The eight assets of a 21c3 community will be the topics of separate breakout sessions on Wednesday and Thursday of the Michigan Municipal League's 112th Annual Convention, Sept. 21-24 in Dearborn. The breakout session on entrepreneurship will feature Brian Balasia, co-founder and CEO of Digerati, Inc. in Detroit.
Brian was a sophomore at the University of Michigan when he and classmate Joe Klecha co-founded Digerati Inc., a company that develops individually tailored electronic records systems for medical practices and institutions.
Today, the thriving company with a growing staff is based in downtown Detroit, where Balasia has been on the board of directors of the Detroit Regional Chamber since 2005. He's been instrumental in the chamber's Michigan Opportunities & Resources for Entrepreneurs (MORE) program.
Here’s a 2008 youtube video of Brian explaining the MORE program goal of encouraging Michigan universities and the business community to help young entrepreneurs find opportunities to grow and stay in Michigan. It's a great example of the 21c3 concept at work. His ideas on how to retain talent and empower innovation served as the inspiration for a 2007 report by the University of Michigan's Committee for Entrepreneurial ENvironment and Programs for Students.
At age 26, Brian was named to the 2008 Twenty in Their 20s list of Michigan's best and brightest young entrepreneurs and leaders by Crain’s Detroit Business.
