Entrepreneurship

Family’s culinary vision takes flight with newest Latin American eatery at Kellogg Field

San Francisco Latin American Cuisine, a high-end eatery featuring bold flavors from across Latin America, has taken flight inside the Battle Creek Executive Airport, bringing a major-city dining experience to Kellogg Field.

Latest in Entrepreneurship
Curtain rises again: New owners aim to revive Kalamazoo’s State Theatre for second act

A Texas Corners couple has purchased Kalamazoo’s historic State Theatre and plans a multimillion-dollar restoration to bring the 1927 landmark back to life for its 100th anniversary.

From farm to can: Zazu Mushrooms brews up a fungal fusion

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.

The future Is Zerø-proof: Inside Kalamazoo’s first non-alcoholic bar

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.

From bouquets to carnation creatures: Plumeria celebrates 10 years with bold expansion

Thinking outside the bouquet, Elisha Mayes' Plumeria Botanical Boutique in Battle Creek celebrates 10 years and a bold new chapter.

Sanilac County CMH CEO Wilbert Morris presents iPad to Sanilac County Sheriff Paul Rich
Meeting rural Michiganders’ mental health care needs

Michigan’s rural residents face different challenges when accessing mental health care than residents of urban areas. Transportation issues, loneliness, and limited group therapy options can compound their mental health needs. To address these challenges, community mental health (CMH) agencies like Sanilac County Community Mental Health innovate community-based solutions that meet their populations where they are at.   

Monica Smith, Yevgenia Gazman, and Christine Sauvé, MIRC Detroit Office.
الهجمات على العائلات المهاجرة وما تعنيه لتعليم الطفولة المبكرة

في عام 2024، لاحظ معلمو الطفولة المبكرة في جنوب غرب ديترويت انخفاضًا كبيرًا في تسجيل الأطفال في مرحلة ما قبل المدرسة، وذلك بعد تصاعد نشاط تنفيذ قوانين الهجرة. وعلى الرغم من أن هذا الانخفاض لم يتم توثيقه رسميًا في ذلك الوقت، أفادت منظمات مجتمعية أن ما يقارب 15٪ من الطلاب تم سحبهم من برامج ما قبل المدرسة في المنطقة خلال أسابيع قليلة.

Ryan Yates, dad and Duncan Aviation engine line technician.
Early care and education: A boon for children, families and the economy

Expanding access to affordable, high-quality early care and education could support working parents, strengthen the state’s labor market, and promote gender equity.

Charting the Road to Success: A program from El Concilio Kalamazoo boosts Latinx entrepreneurship

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation awarded the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce $2.5 million. That money went to four organizations inlcuding El Concilio in Kalamazoo. It is now providing access to economic development resources in Spanish for businesses like Tacos El Jefe.

Sweet Success: Papa’s Brittle driven by owner’s desire to invest in her community

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.

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