BRIAN BALASIA:
 




 
 
 
 
 
Co-founder and president of Detroit-based Digerati Solutions, an IT company that improves daily operations at medical practices through advanced technology, including custom electronic medical records, billing, and imaging systems. Educated as an aerospace engineer, Balasia started working on the business plan for Digerati when he was still a teenager. The company has emerged as a Detroit tech leader, while Balasia emerges as a community leader – he’s a member of the board of the Detroit Regional Chamber at just 24 years old.


WHERE BORN: "Providence Hospital, Southfield."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "My dad. Just observing his work ethic and his managerial skills. He treated everybody as equals. He had the respect of everybody he worked with."

LAST BOOK READ: "Good to Great by Jim Collins. I don’t read that many books, but I like to listen to books on the car ride."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Tenacious. Passionate about community development and working with others to see their full potential."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "There’re huge opportunities for cost and time savings in the medical industry and for increases in patient safety now that everything is being converted to electronic medical records. But unfortunately, a lot of people are rushing to take everything they have and put it into electronic form without thinking through their processes and implementation, and in the short term complicating medicine a little bit. It might get worse before it gets better."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "A palm scanner that we have at the office, that we use for security. It’s more accurate than a fingerprint. I love playing with that thing."

FAVORITE PLACE: "Probably Boston and the New England area. I like the small community feel, I like being by the ocean and I love history. It’s a big city with lots to do, but each neighborhood seems like its own separate small town."

FAVORITE HOBBY: "I have two – I curl. And I’m coaching mite hockey."

FAVORITE FOOD: "Pizza."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "I’m a private pilot. It’s very stressful, but it’s also very relaxing – you have to clear your head of everything else because you’ve got to focus on flying."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "As someone who stopped talking and took action for real change. Someone who helped to empower those around him."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.