by ·Comments Off on [IN] Student Business Trying to Make Big Mark on Music Industry

by Nic Custer

Aleah Moses, songwriter and producer, has been building her portfolio writing and producing more than 50 songs with independent musicians. She creates both full songs and instrumentals depending on the job.

Moses Music, her start-up company in NBC suite 206, has mostly worked with out of state musicians in a variety of different genres. Moses said clients primarily want pop songs but she is proficient in creating hip hop, rap, R&B, and alternative pop (similar to the sound of Taylor Swift). She said working with smaller artists is a good way to advertise her work.

A junior majoring in Business Administration, Moses would like to expand her company to work with major label artists and do larger commercial work. While she didn’t write or produce a song until after she was 18 years old, Moses has been playing piano by ear since she was 8 and played the clarinet in middle school.

She said that as a female producer, she is also an activist for other women. Women get looked over in music for a lot of things, she said. Part of her mission is to let other people, specifically girls, know that they can make it as producers and songwriters too.

Her Northbank Center office recently had soundproofing installed and she uses the space as her primary recording studio.

She said it was definitely a blessing to have her own office in the Student Innovation Incubator where she can meet clients, that isn’t her home or other less conveinent spaces.

The beauty of being a musician in the 21st century, she said, is that you don’t have to fly in to another city just to record with other musicians. It can be done from anywhere.

Moses charges a standard overall product cost for the music and a percentage of the ownership rights.

She said she would be a good person for artists to work with because she is very open to different music styles and not boxed in by one specific genre. She also does music for advertising commercials.

“I like being the medium, I can do what I want to do without the attention or the limelight. I like my privacy,” Moses mused.

Moses created her website herself. Visit www.lovemosesmusic.com for more information.

by ·Comments Off on Our Home Transitional Wins Start-Up Business Award

563531_391180014313509_1364912815_nby Nic Custer

Our Home Transitional, a housing and social services business for female veterans located in the University of Michigan-Flint’s Innovation Incubator, has won the 2013 eTEAM Spark Award.

The eTEAM Spark award recognizes the “determination, vision, identified market, growth potential, and setting and achieving business goals” by a newer business.

To qualify for a eTEAM Spark award a business must be less than two years old and have partnered with an eTEAM member organization among other criteria.

The award, which includes a plaque, was given to ten start-up businesses around Flint and Genesee County. These included Consolidated Barber Shop, 107 W. Kearsley St., Healthy Dollar, 138 W. First St., New Thought Movement of Davison, and Our Home Transitional, 432 N. Saginaw St., Suite 207.

Joyce Hitchye, OHT volunteer grant writer, accepted the award on behalf of Executive Director Carrie Miller.

She said, “I have just recently met Carrie through our BEST Project Leadership Program, but her energy and her honest vigor to see the single female homeless veteran housing come to fruition has greatly inspired me.”

Our Home Transitional was presented the award Feb. 28 at the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce 2013 Jumpstart Entrepreneur Conference.

The conference was held at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center in Grand Blanc. Dave Zilko, vice chairman of Garden Fresh Gourmet, was the keynote speaker. There were two breakout sessions where attendees could choose between subjects like tax planning, government contracts vs. grants, 21st century marketing and legal structures.

Sherry Hayden, of the Innovation Incubator, originally nominated the start-up business for the award.

by ·Comments Off on UM-Flint Student Business Working With Female Veterans

by Nic Custer

Carrie Miller, founder and executive director of Our Home Transitional, didn’t have answers for the “20 questions about your business” online form when she applied for a space in UM-Flint’s Innovation Incubator.

But Miller, a senior studying psychology, and her business have come a long way in the past year.

Her business offers female veterans housing assistance and connects them with social services like job training. She returned home to Flint in 2010 with a strong desire to work with struggling women and children.

After sending in her 20 questions to the Incubator, she met with Danny Bledsoe, a military veteran and business coach who was working with [IN]. He suggested she serve returning veterans as they transition to civilian life. She agreed and Bledsoe has since joined Our Home Transitional’s five-person board of directors. The board is made up of UM-Flint students and faculty.

Our Home Transitional is in the process of purchasing their first home for veterans. It is a 3-storey, ten-bedroom house, north of campus, which is owned by another nonprofit. Besides cosmetic repairs, the house is ready to be lived in. Miller needs to raise $20,000, which is more than 35% of the house’s cost in order to qualify for a Veterans Administration grant, which could cover the other 65% of the price. Our Home is working directly with the Detroit Veterans Administration on the project.

