Back to Business

On this episode of the Back to Business: CEO Summit Special, we interviewed Arick Davis of Last Mile Cafe.

Last Mile Cafe is a new coffee venture that Arick helped start in Grand Rapids in 2018. They do coffee differently. From compostable bags to making sure it’s ethically sourced, Arick has his hands full most days. He’s also looking to expand the company and add a retail location in Grand Rapids. Arick also shares his insights on Grand Rapids’ growth as he works with people from around the world.

This is an episode of the Back to Business Podcast you won't want to miss! This episode is brought to you by Davenport University.

On June 14, 2022, the Grand Rapids Chamber hosted the West Michigan CEO Summit, inviting leaders from area organizations and businesses to come together for a day of networking and learning.

On this episode of the Back to Business: CEO Summit Special, we interviewed Carlos Sanchez of Ferris State's Latino Business & Economic Development Center. 

The center's mission is to develop high-performing Latinx leaders and entrepreneurs in West Michigan. Carlos explains the program's mission, and explains what he's seeing in the Latino business community as our region faces challenges like talent, inflation, and supply chain issues.

This is an episode you won't want to miss! The CEO Summit Series is sponsored by Davenport University.

On June 14, 2022, the Grand Rapids Chamber hosted the West Michigan CEO Summit, inviting leaders from area organizations and businesses to come together for a day of networking and learning.

On this episode of the Back to Business: CEO Summit Special, we interviewed Deb Prato of The Rapid.

Deb has been working in the transportation industry for most of her career, including for the nation's largest public transportation authority in New York City. We had a chance to ask Deb how she's leading the Rapid through top issues like the talent crisis, inflation and looking towards a green future for public transportation.

This is an episode of the Back to Business Podcast you won't want to miss! This episode is brought to you by Davenport University.

On June 14, 2022, the Grand Rapids Chamber hosted the West Michigan CEO Summit, inviting leaders from area organizations and businesses to come together for a day of networking and learning.

On this episode of the Back to Business: CEO Summit Special, we interviewed Beth Kelly, HR Collaborative.

Kelly is an expert in the talent space, and our conversation focuses on the current talent environment and the search for workers.

This is an episode of the Back to Business Podcast you won't want to miss! This episode is brought to you by Davenport University.

On June 14, 2022, the Grand Rapids Chamber hosted the West Michigan CEO Summit, inviting leaders from area organizations and businesses to come together for a day of networking and learning.

On this episode of the Back to Business: CEO Summit Special, we interviewed Dr. Bill Pink, President of Grand Rapids Community College, and soon to be President of Ferris State University.

Host Connor Smithee and Dr. Pink discussed Pink's tenure and what he's looking forward to at Ferris. 

This is an episode of the Back to Business Podcast you won't want to miss! This episode is brought to you by Davenport University.

Talent is the number one issue for employers in 2022. This week on the Back to Business podcast we spoke with AHC Hospitality and Andre Daley, the Chamber's Director of Inclusion to discuss the benefits of implementing DEI practices into your organization.

The AHC team shared their DEI journey, including their work with Andre, as well as some of the challenges they overcame in their DEI journey.

With Talent being the number one issue for employers, implementing DEI practicies has proven to be an important method for attracting and keeping top talent.

This is an episode of the Back to Business podcast you won't want to miss! 

As companies struggle to find workers, many are adapting their workplace practices and who they hire. Whether that be adapting their schedule for parents of school-aged children, or allowing more work, companies are having to get creative to overcome the talent shortage.

Valley City Electronic Recycling has been hiring people returning from incarceration for more than a decade. When Jason Kehr bought the business, he didn't know too much about the program, but now 10 years later, he's proud of the impact he's been able to make in his employees' lives.

Learn more about Valley City Electronic Recycling: http://www.valleycityer.com/

Madcap Coffee & DTE have one thing in common. Both companies challenging the status quo and trying to do bigger and better things. They've come together to help promote being green during Earth Month. They've got a lot of cool projects up their sleeves (literally and figuratively!) This is an episode of the Back to Business Podcast you won't want to miss!

Don't forget that on Friday May 6, Madcap will give each person a free cup of coffee courtesy of DTE! This (This applies to their Fulton Street location only.)

Check out Madcap's website: madcapcoffee.com

Learn more about DTE Energy: dteenergy.com

The Grand Rapids Drive was formed about 10 years ago as an affiliate team of the Detroit Pistons. When the Pistons told the Drive they needed to move closer to Detroit, owner Steve Jbara said no. He wanted to keep the team in Grand Rapids because he know the power of Grand Rapids. Now the team under the new name Grand Rapids Gold, and a new partnership with the Denver Nuggets. After finishing their first season, Jbara sat down with podcast host Connor Smithee to discuss the successes of the team and what it takes to manage an NBA team here in Grand Rapids. 

It's hard to believe it's already April! The year is already a quarter of the way done. At our Annual Meeting in February, we presented an economic forecast from the Seidman College of Business. The big takeaways were that Grand Rapids was on a growth trajectory, with the biggest issue in the region being talent.

We had a chance to sit down with Rick Baker, the Chamber's President & CEO, to hear what he is seeing in his interactions with the Grand Rapids community, what he's excited for in 2022, and how he thinks our community is rebounding from the pandemic.

This is an episode of the Back to Business podcast you won't want to miss.