Elevator pitch
Amy Lafnear
Thursday, October 12, 2017
New MEDC video series gets up close with innovators
What’s it take to start and grow a business? How best to take advantage of the resources available to fledgling entrepreneurs in Michigan?
“Entrepreneurs in Elevators” gives viewers a quirky peek into the lives of local innovators. Produced by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the series is inspired by the popular Jerry Seinfeld web series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”
To watch Entrepreneurs in Elevators, visit www.michiganbusiness.org/start-up/entrepreneurs-in-elevators.
“There are thousands of entrepreneurs in Michigan with incredible stories,” said Fred Molnar, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at MEDC. “’Entrepreneurs in Elevators’ is a novel way to hear about challenges, successes, failures and support that these innovative minds have encountered throughout their journey.”
Hosted by entrepreneur David Ollila, president and chief innovation officer at Skypoint Ventures in Flint, the series launches with four initial videos featuring entrepreneurs from across the state:
- Karen Smoots, founder of The Green Glove Dryer, based in Kalamazoo
- Fares Ksebati, co-founder of MySwimPro, based in Ann Arbor
- JT Weis, CEO of Abcor Industries, based in Holland
- Danny Ellis, founder of SkySpecs, based in Ann Arbor.
“For decades, I’ve been living and working within this growing entrepreneurial ecosystem that is fostering passionate innovators as they develop new ideas, products and opportunities for themselves and others,” said Ollila.
“’Entrepreneurs in Elevators’ is an engaging platform to share those stories and, hopefully, inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in the state,” he said. “Plus, is there any better place to hear a businesses’ elevator pitch? We think not.”
New episodes, set in Detroit, Flint, Bay City and Lansing, will launch in December.
MEDC’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation initiative establishes Michigan as the place to create and grow a business by providing high-tech start-up companies with access to a variety of critical resources, such as funding and expert counsel, from ideation to maturation. For more on MEDC Entrepreneurship & Innovation, visit www.michiganbusiness.org.
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