For more than three years, The Next Idea has been talking to people who took their creative ideas and turned them into something tangible — a business, an invention, social change. Those out of the box ideas are essential to keep moving Michigan’s economy forward. But creative ideas often get stuck in their own regional bubbles. As a send-off for The Next Idea , Michigan Radio got together to discuss how that regional isolation affects the state’s economic growth, why it matters, and what can be

The Next Idea In late November of 2014, Michigan Radio’s Stateside began a series called The Next Idea . With support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and a team that included the University of Michigan’s “Dean of Innovation” Jeff DeGraff and Executive Producer Joe Linstroth , the project’s mission was to focus on innovation, creativity and ideas meant to move Michigan forward. In essays and interviews, we met Michigan inventors and entrepreneurs, teachers, artists, scientists,

The Next Idea After more than three years, our innovation series, The Next Idea , will soon come to an end. Stateside has been checking in with some of our previous contributors to see how they’re doing.

The Next Idea Well, it’s been three years since we started The Next Idea. The aim of the project was to showcase the wide array of amazing people and communities here in Michigan, and how they make innovation happen every day, everywhere, and in every way. Looking back, we have heard the diverse voices and perspectives of artists, educators, community leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and inventors; the young and old and everyone in between from all the regions of the Great Lakes State. Anyone

The Next Idea If you’re arrested and charged with a crime, you’ll likely be asked to “post bail.” Bail is the money that a defendant hands over to the court in order to be released from custody until their trial. So, if you don’t have a huge bank account, where are you supposed to find, say, $50,000? Traditionally, you go to a bail bondsman. Judd Grutman has a different idea in mind.

The Next Idea When it comes to a company’s bottom line, diversity matters. Over the last couple of years on The Next Idea , we've talked with our partner Jeff DeGraff and others about the importance of diversity — in all its forms — when it comes to finding true innovations that change lives and grow businesses. Today's guests on The Next Idea show this emphasis on diversity isn't just because it's politically correct, or some kumbaya message that we should all get along.

The Next Idea After more than three years on the air, our innovation series, The Next Idea, is coming to a close, so it seems like a good time to check back with one of the many contributors to the series. Feliciano Paredes is a classic example of an entrepreneur who identifies a need, creates an invention to fill that need, and embarks on the journey to bring that invention to market.

The Next Idea The city of Grand Rapids is widely considered a great place to do business, unless you’re black. A 2015 study in Forbes magazine found that it was the second-worst city in the nation in terms of being economically friendly to African-Americans. An organization that works to promote entrepreneurship in Grand Rapids has started a pitch contest that’s meant to encourage startup ideas from everyone — especially people of color.

The Next Idea You’ve heard of a “hotbed of innovation” – a time and place where money and talent flow towards the creation of new ideas. Sometimes, though, innovation happens during the slowdowns, the dry spells.

It's never too early to plant the seeds of entrepreneurship. Today's curious kid could be tomorrow's entrepreneurial star. That's the idea behind the new program, Running Start, a four-part series of mentor-led workshops designed for middle and high school students interested in entrepreneurship.