2013 Member News:

The following Blackstone LaunchPad members have been featured recently in local news media:
Mary Miodowski, Dashing Elements, CBS News, Monday, April 22, 2013
Jamaine Reece, Flya Than Average, White Lake Patch, Sunday, April 22, 2013
Steve Johnson, Motor City Brew Tours, The Troy Times, Thursday, March 28, 2013


We had 33 entries for the 2013 Innovators Start Here Competition: Make It Better.  The winners will be announced soon, with eight receiving cash awards for their unique ideas and two receiving Apple® Gift Cards for their creative marketing flyers.  This year we enlisted the help of our Marketing Department Staff to help choose the winning flyers.



Thank You LaunchPad Members for Giving Back: As the Admin Assistant for Blackstone LaunchPad, I often find inspirational entrepreneurial quotes to post on our Facebook page.  One of my recent posts was this quote from Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google:  “Find a way to say ‘Yes’ to things.”  Well, I’m truly amazed how when I put a call to action out to our community of entrepreneurs they are always so willing to say ‘Yes’, despite their busy schedules and lack of funds, since most of them are true startups.

Recently, I sent an email to our Blackstone LaunchPad members asking if they would donate an item from their business for the “Made in Michigan” basket that LaunchPad was preparing to be part of the silent auction at the Walsh College Alumni Association’s Casino Night.  I received an overwhelming response and our basket was overflowing with the members’ fine products.  They personally delivered their items either on their way to work, in between a meeting, during their lunch hour, before class, or by email. 

I am very proud to be associated with such a special group of entrepreneurs who just naturally “pay it forward.”  The Walsh College Alumni Association was so impressed with our basket that it became the VIP Raffle Prize!  So thanks to the following “VIP” donors:  Steve Johnson of Motor City Brew Tours, Stephanie Comptois of Bear Necessities, Denise Kulak of Fun Stuff!, Anthony Mitchell of National Mother’s Hall of Fame, Anthony Majewski of Read with Max and eMarketing, Nicole Sesko of Growable Greetings and Brian Renner of Movie Insider.   Eric Schmidt ends his quote with “Yes is what keeps us all young. It’s a tiny word that can do big things. Say it often.”   I witnessed the generosity of our LaunchPad members and saw firsthand what big things they accomplish by saying ‘Yes’. 

 

On Monday, March 25th, Blackstone LaunchPad member, Nancy Martens, RN, CSA and founder of ElderCompass presented:  Elder Care and the Challenges of an Aging Population at the Troy Public Library. Thirty people attended the 7pm event and received practical information about dealing with elder care challenges.  Nancy addressed safety, medical, lifestyle, and legal/financial issues for seniors and provided a list of the Top 10 Elder Advocacy Tips to the attendees.

 

 

Informative Entrepreneurial Articles at Innovation America.

On Friday, February 1st, 26 Junior Achievement Students from River Rouge High School visited Walsh College to participate in a Job Shadow Day.  Carol Glynn, the Director of Blackstone LaunchPad, was one of the speakers and encouraged the students to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice!  She also worked on a fun "Launch a Business" crossword puzzle exercise with the students. 

 

2012 Member News:

Best Holiday Craft Ideas From Detroit Artist (and Blackstone LaunchPad Member) Stephanie Comptois of Bear Necessitites.

Campus Pilot Program Helped Launch or Boost 105 Local Businesses | The Oakland Press, Tuesday, October 16, 2012.

Carol Glynn, Director of Blackstone LaunchPad at Walsh was interviewed by Michigan Business Network Radio in October.  The first part of the broadcast can be heard here and the second half can be heard here.

Congratulations to alumni Larry Cunningham (BBA 2007), a member of the Blackstone LaunchPad and retired Deputy of the Wayne County Sheriff Department, who started  Step-Up Transportation.  Step-Up will provide reliable transportation for elementary and middle school students in Detroit’s riverfront district with an emphasis on preventing bullying.  It’s a win-win situation -- students will feel comfortable and parents will have the peace of mind knowing that their children are safe commuting back and forth to school.  More information about Step-Up Transportation is available here.  
 

 

LaunchPad Member and Alumni, Denise Kulak (BBA 2000), opens gift gallery, Fun Stuff!, in Birmingham, MI.  Fun Stuff! is an experiential pocket shop with whimsical, eclectic gifts for all. Check out the articles written about Fun Stuff! in The Oakland Press and metromode.




Nancy Martens of ElderCompass was recently featured in the Detroit News and Free Press.

The 2nd Annual Walshpreneur Fair and Reception, held on November 12th to celebrate Global Entrepreneur Week  was a huge success.  As our President, Stephanie Bergeron said, no roller coasters were available and cotton candy wasn’t served, but fun was still had by nearly the 100 attendees.  The event featured presentations from Terry Cross an Angel Investor, Antoine Dubeauclard, President of Media Genesis and Tony Tolentino from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation.  Blackstone LaunchPad members also showcased their businesses.

Blackstone LaunchPad hosted FundingPost again this year on November 1st.  Joe Rubin conducted his Pitching Workship via Skype. During the morning workshop, attendees were able to practice their pitches and receive advice from Joe. In the afternoon, they presented their "perfected" pitches to a panel of Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors.



CALLING ALL MOMS!!!  LaunchPad Member, Anthony Majewski, transformed his Moms 2 Moms website.  Visit the new transformation of this LaunchPad member’s project at http://www.CutieBuy.com/  -- A Moms 2 Moms Community Shopping, Event, and Socializing site.

Congratulations to the following eight Blackstone LaunchPad Members who won the 2012 Venture Accelerator Program and received a cash prize to advance their business!

