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DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 03-20-06 A 25 CDB 3/16/2006 5:26 PM Page 1 March 20, 2006 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 25 FOCUS:MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE of heavy manufacturing. that’s so cyclical. Ten to 15 years Board member, New Detroit Inc., SECRETARY “We still have a lot of commerce ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION from now, if we all pulled together, Detroit Zoological Society, Detroit Economic Growth Corp., Detroit Ira Jaffe, 66 going; there’s even a lot of auto Chairman Detroit could be one of the greatest business. Look at the new buildings comeback cities ever. The ’20s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Founding partner Dan Gilbert, 44 Task Force on Lebanon, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & European companies are building could be like the ’20s of 100 years Chairman and Harper/Hutzel Hospital and National Weiss P.C. here. The world auto business still ago, when Detroit was booming.” founder Arab American Museum; trustee, treats Detroit as a major focal point How can that vision be achieved: Henry Ford Community College Civic and corporate Quicken Loans Inc. involvement: Detroit for sales and research.” “The Super Bowl was an example Foundation. Livonia Bar Association, taxation section; Also should emphasize our uni- of what can be done when motivat- Brings to the table: Beydoun was board member, McGregor Fund and versity system, foster life-sciences Civic and corporate ed people have a clear vision and a executive director of the American : President, Jarc; board Detroit Zoological Society; corporate companies and persuade govern- involvement deadline. You need Roger Penske, Arab Chamber of Commerce before development ments to work together to member, Children’s Tumor or a Roger Penske, not that there committee, Foundation in New York City; trustee, taking his current job in late 2004. save costs. are that many of them. You need a While there, he put the organiza- Massachusetts Institute The No. 1 obstacle to Children’s Hospital of Michigan of Technology; American Foundation; Michigan State Bar. no-nonsense leader. More than in- tion and the Detroit Middle East- Dream overcome: “We need a novation, it’s execution.” ern business community in a na- Bar Association, Brings to the table: Gilbert is a vi- taxation section; State strong type of middle The No. 1 obstacle to overcome: tional spotlight with economic sionary who foresaw the power of Bar of Michigan, leadership such as what Such a reliance on the auto indus- tours to the Middle East and the the Internet, turning his company taxation section; Team a Gov. (William) Mil- try. “The absolutely No. 1 challenge 2003 U.S.-Arab Economic Forum in Cranbrook Educational into America’s largest online home- liken brought to the is to encourage tech startups and Detroit. The summit brought to- Community; chairman, state. He would bring to- mortgage lender. Not content with the biosciences. We need to create a gether 200 international leaders, Redico L.L.C.; president, gether both sides of the aisle politi- major sponsorship of the Detroit Li- The Crawford Group. hotbed of new-growth companies.” including U.S. Secretary of State cally, both spectrums of city and ons and the Detroit Pistons, last year Reasons for optimism: “One of the Colin Powell and Prince Saud Al- Brings to the table: One of De- suburbs. He helped Detroit with- became majority owner of the Cleve- biggest underreported stories is all Faisal, the foreign minister of Sau- troit’s most-connected lawyers. out being disloyal to his home in land Cavaliers and put his compa- the businesses being created in De- di Arabia. Has built a practice around a wide ny’s name on the team’s arena. Is the northern part of the state. troit. There’s just so much going Vision for metro Detroit: “I would variety of specialties, including “It takes someone that strong part of a younger generation of suc- on down there.” like to see an economic revitaliza- mergers and acquisitions, real es- and that charismatic to make cessful entrepreneurs whose com- tion of the region. But that is only tate, partnership/limited-liability things happen. They will not hap- munity-building potential has yet going to happen if the region em- entities and general corporate law. pen on their own easily. I may be to be tapped. Nasser Beydoun, 41 braces the diversity of people in Vision for metro Detroit: “We have skeptical, but I do not see who pro- Vision for metro Detroit: A diversi- CEO the community and looks at diver- to concentrate on the things we vides that leadership today.” fied economy that has moved away Project Control sity as an economic asset and still have, especially in this atmos- Reasons for optimism: “I’m opti- from a heavy reliance on auto man- Systems Inc. starts to address the systematic phere of readjustments, not only in mistic because we have a lot of ufacturing. “You can’t put all your Livonia the automotive industry, but in all good things