Business

Each month, we partner with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber to look at how the news of the day impacts the local business community. On this month's "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU's Caroline MacGregor was joined by Andy LaBarre, Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations for the Chamber, and Cybersecurity expert, Detective Kevin Parvize to explore how emerging cyber security issues are increasingly posing a threat to the local business community.

The growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way people do business. On this month’s "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor chats with Atomic Object Managing Partner, Jonah Bailey and Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations for the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber, Andy LaBarre about how responsible adoption of AI can help companies remain innovative and achieve long-term growth.

The City of Ann Arbor is moving to develop a decarbonization program for commercial businesses to advance its A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality plan. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

A food organization in Ypsilanti is fostering future food entrepreneurs by expanding its kitchen operations. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

Ann Arbor businesses are feeling the impact of people suffering homelessness and mental health challenges. For this month's "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU's Caroline MacGregor and Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations, Andy LaBarre discussed these economic impacts with the Executive Director of Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, Trish Cortes.

Ann Arbor SPARK’s annual report shows that Ann Arbor’s future could be driven by businesses utilizing artificial intelligence technologies. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

Ann Arbor SPARK’s newest annual report for the past fiscal year shows continued investment and growth in its business incubation efforts in Ypsilanti. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Each month, we partner with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber to look at how the news of the day impacts the local business community. For this month's "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU's Caroline MacGregor was joined by Andy LaBarre, Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations for the Chamber, and Destination Ann Arbor Director of Community Engagement Jennifer Chizek to talk about the upcoming tourism season and what Destination Ann Arbor predicts for this summer and fall.

Starting a new business—even a small business—takes a lot of work and resources. Fortunately, Ann Arbor SPARK East in Ypsilanti is there to provide such resources with its Small Business Support Hub. Lee Van Roth talked all about what the program does for budding entrepreneurs with Ann Arbor SPARK's director of entrepreneurial services, Kristine Nash-Wong.

Environmental concerns continue to surround data centers, and there are a number either approved or planned in Washtenaw County. Supporters of these centers contend there are ways to ensure environmental health while improving the local economy. We’ve explored environmental concerns on WEMU’s "Issues of the Environment." This time around, we’ll get a business perspective on it. Phil Santer is Chief Operating Officer for Ann Arbor SPARK, and he joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the economics of these data centers.