ANN ARBOR – Due to the uncertainty created by COVID-19, Ann Arbor SPARK is postponing its annual meeting to Tuesday, September 22, 2020.
The event will be held at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., as originally planned.
If you are currently registered for our annual meeting, no action is required: Your registration will carry over to the new date.
We are still accepting new registrations via our website. If you need to modify your registration in some way, please email us.
Ann Arbor SPARK has compiled and continues to update a list of COVID-19 business-related resources and information. Please see our website for this information.
Thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to realize our mission to restore and advance the economy of the Ann Arbor region by helping businesses and job seekers be successful.
About the event
The Ann Arbor SPARK Annual Meeting is attended by business, government, and academic leaders from across the Ann Arbor region and provides a unique networking opportunity. Business leaders will highlight the region’s accomplishments over the past year with the annual chair awards and preview new projects and initiatives for the coming year.
General Tickets: $100
Program: 10:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
- Networking
- Welcoming Remarks
- Chair Awards
- Lunch
- Keynote
- Closing Remarks
Due to the schedule change of the event, a new keynote speaker has been selected.
Keynote Speaker
Jon Roberts, TIP Strategies, Principal and Managing Director
Jon Roberts is the principal and managing director at TIP Strategies. In this role, he helped transition the company from its Texas-based site selection practice to an economic strategy firm with major national recognition. His portfolio includes planning work from New York to California, with significant regional projects in the Mississippi Delta, Seattle’s Puget Sound, and in the Great Lakes area.
Prior to joining TIP, Jon was the director of business development first for the State of Washington and then the State of Texas, where he co-authored the state’s new strategic plan. His previous experience also includes serving as vice president of the Oregon Technology Fund and lead investor for the Hood River Brewing Company (Full Sail), which continues to hold a prominent place in the craft brewing industry. He also managed two startup technology companies: Fiberlite Composites and LifePort Inc. LifePort was subsequently acquired by Sikorsky.
Jon has served on the boards of several startup technology companies and on state task forces and gubernatorial committees. He has lectured in business at the University of Washington, the University of Texas, and was on the faculty at Marylhurst College in Portland, Oregon. Jon was also the founder of a mountain bike company in Portland: the Fat Tire Farm, which now operates multiple retail outlets.