of speaking a “common language” was a welcome benefit of working with the Centrepolis Accelerator. The rich manufacturing knowledge available at and through the Centrepolis Accelerator meant Akeel didn’t need to spend a lot of time explaining what his product does and how it fit into the connected hardware marketplace.

“My product really was a perfect fit for them,” he says, adding that the Michigan manufacturing ecosystem is a highly suitable place to develop a manufactured product. “In Metro Detroit and in Michigan in general, we have an established infrastructure for hardware and electronics.”

Because MAXPRO is a manufactured hardware product that intersects with the internet-of-things space, the fit was seamless, from both a development and connection perspective.

“The Centrepolis Accelerator was accessible and made themselves known,” Akeel says. “I plugged in and made time to attend their seminars, and that’s all a part of the entrepreneurial initiative.”

Southfield City Centre Welcomes Juneteenth Week
Southfield City Centre Welcomes Juneteenth Week southfieldcc_3ik8d2

For a full week beginning June 15, the Southfield City Centre will burst with activity to celebrate Juneteenth 2020. This week-long event recognizes “Freedom Day,” honoring the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans on June 19, 1865, when abolition of slavery in Texas was announced.

A collaborative effort between Southfield Mayor Ken Siver and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., the event will offer participants the chance to learn the history of the Southfield City Centre and its important role in the Underground Railroad movement, enjoy jazz, blues, art and other types of entertainment, food trucks and much more.

“We are partnering with the City of Southfield and Mayor Siver to initiate our first annual Junteenth Week celebration,” said Zena Kyles, president of the Pi Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., during an initial presentation to the Southfield City Council on Dec. 9, 2019. “This is a cultural event we want to bring to Southfield and to Oakland County.”

Juneteenth Week offers residents, family, friends and visitors a chance to enjoy the numerous amenities of the Southfield City Centre and explore the many public art installations, shared-use trail, bikeshare program, and many gathering places within the City Centre district.

“We presented the Mayor with our ideas, and we really just wanted a day of celebration, but the Mayor was enthralled and enthused and had so many ideas for a weeklong agenda of events,” said Kyles. “There were already events happening in Southfield, but we are renaming them or bringing them under the package of Junteenth Week.”

Beginning on Monday, June 15, the week will feature:

  • An Underground Railroad & Juneteenth History event with the Southfield History Museum at Burgh Historic Park.
  • A health fair, “Come Out & Play” event with Oakland County Parks, a jazz & blues concert with the Southfield Public Library, a local talent show and food trucks.
  • A Southfield student art show and adult art show in conjunction with the Detroit Breakfast Club, both at the Southfield Pavilion.
  • The AKA Juneteenth Black Tie Banquet.

Warmup events for the celebration begin the week prior with the first of the Eat to the Beat lunchtime concert series and food truck event on Thursday, June 11, followed by the Saturday, June 13 Take Steps walk for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, an annual affair that raises funds and awareness.

Juneteenth Week will culminate in the Mayor’s Juneteenth Fun Walk on the morning of Saturday, June 20. Kicking off at the Southfield Municipal Campus on Evergreen Road, the walk will guide participants on a fun community-building walk along the City Centre’s shared-use trail through Civic Center Drive and along the Northwestern Hwy. service drive, right through the iconic Red Pole Park interactive art installation.

Various Junteenth events target service goals of AKA, including awareness of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, women’s health, economic empowerment and celebrations of the arts, dance and theater, Kyles said.

In the audience of the December 2019 Southfield City Council meeting were members of AKA and numerous other service fraternities and sororities to pledge their support and volunteer commitments for Junteenth Week.

Mark your calendar and visit this site often for forthcoming updates on Juneteenth Week 2020 in the Southfield City Centre!

Lawrence Tech Honors Graduates in First Winter Commencement
Lawrence Tech Honors Graduates in First Winter Commencement southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Early in the morning on Saturday, Dec. 7, 120 students at Lawrence Technological University lined up to complete one final assignment of their college career: graduation. They dressed up, donned their gowns and mortarboards, and walked across the stage at the Don Ridler Field House on campus in the Southfield City Centre.

In 2019, for the first time ever, LTU held a winter commencement to honor the 250 students who graduated mid-academic year.

“We always wanted to have a winter commencement and give graduating students that sense of accomplishment,” says Lisa Kujawa, associate provost for enrollment and outreach at Lawrence Technological University.

