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It feels like the cure for every problem these days is mediation. Feeling anxious? Meditate for 20 minutes a day. Need help falling asleep? Again, meditate. Feeling lost and disconnected? You get the point. But whether you’re new to meditation or just looking to feel more peaceful in your everyday life, a cramped and chaotic apartment can seem like an enormous roadblock. Sure, it’s ideal to retreat to an empty, sun-drenched room to do your morning meditation or a lush backyard where you can surround yourself in nature every day. But we’re happy to report that you can still curate a mindful meditation space even in the most cramped, eclectic, and chaotic of dwellings. Here are some hacks to create a conscious corner for you and your practice.

DETROIT—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Autobooks is a small business payment and accounting platform integrated within a financial institution’s digital banking experience. Today, the company announced that Derik Sutton, vice president of product & experience at Autobooks, has been elected to serve on the Association for Financial Technology’s (AFT) Web Board. Sutton previously served as vice-chair of the organization’s Digital Experience Group (DEG).

.@Autobooks_ announced today that @deriksutton was elected to serve on @AFTWeb’s Board.

Founded in 1972, AFT is the premier resource for networking and professional development for companies and executives serving the United States financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, lenders and payment companies. The association represents members within every area of technology, data or services needed to help financial institutions succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace. Leading financial technology companies from around the world meet twice a year to discuss industry-wide issues and collaborate on solutions.

Brian Otte, president of Association for Financial Technology and director of sales for ProfitStars ®, a division of Jack Henry & Associates,

Genomenon® announced today at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting (ASHG) a partnership with SOPHiA GENETICS that includes incorporating the Mastermind® Genomic Search Engine into the SOPHiA Platform and the Alamut Suite. The partnership puts the most up-to-date genomic research at the fingertips of clinical researchers performing genomic analysis worldwide.

The SOPHiA Platform is the technology of choice for streamlined Data-Driven Medicine, including clinical-grade genomic analysis, interpretation, and reporting. SOPHiA has been adopted by 1,000 healthcare institutions to date and analyzed more than 420,000 genomic profiles - 16,000 new profiles processed each month. The Alamut Suite powered by SOPHiA is a decision-support software designed to explore and investigate variations of the human genome. Alamut helps clinical researchers in the complex tasks of genomic variants annotations, filtration, and exploration.

With the addition of Mastermind, users of both technologies will be able to quickly access the genomic evidence associated with human variants, shortening the search time required to interpret a variant and assess its pathogenicity.

This partnership will allow SOPHiA’s users to see a wider picture of the

DETROIT – Twenty-four semi-finalists were announced Monday for the 10th annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition where the top prize is $350,000.

The semi-finalists were drawn from nearly 300 registered companies. These semi-finalists will have the opportunity to meet-on-one with investors to discuss their business proposals. Judges will then select six finalists to present live at a seated dinner to more than 400 investors, entrepreneurs and community leaders on November 13 at the State Savings Bank in Detroit. 

“The selected semi-finalists showcase the momentum of Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem over the past decade,” said Martin Dober, senior vice president and managing director of ID Ventures. “Each year, we see more incredible talent and companies that are transforming the way legacy industries operate. We are proud to support the development of these Michigan-based companies that will continue to drive our economy and shine a national spotlight on the innovation happening in the state.”

 The pitch competition supports Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their companies to investors while building connections with entrepreneurs, business acceleration resources and experts in their sector during carefully curated individual meetings. Since its launch in 2010, Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition semi-finalists have created over 1,300 jobs and attracted more than $900 million in additional investment. Top awards include a

Lead candidate ONL1204 advances into Phase I clinical study in retinal detachment in Australia

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ONL Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for protecting the vision of patients with retinal disease, today announced the initiation of the company’s First-in-Human trial with its lead drug candidate ONL1204. The study is being conducted in Australia at leading clinical research centers in Sydney and Melbourne. The study will assess four different doses of ONL1204 and is designed to demonstrate safety and tolerability of the investigational drug in patients with a macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

“Today marks a major milestone in the history of ONL Therapeutics as we transition into a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company,” commented David Zacks, MD, PhD, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ONL Therapeutics. “We see great potential in the role of Fas inhibition to protect the vision of patients with retinal cell disease, and our first-in-human study with ONL1204 helps build the foundation to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients.”

ONL1204 has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinal detachment by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Company is embarking on a Series B round of financing to continue funding its clinical development plans for ONL1204 and expand the development

SALINE, MI — What started as a physician’s idea to help protect patients’ teeth has grown into a decade-old business that supplies oral safety equipment to sports teams all over the country.

Saline-based Akervall Technologies marked its 10-year anniversary last month, celebrating the successful development of an idea to create a more manageable mouthguard.

Read the full article in the MLive: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2019/10/saline-maker-of-breathable-mouthguards-celebrates-10-years.html

GreenMark BioMedical Inc. 

Oct 02, 2019, 17:30 ET

EAST LANSING, Mich. and ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — GreenMark Biomedical Inc. today announced it has been awarded a $1.5m Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to further develop its patented nanoparticle-based dental technology for detection of early-stage dental caries. The 2-year project involves collaboration with dental and biomaterials experts at the University of Michigan, Creighton University, Tufts University and University of Colorado, and is being funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

GreenMark BioMedical Inc.

GreenMark’s diagnostic product identifies early tooth decay known as dental caries that, if left untreated, may form into cavities. Identified caries can then be treated non-invasively without filling or surgery, reducing the need for costly dental procedures. GreenMark’s core technology utilizes bioresorbable starch-based nanoparticles which degrade into harmless materials by the time the patient is ready to leave the dental office.

“Effective management of dental caries, which affects well over 90% of the world’s population, is characterized by detection of early lesions and accurate diagnosis of caries activity,” explains Dr. Brian Clarkson, B.Ch.D., L.D.S.,

SWACU leverages mobile app to improve children’s financial literacy

October 01, 2019 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—HT Mobile Apps, (HTMA), announced today that Southwest Airlines Federal Credit Union has seen significant growth since launching Ace Jr., providing free financial education to SWACU members and their children through a mobile application.

“The games, chores and financial education lessons make Ace Jr. different from many apps out there and keep kids engaged”

White labeled on HTMA’s Member Jr. platform., Ace Jr. makes learning about money fun for children ages three to 12 years old. Users can learn how to set savings goals, monitor their accounts and improve their financial literacy through educational games. With games varying in difficulty for different ages, users are challenged to continue learning valuable skills as they play. The platform also features a chores section where families can assign household tasks for a reward.

Since launching Ace Jr. in July, SWACU has

Last year, Adam Banzhoff was living in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, working an IT job at a bank and feeling morose. “I was in a downswing, a little bit of a depression,” he tells me. Then one day, on a whim, he signed up for Horti, a new subscription service that ships members a plant every month. Soon a crispy wave fern arrived, a frisky-looking thing with rippling tendrils.

When the first new leaf appeared, it gave Banzhoff an electric thrill. He was hooked. A year later, between Horti’s regular shipments and pots he bought on his own, Banzhoff had transformed his house into a riot of green, with more than 120 plants. 

View source version on wired.com: https://www.wired.com/story/on-demand-economy-brings-us-something-useful-nature/