For 20+ years, Ann Arbor SPARK has been at the forefront of driving economic development, fostering entrepreneurial opportunities, and enhancing community engagement. We model how private, public, and academic institutions can collaborate to form lasting social and economic prosperity. Our collaboration with public, private, and academic partners continues to position our community as an attractive location for new investment and high-value, knowledge-based talent based on intellectual capital unsurpassed in the United States.
The Ann Arbor SPARK Annual Meeting is attended by business, government, and academic leaders from across the Ann Arbor region. This insightful event is your unique opportunity to preview new projects and initiatives for the coming year.
The SPARK Annual Meeting will be held at the EMU Student Center, 900 Oakwood St., Ypsilanti, MI.
Keynote Speaker: Julie Wagner
Global Institute on Innovation Districts
Julie Wagner is president and co-founder of The Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID), a global reaching, not-for-profit organization. The mission of GIID is to accelerate the growth and evolution of innovation districts worldwide. Innovation districts are R&D intense geographies often adjacent to universities and medical institutions, which collaborate with industries and startups to advance both competitiveness and broad base prosperity. She leads a multidisciplinary team that undertakes novel empirical research across dozens of districts worldwide to elevate their distinction from other economic models. Julie has shaped and led a global network of nearly 50 districts across five continents and 16 countries.
Building on her work, Julie works with governments, universities, and medical institutions to shape competitive strategies that value innovation-rich innovation districts. Julie is a prolific researcher and writer. Her most notable research includes, “The Rise of Innovation Districts: A New Geography of Innovation in America” and “The Evolution of Innovation Districts: The New Geography of Global Innovation.” She has authored multiple papers and articles related to how districts should organize and finance their efforts. Her most recent paper was released in April 2024, titled “Innovation Districts and the Centrality of Land,” which boldly explores the centrality of land in both the transformation of districts and, importantly, how they are effectively governed to advance specific ambitions.
A trained city planner from MIT, Julie was a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution for nearly 15 years. served as a deputy planning director for Washington DC, where she managed the development of plans to aid that city undergoing significant economic and social transformation.
Agenda
Coffee & Networking: 10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Program & Lunch: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Welcoming Remarks
2025 Metrics and Results
Annual Meeting Awards
Keynote Speaker: Julie Wagner
Closing Remarks