Earlier in the year, LTU held its first on-campus graduation ceremony, awarding degrees and certificates to more than 600 students during three separate commencement events on May 11, 2019. Previous graduation ceremonies were held at facilities around metro Detroit, but the university brought commencement back to the Southfield City Centre camps as part of an overall vision to connect students to their alma mater.

Kujawa credits LTU President Virinder Moudgil for his approach to creating traditions that students will remember fondly long after leaving LTU.

“Dr. Moudgil is one of the best presidents we have had because he understands the importance of creating traditions that the students will remember,” she says. On-campus graduation with Blue Devil blue robes with the LTU logo on both sides helps students show and share their pride of being an LTU graduate, she says.

Students Join the Workforce Promptly

By adding a winter commencement ceremony, the university is able to better manage the numbers of students who graduate at different times of the academic year. It also allows graduating students the opportunity to celebrate, then proceed directly into the workforce.

“Of 250 [winter] graduates, 120 walked, and maybe the remainder will walk in May,” says Kujawa. “That shows that many of them don’t want to wait; they want to pursue their careers now.”

The number of LTU grads who have jobs within three months of graduating is 92%, and recently increased from 87%, says Kujawa. “The national average is 67%,” she says. “The type of school we are, as a private STEM-focused university that prepares students for careers in the marketplace that are needed.”

Perfect Time to Show Off the Southfield City Centre Campus

No matter the time of year, the commencement ceremonies give students and graduates the opportunity to show off their campus and the vibrant business climate in the Southfield City Centre.

“They bring their parents back, especially our international students, whose parents are coming to the university for the very first time,” Kujawa says. “It creates that important connection to the campus and to the Southfield City Centre and who we are. Everywhere in Southfield there were signs that congratulated the graduates.”

Commencement exercises are such a source of pride, says Kujawa, LTU is thrilled to add a second chance for graduates to participate when most appropriate for them.

“When you are in higher education, especially in my role in enrollment and outreach, you see every class come in as young freshman, and then see them walk across the stage and recognize they are men and women ready to pursue a career,” says Kujawa. “They are one of you, part of your family, an LTU graduate.”

Lawrence Tech is excited to share graduation season, winter or spring, with the wider area, and Kujawa says the “gowns and towns” connection between the Southfield City Center and Lawrence Tech is strong.

“It’s seamless now and we are one family, LTU and the City Centre, the businesses and residents,” she says. “This I believe is a golden gem and will always be a center of pride for all of us. It’s all about fostering relationships and being successful.”

Customer-Influenced New Look Brings Southfield City Centre Marriott to Foreground
Customer-Influenced New Look Brings Southfield City Centre Marriott to Foreground southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Customer feedback fueled the design choices for a $14 million interior renovation at the Detroit Marriott Southfield on Northwestern Hwy. in the Southfield City Centre. Phase one of the renovation was completed in May 2018 and updated and refreshed the lobby, all 226 guest rooms, all conference rooms, board room, and ballrooms, according to Rodney Jackson, general manager.

But something was still missing.

“In 2019, I went back to the owners and told them they did a fantastic job with the interiors, but the outside still looked like it did before,” says Jackson. His suggestion sparked a $300,000 exterior update that uplifts the whole property. “We went with a gray color palette, light and dark gray, and it’s been really well received by customers and corporate businesses in the area.”

For the interior renovation, customers offered their top improvements wish list, which included clean, fresh wood tile flooring throughout – including guest rooms – all new lighting and bedding, plus industry standard-exceeding 50-inch smart TVs with internet and Netflix. “If you come to the hotel, you don’t need to bring all of your devices,” says Jackson. “You enter your own Netflix credentials and when you check out, your information is erased. We wanted it to be as close to home as you can possibly make it.”

Improvements at the City Centre’s Marriott live up to the enhanced, pedestrian-friendly feel of the City Centre overall, says Jackson. And with a bikeshare station right in the hotel parking lot, guests can use the shared-use path of the Southfield City Centre Trail to move around the City Centre with ease.

“The bikeshare is so popular. I didn’t realize it was used as much as it is until I watched bikes come and go from the station,” Jackson says. “It’s a lot more popular than I imagined.”

The new modern exterior look coincided with an exterior update of the Courtyard Detroit Southfield property next door, and together they move their corner of the Southfield City Centre forward, Jackson says.

“When we look up and down the street, we don’t fade into the background, especially with Beaumont close by and all the updates they have done to their building,” he says. “We and the Courtyard wanted a more modern look to be more a part of this area, instead of in the background.”

