Marisa Smith’s company changed its name three years ago and its business model last year. Today what is now The Whole Brain Group is bigger and more lucrative after a year of growing in Ann Arbor.

“We really transformed ourselves 100 percent,” says Smith, president of The Whole Brain Group. “We went from a bad 2009 to triple what we had in 2010. Switching gears has been really a go for us.”

The Whole Brain Group focused primarily on software development when the recession hit. It lost a lot of that work, forcing it to take on a broader range of projects. Today it handles Internet marketing, social media management and mobile application development.

It’s also been expanding its product offerings to include software as a service, and now has 40 clients of its AccreditStation software nationwide.  Pair that with its new partnership with Adaptive Materials and SRT Solutions to develop alternative energy software for the military, and the question starts to become, is there anything The Whole Brain Group doesn’t do?

“That has been a really good project for us,” Smith says. “We added another person for that project.”

All of that new work has allowed the 8-year-old company to double its team to 12 people, including interns and independent contractors. It plans to add two more jobs in 2011 as it focuses on becoming more efficient so it can cross the $1 million company threshold.

Source: Marisa Smith, President of The Whole Brain Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

New York, N.Y. (November 8, 2010) The HRP Consulting Group (HRP), a leading consulting firm specializing in providing expert advice to Human Research Protection Programs (HRPPs) and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), is pleased to announce the addition of Nick Slack to the HRP team as the Director of Consulting Services. Slack’s addition to HRP signals the company’s continued growth and underscores its ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of expertise and customer service to its clients.

Slack joins HRP following previous positions with Schulman Associates IRB and the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), respectively.

In his most recent role as the Associate Director of Accreditation at AAHRPP, Slack provided regulatory and accreditation guidance to over 75 organizations, spanning a client base ranging from universities and hospitals, to independent IRBs, governmental agencies, and clinical research organizations (CROs). Prior to joining AAHRPP, Slack served in a highly visible role as the Senior Regulatory Affairs Coordinator at Schulman Associates IRB. There, he worked primarily with sponsors, CROs, and investigators in a regulatory advisory capacity.

“There is no doubt that Nick that will be a tremendous asset to both HRP and to our clients”, says Jeff Cohen, Partner/CEO of HRP Consulting Group. “Nick’s hiring comes at a time when attention to protecting research participants is greater than ever and HRP’s services are in ever-growing demand.”

Cheryl Savini, Partner/COO of HRP Consulting Group agrees. “We operate in a relatively small industry, so people know Nick. It is rare to find someone who has worked with him who doesn’t have great things to say about his knowledge of HRPPs and IRBs, but also the attention and reassurance that he gives to his clients. We think that Nick represents everything that HRP stands for as a company and where it is going in the future.”

Nick Slack combines his experience with a master’s degree in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a regular speaker at the AAHRPP conference and hosted educational webinars during his time at AAHRPP.

Detroit, MI – July 27, 2010 – Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) has named three Detroit women as recipients of AT&T Innovator of the Year for the Detroit area.

The women were recognized at a recent conference on healthcare in Detroit hosted by WIPP for their effectiveness in strengthening the healthcare industry by leveraging technology in their own businesses.

Marisa Smith is the President of the Whole Brain Group and single-handedly designed the company’s most innovative offering, AccreditStation. AccreditStation is an online web-based tool to automate the preparation of application materials for the accreditation of human research protection programs. With this tool, research administrators at hospitals, universities, and pharmaceutical companies assemble documentation to demonstrate compliance with accreditation standards quicker and with fewer errors. Smith shares her knowledge and expertise by teaching monthly workshops and speaking frequently to groups about how to use technology to maximize work efficiency.

Dr. Joan K Bradley is the Founder, President, and CEO of The JB Ashtin Group, Inc, a scientific communications agency that provides services to support the development, commercialization, and lifecycle management of pharmaceutical and biotech products for the company’s clients. Dr. Bradley has leveraged technology in her business to provide creative solutions for her clients, including developing a web-based platform to support a pharmaceutical company’s large scale speakers’ bureau program. The specific tool developed, called the “Global Participation System” or GPS, has allowed clients to coordinate programs and report tremendous positive ROI from using this platform.

Amanda Christides is President of Plymouth Technology Inc., a firm that provides boiler cooling, wastewater and treatment chemicals, equipment and consulting services to manufacturing facilities. Christides identified a need to industrial wastewater pollution control systems and helped to develop the Metals Removal System (MRS) concept. This technology helps decrease thousands of pounds of waste, chemical usage, and helps manufacturers comply with federal and state local regulations. Due to her pioneering efforts in the development, patent and commercialization of MRS technology, Plymouth Technology has emerged as a leading provider of industrial water treatment and solutions.

“It is important to recognize the women who have produced innovations for improving the healthcare industry and to showcase those limitless possibilities to other female entrepreneurs. Women-owned businesses are the leaders in the economic recovery of our country. We are proud of their achievements,” said Barbara Kasoff, President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy.

“AT&T plays a key role in the healthcare industry with innovations available through our network, and we are proud to recognize the women for their accomplishments in this field,” said Dan Youmans, President of AT&T Washington.

The three awardees will be eligible to win the National AT&T Innovator of the Year Award to be presented at the WIPP Annual Conference on September 28th in Washington, DC.

Women Impacting Public Policy is a non-profit, national nonpartisan group with over half-a- million members. WIPP is The Collective Voice in Washington, DC, for 49 national women and small business organizations. WIPP advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business in the legislative process of our nation, creating economic opportunities for members and building alliances with other small business organizations. Visit www.wipp.org.

LANSING – On Wednesday, February 24, 2010, The House Committee on New Economy and Quality of Life passed legislation sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Twp.) that will increase investment in the information technology, or “IT” industry, and create good-paying jobs. Representatives of Ann Arbor-based businesses SRT Solutions and the Whole Brain Group testified in support of the plan that would include software development as a specific growth sector eligible for state funding through the 21st Century Jobs Fund.

Read more on Rep. Byrnes website….

Institutions use AccreditStation to eliminate hundreds of hours of manual labor that is spent assembling documents for their AAHRPP® accreditation application for human research protection programs. The 126 pounds of paper annually wasted per staff person is also greatly reduced. “Human research protection programs are experiencing increased demands on their already overtaxed staff,” states Marisa Smith, President of The Whole Brain Group. “Our web-based application helps them use their resources more efficiently, so they can concentrate on research quality and safety. “The company’s other AccreditStation clients include Columbia University, Miami Children’s Hospital, and The National Institutes of Health. More information about the product can be found at http://www.accreditstation.com.