Inside story on how Josh Silverman CEO of Etsy took Etsy’s market capitalization from $1.56B in May of 2017 to $27.9B today. Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies.  We will talk about growing up in Ann Arbor and his amazing career.

Florence Knoll (1917–2019) was a leading force of modern design. She worked from 1945 to 1965 at Knoll Associates, first as business partner with her husband Hans Knoll, later as president after his death, and, finally, as design director. Her commissions became hallmarks of the modern era, including the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe, the Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia, and the Platner Collection by Warren Platner. She created classics like the Parallel Bar Collection, still in production today.

David Griffis has lived in Detroit for his entire life except for two years of service in the military, when he went to Korea. He worked as a Personnel Technician for the Michigan Employment Security Commission and for Chrysler’s personnel department. He received a degree in business administration from Wayne State University, and went on to run two nursing home facilities in Detroit for over fifteen years. He has two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Learn about the most luxurious classic cars built by American companies. Find out how the Eckhart Brothers, E.L. Cord, the Duesenberg Brothers, and Harry Stutz built their companies. Follow mergers between some of these companies and how the companies finally ended their production.                                      

When you hear the word startup, what do you think about? Do you think tech? Retail? Duo Security? Regardless of what you envision, we know one thing for sure: startups are what drive economic growth and development. This talk goes over what Michigan needs to continue growth as a startup ecosystem.

In 1999, amidst the height of DIY culture, independent music and publishing and the idea of owning the means of production, Jen Farrell built a small letterpress and design studio, focused on creating meaningful work for herself and other indie entrepreneurs. Over the past 19 years, the type of work produced in the studio has shifted but the spirit has not. Here she discusses the early days of the studio, its first mission statement, and how Starshaped Press continues to grow alongside its urban community in a city known for its diverse and interconnected neighborhoods.

This fun and informative event explains how your house can be made more energy efficient and whether solar power might be an option. 

Presenters include:

Local business owners talk about how socially conscious business practices – from environmental sustainability to hiring practices to community partnerships – are part of their business identity and their bottom line.

John W. Barfield is a legendary entrepreneur who is known as a pioneer of corporate America's vital Minority Supplier Development programs. He is the founder of The Bartech Group Inc., a leading workforce management and staffing solutions provider to Global 500 firms. Bartech, based in Southfield, Michigan, employs more than 3,000 people, manages approximately 26,000 contract workers worldwide, and manages approximately $3 billion in contingent labor for its global clients. Bartech was named the Nation's Top Managed Service Provider firm for 2014 by HRO Today, a trade magazine for the contingent workforce Industry.

Join us as John discusses his life and his new autobiography, Starting From Scratch : The Humble Beginnings of a Two Billion-Dollar Enterprise. A book signing will follow and books will be for sale at the event.

The son of an Alabama sharecropper, John W. Barfield dropped out of high school to enlist in the United States Army, serving in Germany and France from 1945-1947. Upon his discharge, he worked as a custodian at the University of Michigan.

In 1954, he and his wife Betty, formed the first of many companies, J & B Cleaning Company (later renamed Barfield Cleaning Company) located in Ypsilanti. John and his wife Betty sold their first business to ITT Corporation in 1969. It was a breakthrough transaction that led to a relationship with General Motors Corporation and a second career as one of the most successful minority suppliers for GM and other companies.

In 1977, Barfield incorporated John Barfield and Associates and by 1984 he had expanded the company and renamed it Bartech Inc. Barfield formed and eventually sold additional businesses, including Barfield Building Maintenance Company and Barfield Manufacturing Company.

As a long time philanthropist and mentor to other entreprenuers, Mr. Barfield has received numerous honors and awards, including The Tree of Life Award, the highest honor of the Jewish National Fund of America; the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion's Humanitarian of the Year Award; and the A.G. Gaston Lifetime Achievement Award from Black Enterprise Magazine.

In 1915, University of Michigan alumnus George J. Moe quit his job with the Michigan athletic department to pursue his dream of opening a shop devoted to quality apparel and athletic equipment. The Moe Sport Shop became one of Ann Arbor’s most beloved institutions. Did you know that team logo wear began at Moe's? And that Moe's invented the Official's striped jersey we all like to boo on football Saturdays?

100 years later, the tradition continues at 711 N. University. AADL sat down with current owners Ryan Gregg and Rishi Narayan and former owner Bud Van de Wege Jr. to explore the history of the Moe Sport Shop, the changes to the store over the years and how the shop remains a vibrant presence in the 21st century.