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National Study Confirms High Value of a Lawrence Tech Degree
National Study Confirms High Value of a Lawrence Tech Degree southfieldcc_3ik8d2

SOUTHFIELD – A new national study of the value of a college education placed Lawrence Technological University fourth in Michigan and in the top 7 percent of 4,500 colleges surveyed by the U.S. Department Education for its 2019 College Scorecard.

The government data was analyzed by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Using a complex calculation of net present value of a college degree, a Lawrence Tech graduate can expect a net-present-value return of $1,124,000 over 40 years on the investment in a college degree. That places the university fourth among Michigan colleges, just ahead of Michigan State University. It ranks first in the three-county Metro Detroit area.

The study ranked private universities ahead of public universities nationwide in the career-long value of a degree. Three of the top 10 colleges were specialty pharmacy schools in New York, Missouri, and Massachusetts. Two others were maritime academies in Maine and New York.

“The results of this study emphasize Lawrence Tech’s commitment to preparing its graduates for productive careers,” LTU President Virinder Moudgil said. “Our graduates are ready to hit the ground running in their first job and usually that will result in greater earning power in the years to come. A Lawrence Tech degree gives our graduates a head start on their peers at most other universities.”

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 15 percent of universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

Tech248 Special Event at Centrepolis Accelerator Dec. 3
Tech248 Special Event at Centrepolis Accelerator Dec. 3 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Wonder what that genius product idea that has been knocking around in your head might actually look like in real life? Curious about how to get that product to market?

Learn more about how to take a product from concept to prototype to market and connect with expert help at the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University at the Tech248 special event on Dec. 3 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Located in the Southfield City Centre, the Centrepolis Accelerator is an entrepreneur and business support asset specifically focused on companies that manufacture and commercialize a physical product.

This event is the first time the newly-opened Centrepolis Accelerator will host Tech248, the series of meetup events organized by Oakland County that brings together tech talent from the more than 2,000 IT and tech companies across Oakland County to network, learn, engage, and share.

The Centrepolis Accelerator, which opened officially on Oct. 4, 2019, is a 6,200 square-foot facility with coworking spaces, conference rooms, a premier manufacturing technology lab, training spaces, and expert support from the brightest minds in the manufacturing industry. Its affiliation with the prestigious Lawrence Technological University allows members access to the very latest in engineering, design, and product development techniques.

December’s Tech248 meetup is a great time to get an inside look at this state-of-the-art workspace, says Dan Radomski, director of the Centrepolis Accelerator.

“This is a great event for people that have a physical product idea and need help prototyping,” says Radomski. “We encourage people to bring their product idea or existing prototypes to the event for one-on-one prototyping and go-to-market advice.”

Oakland County tech businesses will get to see Michigan’s newest accelerator, says Greg Doyle, manager of the Oakland County One Stop Shop at the Oakland County Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs.

“The Centrepolis has a really nice focus on the industrial product, which matches with the technology side and the business demographic in Southeast Michigan, where we have a high concentration of engineers, production and manufacturing,” says Doyle. “I’m excited to have the Centrepolis Accelerator as another major piece of the entrepreneurial support system in Southeast Michigan and particularly in Oakland County.”

In addition to hearing a panel discussion, participating in networking, and touring the development lab, prototyping center, additive manufacturing lab, and virtual reality studio, Tech248 attendees can also bring their ideas and products to the event and get expert advice, says Radomski.

The event is free of charge, but advance registration is required. Click here to register and learn more.

 

Tech248 Special Event: Centrepolis Accelerator
Tuesday, December 3 from 2 – 4 PM

Centrepolis Accelerator
21415 Civic Center Drive
Suite 100 | Southfield, MI

 

Agenda

  • 2:00 p.m. Arrival & Networking
  • 2:15 p.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks
    • Greg Doyle, Tech248
  • 2:20 p.m. Overview of Centrepolis Accelerator
    • Dan Radomski, Centrepolis Accelerator
  • 2:35 p.m. Panel: Prototyping mistakes to avoid
    • Dan Radomski, Centrepolis Accelerator
    • David Bolognino, Integrated Additive Solutions
    • John Bracknell, Mirari
  • 2:55 p.m. Networking & Tour of Centrepolis Product
    • Development Lab, including:
    • Prototyping Center, Additive Manufacturing
    • Lab and Augmented and Virtual Reality Studio

Inaugural Southfield City Centre Ghost Walk: Part History, Part Spooky
Inaugural Southfield City Centre Ghost Walk: Part History, Part Spooky southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Chilly autumn air and a darkening sky set the stage for the inaugural Southfield City Centre Ghost Walk. On the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 22, an intimate crowd gathered to set off on the first of two scheduled six-stop historical walking tours to discover the hidden past of what is now a modern mini-urban walkable district.

