DNewTech-Oct 2023

**Hello DNT community!**

Join us for our DNT ONSITE meetup!! (Wednesdays; 7-8:30p EST)

Hope to see you soon! **Please RSVP** – Let’s *get inspired and get going!*

**Special shout out to our sponsors** **[VELN](https://www.velnlegal.com/)** | **[Collider](https://collider.altimetrik.com/)** and our **community supporter** **[1Million Cups Metro Detroit](1millioncups.com/metrodetroit)**!

**Community announcement:** n/a

***We welcome our featured entrepreneurs for an evening of pitch presentations, community conversation, and networking.***

**Guest speaker: Dr. Arthur Barbut | CEO of the Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator**
Dr. Arthur Barbut is the CEO of the Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator, located in Windsor, Ontario. With over 15 years of research and practical experience, Arthur has developed great insights into how successful businesses are created and nurtured. His passion is to connect practical and academic insights to create innovative ecosystems that allow entrepreneurs to prosper.

Arthur’s doctoral research focused on how social capital is created across different types of business incubators. The research confirms that social capital plays a vital role in helping entrepreneurs gain access to networks and resources that they would otherwise not be able to access. Successful entrepreneurial ecosystems are able to utilize structural, cognitive and relational social capital to create a culture of trust and genuine collaboration.

Over the past decade, under Arthur’s leadership, The Accelerator has grown from renting a 6,500 sft building to owning a historic 55,000 sft facility that has transformed the region, creating 500+ jobs and generating over $30M in regional economic impact.
Arthur sits on a number of boards including the Global Automotive and Mobility Innovation Challenge (GAMIC). GAMIC is an annual competition for early-stage automotive and mobility companies, with past semi-finalists and winners raising over $230M in equity funding. Arthur also serves as an advisor to a select number of startups and social enterprises.

1. **Barbara Lyons, Inventor of Leafinator™**: The Leafinator is a pioneering company dedicated to creating innovative solutions for outdoor yard maintenance. Founded on the principles of convenience, efficiency and eco-friendliness, the Leafinator has revolutionized the approach to managing fallen leaves and debris in residential and commercial spaces. With a commitment to sustainable practices and new innovation, the Leafinator is striving to become a leading innovator in the outdoor tools and equipment industry.> ([Leafinator](https://www.leafinator.com/)).
2. **Jamar McLittle, Founder of Mr Mac McLittles LLC**: McLittles Painting Services has been providing trustworthy, professional painting in Farmington Hills, Michigan and surrounding towns since 2018. Whether you’re looking for a knowledgeable house painter in Farmington Hills, or searching for an experienced commercial painting contractor, McLittles Painting Services strives for perfection with every painting project.> ([https://mclittles-painting.com/](https://mclittles-painting.com/))
3. **Tracy Evans – Brand Ambassador of American Liquor™** – American Liquor Co. brought together ingredients that don’t usually mingle (wheat, rye, potato, and corn) and people you won’t usually find in the same room (craft distillers) to reimagine vodka. Unlike other vodkas, ours is blended like a fine whiskey. Clean and pure but more complex in taste, aroma, and mouthfeel than most vodkas. The rich Midwestern terroir yields a spirit so tasteful, it has become the vodka of whiskey lovers. >([www.americanvodka.com](https://www.americanvodka.com/))