Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Alyssa Watts, Marketing Coordinator for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Detroit, and Mena Davis, Executive Director & Founder of All Things Women Inc., Detroit, MI.

Alyssa, Mena welcome, remind our Michigan business community briefly about both of your organizations?

Tell us about your big announcement from Tuesday?

Dig a little deeper, please discuss the impact it will have on local women and families in need.

So there was already a three year partnership before this, tell us a bit about that.

Anything else we should know?

On Tuesday, February 11, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Detroit is teaming up with All Things Women Inc. to help the nonprofit move into a larger facility—expanding their ability to provide emergency shelter and vital services to local women and families in crisis. Would you be interested in covering this partnership for the move?

This interview discusses the impact it will have on local women and families in need.

Since 2018, All Things Women Inc. has impacted more than 2,500 women and families through emergency shelter, a community clothing closet, postpartum support, food assistance, and workforce readiness programs. This move increases their shelter capacity from 22 beds to 62 beds, allowing them to provide a greater safe haven for those in need.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Detroit has partnered with All Things Women Inc. for three years, supporting their mission through moving services and their Movers for Moms campaign, a national initiative providing essential items to women’s shelters each spring. This year’s campaign kicks off March 10 and will run through May 5, with donations going directly to All Things Women Inc.

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Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Kai Bowman, co-founder of the Michigan Black Business Alliance, Detroit, and who has recently announced he is leaving the organization to launch a new strategic consulting firm called Clutch Consulting. The firm will help established businesses statewide think bigger and bolder.

What is Clutch Consulting and what inspired you to start your own business?

What are some of the services and support Clutch provides for businesses and entrepreneurs?

You’re not new to working in this space. You’re the co-founder of the Michigan Black Business Alliance and during the NFL Draft, you helped minority businesses secure $12 million in contracts. How do you hope to replicate this success across Michigan?

How does Clutch Consulting differentiate itself from other strategic consulting firms in Michigan?

Where can people learn more about your work and get involved?

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Vic Verchereau welcomes Patrick O’Keefe, who is the Founder and CEO of O’Keefe.

Patrick M. O’Keefe is the Founder and CEO of O’Keefe, a transactional strategic and financial advisory firm. Mr. O’Keefe is recognized as an expert in the fields of strategic advisory services, corporate reorganization, turnaround consulting, valuation, and litigation support. Recently Pat's organization was honored with two key awards. The “Turnaround Award (under $100MM)” for the successful turnaround of an injection molding and glass encapsulation manufacturing company. O’Keefe was able to secure price increases, develop a turnaround strategy and revise the capital structure to support the plan and prevent the company from liquidation which saved not only a 20+ year business, but numerous jobs. The second award for “Restructuring Community Impact Award” at Finlandia University. A University started for Finnish immigrants who came to Michigan for copper mining jobs, and by a mission pastor of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, J.K. Nikander, to preserve Finnish culture and train Lutheran ministers.

O'Keefe's fascinating work and perspective on a variety of topics is highly sought after and that is why Vic Verchereau has asked Pat back to again update us on his work and to offer his perspectives on important leadership issues. There is much to hear on this, the latest edition of the Leadership Lowdown! Don't miss it!

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Chris Holman welcomes back Carrie Rosingana, CEO of CAMW! Capital Area Michigan Works!, Lansing, MI, but serving Ingham Eaton and Clinton Counties.

Their theme for February 2025: Capital Area Michigan Works! CEO Carrie Rosingana discusses the Capital Area Child Care Coalition and their new website, which now includes functions to connect businesses and

families with important child care resources.

Question: Why is accessible and affordable child care important to families, employees and employers?

● Access to quality, affordable childcare is a barrier for many working adults and families today.

● Research shows unaffordable and non-available child care causes a decrease in employment retainment, increased stress on working parents and decreased workforce efficiency.

○ According to American Progress, child care is the work that supports all other work by enabling parents to participate in the workforce. Among parents who are not working full-time, 3 in 5 say they would choose to do so if they had access to affordable child care.

● From 2020 to 2021, 13% of children from birth to age 5 lived in families in which someone quit, changed or refused a job because of problems with child care.

● Women are five to eight times more likely than men to experience negative employment consequences related to caregiving according to the Annie E. Cassey Foundation.

○ Oftentimes one parent is forced to stay home for extended periods of time to watch their children because there are no alternatives.