With Thaddeus Gunter, original Michigan surveyor from 1815, as their guide, participants took a journey through pre-colonial Southfield, to the days of the active Underground Railroad, and the celebration of accomplished educator and early settler Mary Thompson on the historic farm she bequeathed to the City of Southfield.

Along the way, guests learned how Southfield was settled, discovered how the City Centre advanced from acres of farmland bisected by a Native American trail that led south to Detroit, how Fannie Richards worked to bring equity to education, and how the city earned its name. They also learned some of the City Centre’s spookier histories, from ghostly sightings near the cemetery of the original Covenanter Church of Southfield to ancient Native American cures for scurvy and rattlesnake poisoning, to eerie sightings of early Southfield City Centre residents who met their untimely ends.

At Mary Thompson’s Farm, participants enjoyed cider and doughnuts and shared their thoughts about the event.

“I really enjoyed the experience of discovering something new about Southfield,” said Andy Curriston. He and his wife Liz Curriston moved to Southfield recently from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and said they enjoy exploring the Southfield City Centre on foot, something they started doing when they attended the Kimmie Horne Jazz Festival in August. They said they particularly enjoyed the narrative tone of Thaddeus Gunter, and the spooky crypt keeper who appeared in the church cemetery.

“It was fascinating to learn the history of the community,” said Rita Lewry, who lives in Birmingham and participated in the later of the two ghost walks. “The stories came alive through the narrators at each stop.” Tom Lewry agreed. “I enjoyed the first-person perspective because it made it more immediate,” he said.

Kathy Kelley of Southfield said she liked each stop on the ghost walk equally. “I liked them all, and it was worth it for the history,” she said.

Each participant received a Southfield City Centre Trail Map and covered a three-quarter mile segment of the 7-mile shared-use path during the 75-minute ghost walk. The trail, which will see an expansion in the spring of 2020, is fast becoming a signature component of the City Centre, and guests learned just why one small portion of the path near Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church remains narrower than the rest of the trail. The reason is enmeshed in a ghostly history of unmarked gravesites, and Heather Rockensuess of Southfield said she enjoyed piecing together the puzzle.

“I always wondered why the wide sidewalk suddenly narrowed,” she said. “I also like learning about the house fire and the history behind what was on that site where TGI Fridays is now.”

The event raised funds for the Southfield Historical Society and the Friends of the Southfield Public Arts, and was made possible by the volunteer efforts of a dedicated team from Southfield Department of Planning, Southfield Business and Economic Development, Southfield Public Arts Commission, Southfield Public Library, Southfield Parks & Rec, Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Southfield Public Schools, Lawrence Technological University, and many others.

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Cybersecurity Panel Talks Threats and Solutions at LTU / WWJ Program
Cybersecurity Panel Talks Threats and Solutions at LTU / WWJ Program southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Data breach. Identity theft. Cybercrime. These are all buzzwords individuals and businesses living and operating in the modern world have become familiar with. If you haven’t yet experienced a breach of your personal data, you know someone who has.

Three of the top 15 metropolitan cities for identity theft reports are in Michigan, according to 2017 information from the Federal Trade Commission, as shared by the Michigan Attorney General’s website.

Recognizing October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Lawrence Technological University hosted a special event as part of the WWJ Newsradio 950 Leaders & Innovators Series on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 17 on their Southfield City Centre campus.

WWJ’s business editor Murray Feldman moderated a panel discussion about cybersecurity with Colin Battersby, counsel in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group with McDonald Hopkins in Bingham Farms; Brad Gramlin, director of enterprise sales for Comcast Business; and David Derigiotis, corporate vice president with Farmington Hills-based insurance broker Burns & Wilcox.

Your data is out there

The conversation ranged from the prevalence of data breaches in organizations from financial to social media to the danger of intermingling of personal and business passwords, to the “industry” practices of data thieves that hijack files for ransom.

“How many of us have a phone we use for email?” asked Derigiotis, who is also the author of Parental Advisory: How to Protect Your Family in the Digital Age of Identity Theft & Data Breaches. “We all communicate electronically with our corporate or personal email accounts spread across so many sites. Some are critical, like banking, but we use the same email address for Facebook or Instagram.”

