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LTU Science & Technology Showcase shows off student talent in the life sciences
LTU Science & Technology Showcase shows off student talent in the life sciences 500 500 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

The life sciences expertise of Lawrence Technological University students will again be on full display as the university conducts its fourth Science and Technology Showcase on Wednesday, April 28.

The event will be streamed live online from 2 to 4 p.m. This year’s theme is “Bench to Bedside: Moving Medical Devices and Technology from Concept to Clinical Application.”

The event will feature a panel discussion moderated by Jaideep Rajput, director of commercialization at Beaumont Health. Panelists include M. Therese Jamison, director of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at LTU; Brianna Riley, manager at Henry Ford Innovations, the technology commercialization arm of Henry Ford Health; and Fred Molnar, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

They’ll discuss what hospitals and health networks are doing to engage with companies, how a startup can get the most out of conducting pilot studies with a health care system partner, how early stage companies can work with health care systems to generate user experience for new technologies, and how and why health care organizations should share their technical expertise.

Also at the Showcase, dozens of LTU students will show off their senior capstone projects and other research in a virtual poster session. The presenting students are majoring in biomedical engineering, nursing, molecular and cell biology, and other life science disciplines.

LTU’s curriculum combines scholarship, research, and real-world applications. Many employers over the years have found valuable talent at the Showcase.

The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit https://ltu.joinhandshake.com/events/716765/share_preview.

LTU began holding the event in the spring of 2017. The 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic.

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers nearly 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 11 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.

Attend a Virtual Job Fair on January 26
Attend a Virtual Job Fair on January 26 1080 1080 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Job seekers have a safe way to interact with potential employers at a virtual job fair on January 26, 2021 from 1-4 p.m.

The virtual job fair, hosted by Oakland County Michigan Works!, in partnership with the City of Southfield and the City of Oak Park, is a chance for individuals who are seeking a variety of types of jobs to connect with employers across many industries in a safe, socially distant way, online.

“This is an opportunity for job seekers to meet with a variety of employers virtually,” says Jeffrey Granat, program operation coordinator with Oakland County Michigan Works! Southfield, which is located on Civic Center Drive in the Southfield City Centre. “Job seekers can move from booth to booth, read about the employers and learn about their job openings.”

Participants can chat with potential employers and have a brief interview. “Employers do a nice job of putting together booths to entice jobseekers to learn more about their company and to chat with their representatives,” Granat says.

Across the multi-industry fair, employers are seeking a diverse group of employees from cleaners, environmental attendants, call center workers, logistics specialists, human services workers, transportation employees, cooks, certified nursing assistants and more. The virtual platform can accommodate as many as 30 employers, so there will be a variety of industries represented.

“There are a variety of different employers here and we try to offer something for everyone. There will be small companies and big companies from different industries. We want people to know there is something for you here,” Granat says. “Oakland County Michigan Works! will also have a booth to provide tips on resume writing and interviewing, and other tips for people seeking employment.”

Job seekers can use a computer, laptop or tablet to participate and will connect through a user-friendly job fair tool. Job seekers should register and build a profile and they can upload a resume. “The more information a job seeker can provide, the better,” Granat says.

Even during the pandemic, Oakland County Michigan Works! and the City of Southfield are working to ease unemployment and provide safe ways for individuals to return to work.

“It’s great that we have been able to put this virtual job fair together to help job seekers throughout southeast Michigan get back to work,” Granat says.

Learn more about the virtual job fair at Oakland County Michigan Works! Southfield: OaklandCountyMIWorks.com. Or contact Jeffrey Granat at jgranat@cityofsouthfield.com.

Job seekers can register for the virtual job fair at: app.brazenconnect.com/a/Michigan/e/l5Pmw

Toad Opener Leverages Centrepolis Accelerator to Help Open Doors
Toad Opener Leverages Centrepolis Accelerator to Help Open Doors 950 950 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

As some businesses understandably struggle in pandemic conditions, others thrive. Toad Opener is one that is perfectly positioned for success with a simple solution for hands-free door opening.

When Nick Moritz, a Michigan ex-pat living in Shanghai, was forced to return to metro Detroit at the very beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, he noticed a product installed at the foot of a commercial door that allowed the user to open the door with a foot instead of a hand. Recognizing the inherent ingenuity, he contacted the company with the hope of becoming an installer of the product he knew would be needed during and beyond the pandemic.