● Accessible and affordable child care opens the door to reduced stress, increased productivity, and enhanced job satisfaction for employees.

● It is important to address child care disparities in order to support families and grow happier and more productive working communities.

Question: What is the Capital Area Child Care Coalition and how do they impact the Capital Area community?

● Supported by Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), the Capital Area Child Care Coalition (CACCC) is a group of 70 community leaders in Eaton, Clinton and Ingham Counties who want to increase the supply of high-quality child care.

○ Capital Area Michigan Works! is proud to be co-leading the CACCC with LEAP and the United Way of South Central Michigan since its creation.

● The CACCC has two key goals: to support local child care providers and connect them to available business resources; and to assist employers as they strive to make child care more accessible and affordable for their employees.

○ The CACCC seeks input from a number of voices to identify the best strategies to accomplish this. Aside from coalition meetings, we regularly:

■ Complete analyses of public data, like cataloging existing providers and

conducting parent focus groups.

■ Survey local families, child care staff, business leadership and more to

understand how the current state of childcare impacts individuals, businesses and the region’s economy.

■ Host events to help stakeholders learn more about the benefits of child care.

● The Coalition values consistent community involvement in their meetings and discussions.

○ Over 348 community members engaged with the Coalition last year through meetings, surveys and discussion groups.

○ 17 child care providers received support through CACCC and its partners.

● Furthermore, the Coalition secured $340,400 in funding to make child care more accessible through their continued efforts to raise awareness.

Question: The Child Care Coalition launched a new website late last year that features some new functions. Can you tell me more about what this website does and why it’s important?

○ The goals of the plan include advocating for state-level policy change, providing business development support, promoting the talent pipeline, and engaging

employers to support their employees’ child care needs.

Final Question: How can people learn more about the Capital Area Child Care Coalition? puremichigan.com

Originally uploaded December 17th, re-edited February 14th.

Chris Holman welcomes back Ara Topouzian, Executive Director, MVCA, the Michigan Venture Capital Association, operating virtually, across all of Michigan.

There were several things Chris wanted to find out during their conversation: Welcome back Ara, remind the Michigan business community about the MVCA?

What have the highlights been for 2024?

What are the current trends for venture capital in Michigan?

What are the goals and events MVCA is looking forward to in 2025?

For your convenience, Here are more details coming out of October's awards event:

Michigan Venture Capital Association Celebrates 17th Entrepreneurial & Investment Successes at 2024 Annual Awards Event

Eight Organizations & Individuals Honored for Contributions to Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Community

Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – October 10, 2024 – The Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) celebrated the state’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem at its 2024 Annual Awards Celebration, held at Elevate at One Campus Martius. The sold-out event welcomed 240+ attendees, recognizing achievements that fuel Michigan’s business growth, investment milestones, and community impact.

2024 MVCA Award Winners:

Entrepreneur of the Year: Mike Klein (Genomenon)

Up-and-Coming Company of the Year: Optilogic

Community Impact Award: Michigan Founders Fund

Capital Event of the Year – Venture Capital Fund: Grand Ventures

Capital Event of the Year – Portfolio Company: May Mobility

“Michigan’s investment and startup community continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and innovation despite economic turbulence,” said MVCA Executive Director Ara Topouzian.

New MVCA Hall of Fame Inductees

MVCA introduced the Hall of Fame to honor individuals who have significantly shaped Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem:

Tim Petersen: Co-founder of Arboretum Ventures, instrumental in Michigan’s VC growth.

Chris Rizik: Managing Partner at Renaissance Venture Capital, driving investment in Detroit’s startup scene.

Past Lifetime Achievement winners were also inducted, including Skip Simms, Sam Valenti, Jody Vanderwel, Ian Bund, Tom Porter, Michael Finney, Tom Kinnear, Don Walker, David Brophy, and Dick Eidswick.

Tribute to Kevin McCurren

MVCA paid tribute to Kevin McCurren, whose dedication to Michigan’s investment and entrepreneurial landscape left a lasting impact. His family accepted the award on his behalf.

2024 MVCA Award Finalists

Entrepreneur of the Year: Brian Moore (Voxel51), Deepak Ravindra Menon (Micro-LAM), Edwin Olson (May Mobility), Mike Klein (Genomenon)

Up-and-Coming Company of the Year: Livegistics, Optilogic, Rivet Work, Zeck

Community Impact Award: Black Tech Saturdays, Michigan Founders Fund, Michigan Innovation Fund Coalition, Venture 313

Capital Event of the Year – Venture Capital Fund: Grand Ventures ($50M Second Fund), Mercury ($160M Fifth Fund)

Capital Event of the Year – Portfolio Company: CoverTree ($13M, Series A), May Mobility ($105M, Series D), Voxel 51 ($30M, Series B)

MVCA continues to be a driving force in Michigan’s investment, innovation, and startup growth.