Email is a constant target, said Derigiotis, sharing that 2.8 million emails are sent every second of every day, and many are spam. One click or one opened attachment exposes us to ransomware or data theft, he said.

One piece of advice offered is to always use a separate, anonymized email address for functions where security is critical, like banking, rather than having one email address that is used for everything from social media to credit card accounts. And be smart about your passwords, said Battersby.

“The corporate best practice is to change your password every 90 days,” he said. “People are now using pass phrases that are easy to remember and not likely to be guessed. There are different ways to manage your passwords, but keeping them secure is key.”

Once captured, data points are widely available

The discussion included a live demonstration in which an audience member’s personal email address was scrutinized to see if personal data had been accessed without her knowledge. When her address was entered into a site called Have I Been Pwned?, she recognized some companies she has done business with, but many others she has not. “Pwned” is the industry term for being “owned,” or otherwise a victim of data breech.

The exercise, while initially disturbing, highlighted the common business practice of aggregating data and making it available to anyone who can pay for it or steal it. Organizations collect as many different data points on users as possible – including our pet preferences, where we live, if we rent or own our homes – all useful information from a marketing perspective. But once gathered, the information is easily compromised.

Protecting the small business

For small businesses, compromised data can cause big problems, the experts said. When data thieves steal personal and credit information about customers or literally kidnap the data system and render it unusable until ransom is paid, the effects can be devastating.

If this happens to a small business, they have three choices, said Battersby. “They can start over with new data, they can restore from backup, or they can pay the ransom,” he said. Often in the range of $5,000 to $10,000, the ransom demanded could be up to several million dollars.

“We have seen this happen here in Michigan in the healthcare industry,” said Gramlin. “The threat of ransomware is keeping IT professionals up at night. It’s the bogeyman for them. Especially in the small business, the removal of ransomware is not easily negotiated, Often it takes a week or two and there is a huge loss of productivity.”

Businesses of any size can preempt these problems by having a robust incident response plan in the case of data breach, the experts said. Then practice using it, similar to a fire drill. A good place to start is to make sure backups are taking place, and that the data is accessible.

“This is a conversation I have monthly with the reps in the three states I cover. Too frequently, backups don’t happen,” said Gramlin.

Learn about future series events at LTU and listen to the full cybersecurity program as a podcast at WWJ Newsradio 950.

Elevator or Stairs? Take Both at the Town Center’s Gift of Adoption Fund Climb
Elevator or Stairs? Take Both at the Town Center’s Gift of Adoption Fund Climb southfieldcc_3ik8d2

For Josh Jackett, it’s the stairs, every time, because each flight of stairs offers Jackett the opportunity to build fitness and meet his training goals. As a competitive stair climber, Jackett travels the country, participating in as many as 10 events each year. Most benefit one nonprofit organization or another, and all require effort for a great cause.

But the Gift of Adoption Fund Michigan Chapter “Stepping Up to Bring Families Together” climb is dear to Jackett’s heart. In addition to offering a chance for people to gather together on Saturday, Nov. 23 to climb to the top – or just half way – of the iconic 2000 Town Center building in the Southfield City Centre, the event benefits children and the families who adopt them.

“This is a special charity because you don’t see a lot of stair climbs that benefit this type of organization,” Jackett says, who shares that his father was adopted, as well as his maternal grandmother. “People I knew in college have adopted kids and to see what they have gone through, I’m so happy to help out to raise money and awareness.”

A Great Climb for a Great Cause

Specifically designed to challenge participants to fundraise for the Gift of Adoption Fund Michigan Chapter (GOA), the event will engage every fitness level and offer many participation options for people aged 5 and older. The event is a way for coworkers, families, and friends to work together to support a worthy organization that believes that having a family is the basic right of children everywhere and which works to give as many children without families a life they would not have known otherwise. Gift of Adoption is a volunteer-driven nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

All money raised through donations for the GOA Stepping Up to Bring Families Together climb will support adoption assistance grants to connect vulnerable children with families in Michigan. Each climber is encouraged to raise $100 and can create a personal fundraising page after registering for the event.

A Category for Every Ability

While most people balk at the idea of climbing one flight of stairs – much less 28 – Jackett says stair climbing is a great activity for runners and cyclists who want to maintain fitness during the winter months. And for those looking to get into shape or face a pre-Thanksgiving challenge, stair climbing for a good cause ties everything together. Even those who want to take it at a slower pace can find a suitable participation category.

