Creating prosperous communities and thriving businesses

In tiny Nisula, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Alison Kirksey and her neighbors were driving 45 minutes for basic groceries and supplies. With a successful food…

Tevyn Grayson is in the business of helping businesses. He thrives on bringing people together and he especially loves bringing them together with a purpose.…

Being awarded a Business Equity Initiative grant gave Tay McBride one of the most important lessons ever: How to pivot. The BEI Fund, at the…

When a devastating ice storm hit northern Lower Michigan at the end of March, people said the falling trees sounded like gunshots. Entire forests were…

Benny Young grew up cooking. He cooked at the church where his dad was the pastor and he cooked at home for his family of…

The search for a new home for Everbloom Montessori included important criteria: In the City of Grand Rapids In a child care desert On a…

Jerry Edmonds loves the freedom and the rush of trucking. “It’s hurry-up, but organized and structured,” he said. His family – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles…

Natasha Partridge is ready to move. Her café’s original location, with a furnace installed the same year she was born, is draining her. “Everything I…

Jessica Tyson is involved. She’s involved in her community, her partnerships, her church, her family, and – at the center - her business. The Candied…