Before joining the Zell Lurie Institute, Shannon served as the Marketing and Talent Manager for Ann Arbor SPARK, an economic development agency for Washtenaw and Livingston Counties. Prior to SPARK, she served as the Regional Marketing and Certified Small Business Consultant at the Michigan Small Business Development Center, an arm of the Small Business Administration. An entrepreneur at heart, Shannon previously led her own design firm for a number of years, Apis Designs. Throughout her career, she has worked in various capacities with entrepreneurs, global corporations, nonprofits, and the local business community.
Shannon has devoted her professional career to developing programs to enhance the health and growth of Michigan’s economy through entrepreneurship. She served as an integral part of a number of community business support initiatives including Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw (WXW), New Enterprise Forum (NEF), YP Underground, Library-Biz Connect, Art Meets Business, and served as a founding board member of the Chelsea Community Kitchen Incubator. Her passion for the health of the local economy, along with her strategic planning and marketing acumen has contributed to the success of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Shannon holds a Master of Business Administration from Walsh College of Business. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Kendall College of Art & Design in 2004. She is certified in Economic Gardening by the Edward Lowe Foundation.