Michigan Business Network

Tony spends some time with a longtime friend, former journalist, and attorney Michael J. Nichols. Who shares his career path, some interesting cases, his firm's specialty and focus in the law, and then a discussion on his perceptions as to how the media covers law, and legal cases.

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Thank you to Benjamin Robinson and Motor City Skyline's music

Tony spends some time catching up with Lance Binoniemi, VP of Government Affairs, for Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association.

As Vice President of Government Affairs, Lance manages political and legislative concerns on behalf of MITA. He is a registered lobbyist with the State of Michigan and spends a good portion of his time working tirelessly on issues that are important to the industry and the membership at the Capitol in Lansing. Due to Lance's hard work and experience, MITA has a solid working relationship with every legislator in the House and Senate. Lance also oversees all MITA PAC expenditures.

This conversation covers how the road situation stands in early 2022 for Michigan, what sort of budget will be put toward it, and the approach being taken for emergencies and long-term upgrades of the highways in Michigan. A continued discussion on how to fund it going forward, and then a review of how media deals with this topic, and how they might get better at dealing with this issue.

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Thank you to Benjamin Robinson and Motor City Skyline's music open.spotify.com/track/7y23KC54uZ…fPSoq_BrEnoS9kUw

For CAMW!'s Feb. 2022 interview, they showcase a great program that's been going on for a little over a year.

Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Katlyn Cardoso, Director of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development at LEAP, about LEAP's One and All program.

The discussion covers the questions:

Tell us about the One and All program—what is it, and who is it designed to support?

What is the ALICE Threshold? Why is this an important metric to help advance equity in economic development and entrepreneurship?

The One and All program recently welcomed its fifth class of entrepreneurs. What are some of the preliminary results of the first four programs and, especially, how is this program supporting BIPOC-owned businesses?

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Jeffrey Mosher has a conversation with Salvador Lopez KConnect President and Housing Kent’s Interim President

Reaching out with incredible news from KConnect's new equitable housing initiative "Housing Kent" - they have organized a way to increase access to affordable housing and decrease homelessness for families, children, and youth of Kent County. They have placed an intentional focus on eliminating racial biases and disparities in Kent County.

Through their work and the common agenda and roadmap, they have created we hope to see real change happen for these marginalized groups in Kent County.

Organization to Create Equitable Housing System, Focuses on Eliminating Racial Disparities

The Housing Kent organization is the result of 130 public and private sector, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations that came together to examine the homelessness crisis over a three-year period

Grand Rapids, Mich - Housing Kent’s mission is to increase access to affordable housing and decrease homelessness for families, children, and youth, with an intentional focus on eliminating racial disparities in Kent County. The organization will accomplish this by focusing on the entire spectrum of the system from those who have no housing to those who are housed by choice. A specific emphasis will be placed on eliminating housing insecurity for Black and Latinx children and families, who are disproportionately impacted. The number of people in the homeless system grew by 37% in Kent County between 2017 and 2019, with the largest growth being seen in families with children. Exacerbating this economic vulnerability are sharp breaks in the data along the lines of race and ethnicity. Nearly one in six African American children in Kent County accessed the homeless system at some point in 2019 compared with one in every 130 White children.

“A staggering number of our neighbors are homeless, constantly moving from place to place,” said Salvador Lopez, KConnect President and Housing Kent’s Interim President. “Without a dramatic redesign, they will never be able to afford a home of their own choosing. It is long past time for us, as a community, to acknowledge policies deeply rooted in racial bias; we need to encourage balanced investment, and accelerate the meaningful change we know is possible.”

To combat housing instability in Kent County, numerous cross-sector stakeholders in the community came together for nearly two years to create a common agenda and roadmap plan to address systemic issues in housing stability, racial and ethnic disparities, as well as, barriers to collaboration. The process was facilitated by KConnect, Kent County’s backbone organization for the community’s collective impact initiative. The energy and momentum behind this process turned it into an actionable movement with the creation of Housing Kent.

Housing Kent will work alongside existing efforts and organizations to create alignment within the county’s current approach to homelessness. This approach will develop a comprehensive housing system resulting in an over one-third reduction of children and adults needing to access the homeless system in Kent County.

