Detroit is on the comeback. Companies and investors have been returning to the city over the last several years and there is an air of hope that the city will once again be the mecca it was in its former days. One of the newest start-ups to join the community is stik.com. Co-founders Jay Gierak and Nathan Labenz grew up in Detroit and Clinton Township respectively. They relocated from Silicon Valley to Detroit during the spring of 2012 and they have recently raised over 2 million dollars in a fundraising round led by Detroit Venture Partners. This is all exciting because it means more economic growth in Detroit. They are currently living in the Madison Building in downtown Detroit.
Stik is a Facebook connected service that helps local professionals connect with potential clients through recommendations and reviews given by current or past clients. The idea is that when you need a high value service or product, you are more likely to be comfortable trying a new professional if they come with a good reputation given by people in your social network that you trust. Every type of professional from mortgage brokers to home contractors uses Stik to display their professional reputation and build and online referral network.
When asked about the inspiration for the Stik, Labaenz said that the “idea came while working in financial services during the mortgage crisis”, and that they “moved to Detroit to build a great team!”
Detroit is an awesome place to come if you’re looking for professional talent and innovation and more and more companies are realizing that. Check out Stik if you need services or if you’re a business that wants to get your great work out there. You can encourage clients to write reviews and recommend you and it’s all in the familiar context of Facebook, so you’ll feel right at home! Follow them on Twitter at @stikwit.
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