When Moritz learned the product had no installer program, his entrepreneurial mind recognized an opportunity to create a similar — but better — product. In April, Moritz and business partner Clif Wells — a fellow Michigan State Spartan Moritz met in China — launched Toad Opener, a hands-free door opening product with enhanced design features not found in competitive products.

Installed with zero door damage

“The key differentiator is we are able to apply the units without having to drill permanent, damaging holes into valuable commercial doors.” Instead, the Toad Opener is affixed to the door using a patent-pending design and commercial-grade 3M adhesives, saving damage and allowing for removal and replacement if necessary. This also makes the units appropriate for glass and refrigerator doors.

In addition to servicing many other customers such as restaurants, bars and hotels, Toad Opener has provided “bright, beautiful, customized units” for the City of Royal Oak throughout their new city hall and ice arena. Using 3D printing, they embed logos and branding into the units. The product comes with a sticker affixed to the door at eye level to alert individuals to use their foot to open the door, hands-free.

Expanding product offering with support from Centrepolis Accelerator

Early on, Moritz and Wells sought the support of a business accelerator and contacted Dan Radomski, director of the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University in the Southfield City Centre. Through the Centrepolis Accelerator, which is uniquely designed to support businesses that manufacture physical products, Toad Opener qualified for a $1,500 business accelerator fund grant for services, which the company is using to innovate new product offerings.

Moritz says he and Wells are now working with a new 3D filament material embedded with copper nanoparticles that are antiviral and antibacterial. “The new material kills not only COVID-19, but also the flu and MSRA,” says Moritz. “This makes Toad Openers appropriate for hospital and physician office settings.” They are also designing protective overlays for high-touch surfaces.

“From toilet stall latches to drinking fountains, we’re creating products that are healthier and safer and basically self-cleaning. We give people a high level of confidence, though we don’t want anyone to abandon the best practices of disinfecting,” Moritz says.

A target market for Toad Opener is government and commercial buildings in the Southfield City Centre. “A major selling point is not just that companies should add Toad Openers to their doors for the sake of it, but that it’s a competitive advantage for them to be able to say when people start coming back to offices, that they have invested in these products to make the return as safe as possible,” Moritz says. For now, Toad Opener positions itself in the business-to-business and business-to-government sectors, rather than selling directly to individual consumers. The product is also suitable for public buildings like libraries and schools.

“We are focused on protecting the community and making everyone safer,” Moritz says.

Learn more about Toad Opener at www.toadopener.com. Discover the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University at www.centrepolisaccelerator.com.

Starters Bar & Grille Opens in the Southfield City Centre
Starters Bar & Grille Opens in the Southfield City Centre 855 855 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

New to the Southfield City Centre, but with a well-established name, Starters Bar & Grille opened quietly in mid-December for carryout and delivery of its steakhouse fare and is poised to welcome diners in-house as soon as state COVID restrictions allow.

By setting up in Southfield, Starters Bar & Grille co-owner Ali Saad says he has made a smart business move and fulfilled a dream at the same time.

In the 23 years Saad has been a restauranteur, he has worked hard to get to know his customers and welcome them as friends at the Starters Bar & Grille locations he runs with his father, Bahaa Saad, and uncle, Mike Saad, in Harper Woods, in midtown Detroit on Woodward, and the original Detroit location on Plymouth Road. (Their Dearborn location closed permanently during the pandemic economic shutdown in March 2020.)

It didn’t take long for Saad to realize that many of his best customers were from Southfield, and for them, he wanted to bring Starters closer to home. “It’s been my dream for 10-plus years to open in Southfield,” Saad says.

The newest Starters Bar & Grille is now open at 25242 Evergreen Rd., in the City Center Plaza near Ten Mile.

The welcome to Southfield couldn’t have been warmer. “I wanted to bring my dad’s vision and our brand to Southfield and we’ve been welcomed immediately. Customers are dancing around and thanking me when I should be the one dancing around and thanking my customers,” he says with pride and humility. “I wake up smiling and happy with the feeling I’m being welcomed into the community with open arms.”

Southfield is the perfect choice

For the first Starters location outside of Wayne County, Saad says he couldn’t have made a better choice than Southfield. As a much-needed entertainment and dining location in the Southfield City Centre, Starters will bring steakhouse fare to its target market of “2 years old to 90 years old,” Saad says, adding that with the business community, upscale hotels and surrounding residential communities, Southfield has “the trifecta” for Starters.