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Originally uploaded December 24, re-edited February 12th

Chris Holman welcomes back Glenn Stevens Jr., Executive Director of MICHauto and Vice President of Automotive and Mobility Initiatives at the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit, MI.

Welcome back Glenn please share some highlights from your 2024 MichAuto State of the Industry event?

Among MichAuto's focus has been The Journey Through Legislation to Reduce Distracted Driving in Michigan, tell us about that?

Talent has been another focus for MichAuto, what processes or projects highlight your efforts for this?

What's the highlight of 2024?

Anything in store for 2025 that you can share?

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Originally uploaded July 8th, re-edited February 7th.

A Mackinac Policy Conference interview that ended up postponed until late June.

Chris Holman welcomes Venessa Keesler, Ph.D., President & CEO, Launch Michigan.

In their conversation Chris wanted to find several things out from Vanessa:

What is Launch Michigan?

I understand Business Leaders for Michigan's CEO Jeff Donofrio is your board chair, speak briefly to the board's role?

What is the state of K-12 education in Michigan? How are we doing?

What can we do to improve?

Why should the business community care about improving our K-12 education system?

What can listeners do to stay informed or get involved?

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Detroit Regional Chamber, Business Leaders for Michigan, and Small Business Association of Michigan Support Launch Michigan’s FY25 Budget Requests.

Michigan’s future depends on the graduates of its K-12 and postsecondary education systems. Ensuring that graduates are ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow means re-imagining today’s education systems to ensure students and teachers have the best environments to learn and work in.

The Detroit Regional Chamber, alongside Business Leaders for Michigan and the Small Business Association of Michigan, sent a letter to both House Appropriations Chair Angela Witwer and Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony in support of Launch Michigan‘s two budget requests for FY25.

Originally uploaded July 1st, video glitch fixed and replaced February 5th.

Chris Holman welcomes back Mark A. Williams, President, MCDC, Michigan Certified Development Corporation, East Lansing, MI.

In their conversation, Chris had several things he wanted to find out from Mark; What’s new with MCDC?

Mark reviewed their new loan product, Community Advantage, and discussed what it is, why/how it differs from a bank or credit union SBA 7(a) loan.

On 504 loans (Mark gave a brief description of the difference between 504 and 7(a)) we also have an Express product which he describes the advantages

They touch on some history for MCDC, as they were about to achieve some milestones in loan volume (within the next year)?

2,500 loans, $1.5Bn in SBA loans, $4Bn in total economic impact

What industries we are seeing the most activity in?

Hotels, franchise restaurants, manufacturing

As 504 loans require a bank or credit union, who are MCDC partnering with most?

Mark hesitates to single anyone out, but they are seeing an increase in activity from the community banks and credit unions

General questions on SBA programs and lending volume in general.

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Chris Holman welcomes David R. (Dave) Russell - Foster Swift Collins Smith, PC, Lansing, with 6 offices across Michigan.

In their discussion they covered numerous topics including:

What are Troubled Assets/Troubled Projects/Business Ventures?

Loans

Construction projects

Business venture underwater

Ownership disputes

What are Common Causes in Construction Projects/ Business Ventures?

Defective Workmanship:

Financial Issues:

Contractual Disputes:

Regulatory or Permitting Problems:

Shareholder/Member Disputes

Tell us about Implementing Strong Contractual Safeguards and Exit Strategies?

Good contracts – spend money on the front end with attorneys for good documents

Operating Agreements

Exit Provisions

Clauses that cover litigation

How can distressed assets/projects be preserved during litigation?

Consider Injunctions

Receivership

Forced dissolution of company

Good legal counsel can help look for the most efficient way forward – think outside the box.

Originally uploaded December 23rd, re-edited January 29th.

Chris Holman welcomes back Tong Li, Founder, Owner, AP Lazer, Mason, MI

What were some highlights from 2024?

What projects or products were initiated or continued?

What is the mission for 2025?

Are any big projects or events of note you can share with us?

You're quite the inventor and entrepreneur, that helps in business?

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