existing.” eggs in one basket, especially one Civic and corporate involvement: See Page 26 ÛiÀÞiÊ >ÃÊÌÊV>ÀÀÞÊÜÀiÀýÊV«iÃ>ÌÊ ÃÕÀ>Vi]ÊÃÊ>ÊV>ÀÀiÀÃÊ>ÀiÊÌ iÊÃ>i]ÊÀ} ̶ :URQJ <RXFDQKDYHXSWRRI\RXU DQQXDOSUHPLXPUHWXUQHGZLWK 0&,0·VQHZ6DIHW\5HZDUGV3ODQ 7KHPDMRULW\RIEXVLQHVVHV ,I\RXDUHWLUHGRISD\LQJ DUHRYHUORRNHGZKHQLWFRPHVWR\HDUHQG SUHPLXPV\HDUDIWHU\HDUDQGQHYHU SUHPLXPUHWXUQVIURPZRUNHUV·FRPS VHHLQJDQ\UHWXUQFRQWDFWXVWRGD\ SURYLGHUV,IWKH\DUHELJHQRXJKWRUHFHLYH :HEHOLHYHEXVLQHVVRZQHUVVKRXOGEH VRPHWKLQJEDFNLW·VXVXDOO\EDVHGRQWKH UHZDUGHGIRUWKHLUFRPPLWPHQWWRVDIHW\ DQQXDOSURÀWVRIWKHLUFRPSSURYLGHU *HW\RXU6DIHW\5HZDUG 0&,0LVGLIIHUHQW )LQGRXWKRZDWZZZPLFLPFRP :HFDOORXUUHWXUQD6DIHW\5HZDUG DQGLW·VEDVHGRQ\RXUFRPSDQ\·VVDIHW\ DQGORVVSHUIRUPDQFH,W·VDZDUGHGWR FRPSDQLHVRQDQLQGLYLGXDOEDVLVQRWRQ WKHSHUIRUPDQFHRIRXUHQWLUHFXVWRPHU EDVH7KRVHZKRGHVHUYHDUHZDUGJHWLW 7KLVZD\ZHFDQJLYHPRQH\EDFNWRRXU FXVWRPHUVDQGVWLOODIIRUGWRSURYLGHYHU\ JRRGUDWHVRQZRUNHUV·FRPSLQVXUDQFH #/-0 DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 03-20-06 A 26,27 CDB 3/16/2006 5:33 PM Page 1 Page 26 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS March 20, 2006 FOCUS:MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE ■ From Page 25 are there, now how do we get to Bowl XL, will play a crucial role in ty to succeed is the same. of human tissues and blood sam- and institutional segregation that creating a whole that’s greater making the region successful, and “You have to search for that op- ples that are sold for research pur- exists today.” than those parts?” more such partnerships need to be timistic bone that exists in every poses. Provides a link to the How that vision can be achieved: created. one of our bodies and say, ‘Yes this biotech industry and was an early “We achieve it by starting to take a Enrique Carrillo, 39 How that vision can be achieved: can happen.’ Anything is possible tenant in TechTown, a research regional approach to issues. Frag- Key stakeholders will need to have in this country.” park launched by Wayne State Vice president of University north of campus. mentation hurts us in the big pic- public affairs for a shared vision in order to create ture. It’s no longer the suburbs vs. Comerica Inc. successful partnerships. Those enti- Mary Sue Coleman, Vision for metro Detroit: Develop a clear, bold marketing strategy with Detroit; it’s the region competing Director of the ties also need to be committed to the 62 with Chicago and Tokyo. Unless we Comerica Hispanic ultimate goal of those partnerships incentives and tax breaks to mar- overcome the ‘us Business Initiative in both their personal and profes- President ket the city of Detroit as well as the against them’ mental- Detroit sional lives. Partnerships also will University of state as an innovation hub to mid- ity, it won’t happen.” Michigan sized international companies Civic and corporate have to benefit all parties involved. Dream Ann Arbor looking to enter the U.S. market. The No. 1 obstacle to involvement: Board The No. 1 obstacle to overcome: overcome: “One obsta- member, Detroit Communicating a vision for the re- Civic and corporate involvement: How that vision can be achieved: cle is a lack of Riverfront Conservancy, gion in a way that people can un- Director, Johnson and Johnson, “It’s no good to think that we can Team Latin Americans for Meredith Corp., Gerald R. Ford replace jobs, at the rate they are growth, of population derstand and will want to partici- Foundation, Internet2, and John S. growth here versus Social and Economic pate in can be a challenge. being eroded, from startup compa- Development, Hispanic and James L. Knight Foundation. other regions be- “One person can have a great nies. So you have to go after com- Business Alliance and Aurelio Brings to the table: Under Cole- panies that have already estab- cause economic development Rodriguez Scholarship Fund; idea of what the future might be,” starts with population growth. he said. “But if they don’t transmit man’s direction, the university is lished a track record and those Michigan Commission on Spanish investing more of its resources in companies are going to want some “Look at the Hispanic and Arab Speaking Affairs; Michigan Council that message to active stakehold- technology transfer and the cre- pretty fancy incentives.” communities, and you see where for Labor and Economic Growth. ers, then their spinning their ation of a supportive environment Charlton says bold initiatives, growth is. We need to promote wheels.” Brings to the table: Carrillo for budding entrepreneurs. such as TechTown, need city and Southeast Michigan as welcoming Reasons for optimism: Compared helped create the annual Hispanic Vision for metro Detroit: “What I state support and more initiatives to new immigrants because they metro Detroit’s struggle with the Business Expo & Economic Summit in hope and actually am pretty opti- like TechTown are needed. can be an economic catalyst.” plight of immigrants, such as for- 2004 and continues to be its chair. mistic about is that it is a place The No. 1 obstacle to overcome: Also need to market our relative mer Coca-Cola Co.