“I think anyone can stair climb. You don’t have to go all out,” says Jackett, who lives near Milwaukee and has family in Metro Detroit. “If your goal is to get faster and you have stairs to train on, you can track your progression. It’s great cross training, and you may hate it because it’s hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it.”

Jackett, who has been climbing competitively since 2013, will be participating in the “Power Hour,” climbing to floor 28 and descending by elevator as many times as he can in 60 minutes. He thinks he’ll probably be able to make it to the top 10 times, or maybe 11.

“Not everyone climbs at this pace, but anyone can do it. I definitely say anyone can do it, and you may even get hooked.”

Learn more about the event and about Gift of Adoption Fund Michigan Chapter.

Centrepolis Accelerator Celebrates Manufacturing Day with Grand Opening
Centrepolis Accelerator Celebrates Manufacturing Day with Grand Opening southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Manufacturing Day, a national day of recognition for the past, present, and future of manufacturing, was an appropriate moment in time for the grand opening celebration of the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University. With the morning of Friday, Oct. 4, dedicated to the introduction of the 6,300-square foot, state-of-the-art space to dignitaries and the afternoon open to the public, the Centrepolis Accelerator welcomed hundreds of visitors on its first official day of operation.

“We had a great turnout with startups, small businesses, large companies, and economic development organizations and other incubators and accelerators in attendance,” says Dan Radomski, director of the Centrepolis Accelerator. Individuals from state, local, and regional entities were among the more than 400 people who attended the event.

Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver joined LTU President Virinder Moudgil, Oakland County Executive David Coulter, U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield), Josh Hundt, executive vice president and chief business development officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Mark Brucki, director of corporate and community partnerships at LTU, Fred Zorn, Southfield City Administrator, Rochelle Freeman, business and economic development director for the City of Southfield, and others, in recognizing the value of the Centrepolis Accelerator at the event.

Celebrating the Centrepolis Accelerator’s mission to support entrepreneurs and businesses that manufacture physical products, Lawrence focused on the new face of product development. “The days of dark, dirty buildings, the days of not getting respect for working with your hands, those days are over, and we need to make sure we need to highlight all the amazing opportunities in manufacturing. There is so much technology tied to manufacturing now,” said Lawrence, according to a release from LTU.

Top industry support in the product manufacturing and development process for entrepreneurs and businesses is what sets the Centrepolis Accelerator apart from other coworking spaces, even those with active makerspaces, says Radomski.

“It’s easy to say [the Centrepolis Accelerator] is just another coworking space with some cool lab tools and that can do some prototyping. There are plenty of those types of makerspaces in town.

What isn’t so easy to pick up is that what we do here is a whole unique program to help companies and entrepreneurs along every stage of product development,” he says.

A physical space with state-of-the-art prototyping equipment, including artificial reality and virtual reality, is made all the more valuable with talent and industry experience to support clients in all their product development and marketing needs.

“We have the best and brightest minds to work with clients to get it right,” says Radomski. “Entrepreneurs can make a lot of costly mistakes and spend a lot of money and time unless they talk to experts first.” The Centrepolis Accelerator has a wealth of expertise, especially within the LTU alumni community, to work with companies to help clarify how to develop their products from prototyping to engineering to design, he says. “Ultimately the companies that go through our programs are more successful than those that don’t. We haven’t had a company fail yet, and many wouldn’t have their products to market without our support.”

On hand to share their experiences were early Centrepolis Accelerator clients Wareologie, manufacturers of magnetic buttons that allow people with dexterity limitations to dress independently; Gaddis Gaming, creator of electronic gaming tables for tabletop games; Maxfit, developers of a portable workout device; and Pingree Detroit, makers of fine leather goods, according to the LTU release.

“We have always been pleased to have the business development and programming resources and expertise of the Centrepolis Accelerator here in the Southfield City Centre and are really just thrilled that they now have a strong physical presence to complement all the services they provide,” says Freeman. “The focus on manufacturing really blends well with the district’s well-established high-tech businesses, and we hope that Centrepolis Accelerator clients consider setting up their businesses permanently in the City Centre.”

Centrepolis Accelerator partners include the City of Southfield, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the Michigan Energy Fund, and the New Economy Initiative.

Learn more about the Centrepolis Accelerator at http://www.centrepolisaccelerator.com/

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