Event Notices From Sept. 6-8
Wayne State PTAC To Show Detroit Businesses How To Win Government Biz: Wayne State University's Procurement Technical Assistance Center on Sept. 11 will host two workshops to help Detroit businesses get -- and keep -- successful commercial contracts with local, state and federal government clients. A morning workshop, Government Contracting 201, will provide a business-friendly overview of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which contains thousands of pages of regulations governing how federal agencies purchase goods and services. The afternoon workshop, GSA Overview, covers the basic requirements and process to earn a spot on the General Services Administration schedule, a critical first-step to enjoying a long-term business relationship with government purchasers. The workshops are free and will be held respectively from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. in the WSU Student Center, Room Hillberry A, on the university's main campus. Wayne State's PTAC assists businesses who want to sell products or services to the government through a host of services aimed at finding contracts, bidding to obtain those contracts, and fulfilling those contracts through strict adherence with government regulation. Helping businesses secure repeat or additional business is a principal objective. Because adherence to federal regulations is key to successful government contracting, PTAC's morning session on FAR will explain the rules that drive the acquisition process in addition to companies' rights as contractor. Topics include contract formats, methods of purchase, types of contracts, simplified acquisitions, the Defense Contract Management Agency, and International Traffic In Arms Regulations. Meanwhile, the GSA Overview will explain contracts, known as Multiple Award Schedules and Federal Supply Schedule, that are established for a period of five years with three options to renew. It is designed to familiarize the business owner with the requirements of becoming a schedule holder in order to determine if this is an avenue they may want to pursue.bTo RSVP, visit the WSU Event Calendar and select Government Contracting 201 http://events.wayne.edu/rsvp/government-contracting-201/ and GSA Overview http://events.wayne.edu/rsvp/gsa-overview/. More information is available from Abby L. Cheatham, WSU PTAC program manager, at (313) 577-0132 or at a.l.cheatham@wayne.edu.
Finance-savvy Wayne State alumnus to speak about helping start-ups avoid early demise: Paul A. Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment Inc. and CEO of Proctor Financial Inc., this month will speak at Wayne State University about ways start-up businesses can attract investors and protect their financial investments. Glantz will present "Valley of Death: Surviving the Financial Rut" from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, in the Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium at Wayne Law, 471 W. Palmer St. The free workshop is open to the public. Parking is available for $6.50 in the structure across West Palmer Street from the law school. The event is sponsored by Wayne State's Blackstone LaunchPad business laboratory, Wayne Law's Program for Entrepreneurship and Business Law, WSU Front Door and Wayne State student venture M-Squared Financial. Glantz, a 1980 graduate of Wayne State's School of Business Administration, was honored by the university as a distinguished alumnus in 2006. He raised $45 million in capital to start the Emagine theater chain, which was the first in the nation to convert all of its screens to high-definition digital. An active community volunteer, he is a member of the Board of Visitors for the School of Business Administration, as well as a member of the WSU Foundation Board of Directors and chairman of its investment committee. A venture coach for Blackstone LaunchPad's student entrepreneurs, Glantz in his keynote speech will focus on how startup entrepreneurs can find life-sustaining investors after launching. Also speaking at the workshop will be student entrepreneurs, who will share "leap of faith" stories of investing in their businesses and developing sales strategies to make it out of the "valley of death." The event begins with registration and light refreshments at 5:30 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. by short introductions by Detroit entrepreneurs Agee of Blackstone LaunchPad, Nilesh Joshi of Joshi Biochemical, Dom Holmes of Pay-It-Forward, Kelly Guillory of Ashur Collective, and Max Ermakov and JJ Clenik of M-Squared Financial. The keynote talk will begin at 6:15 p.m., and hors d'oeuvres and networking can be enjoyed from 7:15 to 8 p.m. Funded out of New York City by The Blackstone Group's Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Blackstone LaunchPad assists WSU student entrepreneurs with business plan development, networking and venture funding. The Program for Entrepreneurship and Business Law coordinates Wayne Law's business law courses, clinics, internships and community engagement activities. The Program for Entrepreneurship and Business Law offers early-stage legal assistance to local startups and creates forums for entrepreneurs to receive general legal guidance, access community resources and share their own business experience. The Front Door is Wayne State's business engagement office, connecting companies of all sizes to university resources. The Front Door was established in 2009 to address industry needs for access to university resources, from recruitment services to world-class researchers and state-of-the-art technologies. M-Squared Financial is a venture that facilitates the efforts of young companies by assisting with their financials.
