Livio founder and former CEO Jake Sigal to deliver keynote address at GLEQ awards event

Contact: Miche Suboski
MSuboski@MiQuest.org
586.929.4782

Lansing, MI , June 9, 2014 – A third-generation entrepreneur with a passion for integrating hardware with software applications, Jake Sigal, will be the keynote presenter at the 14th Annual GLEQ Business Plan Competition Awards Event on Tuesday, June 17, at the Eagle Crest Conference Center in Ypsilanti. Sigal recently co-founded a new software company, Tome, Inc. to explore the buzzing “Internet of things” tech space. He has also joined the 3-60 LLC real estate group as a partner and is actively negotiating a forward-thinking, mixed-use development plan to bring innovative tech companies to downtown Ferndale. 
   
Sigal founded his first company, Livio, in his Ferndale home in 2008 and successfully engineered software that enables mobile device applications to work seamlessly with vehicle hardware systems. The company’s work turned heads, and Livio was acquired by the Ford Motor Company in 2013.

Sigal brings to his keynote an energized perspective of a successful Michigan entrepreneur that has taken his venture from startup to acquisition. “Entrepreneurs innovate, create jobs, and change the status quo,” says serial entrepreneur and real estate developer Sigal. “MiQuest didn’t ask me to speak for my experiences, they asked me to speak for what my experiences represent in our region, and for all of the new entrepreneurs hustling hard for a better tomorrow. I take pride in that honor.”

The MiQuest GLEQ Awards event is a half-day morning program that includes showcase presentations by the top 20 entrepreneurs in the statewide business plan competition, award presentations for ventures in the emerging company and new business idea categories, and innovation awards in green chemistry, advanced energy, and advanced manufacturing. The Consultants’ Corridor will offer attendees one-on-one advisory sessions with subject matter experts.  

“We’re thrilled to have Jake Sigal talk to the entrepreneurs that are following in his footsteps. He has experienced the success that many start-up entrepreneurs aspire to achieve. I encourage entrepreneurs from all over the state to join us for this exciting celebration of entrepreneurial achievements, and to talk about their challenges and connect with the support services that can help them move forward,” says Diane Durance, President, MiQuest.

Event sponsors include: Brinks Gilson & Lione, New Economy Initiative, Traction, Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Biggby Coffee, BlueWater Angels, Capitol National Bank, CMU Center for Entrepreneurship, Goldman Sachs, Hitachi, Howard & Howard, Key Bank, LEAP, Logic Solutions, Michigan Business Incubator Association, Michigan Corporate Relations Network, MidMichigan Innovation Center, MSU Bioeconomy Institute, MSU Innovation Center, MSU Regional Economic Innovation Center, Online Tech, Rehmann, Start Garden, TechTown Detroit, and Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Register to attend today, admission is only $25 for online registration and $35 at the door the day of the event. Everyone is welcome.

MiQuest is a statewide organization offering support services and resources to entrepreneurs and working to position Michigan as THE state of entrepreneurship. In 2014, MiQuest will convene and develop a community of the state’s most ambitious and growth-focused entrepreneurs. This community will provide the foundation for peer-to-peer advising and identification of mentor/mentee matches, and a focal point for support services and education opportunities that will create measurable positive impacts. Growing Michigan’s culture of entrepreneurship will be the catalyst for more opportunity, prosperity, critical thinking and self-reliance for everyone.  For more about MiQuest visit www.MiQuest.org or contact DDurance@MiQuest.org.