“I reach out for culturally diverse areas, and Southfield offers that. We know that if five people go out for dinner together, each person will find something they love on our menu,” he says. From wings, burgers, steak, lobster, crab, shrimp, fish and fettuccine, “we target the masses.”

In addition to its family-pleasing menu, Starters has a calming ambiance with custom-built booths, black granite surfaces flecked with gold and touches of hand-crafted woodworking. “The bar is our focal point, and our restaurant space is welcoming to families, children and grandparents. We want people to be able to come here, have a cocktail and enjoy themselves after a long day at work,” Saad says.

Fourteen large-screen TVs will cater to sports-loving customers and the high-end sound system will provide crisp, clear background music for diners. Lawrence Tech students will appreciate the phone chargers cleverly installed under the bar and at the meeting table, too.

“We executed it properly with the design of the space,” Saad says. Right now, Starters spans space formerly used by two restaurants, and will soon expand into a third contiguous space to provide even more dining space, eventually covering about 5,200 square feet.

A community anchor

Family owned and operated since 1977, Starters becomes a staple in its communities because it is a good employer, Saad says. “When we first opened, we hired our very first chef and he still works for us today. He’s still a part of the family,” Saad says. “We are not burn-and-churn with regard to hiring and firing. People who work with us stick around for 15 or 20 years and that’s something we hold high on our priority list. Consistency is the key to success, and with consistency of service, product and attitude, we are there.”

As a small business that brings food, drink and entertainment to a thriving Southfield City Centre, Starters Bar & Grille is excited to get to know new customers — from residents to business people to faculty and students at Lawrence Tech.

“I recognize that we are the missing puzzle piece in the grand scheme of things here, but I will humbly say that I needed the city of Southfield more than they needed me,” Saad says.

Visit Starters Bar & Grille at 25242 Evergreen Rd. in the Southfield City Centre. startersdetroit.com

Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative
Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative 700 700 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

The Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative will utilize federal CARES Act funding to provide $10 million in grants to meet the urgent need of Michigan small businesses disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Applications for businesses to apply will open on December 15, 2020.

Grant Information for Small Businesses

The Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative (“Initiative”) will disburse an aggregate of $10 million in grant funding to eligible small businesses in Michigan. Applications will open at 9:00 A.M ET on December 15, 2020 and will be reviewed on a “first-in” basis by the Michigan Municipal League Foundation, which MEDC has selected to serve as the grant administrator. MEDC expects to fund approximately 650 small businesses with the funding allocated.

Prior to December 15, businesses can prepare for the application process by reviewing the following information:

 

Read More at MichiganBusiness.org

Michigan Economic Development Corporation Grant Opportunity
Michigan Economic Development Corporation Grant Opportunity southfieldcc_3ik8d2

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is offering a grant opportunity to specific businesses hardest hit by the recent closures. The application period for small businesses seeking grants will begin on Tuesday, December 15.

The Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative is intended to meet the urgent need of Michigan businesses including restaurants and bars, lodging providers, live event venues and movie theaters, conference and meeting facilities, indoor recreation facilities, and gyms and fitness centers. The grants under the program will support those businesses facing drastic reductions in cash flow and the continued support of their workforce and may be used for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, or utility expenses.

The program will provide a total of $10 million for the state to one or more qualified grant administrators, who will administer and allocate grants of up to $15,000 each to eligible businesses around the state. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

To qualify for grant support, businesses must meet a number of criteria, including but not limited to:

  • Being a business in one of the targeted industries;
  • Identifying a need for payroll, rent, or mortgage payments, and/or utility expenses necessary to continue or restart business operations;
  • Having at least two employees (including the owner) but fewer than 50;
  • Additional eligibility requirements can be found on Michiganbusiness.org/relief

 

StarAgilis Advances 5G Technology With Help From Centrepolis Accelerator and LTU
StarAgilis Advances 5G Technology With Help From Centrepolis Accelerator and LTU southfieldcc_3ik8d2

When experienced entrepreneur Alex Downs of Michigan startup StarAgilis was ready to advance to proof-of-concept stage for a 5G controller for consumer and industrial applications, he sought to maximize design and testing resources and build connections where manufacturing expertise is already strong. His research led him to the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University in the Southfield City Centre.

