56 | SEPTEMBER 19 • 2019 THEJEWISHNEWS.COM
business SPOTlight
brought to you in partnership with
B I R M I N G H A M
Training Young
Entrepreneurs
Local businesswoman leads
Venture for America training program.
JUDY GREENWALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF RANDY RUBIN
W
ith the idea of con-
tinuing the rejuve-
nation of Detroit’
s
economic landscape, as well as
providing opportunities across
the country, dynamic young
adults are creating cutting-edge
businesses and extolling the city.
Their success is thanks to the
Venture for America (VFA)
Fellows Training Camp and the
efforts of VFA National Board
chairperson and Michigan busi-
nesswoman Randy Rubin.
WHAT IS VFA?
Founded in 2011 by Andrew
Yang, VFA is a New York-based
nonprofit whose mission is “to
revitalize American cities through
entrepreneurship by training
recent graduates and young pro-
fessionals to work for start-ups in
emerging cities throughout the
U.S.”
After their acceptance into
VFA, some 200 entrepreneur-
ial-minded graduates from
colleges and universities,
including Harvard,
University of Michigan,
Duke and UCLA, came
to Detroit to participate
in an intensive five-week
summertime program, where
they were taught and mentored
by investors, venture capitalists
and innovation firms in business
skills such as web design, entre-
preneurship and public speak-
ing. Fellows were then placed
in companies in economically
challenged areas nationwide for
a two-year internship, with the
goal of advancing in and creating
jobs for their companies or start-
ing their own companies and
becoming employers themselves.
MEET RANDY RUBIN
Who better to serve as a VFA
board member than philanthro-
pist, active Jewish community
member and Franklin resident
Rubin, a successful business-
woman in her own right?
Along with husband, Craig,
she co-founded the Crypton
Companies (Crypton LLC and
Nanotex LLC, providers of per-
formance fabrics in the contract,
home furnishings and apparel
markets) and is co-chairman
of Rubin Investment Holdings
LLC. Her latest business venture
is a calculated load-stabilizing
device, created to lock down
large hauls on flatbed trucks.
As one of the founding mem-
bers of Temple Shir Shalom, she
has made giving back an integral
value in her life. Nowhere is this
more evident than in her com-
mitment to VFA.
“I’
m a woman on my seventh
career,” said Rubin, a Wayne
State University graduate, to par-
ticipants at the recent VFA train-
ing program in July. “Teacher,
paralegal, trainer, conference
director/spokesperson, marketing
consultant, textile owner. And
I typically put the VFA before
most of my other ventures.
“I got involved with VFA after
countless meetings with nonprof-
it organizations. I couldn’
t find
that special spark I was looking
for until VFA and ended up on
the national board two years ago.
“It’
s a small board of amaz-
ingly talented people with a staff
and director who are eager and
ready to learn and implement.
I’
m on the national board, and
I see such an advantage being
able to participate on a local level
as well. And it’
s a place where I
can make a difference with the
fellows and the companies where
they’
re placed.”
But making a difference is
l
i
f
VFA fellows take part in a
July 2019 training program
at Wayne State University
hot topics
Your People LLC is hosting a free event Tuesday,
Sept. 24, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Detroit City Distillery
(2462 Riopelle St., Detroit) to inspire entrepreneurs,
nonprofit leaders and businesses to build their story
for marketing purposes. Using a storytelling approach,
driven by relationships and purpose, people will be
guided to craft their best business story for use in
marketing, social media, public relations and more.
The event is free though people should RSVP because
space is limited. RSVP at yourppl.com/MMPStory. For
information, email lynne@yourppl.com or call (248)
376-0406.
CHANGES AT
BEDROCK
Matt Cullen, previously CEO of Jack
Entertainment, was named the
new CEO of Dan Gilbert’
s Bedrock
LLC real estate company; and Jim
Ketai, a childhood friend of Gilbert’
s,
announced he was leaving as
chairman of Bedrock to “pursue other
opportunities.” Dan Mullen, the former
executive vice president of business
development at Bedrock, left in June.
GOOGLE EXPANDING IN MICHIGAN
Google recently announced that it’
s undertaking a $17
million expansion of its Michigan offices, increasing
office space and adding jobs at its two hubs in
Detroit and Ann Arbor. In Detroit, Google operates
out of an office attached to the Little Caesars Arena,
where it plans to lease an additional floor. In total,
the company will add 90,000 square feet of office
space in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reports. The
expansions are expected to be complete by the end of
2020 in Detroit, and the end of 2021 in Ann Arbor.
FREE TRAINING
h h b
d C i
Randy Rubin
with VFA CEO
Amy Nelson