FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Five Local Entrepreneurs Selected to Perform at First-ever Startup Story Night on January 19
NPR host Glynn Washington will emcee the event at the new Planet Ant Hall in Hamtramck
Detroit, Mich. (10 January 2017) – Five local entrepreneurs have been selected to perform at the first-ever Startup Story Night, a free event taking place Thursday, January 19, at the new Planet Ant Hall in Hamtramck. The event will be emceed by National Public Radio personality Glynn Washington, whose Snap Judgment program can be heard weekly on over 400 NPR stations and is downloaded over two million times every month.
In November, Southeast Michigan Startup and the New Economy Initiative (NEI) asked local entrepreneurs to submit stories about challenges they have overcome to grow their businesses, moments when they realized they needed to take a different direction, and “a-ha” breakthroughs when they realized their startups would succeed. More than 55 entrepreneurs from around the region submitted their stories, representing everything from tech startups to food businesses to mom-and-pop shops. A local committee of small business owners, media members and storytellers reviewed each submission and selected five entrepreneurs to perform at the January 19 Startup Story Night event. They are:
- Jan Akervall, SISU
- Alexandra Clark, Bon Bon Bon
- Julie Hyde-Edwards, re-Contour
- Victoria Roby, The Natural Market
- Joe Spencer, Louisiana Creole Gumbo
Prior to the public performance on January 19, each performer will have the opportunity to hone their storytelling skills at a private half-day workshop led by Washington.
“Storytelling is such an important part of being an entrepreneur,” said Pam Lewis, director of the New Economy Initiative. “We’re really excited to help local entrepreneurs polish their skills with a renowned storyteller like Glynn and give them a platform to share with one another and the public. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
What: Startup Story Night with host Glynn Washington
Where: Planet Ant Hall, 2320 Caniff, Hamtramck, MI
When: Thursday, January 19, 2017. Doors at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m.
Startup Story Night is presented by the New Economy Initiative and Southeast Michigan Startup, in partnership with WDET 101.9 FM, Entre-Slam, Final5, Planet Ant Hall, and Axle Brewing.
Further details about the January 19 event and ticket information can be found at www.startupstorynight.com. Tickets are free but limited.
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About Glynn Washington
A Detroit native and current resident of Oakland, California, Glynn Washington is the host and creator of Snap Judgment (Storytelling, with a BEAT) — heard weekly on over 400 NPR stations nationwide and downloaded over two million times every month. Before Snap, Glynn worked as an educator, diplomat, community activist, actor, political strategist, fist-shaker, mountain-hollerer, and foot stomper.
Glynn composed music for the Kunst Stoff dance performances in San Francisco, rocked live spoken word poetry in Detroit, joined a band in Indonesia, wrote several screenplays, painted a daring series of self-portraits, released a blues album, and thinks his stories are best served with cocktails.
About Southeast Michigan Startup
Southeast Michigan Startup is an online publication focused on the entrepreneurial economy in Metro Detroit.
About the New Economy Initiative
The New Economy Initiative (NEI), a special project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, is the largest philanthropy-led economic development initiative in the U.S. working to build a regional network of support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Through 2015, NEI’s grants have built a network that has directly supported over 4,400 companies, which in turn have created over 17,000 jobs and generated nearly $3 billion in real output.
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Contact:
Matthew Lewis, New Economy Initiative
mlewis@cfsem.org
313-421-6313