Downs connected with Centrepolis Accelerator director Dan Radomski and expert-in-residence Dennis Shaver. To help Downs advance his concept to a physical product, they hatched a unique collaboration with Lawrence Tech’s College of Architecture and Design and College of Engineering. Faculty members from each college embraced the opportunity in different ways.

The team knew the students would not only benefit from cross-disciplinary development of a real physical product but that they’d likely jump at the opportunity, too, given that this controller has an appropriate application in the video-gaming market — gaming being an activity familiar to and enjoyed by many students. Using 5G technology, the product can operate an augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) headset and drone simultaneously, which was not possible under earlier communications protocols.

“We came in with the technology and LTU is really helping us develop it. The students are on track and their output is good,” says Downs, who is originally from New Hampshire but currently lives in Hong Kong. “Our proof-of-concept will be basically proving a novel industry 4.0 application.” The connection with the Centrepolis Accelerator is a good match, as the business development resource exists to support entrepreneurs and established businesses prototype, test and manufacture physical products.

Radomski and Downs worked with Li Chen, adjunct faculty with LTU’s College of Architecture and Design and George Pappas, assistant professor with LTU’s College of Engineering who set to work with students to collaborate and advance the product design. Industrial design students worked in teams to develop the look and feel of the controller while engineering students designed the electrical controls and mechanical placement. Both sets of students needed to pay attention not only to packaging space, but water and humidity intrusion, thermal management and impact resistance.

For students who typically work in silos, the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and negotiate their needs on behalf of an actual product is a real-world experience, Radomski says. Participating students can go on to use the experience in their own portfolios.

“We really have a captive audience with the students because a lot of them are gamers and they really understand the product,” Downs says. “They have very good insights and they approach it from their own perspective, with a lot of knowledge of what’s on the market right now. This is expertise we can really leverage.”

A grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Business Accelerator Fund, together with financial support from StarAgilis, has funded the hardware and provided stipends for some of the student work, according to Radomski.

Ultimately, the 5G controller could be put to use in construction and industrial applications, and Downs is confident that Michigan is the place to advance his product to the manufacturing stage. With a goal to find partners — in the automotive and medical industries, specifically — StarAgilis is positioned to advance technology and manufacturing in southeast Michigan.

“Our hope is to be part of the ecosystem in Michigan that leads to great connections with great companies and people,” says Downs. “It’s really a people business and finding and attracting talent is very important. We are grateful for LTU for working with us and we appreciate what they are doing for us.”

Learn more about StarAgilis and the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University at centrepolisaccelerator.com.

Excellence In The City Event Planned by Southfield Area Chamber
Excellence In The City Event Planned by Southfield Area Chamber southfieldcc_3ik8d2

To cap off an unprecedented year in the Southfield business community, the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce will host a 2020 Excellence In The City event. The virtual event will center around a 45-minute video presentation beginning at noon on December 8. The event will highlight key points from Southfield Mayor Ken Siver and bridge the gap from the annual State of the City event, which was canceled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Excellence In The City will be broadcast through YouTube and Facebook Live.

To recognize the hard work of dedicated individuals and businesses in the Southfield area, 2020 Excellence In The City will be a celebration of award winners from five categories: Young Professionals, Health Heroes, Community Cares, Chamber Member of the Year and Innovation.

The Southfield Area Chamber is encouraging individuals to nominate the individual or business they feel most aptly embodies the spirit of each category. Award winners MUST be Southfield Area Chamber members. Nominators are encouraged to create and submit a 60-second video that highlights the nominee’s accomplishments and qualifications. Cell phone videos are perfect for this submission.

Nominations will be accepted through November 13, 2020.

Here’s a look at the categories up close:

Ascension Providence Health Hero Award

Candidates demonstrate community benefit by improving the health of their communities through healthcare, economic, or social initiatives. Ascension Providence Health Hero Award nominees demonstrate a passion for improving the health and well-being of the community through a profound dedication to their healthcare profession. They represent the healthcare industry with integrity, fighting for the health and safety of our community.

Centrepolis Accelerator Innovation Award

Candidates are businesses or entrepreneurs with a unique blend of vision, energy and perseverance. They develop innovative solutions to navigate through challenges and experience business growth as a result.

International Minute Press Chamber Member of the Year Award

Candidates are individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce with enthusiasm and dedication. They promote the mission of the Chamber: creating connections that drive and strengthen businesses.

