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