July eNewsletter from TechTown

In this issue... Networking tips at August's First Friday Let TechOne Printing meet your back-to-school office supply needs First Friday survey results in Canadians solve job creation on stage and off Lunch and Learn with Lawyers New Economy News July 2010 Greetings!         TechTown's story adds a new and critical chapter with the hiring of Leslie Smith as its first general manager.   Smith, a skilled economic development leader who's equally passionate about energizing people and building bridges to opportunity, will manage TechTown's day-to-day operations while also serving as the lead liaison between staff, tenant companies, entrepreneurs and management.   "I was born in Detroit, and I have a special commitment to the renaissance of this place," Smith said. "I look forward to being even a small part of the solution."   Read more here. Visit Our Sponsor Get tangible networking tips at August's First Friday   Sponsored by Corp! Magazine   Make your way to TechTown's First Friday on August 6 to hear PR coach and social media strategist Pam Perry offer tangible tips on networking that will help entrepreneurs build their businesses by leveraging relationships.   The event is August 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. at NextEnergy, 461 Burroughs Street, in TechTown. A $5 donation is encouraged to help offset event costs.   Since TechTown opened in 2004, First Fridays have been a gathering place for doers and thinkers in Detroit. The events have grown into a networking hub for hundreds of entrepreneurs, professionals, mentors and investors.   REGISTER HERE. Let TechOne Printing meet your back-to-school office supply needs   Be sure to stop by the business center of choice for Detroit entrepreneurs for all your back-to-school office supplies and document production needs.   Not heading back to school? Fall is a great time of year to stock up on discounted office supplies anyway to get you through the rest of the year.   TechOne Printing also offers printed poster packages including print, mount and laminating at prices startups can afford.   Word's been getting around about TechOne Printing, which hit the radio waves this summer with a series of ads on WDRJ AM 1440. Print center manager Kristen Weimert partnered with Gemini Media Group, a client in the SmartStart business accelerator program that has been hosting a talk show on the station from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in July.   Visit the TechOne Printing site to learn more about how Kristen can help your small business put its best face forward! Hollywood comes to TechTown   When the 2011 Hollywood feature A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas debuts, look closely and you may see signs of TechTown.   Well, the cameo actually belongs to the building soon to be known as TechTwo.   Harold, Kumar and their crew filmed at TechTown's TechTwo facility, formerly the Dalgleish Cadillac dealership, and worked around the clock to transform the empty facility into a "New York City tree lot."   Harold and Kumar's Christmas romp is one of many Hollywood productions that have turned to Michigan in search of low-cost, high quality environments.  Sparked by the Michigan Film Incentive, the country's premier film incentive program, and Michigan-based film facilities, filmmakers across the country are seeing the unequaled benefits of being made in Michigan.  Read more here . First Friday survey results are in!   Thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the First Friday survey this month. TechTown values your input, and we will be analyzing the hundreds of responses to make improvements to the event.   And the lucky winner of a $25 gift certificate to TechOne Printing is....Paul Ozment! Congratulations, Paul, and thanks to all for participating! Canadians solve job creation on stage and off From Randal's Detroit blog   This month after my ritual visit to Stratford, Ontario, I returned to Detroit convinced that Canadians have considerably more than great acting and ice hockey to offer the world.   For a start, they are leading the world out of the economic recession. Canada has added more than 227,000 jobs in the past three months, all but replacing jobs lost during the 2008-2009 recession.   Maybe it's time to recognize that Canadians know a thing or two about economic development.   Read more here. Lunch and Learn with Lawyers at TechTown Thursday, August 12   Attend this free lunch session at TechTown with lawyers from Baris, Sott, Denn and Driker to learn about essential startup business topics like entity formation, tax considerations, hiring, intellectual property, and business litigation and resolution.   Read more here. Follow-up links TechTown homepage Event calendar Lease space TechTown Mentors About us Detroit's fastest-growing business incubator, TechTown is serving and assisting more than 200 emerging companies with business accelerator programs, space for lease and educational forums. Learn more here.