Page 12 - Kettering Magazine - Spring 2013

CoVer storY reimagining a Community Kristina Kamensky ’09 explains the lure of a post-industrial town working hard to reinvent itself. f new Urbanism had a face in flint, Mich., it would look a lot like Kristina Kamensky, the young and enthusiastic Ceo of Prismitech llC. Kamensky’s company focuses on refrigeration that weds high-tech artificial intelligence Iwith green ideals. Kamensky earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical The Innovation Center addresses a previously missing engineering at Kettering University in 2009 and followed piece in the local mosaic of policies, infrastructure, it up with a master’s degree in 2012. her ties to Kettering financing, educational programming and mechanisms helped make Prismitech one of the first tenants in of support for forming and nurturing science- and Kettering’s award-winning Innovation Center, a facility technology-based small businesses, Kamensky said. that provides up-and-coming businesses with dedicated “The Innovation Center is perfect for those who are wet and/or dry laboratory capabilities during the first trying to have a green impact and want a place to call few years of their development. The Innovation Center, home,” she said. “I also like the fact that it is located which is in close proximity to the University’s science on Kettering’s campus, where companies can utilize and engineering assets and experts, is also the first leeD- laboratory facilities for testing purposes. It makes me feel certified building in Genesee County. like a pioneer.” Kamensky is one of a growing number of college- aged entrepreneurs and recent college grads who are “urbnaeers” (urban pioneers) in the new Urban flint territory. In addition to housing her growing business on the campus of her alma mater, Kamensky recently bought a house within walking distance of the campus. she frequently bikes to work on her vintage-style electra. What is the lure of this post-industrial town that is working hard to re-invent itself? Kamensky said it’s the vision and dedication of diverse people and groups addressing a myriad of issues concurrently while creating a new urban fabric out of this old factory town. 12 Kettering Ma g azine