As part of the equity and community engagement plan outlined within the roadmap, Housing Kent will partner with organizations like the Urban League of Western Michigan and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan to serve as intermediaries between the system and the community to lift up the voice of residents and bring them to the decision-making tables.

“Over the last ten years, the median sale price of homes in Kent County have increased by 120%. There are tens of thousands of households that are paying too much of their monthly income to housing costs,” said Tasha Blackmon, Board of Trustees Co-chair for Housing Kent and President and CEO of Cherry Health. “Behind the data are real families in our community and the facts underscore one point: we must act now.”

Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Thomas Smith, Owner, and founder of Navigate Adventure Vans, Grand Rapids.

• Navigate Adventure Vans, located just outside of Grand Rapids, is a premier Midwest van conversion company focused on fully and semi-customized builds.

• Our mission is to create the ultimate camper vans and adventure vehicles that are rooted in quality, versatility, comfort, and beautiful design so we can help our clients live their best adventures.

• The team has 20 years of manufacturing and automotive engineering experience, with a focus on creating high-quality, versatile builds.

• Navigate Adventure Vans caters to the weekend warriors and short-term travelers seeking their next exhilarating journey.

• The Vans

o The Explorer Series build features Adventure Wagon’s cost-effective modular interior systems that can change and grow according to each adventurer's needs.

o Navigate Custom Builds are for clients who are looking for a unique van to fit their wildest travel dreams. Navigate works with each Custom Build customer to create interior and exterior designs and then build to each client’s specifications.

• Adventure van builds typically take between two weeks to four months, depending on options and complexity, and range from $35,000 to over $100,000, in addition to the price of the van.

• Navigate Adventure Vans is proud to be aligned with some of the industry’s leading suppliers such as Adventure Wagon, Agile Offroad, Flarespace, FVC, Renogy, Roambuilt, Victron Energy, Zamp Solar, and several others.

Adventurers

● NAV clients spend their vacations and weekends outdoors, cycling, skiing, fishing, hiking, or hunting. They want to experience adventure on their own time, in their own ways, all while staying safe and comfortable.

● Class B camper van owners don’t just hang at a campsite all day, but instead use their vans as conduits for adventure. Mountain biking, rock climbing, surfing, paragliding, wind surfing, snowmobiling—a camper van provides an affordable way to access the world’s best adventures.

● The non-negotiables

o 4-wheel drive

o Room for gear

o Space-saving solutions

o Innovative features – winch systems, bike racks, etc.

The Industry

• The #vanlife movement was already in full swing before the pandemic, fueled by envyinducing posts on Instagram and DIY van conversion videos on YouTube. But as the pandemic took hold, more and more antsy Americans who could work remotely decided to join the van life community.

• Since the onset of the pandemic, the work-from-anywhere lifestyle has changed the way people approach life. They can focus on extended travel on the weekends or even during the week and essentially go “off-grid,” all the while bringing the pleasantries of

home with them in a fully outfitted van.

• During a time when people are reassessing their priorities, many have taken to a much more simplistic way of life. The allure of having a custom camper van includes being able to focus on extended travel, on and off-grid camping, boondocking, and being able to pack all necessary adventure gear in one, organized space.

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"Before you climb into the driver’s seat, you’ve got to be prepared. Prepared to take off so fast that you leave your toupee and clothes floating in the air behind you, cartoon style"! The electric race karts can reach up to 50mph on both indoor tracks...It is an adrenaline fix rain or shine!

Meet the visionary leader behind the newest (and Hottest) attraction in Michigan! Jordan Munsters is the Chief Fort Officer at High Caliber Karting and Entertainment. A bit of a cross between a mad genius and a brilliant businessman, Jordan is doing what most people only dream about! Opening and expanding with a pandemic looming over everything, High Caliper Karting and Entertainment have the pedal to the metal and going even faster!

Dial up and listen to this edition of Michigan Corners and hear about this most interesting location for all audiences and occasions!