In addition to a GoFundMe page, Our Home has a couple of grant writers applying to both the C.S. Mott and Ruth Mott foundations in order to raise the $20,000 down payment. One of the grant writers is a female veteran.

The house will be a large space to fill so the business is also looking for donations of furniture in addition to money. In the mean time, Our Home could also use a donated storage unit for the furniture it already has.

The Genesee County Land Bank has told Our Home Transitional that they would be willing to donate future homes that aren’t being planned for rehabilitation.

Miller is appreciative of the support she gets from the Incubator. She said that the workshops, business coaching and office space in NBK 206 have been huge helps.

“The Incubator’s been a huge support system for me. We have board meetings in the co-working space every month,” she said.

Miller has had family members serve in the armed forces including her sister who in Desert Storm. She said Michigan is 53rd in providing benefits to veterans, dead last behind other states and U.S. territories. This is because most veterans who returned to the state used to just get a job at GM, now without any substantial jobs, many more people are applying for their benefits including current service men and women but also Vietnam and even Korean war vets. Miller said the current backlog of 375,000 applications takes two years to process.

The business is very rewarding for Miller who has two daughters, 6 and 16 years old. She said her teenager is very proud of her and has even written reports for school about what her mom is doing.

Visit www.ourhometransitional.org or http://www.facebook.com/OurHomeTransitional for more information.

by ·Comments Off on Incubator Business to Open Free Play This Month About Emergency Manager Law

by Nic Custer

Shop Floor Theatre Company, an ensemble-based theatre company and Innovation Incubator tenant, is preparing to open their initial production, State of Emergency, at the end of February.

The writing team recorded interviews to craft an original script about the effects of Public Act 4, the Emergency Manager law, on the city of Flint.  The verbatim play focuses on the one-year period between PA 4’s enactment in the city (November 2011) and its repeal during the recent elections (November 2012). Writers interviewed street-level activists, residents, a councilperson, professors, Mayor Dayne Walling, former-Emergency Manager Michael Brown, a state of Michigan treasury department official and others.

Director and Co-Founder Andrew Morton said Public Act 4 is an urgent issue affecting Flint and the state but he doesn’t feel there have been enough of the necessary dialogues necessary to understand this issue.

Morton said that while the work is directly relevant to the Flint community, it also contributes to a larger, national conversation, especially relating to verbatim and ensemble-based techniques. He mentioned attending a recent Network of Ensemble Theatres conference in New Orleans where he overheard Michael Rohd, a nationally renowned playwright, casually speaking to someone over dinner about the interesting work being done in Flint.

Early on in the process, Shop Floor held unrecorded story circle sessions with community members to gauge their level of knowledge and identify voices that the script writing team wanted to interview in depth. One of these sessions was held in the Innovation Incubator co-working space. University Outreach at UM-Flint coordinates the Innovation Incubator located at the Northbank Center. Learn more about the Incubator at www.umflint.edu/outreach/innovation-incubator.

Kendrick Jones, Producer and Co-Founder said that their individual office, located in Northbank 238 next to the co-working space, provides a lot of positives. It is centrally located downtown, so it offers access to the university campus, governmental buildings and the business community. He also appreciated the aesthetics of the Northbank Center. Jones said that the historic and appealing exterior of the building gives other businesses a positive sense of the theatre company because of their professional setting.

The main incubator co-working space has also been utilized by the company for conferences, large meetings, auditions, and for important business meetings with vendors and other theater companies, according to Jones.

“It’s great having a space to work from and have meetings in. It helps us feel that this is a serious business or has the potential to be, not just a hobby done in our spare time,” Morton commented.

Shop Floor is growing and both Morton and Jones said that the space and infrastructure (internet, tables, chairs, use of conference rooms), which University Outreach provides through the Incubator space, is vital to the group’s success. Jones mentioned that several other theatre projects are in the works and the company is already booked through 2015.

Rehearsals began in January, shortly after the completion of the script. The ten-member cast, made up of students, alumni and community members, has used the Vault space in the Northbank Center basement for evening rehearsals.

Shop Floor will present a mid-afternoon preview performance for students and residents at Beecher Community School’s ninth grade academy Randall Coates Auditorium, 1020 W. Coldwater Rd., February 22.

