LEAD
COVER STORY: Winners of MPowered's 1000 Pitches
By Nicole Bowling and Allison Goldstein
Photographs by: Anja Kreibaum and Marissa Mcclain
February 8, 2010
As a University of Michigan junior and project director of MPowered, Allen Kim hopes to contribute to the rise of Michigan's economy. His winning pitch in the Michigan Matters category details the establishment of a Renewable Energy Science Foundation in the state. Kim's proposal promotes renewable energy research to enable Michigan to become the Silicon Valley of green technology.
LM: How did you come up with this?
AK: At Michigan, my freshman year, I made a friend who came here because his father worked for General Motors. Unfortunately, his father got laid off, and his entire family had to go back to India. Now, he's making $5,000 a year and getting a $40,000 loan to continue his education in Michigan. This saddened me. I thought there had to be a way to raise Michigan's economy and raise the entrepreneurial mindset. I've always been passionate about renewable energy, and I realized Michigan had a lot of programs to really push the industry forward. Michigan needs this Science Foundation to develop this cutting edge technology. We are an amazing manufacturing state, and we need to transfer the talent of the University of Michigan to the rest of the state. I saw that there was a missing piece, and I believe that missing piece is the Science Foundation.
LM: How does growing up in Ann Arbor affect your relationship to the state of Michigan and its future?
AK: Getting all of this education here, I feel obligated to return something to the state. I'm passionate about how I can give my education back to Michigan.
LM: How has your experience at the University of Michigan made this possible?
AK: The University of Michigan helped me to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. I realized how many resources were out there. I was able to gain knowledge, access information, and network with people. These things enabled me to gain insights about actual economic development, the current status quo, etc.
LM: What inspires you?
AK: When I'm with my University of Michigan friends, I am always impressed and surprised by how amazing they are. Being around great and talented people helps me to think bigger.
LM: How did you come up with this?
AK: At Michigan, my freshman year, I made a friend who came here because his father worked for General Motors. Unfortunately, his father got laid off, and his entire family had to go back to India. Now, he's making $5,000 a year and getting a $40,000 loan to continue his education in Michigan. This saddened me. I thought there had to be a way to raise Michigan's economy and raise the entrepreneurial mindset. I've always been passionate about renewable energy, and I realized Michigan had a lot of programs to really push the industry forward. Michigan needs this Science Foundation to develop this cutting edge technology. We are an amazing manufacturing state, and we need to transfer the talent of the University of Michigan to the rest of the state. I saw that there was a missing piece, and I believe that missing piece is the Science Foundation.
LM: How does growing up in Ann Arbor affect your relationship to the state of Michigan and its future?
AK: Getting all of this education here, I feel obligated to return something to the state. I'm passionate about how I can give my education back to Michigan.
LM: How has your experience at the University of Michigan made this possible?
AK: The University of Michigan helped me to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. I realized how many resources were out there. I was able to gain knowledge, access information, and network with people. These things enabled me to gain insights about actual economic development, the current status quo, etc.
LM: What inspires you?
AK: When I'm with my University of Michigan friends, I am always impressed and surprised by how amazing they are. Being around great and talented people helps me to think bigger.