The Michigan Opportunity

Women owned Renovare Development is disrupting the real estate market from Ypsilanti to Benton Harbor to Munising by focusing on urban communities, rural towns, brownfields, and workforce housing.

Renovare provides mixed-income housing and community-based commercial spaces to urban communities, while helping support workforce housing and commercial amenities to support working families. The company works closely with towns to identify and address key economic issues, including attainable housing and affordable retail and commercial space. Renovare's strategic partnerships with local governments deliver projects that meet those needs and provide public amenities that promote a sense of community. Listen to Jill Ferrari and Ed discuss Renovare's commitment to communities across the state.

The USMCA, also known as "Nafta 2.0", created one of the largest free trade zones in the world. Mexican Consul Roberto Nicolas Vazquez is at the heart of the Detroit-Windsor border crossing, the 2nd busiest in the world!

In a recent interview, Consul Roberto Nicolas Vazquez describes his unique diplomatic post and the services offered at the Consulate of Mexico in Detroit including processing passport and visa applications, legalizing and authenticating documents, and registering marriages, births, and deaths. He also talks about the future opportunities presented by the USMCA and the unique North American partnership. 

With 650 OHM Advisor team members, this unique company does it all to help build better places, businesses, infrastructure and communities.

Join Jon Kramer and host Ed Clemente as they discuss OHM Advisor, a pioneering firm that's creating better places for people. This forward-thinking company includes engineering, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, surveying and construction engineering services all under one roof. This growing firm has made its mark on the industry by working with municipalities, state and federal agencies, Fortune 100 companies, developers, schools, universities, and more. Recognized for their contributions to the industry and listed on ENR's Top 500 Design Firms, this full-service firm is definitely one to watch.

What do Presidents Biden & Obama, Governor Whitmer & Secretary of Energy Granholm all have in common?  Kerry Duggan has worked directly with all of them all.

Kerry C. Duggan, CEO and sustainability expert, founded SustainabiliD to help established organizations anticipate and address climate challenges. With partners like ONE, LuxWall and AeroSeal, SustainabiliD is scaling up innovative climate technologies. Duggan's extensive experience includes serving as climate advisor to President Joe Biden and sitting on several boards and advisory boards. She is a senior advisor at RockCreek Global Investment and Commonweal Ventures and sits on Faculty at University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.

The Nature Conservancy of Michigan has worked with private, public, education and non-governmental agencies to help make Michigan’s 83 counties ideal places for people to live, work and play. 

Hear Rich Bowman and host Ed Clemente as they discuss this fascinating organization.  As the Director of Policy at The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, Rich has been working with the people of the Great Lakes State for decades to preserve its natural heritage. The organization remains dedicated to protecting Michigan's rivers, lakes, and lands while pursuing strategies that will ensure the vitality of its people, places, and wildlife for generations to come. With rapid climate change and biodiversity loss threatening our planet, we have a limited window to address these existential threats.

What is multicultural marketing and branding, and how can it impact Michigan’s supply chains and the quest to attract talent in this new economy?

Listen to Lydia Michael and Kevin Ketels as they explore the growing world of international marketing, branding and supply chain evolution. Blended Collective is a multicultural marketing and brand consultancy focused on the core values of authenticity, culture, and diversity. Kevin Ketels, Assistant Professor Global Supply Chain Management, Mike Ilitch School of Business, Wayne State University walks us through the changing world of supply chains and the growth of electrification and EV’s. 

What do you get when you add the Switzerland based World Economic Forum (including Davos) and the US leader in Industry 4.0, Michigan based Automation Alley? You get the U.S. Center for Advanced Manufacturing based here in Michigan with an international board.

Listen to Cynthia Hutchinson as she explains the mission and vision of the USCAM, and its international impact. The USCAM drives state, regional and national initiatives that accelerate and strengthen advanced manufacturing in the U.S., while helping to inform the global manufacturing agenda. Cynthia and host Ed Clemente discuss her long stint working and living at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland, as well as our previous podcast guest Francisco Betti of WEF, who is on her Executive committee along with MEDC Executive VP Josh Hundt.  

Hear from Hilary Doe, Michigan’s first Chief Growth Officer—and first in the country, on what the Growing Michigan Together Council is tasked with and the members that make up the Council.  

As the Chief Growth Officer, Hilary leads the state’s efforts to grow Michigan’s population, economy, and reputation as the best place to live, work, raise a family, and start a business. Hilary works alongside the Growing Michigan Together Council on a once-in-a-generation effort to grow Michigan’s population, boost economic growth, and make Michigan the place everyone wants to call home. The Council will advise the governor on specific policies to grow Michigan’s population, including identifying a population goal for 2050. It will also look at ways to successfully attract and retain talent, improve preK-12 educational outcomes and long-term funding solutions for higher education, and develop strategies for upgrading and modernizing our transportation and water infrastructure, including developing long-term, sustainable funding solutions. The Growing Michigan Together Council is made up of 28 members, 21 voting and seven nonvoting, who reflect the diversity of Michigan.

What has 300,000 people in attendance, over 54 million viewers, and will be in Downtown Detroit in the Spring of 2024? The NFL Draft.  Hear what it means to Detroit and the Michigan economy from the President of the Detroit Lions and Strategist Alexis Wiley.

Listen to Rod Wood & Alexis Wiley, as they discuss one of the biggest sporting events since the Super Bowl came to Detroit Michigan, the 2024 NFL Draft.  The NFL Draft will be held in downtown Detroit April 25-27. The event will be free and open to the public. Alexis & Rod give us an overview of what this means in the way of economic development to the City of Detroit and State of Michigan.  They also discuss the tough competition that the Detroit Lions, city of Detroit, Visit Detroit and the State of Michigan and many others faced to get this prestigious event.

Discover what the 12 Native American Tribes of Michigan are doing to expand their economic footprint in the state, and in this case, in the manufacturing industry.

 Listen to our three guests as they discuss their unique relationship between the tribes, the MEDC and the collaboration to ensure economic growth and prosperity through our tribal partners, regions across the state, and the communities in which they support, live, and thrive.