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Electric-powered vehicles are becoming more common and with that popularity, the necessary infrastructure to support this new reality must be built. Enter Will McCoy, the dynamic and engaging CEO of Vehya. A Detroit-based business delivering turnkey electric-vehicle charging solutions on behalf of businesses, governments, and consumers. The company is currently contracted with municipalities across the country to bring current the EV infrastructure needed for an all-electric mobility future.

With such high tech features found in this new industry, Will shares his concerns and vision for the challenges ahead. From what the industry needs to the leadership required when confronting a future that we all are seeking to understand. Will is a busy leader and we caught up with him to get his thoughts on some of the leadership challenges on the horizon. Power up and tune into this "electrifying" edition of the leadership Lowdown!

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Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Amanda Johnson, Business Resource Coach, CAMW!. The discussion for the CAMW! Spotlight Interview for January 2022; Benefiting Employers by Supporting Employees — The Business Resource Network at CAMW!.

The questions covered over the course of the conversation:

Tell me about the Business Resource Network at Capital Area Michigan Works!.

How does the Business Resource Network benefit employers?

How can the Business Resource Network help employers with challenges they're facing this year due to the pandemic and worker shortages?

Why is it important for employers to support their employees with programs like the Business Resource Network?

How can employers learn more about the Business Resource Network?

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Tony spends some time with Bill Ballenger, who was the founder of Inside Michigan Politics, a state-based biweekly subscription newsletter that he launched in 1987 and published for 27 years. He was also, for six years, a horse racing columnist for The Detroit Free Press. For a dozen years (1992-2004), he hosted a weekly hour-long, call-in program on political issues on WKAR, a public radio station on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

Now that Bill is no longer associated with Inside Michigan Politics, he offers The Ballenger Report and the Friday Morning Podcast as something different than Inside Michigan Politics or any other news service. The Ballenger Report will offer unique articles, archived podcasts and live radio programs from the Michigan Talk Network of a political nature that you cannot find anywhere else.

“The Ballenger Report” will present what you would expect from Bill Ballenger — forecasts of national, state, and local races, including judicial contests. Ballenger was dubbed by the late Charlie Cain, onetime state capital bureau chief of The Detroit News, as “Michigan’s undisputed Crown Prince of Pundits.” He is a frequent commentator on Michigan politics and government for a broad array of newspapers and radio and television stations nationally and internationally, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Roll Call, USA TODAY, HOTLINE, the Associated Press, CNN, National Public Radio, PBS’s “The News Hour,” the BBC, and Michigan Public Television’s “Off the Record.”

Ballenger was born William S. Ballenger, III, in Flint, Michigan. He is a former state representative (1969-70) and state senator (1971-74), an ex-state racing commissioner (1982-85), and director of the state Dept. of Licensing & Regulation (1977-81). He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health, Education & Welfare in the administration of President Gerald R. Ford (1975-76).

Ballenger holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has been a visiting adjunct professor at the University of Michigan/Flint; in both Lyman Briggs and Justin Morrill Colleges at Michigan State University; and in the Public Administration program of Western Michigan University. From 2003-2007, he was the Robert P. and Marjorie Griffin Professor of American Government at Central Michigan University.

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Thank you to Benjamin Robinson and Motor City Skyline's music open.spotify.com/track/7y23KC54uZ…fPSoq_BrEnoS9kUw

Jeffrey Mosher has a three-segment interview with Michael McLary, CEO of Ascend LLC of Atlanta, GA. They discuss Michael's background, how Ascend came about and what they are doing differently in the Trucking industry.

While based in Georgia they handle customers in Michigan and shares a bit about the acquisitions they're looking for in the MidWest.

Besides discussing Ascend, Michael gets into how the trucking industry is doing, regional carriage, ecommerce/retail and why Ascend got started (e.g., Michael came from UPS and Amazon, so he is well versed in the industry)

what is happening in the trucking industry (competition for drivers is a big one) and what Ascend is doing differently in terms of getting drivers (ability to be home more; short run days of out-and-back)

regionalization and the high-performance short-haul technology (how they are leveraging the technology so that they are running full more often/less deadheading)

Overall industry

What is happening in supply chain?

Why is it the talk almost nightly on the news (e.g., moving goods around the country)?

eCommerce and retail?