September 22 | Virtual Event
Ann Arbor SPARK annual meeting & regional economic forum
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the 2020 Ann Arbor SPARK Annual Meeting where we presented the results of our 2019 work as well as its work to-date to support the business community during COVID-19.
Meeting Materials
Annual Meeting Award Winners
MI-HQ: Business Development Project of the Year
May Mobility: Entrepreneurial Company of the Year
Ted Dacko: Volunteer Leader of the Year
View the entire program
Keynote Speaker
Jon Roberts, TIP Strategies
Principal and Managing Director
We’ve invited Jon Roberts, principal and managing director of TIP Strategies, to be our Keynote Speaker. For years, Jon has provided strategic leadership by identifying how macro issues impact local communities — such as climate change, equity, and representation. While Jon initially agreed to join us for our originally scheduled date in April, we believe his perspective will provide even greater substance this September.
Bio
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.
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