Young Professional Award

Candidates have consistently demonstrated a commitment to some or all the following: contributing to the community, growing and excelling in their field through professional development, and/or achieving notable professional accomplishments. YP’s 40 and under are eligible to receive this award.

The Mars Agency Community Care Award

Candidates have consistently demonstrated that they are operating to enhance the workplace and community while impacting social change with their business beliefs, practices and profits. Nominees for the Community Care Award demonstrate an individual, business, or corporate social responsibility model, including financial commitment through economic and social initiatives.

The 2020 Excellence In The City sponsors are Ascension Providence, Lawrence Technological University, Comcast Business, the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, the City of Southfield, International Minute Press, The Mars Agency and Michigan First Credit Union.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available, including some award category sponsorships.

Learn more about the 2020 Excellence in the City event and register at southfieldchamber.com.

American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Goes Virtual to #MoveYourNumbers Success
American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Goes Virtual to #MoveYourNumbers Success southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Even the coronavirus pandemic can’t keep down those who are dedicated to promoting the mission of a worthy cause. On August 30, 352 people walked, ran and rode in the 2020 Tour de Cure virtual event to raise $321,295.11 for the American Diabetes Association’s signature Michigan event.

“Locally here in Michigan, we have held events in person for 29 years, but this year we changed to a virtual event and encouraged people to walk, run or ride wherever they wanted,” says Kiel Porter, Michigan associate director for the American Diabetes Association (ADA). “Participants got out into their own neighborhoods and even rode on stationary bikes, wherever they were at the time.”

In addition to raising funds to support diabetes research and awareness, the event brought people together to let those affected by diabetes know that they aren’t alone, says Emilee Kropp, associate manager of donor relations with the Michigan office of the American Diabetes Association, which is located on Civic Center Drive in the Southfield City Centre.

Virtual means participate “wherever you are”

Martin Kinsella, who works for Comau LLC in Southfield and is a member of the Executive Committee for ADA Michigan, has been participating in Tour de Cure since 2013, many years alongside his son, Josh. He believes that pivoting to a virtual event in 2020 was not only a great way to continue a popular event, but encouraged new people to participate.

“While it’s great to have a local event with a great atmosphere, music, food and lots of local volunteers — and this in-person event should be repeated — it also proves that if you do want to do it virtually, you can get a phone app and walk around the block and you have done a half mile,” says Kinsella. “The virtual event opened the door to a lot of people. We are learning from this experience that we can reach a wider audience. We are raising awareness, and it doesn’t matter if you walk around the block, ride or run, you can share what you are doing with friends and neighbors.”

And, with a virtual event, people can take part no matter where they are. Kinsella himself happened to be in England for family reasons when the August virtual event took place. He borrowed a bicycle and, thanks to the 5-hour time difference, completed his 60-mile ride before the official Michigan event even started. “It really proves it can be done anywhere,” he says. His sisters in England also took part in the event by walking 5 kilometers.

“We always love to share Martin’s story because it’s so inspiring and motivating for people or companies that want to get involved,” Porter says. “He’s an advocate for our organzation and is so enthusiastic about Southfield. We always love to share how people can be more involved in our organization.”

Continue to #MoveYourNumbers

Traditionally two separate events for walkers and cyclists, the Tour de Cure unified in 2018 to provide everyone the opportunity to participate by walking, running and riding in one event. For the virtual event, organizers also worked to increase awareness about putting more movement into everyday life and championed the tagline #MoveYourNumbers.

“We really focus on being healthy and active and watching your numbers,” says Porter. Those numbers can be miles, pounds or even the numbers that people with diabetes keep track of.”

The Southfield City Centre offers opportunities for those who work, live, study or visit the area to #MoveYourNumbers on the 7.75-mile extra-wide shared-use path that winds through the district, connecting businesses, restaurants and retail with public art installations, greenspaces and nature. Thoughtfully designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind, the Southfield City Centre Trail features wayfinding signage, public benches and bicycle repair stations, as well as nature interpretive panels that encourage environmental stewardship and unique birdhouses, plus numerous points of historical interest.

“We encourage everyone to get to know the Southfield City Centre Trail as they gradually come back to work in the district,” says Rochelle Freeman, director of economic development for the City of Southfield. “We hope people will recognize that they can be active on the trail and take part in raising awareness for future American Diabetes Association events right on the beautiful and welcoming Southfield City Centre Trail.”

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