Venture capital investing in Michigan and Detroit had a strong 2014.

Almost $220 million was invested in 50 state companies. While the number of deals was down from 74 in 2013, the dollar value was up nearly 100 percent from $111.1 million.

The data in the MoneyTree Report is compiled by Thomson Reuters and released by the National Venture Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

It was the second-highest annual total for state investing since the pre-bust Internet frenzy of 2000 — and included the single largest VC round ever raised by a state firm, the $59.5 million raised by ProNAi Theraputics Inc., a company developing a drug to fight cancer. A total of $356.4 million was invested that year, with $245.7 million invested in 2012.

Two industry powerhouses – America Online Co-Founder Steve Case and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina – made a splash recently when they led a report,“Can Startups Save the American Dream?”

I very much like this report from the University of Virginia’s Miller Center and the ideas in it. However, they missed a significant piece of the answer. While the report focuses on how entrepreneurs can kick-start the economy, it overlooks what we need to do to support the angel investors who fuel the entrepreneurs creating our country’s jobs and innovations.

A new program for Israeli startups is based on cooperation between StartupEast, a new bilateral Israel-Asian accelerator, and NUS (National University of Singapore) Enterprise Incubator, which is considered to be one of the leading startup incubators across Asia.

The program is split between Israel and Asia, and will be headquartered in NUS’ open-space hub in the center of Singapore, called Block71.

Image: http://jewishbusinessnews.com

While most of Christopher Gray's classmates were probably working on research papers and taking exams, he found himself on the set of ABC's Shark Tank, pitching an idea for a business.

Filming an episode of Shark Tank isn't a traditional step in the academic process, but Gray isn't a student at a traditional school.

Gray is a student at the Drexel University Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship, the first stand-alone school of entrepreneurship in the US. While there are other schools of entrepreneurship, Close is the first to offer degrees.

Image: The Close School's Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship. Image: Halkin Mason Photography 

Stress eats away at all of us at one point or another. Nearly three-quarters of adults report feeling physical symptoms of stress within the past month, according to the American Psychological Association and while 62% of adults have tried to somehow reduce stress in the past five years, only 37% have had luck in actually doing so.

1. "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi

2. "Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Lewis Carroll

3. "The Wright brother flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility." - Charles Kettering

The European University Association shares the European Commission’s belief that investment in Europe’s competitiveness is vital to our future success and supports efforts to address the investment gap. Such efforts, however, must not come at the expense of university research. Indeed, EUA is keen to convey the concerns of the university community in relation to the European Fund for Strategic Investments proposal as it stands, both with regard to the means and the processes.

The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer is proud to announce the winners of its 2015 Awards. Now in its 32nd year, the awards have recognized the outstanding efforts of scientists, technology transfer professionals, and their partners in academia and industry. Many technological breakthroughs that have become an essential part of our everyday lives have been winners of the FLC awards.

This year, nearly 100 nominations were submitted from eight federal agencies, which made the decision to select 23 winners a difficult one. But those selected represent technology transfer at its highest level.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The first members of the huge baby-boom generation in the U.S. have reached retirement age in recent years, and these older boomers are retiring in large numbers, just as Americans in their mid- to late 60s did a few years earlier. While about eight in 10 boomers in their early 50s are in the workforce, the percentage employed drops to about 50% for boomers who are 60, and the proportion accelerates downward with each year of age thereafter. Only about a third of those aged 67 and 68 -- the oldest boomers -- are still working in some capacity.

Image: http://www.gallup.com/ 

LSN researchers recently decided to take a deep dive into interviews we have held with venture philanthropy groups from around the world to see what the future likely has in store. After analyzing data gathered over the past three years from more than 150 investors, we uncovered a few notable trends.

Draper University, a kind of accelerated bootcamp in entrepreneurship founded by legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper, has hired a new chief executive and is expanding its scope with the addition of a satellite of related ventures.

The new CEO, Andrew Tang, was formerly managing director at ABB Technology Ventures. He is also currently managing director of the Draper Dragon Fund.

Image: Tim Draper welcomes his students, in a promotional video. Image Credit: Draper University

Silicon Valley has become a synonym for innovation and, with its ecosystem of super-moneyed venture capitalists, it is world renowned as a hub for new products and software. Europe meanwhile has struggled to produce the likes of Facebook, Amazon or PayPal, or to garner the levels of investment for its startups. But could that be about to change?

Image: Silicon Roundabout in London is still no Silicon Valley. Jack Torcello, CC BY

Innovation serves as a key driver of growth in the economy. Innovative firms develop improved manufacturing processes and create new and less expensive products for consumers. For decades the Federal government has supported the growth of innovation through regulations and tax policy. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office provides insight into the challenges that it faces in its efforts to spur new innovations.

Image: http://www.brookings.edu

The robot seems determined to put a bigger smile on the man’s face. “Are you smiling from the bottom of your heart?” it asks. The man chuckles. “That’s what I’m talking about,” the robot quips in a high-pitched voice. Then, just for good measure, it bows its plastic head and apologizes for being “too bossy to our CEO.”

Image: Illustration: Matthew Hollister

Is building Ikea furniture your idea of a good time? Well, hold onto your Napoleon hat, because there's now a game for Mac and Windows that will allow you and up to three other players to simulate the maddening experience of constructing flat-pack furniture in a virtual living room, no Bjursta required.

Image: http://www.fastcodesign.com

One day in 2009 David Cohen and I were talking. Here’s what I remember the conversation being.

David: “I’m seeing so many seed deals from all the mentors and people I’m running into around Techstars but I’m not sure what to do with it.”

Brad: “Why don’t you raise an angel fund and just invest in them as a seed investor.”

David: “Do you really think I can do that?”

Brad: “Absolutely – you’re a great investor. Raise a small fund – $5 million. I’m in for $100,000 so you’ve got your first LP. I’ll help you get it done.”

David: “Ok – let’s go.”

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in the 10 months since joining NextView is just how many exceptions there are to almost every “rule” in early-stage entrepreneurship. There’s no one right way to do most things at this stage of growth. There’s no single Path of Truth and Justice, no matter how much the bloggers and experts want to describe best practices as exactly that (this blog included).

The sharing economy has been widely hailed as a major growth sector, by sources ranging from Fortune magazine to President Obama. It has disrupted mature industries, such as hotels and automotives, by providing consumers with convenient and cost efficient access to resources without the financial, emotional, or social burdens of ownership. But the sharing economy isn’t really a “sharing” economy at all; it’s an access economy.

You might think that fitting in will help you get ahead in business, but it’s not true. Standing out is the only way to reach your fullest potential. It’s also the only way to build strong relationships.

Connecting and fitting in are two different things. As counterintuitive as it might seem, trying to fit in will actually prevent you from authentically building relationships, especially with successful people.

The outlook for office workers is grim: Research has shown the being sedentary at work is bad for our health—whether we're sitting or standing too long. Experts suggest that movement is key. But it can be hard to shake up the workday. Get lost in one project, and suddenly you look up only to realize you've been sitting down for hours.

Image: The Stir Kinetic Desk helps you keep moving throughout the day.