Michigan Business Network

Chris Holman welcomes back U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senior Senator serving Michigan in Washington, D.C..

Welcome Senator Stabenow, a busy December and 2022 are wrapping up, how much is left for this session in Washington?

Among the topics we wanted to highlight I understand the Senate recently saw the Passage of Water Resources Development Act, tell us about that?

You were back in Michigan recently joining with Department of Energy Secretary Granholm, can you share highlights of that visit and news coming out of it?

How was 2022 for Agricultural issues?

Are there any big bills coming up that we should be aware of?

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Chris Holman welcomes back Amirika Richardson, T3 Education Officer, Capital Area Michigan Works! Lansing, MI.

Their discussion covers the T3 Council

Tell us about your journey at Capital Area Michigan Works!. (Different positions you've held, etc.)

Tell us about your current position as T3 Education Liaison.

How have you seen CAMW! impact our community?

Why is it important for employers to connect with T3?

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Chris Holman welcomes Jose L. Flores, CEO, of Ancor Automotive, Troy, MI

Welcome Jose, you were recently a panelist at the MICHauto Summit can you share a bit about your company with the Michigan business community?

At the Summit, you were among three leaders participating in the Table Talk: "Why I Choose Michigan" tell us about that discussion.

What were your impressions and takeaways from that recent summit?

How is Ancor Automotive doing when it comes to attracting and retaining talent?

Anything else we should know regarding talent, mobility or the summit?

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Chris Holman welcomes Jessica Jones, Event Community Specialist in the Marketing Team, Eventeny, Chesterfield, MI

How Michigan Event Planners are Using Technology in 2023 to Increase Revenue, Enhance the Attendee Experience, & Simplify Their Life!

Welcome Jessica, I met your team at the recent Michigan Festivals & Events Convention in Port Huron, can you share with the Michigan business community about your company?

How are you seeing planners utilize technology to increase revenue?

What types of digital resources are being used to enhance the on-site experience for eventgoers?

Event planning is a stressful job - in fact, it's 5th most stressful job in the world. Are you seeing any improvement-of-life benefits for planners as a result of harnessing event tech?

Are there any under-utilized resources you think event planners should be aware of that could help them improve their processes?

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Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Brendan Rogers, Scott Emerick, co-owners of Kickstand Brewing Company & Cleo & Co. Mixers. In their conversation they cover the newer product line of Cleo & Co. Mixers

● The house-crafted, small-batch, locally sourced collection of cocktail mixers are available in five flavors: Rendezvous, Tuller, Sinister, Zozzled, and Appleseed

● Cleo & Co. Mixers are made by Kickstand Brewing Company in Commerce Township and are a “natural progression” of the brewery’s portfolio which includes handcrafted wines, spirits and craft beers.

● Kickstand set out to create classic and unique mixers with a Michigan focus, that also ties back to an important time in the industry’s history

● Gertrude ‘Cleo’ Lythgoe gave us a lot of inspiration, she wasn’t afraid to take risks or to do things her way and above all else she valued a quality product

● Each of the mixer names is an ode to Cleo’s story.

● Fans of Cleo & Co. can join the Cleo Club to earn points and discounts towards mixers. Club members can earn points through purchases, social shares, birthdays and more. For more info go to www.cleomixers.com/cleo-club. Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe

• Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe was one of the best-known bootleggers of her time, among women and men. Given the nickname Cleo due to her resemblance to Cleopatra, she was a force in the male-dominated occupation

• The brand embodies the spirit of Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe and her commitment to getting the very best libations in the hands of those who appreciate them most.

• She smuggled alcohol from the Bahamas into the New York Harbor and was estimated to be worth more than $1 million by the time she retired. The Mixers

• Rendezvous, $19: A pineapple and pomegranate martini mixer made with pineapple, lemon, pomegranate, and blueberry juices, and cane sugar.

• Sinister, $19: A mixer for margaritas and sours made with lemon, lime, and orange juice, and blue agave.

• Tuller, $19: An old fashioned mixer made with dark cherry juice, bitters, and cane sugar.

• Zozzled, $19: A mule mixer made with ginger juice, lime juice, and cane sugar.

• Appleseed, $19: An apple cinnamon mixer made with apple juice, lime juice, cinnamon and cane sugar. About Kickstand

Kickstand Brewing in Commerce Township is owned by two friends, Brendan Rogers and Scott Emerick. The brewery offers up delectable beers and top notch food in a warm and friendly space.

They focus on delivering a wide variety of styles and flavors to all the craft beer enthusiasts and anyone looking for a cold pint to satisfy their palate.

• Kickstand also serves up a wide range of hearty, locally sources, unique dishes with both beer integration and pairing in mind.

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes back Robert McCann Executive Director, The K-12 Alliance of Michigan.

This time around they catch up on the K-12 Alliance of Michigan and focus on the expansion to include Monroe County Schools

Their discussion covers:

The K-12 Alliance of Michigan recently expanded to include Monroe County Schools. What does this mean for your organization?

With the addition of Monroe County, how many districts and students does the K-12 Alliance of Michigan now represent?

The K-12 Alliance also recently released its 2023 legislative priorities. Can you tell us more about those priorities and how they will support students and educators?

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Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Maura Rylander, Scholarship Director for Women in Defense Michigan.

Statewide Defense Organization Awards College Scholarships to Five Michigan Women

Women in Defense Michigan’s Horizon Scholarship has awarded over $150,000 to women pursuing careers in national security and defense since its 2009 inception

Detroit, Mich. - Established in 2009, the Horizon College Scholarship was created in order to provide support for women pursuing careers related to the national security and defense interests of the United States, and to provide development opportunities to women already working in these fields. Corporate and individual donations as well as Women in Defense Michigan (WID) fundraising efforts provide the amounts each year to support the scholarship program.

