Jan. 21, 2018 – Crain’s Detroit Business

In the Southeast Michigan-based auto industry’s race with Silicon Valley to put autonomous vehicles on the road, workspaces matter, said Glenn Stevens, executive director of MICHauto, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s automotive mobility accelerator programs. “For Ford, Detroit and Michigan, it all boils down to culture and talent,” Stevens said. “And that enables you to build the F-150s of the day today. And it enables you to have the vision of what the city of tomorrow will be with operating systems and data analytics and software systems and the connected car.”

Jan. 19, 2018 – New York Times

Detroit: “This is the N.F.L. Economic development at this level, it ain’t beanbag,” said Sandy Baruah of the Detroit Regional Chamber, who said that the city fell short on developing and attracting talent.

Jan. 18, 2018 – Detroit News

A lack of mass transit and a questionable ability to attract talent doomed Detroit’s bid to host Amazon’s second North American headquarters, regional leaders say. Organizers of the city’s bid received a call early Thursday morning from the online retail giant informing them that Detroit was not among the 20 cities selected to remain under consideration.

Jan. 18, 2018 – Detroit Free Press

It came down to talent. Amazon reached out to Detroit leaders Thursday to say that an insufficient talent pool in the region was the main reason why Detroit didn’t make Amazon’s short list of finalists for its second headquarters.

Jan. 18, 2018 – Crain’s Detroit Business

Detroit was not named one of Amazon.com Inc.’s 20 finalists for the online retail giant’s so-called “second headquarters” project. The internet retailer announced Thursday morning that it had narrowed the 238 submissions it had received to 20 cities and regions. The news comes after Detroit and Windsor spent six weeks putting together a bid package to lure the estimated $5 billion investment Jeff Bezos’ company says will result in 50,000 high-paying jobs.

Jan. 18, 2018 – Trib Live

“But this is the NFL. Economic development at this level, it ain’t bean bag,” Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, told the Free Press. “We were good, but we weren’t good enough on the talent front.”

Jan. 18, 2018 – Michigan Radio

Amazon announced the 20 finalists for its second headquarters Thursday morning, and a grand total of zero Michigan cities made the cut. Detroit and Grand Rapids were the only Michigan cities to submit bids to the company, which promises to invest $5 billion in the project and create up 50,000 jobs. Amazon says a total of 238 proposals from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada were submitted.

Jan. 18, 2018 – WXYZ Detroit

Detroit leaders on a conference call with Amazon were told Detroit failed to make the list of 20 cities still in the running for a second Amazon Headquarters because we lack regional transportation.