Lead to Succeed

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Sarah Lucas, Director of Michigan’s Office of Rural Prosperity within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, about the tools and strategies helping rural communities prepare for growth. Sarah shares updates on the Rural Development Fund, including $4 million available this year and a new regional collaboration category, along with the work of the Rural Readiness Network, which now includes 175 communities. The conversation also explores housing, land use planning, changing development pressures, and why regional collaboration is increasingly important for communities across the Upper Peninsula.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Danica Stanciu, President of the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation, about legacy, philanthropy, and the kind of bold thinking needed to move the Upper Peninsula forward. Danica shares the story of her father, Daniel J. Kobasic, and how his values continue to guide the Foundation’s work across the U.P. The conversation also explores the Foundation’s recent $1.4 million commitment to Build U.P.’s CTE housing partnership, the importance of investing in skilled trades and workforce development, and why the region should be thinking bigger about its future.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood welcomes longtime broadcaster and newly retired host of The Ryan Report, Don Ryan, for a conversation shaped by decades of watching the Upper Peninsula grow, change, and meet new challenges. Don reflects on the U.P.’s long-standing population challenge, the role entrepreneurs and natural resource industries have played in building the regional economy, and why building even greater awareness of the U.P.’s strengths is part of the region’s future.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood is joined by Corey Soumis, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at the Copper Country Intermediate School District, and CTE Supervisor Steve Aho. They share how a partnership between local contractors, Moyle Real Estate Development, InvestUP, and the Build U.P. fund turned a construction trades class into a real-world homebuilding program that is adding new housing units in Houghton, Hancock, and L’Anse while preparing the next generation of skilled trades professionals across the Copper Country. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Amy Hovey, Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), about what it takes to tackle Michigan’s housing shortage. She walks through MSHDA’s  toolbox from vouchers, mortgages, and home repair programs to Missing Middle investments, housing TIF, and new mixed-income financing models and explains how these tools are being used in rural regions and tribal communities, including the Upper Peninsula.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood welcomes Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place and Chair of the Economic Development Leaders for Michigan (EDLM). The conversation dives into EDLM’s Top Ten policy priorities and the importance of consistent, regionally driven economic development across the state. Randy shares lessons learned from West Michigan, the critical role of rural communities, and why Michigan’s future depends on innovation, infrastructure, and alignment.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund’s Jim Tenzillo and Jim Baker. The conversation covers how the fund is fueling early-stage companies focused on improving the outdoor experience through technology. With a statewide focus and deep roots in the Upper Peninsula, the fund has already backed 20+ startups and is helping make the U.P. a hub for innovation. Learn how flexible financing, targeted investment, and a new second-stage fund are opening doors for founders, and what it could mean for the region’s economic future.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood sits down with Mike Smith, Executive Director of the UP Construction Council, and Ryan Stern, U.P. Representative, Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, to talk about the workforce that’s building the future of the Upper Peninsula. The discussion covers major construction projects, the growing need for skilled trades, and the programs designed to keep young talent local. From summer camps and job drafts to new training centers and college articulation agreements, hear how the trades are investing in the next generation, and why that matters for the region’s long-term success.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood sits down with Anne Giroux, Director of Development and Investment Services at Build U.P., and Kyle Aho, Partner at AV Housing Solutions. The conversation explores how new tools like brownfield redevelopment, land bank partnerships, and targeted grant programs are helping drive housing projects forward in communities like Marquette. Learn how collaboration between developers, local governments, and economic development organizations is addressing one of the region’s biggest challenges – housing – and how these strategies can be expanded across the Upper Peninsula.

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/.