Entrepreneur's Corner

ANN ARBOR - The Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest business-plan writing contest set a record for entries in the spring contest - 302. Nearly one third were for the $100,000 Smart Zone award. But with some yet to be announced prizes, GLEQ could offer close to $250,000 in prizes this June at the awards...

ANN ARBOR - Diane Durance, executive director of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest, said she has a new business competition that will award a cash prize of $100,000 in June. The GLEQ awards competition is open to all Michigan entrepreneurs that register to participate by March 5, but selection to...

ANN ARBOR - Current Motor Company, an Ann Arbor-based company that designs and manufactures electric motorcycles and scooters, won the top prize in the fall 2009 Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest business-plan competition and a cash prize of $5000 in the Emerging Business category...

ANN ARBOR - Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest New Business Category winner was Global Energy Innovations, a Flint-based Kettering University spin-out that commercializes technology to accelerate the transition to the hydrogen and fuel-cell economy. GEI won $2000...

ANN ARBOR - Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest Emerging Company Second Place Award - $2,500. RealKidz, Inc. Represented by president, Merrill Guerra, Ypsilanti-based RealKidz addresses the issue of childhood obesity by offering plus-size clothing to young teens and a social network of support and info...

ANN ARBOR - Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest New Business Idea Second Place Award - $1,000. Nalu Solar Software. Represented by president, Jennifer McLaughlin, Ypsilanti-based Nalu Solar Software provides web-based software offering operational support to photovoltaic contractors...

ANN ARBOR - Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest New Business Idea

Third Place Award - $500. Ix Innovations/Pocket Pico. Represented by COO, Greg Marek, and CEO, Ian Dailey, Ann Arbor-based iXInnovations produces a portable electronic instrument called the Pocket Pico for use in developing low power dev...

ANN ARBOR - GLEQ Emerging Company Third Place Award - $1,500. White Pine Systems, LLC, doing business as SPINN PHR. Represented by president and CEO, Douglas Dormer, Ann Arbor-based SPINN PHR provides a internet-based personal health records system to securely store, manage and communicate personal...

ANN ARBOR - The Great Lakes Entrepreneur Quest Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award was presented to Loretta Cipkus Dubray, president and CEO of Kalamazoo-based Global Clinical Connections, for her tenacity in building her business and in recognition of her commitment to "have a plan and work the plan."...