“National defense is a noble calling, yet is not always considered by young women across the United States,” said WID-MI Scholarship Director and project manager for Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) Fuel Cell Technology team, Maura Rylander. “In order to bolster young women entering the defense workforce, we provide them with mentorship, assist their educational development in S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields in order to encourage them to pursue a career in the defense industry.”

WID Michigan’s annual golf outing is one of the primary sources for fundraising for both high school and college scholarships. The 2022 outing enabled WID Michigan to award the following five women with $11,000 in college scholarships :

● Alexandra (Ally) Stavros, The University of Michigan, Excellence in Leadership Recipient (top scoring applicant)

● Alexandra (Allie) Brayton, Kettering University

● Ashley Everett, Madonna University

● LeAnn Krzewski, Oakland University

● Claudia Pilarski, Oakland University

“I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Horizon College Scholarship,” said former University of Michigan student, Alexandra (Ally) Stavros. “There are a number of young women entering the defense workforce who deserve this distinction, and I could not be more honored to represent young women just like me by accepting this award.”

To find out more about WID Michigan’s fundraising and scholarship opportunities, visit their website https://connect.ndia.org/widmichigan/home.

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About Women in Defense:

Women in Defense (WID) Michigan Chapter, A National Security Organization, is a non-profit professional networking and development organization for women and men across Michigan who contribute to national defense and security. Formed in 2007, the Michigan Chapter strengthens and influences the defense and national security industry by inspiring women, cultivating leadership, and growing professional relationships. For more info on WID-MI visit their site at: https://connect.ndia.org/widmichigan/programs/horizonscholarship

Scholarship Recipients

Alexandra (Ally) Stavros, The University of Michigan

Stavros is pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the University of Michigan (UofM) after leading with GVSC as a project officer.

Alexandra (Allie) Brayton, Kettering University

Brayton is finishing up her senior year at Kettering University with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Biochemistry.

Ashley Everett, Madonna University

Everett is a graduate student at Madonna University studying Criminal Justice and Intelligence.

LeAnn Krzewski, Oakland University

Krzewski is a graduate student at Oakland studying Clinical Mental Health and Counseling.

Claudia Pilarski, Oakland University

Pilarski will graduate a year early in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and a minor in French.

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Becky Puckett-Wood, Vice President, Corporate & Member Engagement Rhonda Maxwell, Scholarship Subcommittee Co-Chair. Inforum

They dicuss the Inforum Scholarship Program

● Inforum launched a new West Michigan scholarship program to help reduce the financial burden for women in the workforce seeking skill development. The scholarship is significant for women, especially women of color, who continue to be overlooked for leadership positions.

● The scholarship will be funded in part by Inforum as well as local businesses and individuals committed to gender balance in corporate leadership.

● Applicants are asked to write a 250-300 word essay describing their goals, leadership style, and how they believe the program will benefit them.

● Applications will be reviewed for fall and spring 2023 leadership programs. Scholarships will cover the majority of the program. The number of scholarships provided will be based upon funding available.

● Businesses can donate and applicants can now apply for the 2023 season at www.inforummichigan.org/scholarships.

The questions covered in their conversation

● Explain the application process for the scholarship.

● How will applicants be chosen? How many applicants will receive the scholarship?

● What does the scholarship provide?

● Why was the Inforum Scholarship Program established?

● What are the short-term and long-term goals of the Inforum Scholarship Program?

● Discuss Inforum’s Women’s Leadership in Michigan Public Companies 2022 report which found that only 20% of Michigan public company executive officers are women and only 2.6% are women of color.

● How can businesses get involved?

● Discuss Inforum and its purpose.

● What are other ways Inforum is supporting the professional development of women?

About Inforum: Inforum, with offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit, was founded in 1962 as the Women’s Economic Club and works to change the landscape of women’s leadership in Michigan by serving as a catalyst that removes barriers and increases opportunities for women. Through engaging programming, leadership development, and networking opportunities, Inforum creates a platform that helps women learn, lead, and make a difference in the community.

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Vic Verchereau welcomes Karin Hurt and David Dye, who are the founders of Let's Grow Leaders.

"The truth is neither one of us set out to rid the world of cynical, dehumanizing leadership. We both just hit a point of such utter frustration that we started to blog". That's how Karin and David came together and they have been making a huge impact in the management/leadership world ever since! Long time friends of the show and after several appearances we got both together for a great round-table on basic tips and brilliant leadership concepts. They said, "We had witnessed too many examples of executives and managers destroying themselves and their teams with a win-at-all-cost mentality. Others were so focused on being liked by their teams (or pleasing their bosses) that they failed to speak up or hold people accountable". This is the leadership team you want to hear from and follow their concepts on creating extraordinary teams and business outcomes!

Some of their articles are turning heads! (How to Build a High-Performing Team: 10 Vital Conversations) Vic Verchereau is excited to get this dynamic duo together and to hear what they have to say...you will too when you listen in on this edition of the Leadership Lowdown!

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Vic Verchereau welcomes Dean Rusch, who is the founder and owner of Rusch Entertainment.

Dean Rusch brings years of industry experience—he’s hosted more than 1,500 corporate events—and puts exciting twists on classic shows to maximize audience engagement. Take the dueling pianos show, for instance. The show is a hybrid of pianos as well as keyboards, drums, vocals and saxophones. Guests are invited to sing along and jump in with the band, Ceyx, which has been together since 1971. But there is so much more with this story! Dean has created Rusch Entertainment and helps connect business events and talented entertainers to make memories and fun creations! Dean has decades of experience and fun stories to share, listen in as Vic Verchereau and Dean review the business of fun and smiles. A real Mid-Michigan success and a story worth hearing! Turn up the volume and start tapping your feet! Dean Rusch is in the house!

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