Founders : Creative Sector

Sarah Nicoli started her own day planner line, DotMine Day Planners, in the late 20th Century. She stopped production last year only to meet a vocal demand for the return of her day planners. She relaunched the firm over the last year.

Questions with Sarah Nicoli, relaunching a 20th Century business in the 21st Century

Slows restaurant in Detroit caught lightning in a bottle when it opened in 2005. It has slowly grown since then despite numerous offers to open around the world. Co-founder Brian Perrone explains why.

Questions with Brian Perrone on slowly growing the Slows footprint

Noah Kaplan knows a growing company is only as good as its culture and it's why he is always working to comprehensively improve the culture at Leon Speakers.

Questions with Noah Kaplan on evolving a company to match its culture

Andy Kopietz spent the better part of a decade working for someone, until he started to work for himself when he launched Good Done Daily. The Detroiter explains why making that leap made sense.

Questions with Andy Kopietz explains making the leap from employee to employer

Lindsey Walenga is the co-founder of Siren PR, helping build a client list from nothing. Today she and her partner have the Royal Oak-based boutique public relations agency growing quickly thanks to new customers.

Questions with Lindsey Walenga on building a client list from scratch

Jim Renberg's firm, Brush Park Studio, is creating a successful business where too many people don't see value: preserving historic architecture in Detroit. Renberg explains why it works for him and his partner.

Questions with Jim Renberg on preserving Detroit's historic architecture

Mark Rieth likes to talk about Stroh's when he is speaking about turning Atwater Brewery into Detroit's next great brewery. He explains why Detroit's most fabled brewery serves as an inspiration.

Questions with Mark Rieth on why Stroh's inspires Atwater Brewery's growth

Joe Hessling is the founder & CEO of 365 Retail Markets, which means he has to balance a shareholder's need to create value and a executive's impulse to build a business.

Questions with Joe Hessling, balancing CEO and shareholder duties

Every day Sabra Scott-Moorman and Catherine Watson work to get business owners to tell their stories. It's the basis of what their business, Cosmo Branding and Marketing, is built on.

Questions with Sabra Scott-Moorman & Catherine Watson, telling entrepreneurs' stories

Max Schmidt couldn't find the right suit for a wedding, so he decided to make his own. It's a decision that led him to opening up his own custom tailor shop, 1701 Bespoke, in downtown Detroit.

Questions with Max Schmidt, fashionably changing careers

Larry Schmitt knows opportunity when he sees it. He often sells those opportunities through his innovation consulting company, The Inovo Group. Schmitt also knows that successful companies pursue those opportunities, and he knows how to get them to do it.

Questions with Larry Schmitt, success equals pursuing opportunities

Nutshell is all about its product to Joe Malcoun and his fellow co-founders at the Ann Arbor-based software startup. The tech entrepreneur explains why his team focused on product first and promotion second while building the business.

Questions with Joe Malcoun, focus on product first, promotion second

Megan Torrance knew she needed a bigger space for her growing company, TorranceLearning, and knew she didn't want to leave the downtown Chelsea Clock Tower. So she took chance and took over one huge space in it.

Questions with Megan Torrance on fitting a business into a space too big for it

Finding the next best market to expand online event parking startup Park N Party isn't as simple as randomly picking a Big Ten school and setting up shop. Park n Party co-founder Jason Kapica explains how he grows the reach of his Ann Arbor-based firm.

Questions with Jason Kapica on targeting the best market for expansion

Brian Rudolph wants you to eat Banza, gluten-free pasta from chick peas. First he has to get his Detroit-based food startup product on store shelves, a task he is enjoying some fast success with this year.

Questions with Brian Rudolph on bringing Banza to a store shelf near you