Coverage of projects, big and small, and the people who create them, which promote the economic health of a community, including manufacturing, retail, office, and hospitality developments.
After an unexpected leap into mushroom farming, Brad and Angie McLeish of Zazu Mushrooms are blending innovation and community — most recently through a unique mushroom matcha in collaboration with Shades of Lavender.
Zerø, Kalamazoo’s first non-alcoholic cocktail bar, offers a sensory-rich, community-driven experience that redefines nightlife through craft, intention, and zero-proof innovation.
Thinking outside the bouquet, Elisha Mayes' Plumeria Botanical Boutique in Battle Creek celebrates 10 years and a bold new chapter.
Two entrepreneurs from Mexico with a history of building successful operations are preparing to move their company, VITIA, to Michigan.
Expanding access to affordable, high-quality early care and education could support working parents, strengthen the state’s labor market, and promote gender equity.
La Corporación de Desarrollo Económico de Michigan otorgó a la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Oeste de Michigan 2.5 millones de dólares. Ese dinero se destinó a cuatro organizaciones, entre ellas El Concilio en Kalamazoo. Ahora proporciona acceso a recursos de desarrollo económico en español a negocios como Tacos El Jefe.
In the summer of 2021, the Rev. Doreen Gardner began making her large batches of brittle in the commercial kitchen space at the small business incubator Can-Do Kalamazoo. Papa’s Brittle went on to win the national NAACP’s Black Entrepreneur Award, which came with a $25,000 award and mentorship from an investor on the ABC reality television series Shark Tank. Now they operate from a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen on Stadium Drive.
Community-based organizations report that approximately 15% of students withdrew from preschool programs within weeks due to immigration enforcement activity. Advocates and policy researchers attribute these shifts to the growing climate of fear among immigrant families in Michigan.
The Small Business Association of Michigan Nurture Benefits will expand access to health insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings for Michigan's child care providers.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed recently hosted a Town Hall in Kalamazoo. Braylon Youker of Voices of Youth attended the event and spoke with El-Sayed about his vision — a bold and comprehensive plan that weaves together public health policy, climate action, and a push for Medicaid for All.
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