'Technology on the Move' event to help business leaders harness the power of mobile devices: Mobile devices are changing our personal lives as well as the business world. Join Automation Alley, Michigan's largest technology business association, for a "Technology on the Move" lunch 'n' learn session, Thursday, Sept. 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Automation Alley Headquarters in Troy. The session is designed to help business leaders harness the power of mobile devices to grow their business. The event, organized by Automation Alley's Technology Committee, will also provide a sampling of existing applications that can benefit business, as mobile devices replace cameras, maps, remote controls, gaming systems, boarding passes, tickets, cash registers, calculators, notepads and so much more. Speakers include Suzanne Chartier, director of engineering services at eyeWyre Software Studios, and Jim Salter, business development director at Persis Consulting Company. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. with registration, lunch and networking. The program will begin at noon and will be followed by a Q-and-A period. The cost to attend is $20 for members with pre-registration or $30 at the door. The cost for non-members is $40 with pre-registration or $50 at the door. Pre-registration ends Sept. 24 at close of business. Automation Alley Headquarters is located at 2675 Bellingham in Troy. This event is sponsored by Logic Solutions, Inc., Telegration, Inc. and eyeWyre Software Studios. For more information, contact the Automation Alley Resource Center at (800) 427-5100 or info@automationalley.com, or visit automationalley.com.
Popular seminar series returns to help startups get running Lean: Back by popular demand, the Macomb-Oakland University INCubator will host its Startup Lean program in September. Part of the OU Lean Diversification Program, this three-part series will run from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Sept. 16, 23 and 30. Startup Lean is targeted specifically toward startups, early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs. The Green Belt and Black Belt certificate programs, also part of the OU Lean Diversification Program, are more comprehensive and beneficial to companies at any stage. Startup Lean is designed to help new businesses get off on the right foot by learning how to use valuable Lean principles to be as efficient, creative and successful as possible from day one to full business maturity. The new Startup Lean program began after the Macomb-OU INCubator surveyed more than 50 new businesses in Southeast Michigan. Leading the program will be Debra Setman, founder and lead adviser of Arbed Solutions and co-founder of the Michigan Lean Consortium, and Leon Liu, a consultant with Arbed Solutions. Tuition is $95, a discounted rate designed especially with the startup in mind. Breakfast is included. For more information and to register, visit oakland.edu/diversify or contact Joan Carleton at (586) 884-9320 or macINC@oakland.edu. The Macomb-Oakland University INCubator provides entrepreneurial resources to student interns and proactive support to businesses at every stage, in an effort to help start-ups on their path to success. The INCubator's goal is to create jobs and advance the development of businesses with obtaining necessary financing for growth, business strategy, consultation, access to appropriate rental space, shared business services, and equipment and technology support services in the areas of defense, homeland security and advanced manufacturing.
Mobile Monday Detroit Presents Mobilizing Education: Join the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan and mobile Monday Michigan at the Macomb-OU INCubator Monday, Sept. 9 for "Mobilizing Education." Speakers include Elaina Farnsworth, CEO, Mobile Comply; Christian Marcillo, Co-founder/CEO/Creative Director, Future Help Designs; Glen Konopaskie, Co-founder/President, Future Help Designs; Lisa Toenniges, CEO, Innovative Learning Group; Matt Kurtin, Lead Programmer/Learning Technology Consultant, Innovative Learning Group; Jeff Muglia, Public Sector Account Manager, Sprint and Dave Zabihaylo, Solutions Engineer III, Sprint, The event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the incubator, 6633 18 Mile Road in Sterling Heights. Education professionals involved with K-12, higher education and business education, as well as self-education service providers, have mobile technology on their minds now more than ever before. It's a big topic with far-reaching implications for our children, their current education and their future careers; our businesses; and ourselves. Specific presentation topics include how firms are working together to bring technology, curriculum content and stakeholders to the table to move the needle in how education is approached from an interactive classroom; how technologies are providing new opportunities for learning and performance support and will identify technology-based solutions to fulfill performance needs using a standard performance improvement model; several examples of performance improvement solutions successfully using today's new technologies; and what works and what doesn't with Wireless for Education. The meeting is free to attend, though reservations are required. Refreshments will be served. To register, please visit the Mobile Monday Detroit Meetup website at http://meetup.com/mobile-monday-detroit.
