I love Michigan's entrepreneurial spirit. It is a spirit that enabled us to transform a foreboding wilderness into a thriving economy and rich culture. It is a spirit that will drive the transformation of Michigan's old-line manufacturing economy of today into a thriving, robust and highly competitive knowledge-based market leader in the future. It is the spirit that energizes our spirituality and belief that we can, indeed, make the world a better place for ourselves, our children and families and all living things on this earth.Judith Cone of the Kauffman Foundation defines "Entrepreneurship" as "assuming the risks to transform ideas into sustainable enterprises that create value." Michigan's entrepreneurial spirit creates both social and economic value and is found in three distinct forms. "Social Entrepreneurs" are individuals in the non-profit/public sector responsible for a venture that creates positive social change. Social Entrepreneurs are agents and catalysts of positive cultural change. They are early adopters of innovative and entrepreneurial products and services, serve as champions for local entrepreneurship and are embedded in the power structure of our communities.

"Intrapreneurs" are change agents that reside within existing businesses and use the principles of entrepreneurship - in concert with the resources and capabilities of the host firm - to generate innovations and new related ventures. Intrapreneurs are important because they recapture the entrepreneurial spirit of the company founders and use it to transform the staid old-line businesses into thriving market leaders. Through their actions, Intrapreneurs serve as "market makers" for innovative and entrepreneurial products and services.

Finally, "Small Business Entrepreneur's" are individuals that takes primary responsibility for starting a private-sector business (500 employees or less), and include lifestyle, steady growth and high growth ("Gazelles") small businesses. As the National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices has aptly noted, small business entrepreneurs are important because they "are engines of growth and innovation to a greater extent than other types of firms and hold greater potential to enhance local and regional economies."

Entrepreneurs apply their entrepreneurial spirit in special ways in our culture to foster positive social and economic growth. First, they are the connective tissue between public policy, capitalism and robust economic development. Second, they are the dynamic mechanism that connects the seemingly unconnectable dots of vision, entrepreneurial spirit, knowledge, resources, barriers and opportunity. Third, they are the primary vehicle for the conversion of knowledge (resulting from tax-payer investments in research and development at universities) into wealth (through the commercialization of the successful research results). Fourth, they are pioneers and pathfinders whose exceptional expertise in analyzing risks allows them to see real opportunities where others see only barriers. Finally, they are the embodiment of Gandhian aphorism to "be the change you wish to see in the world."

Michigan has a rich history of entrepreneurship and new chapters are being added every day in our state by world class entrepreneurs in our social and political institutions, large to medium sized businesses and small businesses. They include Intrapreneurs such as Jason Pankin at Delphi, who is helping this old-line manufacturing company become a major competitive force in the emerging knowledge-based economy. They include Maria Thompson, President of T/J Technologies, who developed world class energy technologies and, through their merger with A123 Inc., went from a start-up to a large business market leader in under fifteen years.

Lastly, they include the Rev. Charles Morris, Founder and Executive Director, Michigan Interfaith Power and Light, LLC, a faith-based bulk purchasing program for energy efficiency and renewable energy products. Estimated lifetime dollars saved on energy by this MiIPL initiative since 2004 is roughly $2,427,265. MiIPL has removed from the atmosphere: 17,354 tones of CO2 (Global Warming); 171,708 lbs of SO2 (Acid Raid), 83,816 lbs of NOx (Smog); .811 lbs of Mercury (Cancer, Birth Defects); and, 3,219 lbs of Particulates (Asthma/Heart Attacks) (the equivalent of planting 4,717 acres of forest or the removal of 3,103 vehicles off the road).

Thanks to entrepreneurship, Michigan has had a bright and prosperous past. Thanks to entrepreneurship we will also have a bright and prosperous future. As citizens, we need only to embrace this future by celebrating our entrepreneurial spirit with gusto and pride.