Bizdom U 2009: Andrew Hwang

The Bizdom U class recently met with Andy Meisner, the Ferndale State Representative, and discussed his primary goal as a member of the state legislature to make Michigan the number one state for entrepreneurship. His proposal, the “Michigan Spirit of Entrepreneurship Initiative,” includes the following action plans: make training available to those who are interested in taking entrepreneurship classes at local colleges; open up bulk purchasing programs for small business owners; funding universities to hold classes on entrepreneurship; and provide health care tax credits for entrepreneurs. Meisner fully believes that by providing financial assistance, more people will be willing to take risks and open businesses in the state. “We must start by fixing the culture of this city.”

One of the greatest challenges in promoting entrepreneurship in Detroit is maintaining the college students on the verge of graduating. There needs to be a viable system that attracts young adults to stay in the city and launch new businesses. However, this is not a simple task because large corporations are continuously leaving the state, making Detroit a much less attractive city to live and work in.

According to Meisner, Detroiters need to stop relying on the state’s existing corporations and instead, take responsibility in creating new enterprises that will generate more jobs. The old economy is no longer reliable for a good means of living—people have to be more innovative and self-reliant. He confidently sated, “There is no reason why we can’t establish Detroit to be like cool cities such as New York City or Chicago. It already has the infrastructure.”

Meisner is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He grew up in Ferndale, Michigan and has a genuine passion to economically grow the city of Detroit.