The show officially opens February 23 with a 7 p.m. performance at the UM-Flint Theatre, 303 E. Kearsley St. Shop Floor will have two shows at Flint Community Players, 2462 S. Ballenger Hwy., (March 2, 7 p.m. and March 3, 3 p.m.) and two final performances downtown at the Masonic Temple, 755 S. Saginaw St. (March 8 and March 9, both at 7 p.m.)

All performances are free and followed by talk back sessions and refreshments.

The February 23 performance will be simulcast online through Newplay TV, an online livestreaming channel, specifically created to show new theatre works. Audiences from all over the world have the ability to watch the production live. There is at least one viewing party scheduled to occur in Saginaw and Morton said there may be another set up in Detroit. Check out www.livestream.com/newplay for details.

Jones and Morton gave a live “webinar” tele-conference about the production on February 8 in a joint venture with Michigan State University EDA University Center for Regional Economic Innovation. These lectures generally focus on new ideas being used in Michigan, such as urban food systems, microenterprise development and promoting youth entrepreneurship.

Shop Floor will present at the MSU EDA University Center for Regional Economic Innovation annual summit this fall. They will show video of the performance, give a final report and discuss their process. MSU EDA University Center for Regional Economic Innovation also funded a portion of the production.

This June, Shop Floor has been invited to present at the 2013 Americans for the Arts annual conference in Pittsburgh. Members of the production team will speak about the play and ways to evaluate its larger social impacts.

Jones said he wanted to particularly thank the University Outreach staff: Jonathan Jarosz, Barb Urlaub, Sherry Hayden, Sara McDonnell and Lindsay Stoddard. He said without their patience and support, Shop Floor wouldn’t be where it is today.

Most of Shop Floor’s production costs were paid for by an initial Ruth Mott Foundation grant. The foundation approached Morton and Jones to create a verbatim theatre company after the success of last year’s production, Embers: the Flint Fires Verbatim Theatre Project, which through similar techniques examined the glut of Flint arsons in 2010.

Visit www.shopfloortheatre.com for more information.

by ·Comments Off on 2012 Parks in Focus: Flint

In partnership with the Udall Foundation, University Outreach introduced 20 youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint to area parks through digital photography as part of the 2012 Parks in Focus program. During a series of day trips and overnight outings, participants explored a number of area sites including: Ligon Outdoor Center, For-Mar Nature Preserve, Bluebell Beach and Stepping Stone Falls, Seven Lakes State Park, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, Bay City State Recreation Area, University of Michigan-Flint, and Holly State Recreation Area. The program was full of firsts for the participants: hiking, camping in tents, fishing, catching frogs and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Combined, the participants took more than 2500 photos of the adventures they had and the people, places, plants and animals they met along the way.

austin-turtleFor its second year, University Outreach provided support to the program by working with community partners to build a series of positive experiences for Club members ages 11-14. New this year, participants from both the Haskell Unit and Averill Unit of the Club were able to participate. University Outreach also facilitated a visit for all the youth to the campus of the University of Michigan-Flint to explore career paths, learn of college culture and admissions requirements, and explore the campus amenities including the digital photography lab where youth created portfolios from their own photographs.

About The Parks in Focus Program

The Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus program connects underserved middle-school youth to nature through digital photography by organizing outings to local natural areas and week-long immersion trips to national parks. Their goals are to: 1) provide outdoor educational experiences; 2) foster appreciation for the natural environment and public lands; and 3) build self-confidence through personal expression. Digital cameras and the art of photography are used as tools to both help establish the connection between youth and nature, and provide a medium of self-expression by which each youth’s connection can live on beyond a single activity, outing, or trip. To date, more than 600 youth in Arizona, California, Michigan and Montana have connected with the natural world through Parks in Focus.

