business & professional Giving Customers A Voice Startup company helps create brand ambassadors through its software. I Josh El'Chonen Special to the Jewish News J eff Epstein, 33, is the founder of Ambassador, a marketing com- pany that services clients such as T-Mobile, Sage Software and the American Marketing Association. Epstein grew up in West Bloomfield and went to Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills (where he still attends services). He graduated from Michigan State University with a business degree and later moved to Chicago to attend Kent College of Law. After law school, Epstein moved back to Detroit. "I was really interested in technology Jeff Epstein and software. I knew I didn't want to practice law:' he said. Several years later, in 2010, Epstein launched Ambassador. "What I've learned is that with the Internet, it's pretty easy to start a company," he said. "But building a !in business is still tough." Even with a unique service like Ambassador's, which is a software suite that helps companies manage their customer relationships and referrals, there's still com- petition. "The fact there's competition is not a bad thine Epstein said, "because it doesn't mean that there isn't room for dozens to be functioning in the same space and all do very well." His original idea stemmed from the notion that all people now have a voice through technology. Ambassador's products help businesses connect consumers with their brands by making it easy to create social referral pro- grams and brand ambassadors. "People trust their friends and family much more than they do advertising; said Epstein, who lives in Birmingham with his wife, Meredith. "Ultimately, what we're doing is getting the voice of those people and getting brands connected with them. We provide a framework for this to happen easily." Epstein's grandfather had started a company many years ago in Detroit called Banner Lumber. It was a family business, and he credits his grandfather for passing on an entrepreneurial spirit. "When I was at MSU, I started a student website," he said. "So the idea to be an entrepreneur was not new Even while in law school I dabbled at things; I always hoped I could start a busi- ness that would be meaningful." Back Home In Detroit It was a fresh start for Epstein after Chicago. The support of family and friends meant he could focus on build- ing Ambassador. "The beauty of starting a business now is that more people have done it:' Epstein said. "It's important to leverage those people around us; the Detroit Jewish community is a huge resource." He sought out advice from local profes- sionals like David Broner, a board member of the Hebrew Free Loan and SCORE men- tor, attorney Ira Jaffe and Richard Simtob, president of Zoup! restaurants. "Jeff Epstein has a technical-oriented mind:' Broner said. "He is a curious and continues to tweak his ideas. Jeff continu- ally listens to his clients and friends in order to stay on the right track." Detroit-based venture capital firm Ludlow Ventures was the first supporter of Ambassador. "With Ludlow's help I was able to start hiring extra hands, and this then prepared us for TechStars in NYC:' Epstein said. TechStars is a startup accelerator; they provide seed funding, intense mentor- ship and networking opportunities. After Epstein attended TechStars in 2011 he felt he had "really founded a startup." Epstein contributes his success to being honest and authentic. He doesn't distin- guish too much between networking and established relationships, because network- ing is often the beginning of a relationship. "Having social capital helps:' Epstein said. "I often tell my employees to be good at life." Ambassador now has 10 employees and more than $1 million in sales. It recently relocated to downtown Royal Oak. He praises Hebrew Free Loan for its assistance and continued efforts. As we've become more established, I'm happy to now be able to reciprocate the support I received when I was first starting out:' Epstein said. ❑ Please join the Jewish Women's Foundation's 15TH ANNUAL OPEN MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES I Recognizing our 2014 Grant Awards and a Special presentation by 2013 JWF Multi-year Grantee L'Dor v'D'or Northern Michigan Jewish Women's Rural Leadership Consortium Tuesday, September 16, 2014 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Jewish Community Center Marion and David Handleman Hall D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield Continental Breakfast - Dietary Laws Observed Complimentary Valet Parking J E S H WOMEN'S No charge to attend, but reservations are required Register by September 9 at jwfdetroit.org Questions? Call Pat Mayer at 248.203.1519 FOUNDATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT Fnknnrinn flip I ivpc elf Ipwiqk Wnrnpri JN August 21 • 2014 55