business

Thank
you Dad.

The Matchmaker

ROBIN SCHWARTZ

Entrepreneur Ryan Landau launches re:purpose,
linking startups and tech savvy job seekers.

ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ABOVE: Ryan
Landau at the
re:purpose
launch party.

A

crowd gathered after hours in the eighth-floor lobby
of WeWork Detroit, a new, state-of-the-art shared
office space community Downtown overlooking
Woodward Avenue.
A DJ brought the beats, bartenders served drinks, and
partygoers mingled, networked and worked the room. They
were all there May 4 to celebrate the launch of re:purpose,
one of the newest kids on the block in Detroit’s burgeoning
startup scene. Entrepreneur Ryan Landau, 28, of Detroit,
started the business he describes as a “curated marketplace
that matches the right candidates to the right startup com-
panies.”
“There’s a huge need for young professionals,” he
explained. “We asked ourselves how we could build an
online platform for technology and startup companies and
young professionals to meet. We want everyone to be able
to pursue their passions and be a part of something greater
than themselves.”
And re:purpose was born.
Landau grew up in West Bloomfield, attended Michigan
State University and started his professional career with
IBM in Washington, D.C. But his first venture actually began
when he was just 14 years old. In 2002, Ryan and his older
brother, Andrew, co-founded Carnival Extravaganza, a con-
cession catering company, which they later sold to a com-
petitor.
In 2013, Ryan returned to Detroit to co-found an ecom-
merce business, again with his brother, thanks to help
from the local venture capital community. Chalkfly sold
office and school supplies before it was acquired by a Novi
company. Then, it was back to the drawing board. Landau
spent almost two years working with the software company
Ambassador before founding re:purpose.
“The business is about six weeks old and already we have
job listings from more than 60 companies from Detroit, Ann
Arbor and Southeast Michigan,” he says. “A couple hundred
candidates apply every week now.”

One Hour Custom
Massage Session

49

$

95

1HZ&OLHQW
5HJ

$50

*LIWFDUGVDYDLODEOH
IRUSXUFKDVH

/D9LGD0DVVDJHRI%ORRPÀHOG7ZS

3617 W. Maple Rd.
%ORRPÀHOG7ZS0,
/D9LGD0DVVDJH%ORRPÀHOG7ZS0,FRP


Call or Book Online!

2SHQ'D\VD:HHN_([WHQGHG+RXUV_/LFHQVHG7KHUDSLVWV
You can Feel the Difference!

Session includes time for consultations and dressing. Franchise opportunities available. Call 248.360-2157

continued on page 138

jn

May 25 • 2017

137