For more information about Parks in Focus visit their website at pif.udall.gov or their blog at www.parksinfocus.wordpress.com

Participant Photo Highlights

Taken by Deandre, age 14Taken by An'Teya, age 13Taken by An'Teya, age 13Taken by Austin, age 11Taken by Austin, age 11Taken by Austin, age 11
Taken by Austin, age 11Taken by Betty, age 13Taken by Betty, age 13Taken by Betty, age 13Taken by Betty, age 13Taken by Caryle, age 11
Taken by Caryle, age 11Taken by Caryle, age 11Taken by Darius, age 11Taken by Darius, age 11Taken by Darius, age 11Taken by Dayvion, age 10
Taken by Dayvion, age 10Taken by Dayvion, age 10Taken by Deandre, age 14Taken by Deandre, age 14Taken by Deandre, age 14Taken by Destiny, age 11

Best of Flint ’12, a set by Parks in Focus on Flickr.

by ·Comments Off on 2012 Value Added Leadership Development Camp

value-added-2012In September, twenty-seven of the University of Michigan-Flint’s brightest and most dynamic students gathered at the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio in Midland, Michigan to explore and develop techniques for collaboration, critical thinking, and conflict management.  University of Michigan-Flint faculty, University Outreach staff, and past camp participants served as facilitators and mentors for the group, inspiring participants to take the next steps in their personal and professional lives.

The Value Added Leadership Development Camp was developed by University Outreach, in partnership with the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, to provide students with an opportunity to develop and hone their leadership and collaboration skills to prepare them to become effective leaders in their communities and throughout their professional careers.

What the students are saying about the experience:

“The Value Added Leadership Camp was fun, exciting, and very beneficial. One will never be bored and needs to come with an open mind. I thought the camp was very motivational and friendships were formed.”

“Amazing opportunity to gain knowledge that will open your eyes to issues of life, not just as a student but also as a member of your community. I believe that this camp will encourage some who’ve never taken a leadership role in their communities, to gain the courage to do so.”

“Like the best movie that you have ever seen! If I tell you a whole lot about it, it might ruin it for you, just know that when you go with an open mind, you will enjoy it like an all-inclusive day at the spa for your mind! It touches parts of your mind that you didn’t even know you had.”

Save the Date:

2013 Value Added Leadership Development Camp
September 26-28, 2013

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by ·Comments Off on Conference featured INspired people who are changing Flint – and beyond

On a sunny, crisp October Friday, 177 people gathered to discuss social change, innovation and creativity at the 2012 INspire Conference at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Truly, creative people have found a home in Flint. We saw the effects of their creativity in the businesses and non-profits they have started and sustained.

For instance, Jessica Sloan talked about PT HEART, the free physical therapy clinic run by UM-Flint physical therapy students, which serves hundreds of low-income people at the North End Soup Kitchen. Carrie Miller presented Our Home Transitional, which helps returning women veterans transition into civilian life. Eric Knific talked about Epic Technology Solutions, LLC, which creates software for social causes. His company designed the software for the Double Up Food Program at the Flint Farmers Market, that provides an incentive for low-income people to eat more locally grown fresh produce.

They are all students associated with the Innovation Incubator [IN]. At the conference they were able to rub elbows with social entrepreneurs and innovators from the region and across the country.

Dr. Bruce Barringer of Oklahoma State University, who authored the bible of entrepreneurship, spoke about “the nuts and bolts of starting a business” to a packed session. He generously provided an online link to his upcoming book The First 100 Days of Your Business at http://entrepreneurship.okstate.edu/enews/launching-a-business

After hearing him speak, one student said, “Thank you for putting these conferences on. Nowhere else that I have been has an organization like [IN].”

Glen Fayolle wowed the participants of the Design Innovation session with his mapping method of exploring creative problem-solving. One participant said, “Very interesting and creative presentation! I will use it when analyzing issues, increasing free-thinking and escaping conformity.” Another wrote, “Unexpected and great!” Another, simply, Love, love, love.” Several have requested that we bring Glen back for a longer session.

Another speaker we hope will return is Tom Root, who said to the packed Kiva, “it doesn’t have to be people at the expense of profit!” He presented the model for Maker Works in Ann Arbor, which he created to be like a lending library for people who make things. It matches tools and equipment with creators, students, and unemployed people. The model values individuals’ time, expertise and other resources. You can learn more about this pioneering business at http://maker-works.com.

That was just a few of the social innovators who shared their expertise with our community of learners. Watch for more opportunities and big ideas at the Innovation Incubator in fall 2012 and winter 2013!

by ·Comments Off on New Plan will Improve the Cass River

 

University Outreach has been working with the Cass River Greenway Committee and various local partners to create a watershed management plan for the Cass River. The watershed plan identifies where hot spots for pollution are and how to fix them, alongside high quality natural areas to protect. The plan will be complete in December of 2012; and will be sent to the State of Michigan to be approved. Once approved, local non-profits and government agencies can receive federal and state grants to protect and restore the Cass River! Stay in the know by visiting www.cassriver.org

Want to know what watershed you live in? Find out online here. Everyone lives in a watershed, no matter where one lives, the rain and snow runs off to some nearby creek, river, or lake. For those of us who have a ditch or storm drain in front of our house, think of it as the “headwaters” to the Great Lakes. That’s right; the water that goes into that ditch or storm drain eventually makes it way to the Great Lakes via the Saginaw River into Lake Huron.

