roundtable discussion in which
entrepreneurs had the opportunity
to talk in greater depth about their
companies.
Jonathan Goldstein, one of the
event organizers and director of
operations for SPARK, emphasized
the role of SPARK in helping Ann
Arbor entrepreneurs succeed in their
ventures.
“So one of the things that fuels our
work is just the reputation of Ann
Arbor as a startup ecosystem,” he said.
“And fortunately SPARK has a really
strong name as an organization. And
within this ecosystem we are lucky
that we have so many startups here
right now with SPARK’s incubators
themselves.”
Goldstein also explained the steps
that an aspiring entrepreneur can
take to launch a successful business
in Ann Arbor.
“We have an online form where
people can submit their business
ideas,” he said. “From there, we are
able to reach out to the entrepreneur,
to help him or her find direction. And
then we walk them through how
they could scale their company, how
we could work with them, how we
could use our resources to work with
them.”
Following
the
roundtable
discussion,
entrepreneurs
and
Dingell toured successful startups in
Ann Arbor, including Workit Health,
a provider of personalized addiction
care programs, and SkySpecs, an
aerospace
engineering
company
that inspects failures in autonomous
drones.
At Workit Health headquarters on
South 5th Avenue, Dingell disclosed
her personal connection with the
topic of addiction.
“My father actually had problems
with addiction, so the work that
Workit Health and the whole team do
is very personal to me,” Dingell said.
Dingell
pointed
to
Lisa
McLaughlin, the co-founder and
co-CEO, expressing her interest in
the subject.
“I am sorry that I have so many
questions for you,” she said. “I am
simply fascinated by the topic and I
care deeply about it.”
She also emphasized the role that
government can play in helping the
entrepreneurial community in Ann
Arbor and in Michigan succeed.
“The reason why I am here
today
is
to
understand
the
needs of entrepreneurs and the
impact that they can have in the
Michigan
community,
whether
that be in healthcare, technology
or transportation,” she said. “I
believe that by partnering with
entrepreneurs,
government
and
private
investors
can
promote
welfare in Michigan communities
and help accelerate the growth of
new technologies that have a positive
effect on people’s lives.”
3
NEWS
Thursday, August 3, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Incoming freshmen prepare for business school with
Ross summer courses, discussion with professionals
Students engage
with peers through
study groups, case
competitions and
collaborations with
campus groups
By CHETALI JAIN
Summer Daily News Editor
Some incoming Ross School
of Business freshman at the
University of Michigan from
under-resourced high schools
and diverse backgrounds have
the opportunity to partici-
pate in a four-week program
designed to expose students
to the rigors of the Business
School and provide them with
the opportunity to network
with key contacts before the
school year begins.
Since
the
Ross
Summer
Connections
pilot
program
launched on July 12, the 19 par-
ticipants have been living in
Cambridge House and attend-
ing classes that resemble ones
they will be enrolled in during
the fall semester. Subjects cov-
ered include Calculus I, Eco-
nomics 101, First-Year Writing
and Business Administration.
Rhonda Todd, director of
Academic Success at Michi-
gan Ross and director of RCS,
explained how the invitation
to join is based on multiple
criteria including familiarity
with the business field. She
discussed the overarching goal
to immerse the students in an
authentic and comprehensive
Business
School
experience
that eases their transition from
high school to the University.
“We’re giving students who
typically could use the addi-
tional resources the opportu-
nity to thrive in the program
as opposed to just surviving,”
Todd said. “These are students
who want to spend their time
getting acclimated to the cam-
pus and rigor … They want to be
here.”
According to Todd, the stu-
dents get a head start on impor-
tant topics that will be relevant
to their Ross education. RSC
participants learn about cre-
ating
a
professional
online
presence, email etiquette and
time-management,
among
other skills.
Diana Gaspar, a first-gen-
eration Mexican student from
a rural Michigan town called
Berrien Springs, is one such
participant. Gaspar said she
had found RSC to be one of
her favorite summer experi-
ences. She said the program is
an excellent way to familiarize
herself with the environment,
people and academic expecta-
tions of the University, as well
ROBERT BUECHLER/DAILY
Sen. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) speaks to the audience at a town hall-style forum.
as to boost her confidence.
“My school did not offer AP
courses; I had never experienced
a high rigor class,” Gaspar said.
“Compared to those who were
coming in with 30 plus AP cred-
its, I felt inadequate. RSC has
given me the confidence and
experience, to take on the upcom-
ing courses. I now know I am not
going to be thrown in here com-
pletely blind.”
Jordan Tran, one of Gaspar’s
fellow
RSC
cohort
members,
shared the positivity towards the
program and found it rewarding
to get ahead in courses such as
Economics 101 and hear from the
guest speakers. Tran was raised
in Ann Arbor by his Vietnamese
parents and went to high school
in the area. He said he found the
opportunity to hear from and
connect with guest speakers to be
rewarding and looks forward to
exploring his interests once the
fall semester commences.
“RSC has already helped me in
countless ways,” Tran said. “In
all our classes, we have home-
work … midterms, and final
exams … By the time the fall
comes around, I will already be
in school mode and I don’t need
time to make that transition. All
our speakers come from different
backgrounds and it’s really great
to see how diverse the University
of Michigan, as well as (the Busi-
ness School), is.”
Along with professional and
academic preparation, the RSC
has a social aspect through which
students collaborate in study
groups, compete in case compe-
titions and engage with various
campus groups and city events,
such as the Ann Arbor Street Art
Fair. Both Gaspar and Tran noted
they formed friendships with
their peers through the program.
The program runs until Aug.
5, giving students ample time to
reflect on their experiences and
take a break before returning for
classes in September.
DINGELL
From Page 1
We have an online
form where
people can submit
their business
ideas