Rob Berry and Judy Farmer
Aaron McCarthy
Tony Mitchell
Derek Baker
Jason Beale
Armando Doku
Mary Miodowski
Jamaine Reece

The Great Pilates Now venture is featured in two local newspapers: The Canton Obeserver and The Plymouth Observer.

One of our Blackstone LaunchPad Members, Nancy Martens of Eldercompass, is a finalist in the Michigan Women's Foundation Entrepreneur-YOU Competition!

Gotbibs breaks through to Export Market
Blackstone LaunchPad Members Virginia and Ken Krolczyk, had a major breakthrough with their business, Krol Mfg, selling 500 multi-purpose bibs to a business in the Middle East.  Virginia credits Blackstone LaunchPad for providing insight and guidance with the export and shipping processes.  She stated they now have confidence to pursue selling in other countries.  Interested in the product?  Visit their website: http://gotbibs.com/.

Four Blackstone LaunchPad Members opened businesses in March: 

• Jason Beale, RegainGo
• Anthony Mitchell, National Mothers Hall of Fame
• Rob Berry, Great Pilates Now
• Nancy Martens, Eldercompass

BLP members make the news: MomsTwoMoms.com launches maternal eBay platform in Grosse Pointe (MetroMode), Nancy Martens' Eldercompass (MetroMode) and Nicole Sesko's Growable Greetings (Detroit News).

Blackstone LaunchPad Students Partner with One Hen to Kick Off Mentorship Program
We extend our thanks to the following Blackstone LaunchPad Members who are volunteering as mentors for the One Hen Project:  Chris Coussens, Adam Funk, Garrett Graham, Anthony Majewski, Nancy Martens, Mike Pircer, Brian Renner, Wendy Richardson, Nicole Sesko and Donovan Shand.  

"The Blackstone Charitable Foundation is proud to support One Hen," said Amy Stursberg, Executive Director, Blackstone Charitable Foundation. "Instilling entrepreneurial spirit and know-how at the earliest ages is a groundbreaking approach that will help foster the next generation of entrepreneurs. The economic future of the country is in the hands of these young entrepreneurs and we are pleased to be partnering with One Hen to start them on a path toward innovation and discovery."

Innovation Starts Here Competition:
"What Bugs You?" And the winners are...  

1. Vineet Jammalamadaka, Novi High School
2. Hannah Sassone, Frankenmuth High School
3. Glenn Czupinski, Oakland Community College-Auburn Hills Campus
4. Agustin Paniagua, Oakland Community College-Auburn Hills Campus
5. Audrey Gray, Frankenmuth High School
6. Kacinda Payne*, Oakland Community College-Auburn Hills Campus *(Now enrolled as Walsh student!)
7. Travis Lange, International Academy-Bloomfield Hills
8. Brandi Hannah, Frankenmuth High School

See here why  was such a HUGE success! Stay tuned for next year!

2011 Member News:

LaunchPad Member Reveals Website

On Friday, December 9th, one of our Blackstone LaunchPad members, Anthony Majewski, officially launched a business website and several Walsh employees attended the reveal.  Moms2Moms (www.momstwomoms.com) -- is an alternative to the traditional garage sale. We received great feedback from all who attended.


Blackstone LaunchPad "Pays Off" in November
November was an exciting month for our Blackstone LaunchPad members who participated in several activities which took place during Global Entrepreneurship Week: 

Congrats to Nancy Martens who won the $5,000 first prize for her Eldercompass elevator pitch at the Blackstone LaunchPad sponsored "Get Launched" event held at Wayne State! Our other two participants, Anthony Majewski (Moms2Moms) and Jason Beale (RegainGo), received Honorable Mentions for their business submissions. Great job by all!!! 


Six members won cash prizes of $500 or $250 to help move their businesses forward through our Venture Accelerator Program. Kudos to the following winners: Eldercompass (Nancy Martens/Donovan Shand), Growable Greetings (Nicole Sesko), Moms2Moms (Anthony Majewski), Once Upon an Adventure (Cheri Priester), Krol Mfg Virginia Krolczyk), Meridian Exchange (Marisa Scott).

Detroit Venture Capital and Angel Investor FundingPost
Eleven of our more active and advanced Blackstone LaunchPad members from Walsh College and WSU were invited to join 70 entrepreneurs in the Detroit Venture Capital and Angel Investor FundingPost event hosted by Walsh on November 3^rd.  They were given the opportunity to participate in a workshop to help educate them on real-world Venture Capital and Investor experiences and received tips on how to pitch their businesses effectively.  In the afternoon session, four VCs and Angel Investors shared their tips on early-stage investing, hot sectors, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment, the best and worst things entrepreneurs can do to get their attention and, of course, the best ways to reach these and other investors.

                              
Discover, Network, Win | Walshpreneur Fair and Alumni Open House, November 14, 2011
President Stephanie Bergeron helped host our first ever Walshpreneur Fair and Alumni Open House which was a huge success. Nearly 100 local  entrepreneurs, Blackstone LaunchPad members and Walsh College staff attended. Fifteen of our "budding" Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneurs featured their company products or services.

Other special guests included Carolyn Cassin, President and CEO of the Michigan Women's Foundation, and a surprise appearance by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Mr. Patterson talked about his respect for Walsh College as well as his commitment to building the entrepreneur spirit in the State of Michigan.

Paul Chambers (Core3 Solutions) and Brian Renner (Walsh Alum, who is now an Advisor for LaunchPad, and Founder of MovieInsider.com) gave the audience some quick tips on maximizing revenue through search engine marketing (SEM). Brian Pilarski (President of the Walsh Alumni Association) facilitated a panel discussion with three serial entrepreneurs, Dave Morin (Cielo MedSolutions), Allen Wolff (Crowdrise and PaySimple), and Bobby Smith (EnGarde! Detroit) who shared lessons learned and secrets to success in building their businesses.