University Outreach serves many organizations who work to protect water quality by providing planning assistance, marketing and branding, mapping, and needs assessments. We also provide meaningful experiences for undergraduate students through internships and work-study positions on all of our water resource projects.

by ·Comments Off on Shared work space offers non-traditional office for creative people

Working on your own business at home sounds great, doesn’t it? Work in your PJs if you like, play your favorite tunes, set your own hours, do exactly what you want when you want to!

But after a few months distractions conspire to undermine your good intentions. You start noticing that a certain neighbor drops in unannounced “because you’re not working anyway!” Your dog has increased his frequency of showing up at your side, with leash-in-mouth, lobbying you for a walk. That weird noise coming from the clothes dryer — you should probably have that looked at – and you really should fold that load before it gets all wrinkly. And it might be nice to get away from the blank screen document that has been plaguing you for the last half-hour. Except you need to get this done by Thursday.

Think it might be time to consider a change of scenery?

University Outreach’s Innovation Incubator [IN] offers a co-working space for anyone in the community who is getting weary of working alone at home, or needs to escape an office, or just needs a professional place to meet a client. Located in Flint’s Northbank Center Room 207, [IN] offers a comfortable, professional environment for visitors to escape distractions and work in peace. [IN] is open to students and the community from 9 am- 5 pm Monday through Friday. Best of all, the space is available at no charge, including free Wi-Fi access!

[IN] is a great environment for collaboration where natural networking arises. The co-working space is a good “neutral ground” to meet with perspective clients or business partners. Freelancers can have face-to-face meetings with clients in an environment that makes a good, professional impression. [IN] also has meeting space for up to 24 people that can be reserved, with some restrictions.  There are many business and non-profit resources available for your use as well.

Whether you’re trying to keep a deadline, write a novel, or meet a client, [IN] gives you a place to work free of needy dogs, laundry and that one pesky neighbor. Bring your laptop, and stop by sometime to take advantage of this free service!

by ·Comments Off on Plan now to be INspired!

University Outreach’s innovation Incubator is leading the way for innovation and creativity with the INspire Conference on Social Entrepreneurship on Friday, October 12, 2012.

And what a great line-up we are planning!

The speakers and topics of sessions were chosen to foster creativity, sustain positive technological and social innovation, and celebrate student and community successes.  For example:

  • Tunde Wey of Detroit will speak on Crowdfunding
  • Glen Foyelle will hold a workshop on Design Innovation
  • Phillip Jacks will speak about the Peace Mob Garden social movement and Urban Homesteading
  • Flint’s BEST Project will help participants determine if they should start a not-for-profit
  • Jason Kosnoski will lead a panel discussion: Social Change through Innovation and Organization
  • Amy Gresock will moderate a panel discussion: Ask the Entrepreneurs – in various stages of start-up
  • Traci Currie will lead a panel to discuss How to Creatively Take Your Art to the Masses
  • Up to 10 local social entrepreneurs will give short presentations, or poster sessions, about how their work has impacted the community

The conference is being coordinated through the University Outreach Innovation Incubator [IN], with support provided by the CS Mott Foundation.  University Outreach hosts programs that connect people to place, instill civic engagement, and help students think critically to discover how to participate in transforming their world.

The Innovation Incubator supports creativity and innovation to affect social progress. A good example of our constituency is PT HEART, a student-run pro-bono physical therapy clinic. UM-Flint physical therapy students volunteer their services to educate clients of the North End Soup Kitchen. The students have benefitted from the free workshops, networking opportunities, and co-working spaces of the Innovation Incubator that are also available to community members.

In the Innovation Incubator environment, learning and creativity can flourish, and expand into collaboration. Our participants are invited to enhance critical thinking skills; learn to manage conflict; experiment with design thinking; and collaborate to solve problems.  More information about University Outreach and the incubator can be found on our website at www.umflint.edu/outreach/innovation-incubator