MiBiz Podcast: Recent Episodes
Justine Burdette Jayson Bussa
Podcast description: An entrepreneur’s journey is wildly educational with opportunistic thinking, creative problem solving, and the application of passionate vision serving as lessons. Understanding these lessons further enhances the entrepreneurial ecosystem and startup mentality in a community.Join the MiBiz staff biweekly as Associate Publisher, Justine Burdette, and Senior Editor, Jayson Bussa, as they hop in the trenches with business owners in all phases of their entrepreneurial life cycle. They will get candid takes from these bright, young leaders who are hustling to grow a passion and idea into a thriving business. Each episode features engaging interviews paired with recent news from the print and digital offerings of MiBiz. Through our discussion, listeners will learn why all of these intersections matter for the business community.
All our real estate and development fans - this episode is for you! Kate and Justine are joined by Carrie Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, and Steven Huizenga, President of Freedom Construction. Carrie and her husband Matt started Freedom Construction after identifying a shortage of high-quality commercial building contractors in an industry infamous for poor communication, cost overruns, and missed deadlines.
Carrie and Steve share with us how Freedom Construction prioritizes partnering with other woman-owned and minority-owned commercial building contractors and suppliers and brings a much-needed diverse perspective and labor force to the West Michigan industry and economy.
Links:
Freedom Construction
Freedom Construction - Project Manager role
Allied Mechanical Services
MiBiz article: Younger demographics play in GR’s favor with 2023 economic outlook
MiBiz article: Arena board OK’s new agreement to examine amphitheater-adjacent properties; venue design nears completion
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
Heath Verstraete, owner and President of Conveyability in Walker, MI, took an entrepreneurial leap by purchasing the local manufacturing facility just before the pandemic. Tune in to hear how Heath financed the purchase of Conveyability, the improvements he has made during ownership, and the explosion of new business due to a lack of workforce and Industry 4.0.
Links:
Conveyability
Health Verstraete LinkedIn
The Right Place - Manufacturers Council
Lumberman’s
Calder Capital
IRS website: Rollover as Business Start-Up
MiBiz Deals & Dealmakers Awards info
MiBiz and The Right Place Manufacturing Services Team: Manufacturing Change Livestreams
MiBiz article: Auto suppliers prepare for more slow growth, challenges, as forecast begins to brighten
MiBiz article: Port City Ventures invests in Rolar Products amid expansion to new Muskegon-area plant
MiBiz article: ‘We need to be here’: Tier 1 auto supplier Gentex to open production facility in GR
MiBiz article: New RoMan Manufacturing president overseeing ‘unprecedented’ company growth
MiBiz article: Family-owned HVAC distributor acquired by global manufacturer
MiBiz article: New GRCC facility to move automation training ‘years ahead’
MiBiz article: Q&A: Continued need for manufacturing automation provides runway for growth
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
Jen Van Ee started her strategic communications firm as a moonlighting project but took the venture full-time after one too many toxic work cultures. Jen chats with Justine and Kate about taking her own advice, the trade-offs between getting the work and completing the work, and how leaning into her core values (supporting women) has led to new contracts and opportunities. Stay tuned after the break as Kate and Justine share a round-up of some of the best West Michigan organizations for networking, finding opportunities, and creating connections.
Links:
MiBiz Deals & Dealmakers Awards info
https://www.wrighttouchmarketing.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wright05/
https://voyagemichigan.com/interview/inspiring-conversations-with-jen-vanee-of-wright-touch-marketing-consulting/
Professional Women in Building Grand Rapids
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Western Michigan Chapter
National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)
Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) West Michigan
West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Transformando Program
Michigan Women Forward
Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan - Young Professionals Happy Hour
Women of Habitat Kent
Inforum
Grand Rapids Chamber ATHENA
Shannon Cohen
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
Kate and Justine are joined by Marcel “Fable” Price and Foster also known as AutoPilot. Marcel is the Executive Director and Foster teaching artist at The Diatribe, a Grand Rapids based nonprofit that uses performing arts to empower young people. Fable and AutoPilot share their journeys as entrepreneurial artists running The Diatribe to starting capital campaign for a building to anchor their 49507 community.
Links:
The Diatribe
The Diatribe response to Kent County ARPA funding decision
PURE Architects
Kennari Consulting
Gray Theory
MiBiz article: The Diatribe receives $75K national endowment grant for GR mural project
MiBiz article: The Diatribe acquires West Mich. nonprofit with similar mission to empower youth
MiBiz article: The Diatribe plans mixed-use development for new offices, event venue on GR’s south side
MiBiz article: The Diatribe still plans arts, culture hub after $2M Kent County ARPA rejection
Marcel “Fable” Price Instagram
Marcel “Fable” Price Facebook
Marcel “Fable” Price Twitter
Marcel “Fable” Price website
G “AutoPilot” Foster II Instagram
G “AutoPilot” Foster II Facebook
G “AutoPilot” Foster II Twitter
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
True Women’s Health is a concierge or membership-based model of primary care for women. Allyn Lebster, CEO, and Dr. Celia Egan, a physician double-boarded in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine and a NAMS-certified menopause specialist, walk us through how their science-back model of patient-driven holistic prevention and wellness planning leads to better outcomes. MiBiz senior writer Mark Sanchez joins Justine to co-host and gives his “reporter’s notebook” on things he is watching in the health care industry in 2023.
Links:
True. Women’s Health
MiBiz article: University of Michigan Health-West, GRCC take on nursing shortage with new partnership
MiBiz article: Michigan life sciences industry ranks among best in nation as employment grows
MiBiz article: University of Michigan Health-West performs first open-heart procedure, boosting competition for cardiac surgery
MiBiz article: BHSH System rebrands as Corewell Health after Spectrum-Beaumont merger
MiBiz article: Nursing advocates say proposed bill would help keep practitioners in Michigan
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
The Black Napkin, Korin Hollinshead, and Jason Richardson’s takeout restaurant in Grand Rapids is a reference to the Frank Zappa song, but it’s also a tongue-in-cheek nod to black napkins associated with high-end dining. Korin shares details of moving from their ice cream tricycle to a brick-and-mortar, as well as how they are leveraging technology to improve their margin and focus on customers and working with her romantic partner.
Links:
Black Napkin GR
Any Color You Like
National Restaurant Association Report on Ownership Demographics 2022
Restaurant Business Online article: AS TECHNOLOGY USE INCREASES, DATA OWNERSHIP REMAINS A CONCERN
MiBiz article: Any Colour You Like owners plan Black Napkin to-go restaurant in GR
MiBiz article: Michigan small biz growth during pandemic exceeds the national average and shows permanence, SBAM scorecard finds
Culinary Cultivations
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
Jarred Biggs’s family has owned small businesses in Middleville for decades. So when it came time for Biggs - a long-time care provider and cannabis grower - to open a dispensary, his hometown was his first choice. Tune in to hear Biggs and Jimmy Strunk, director of sales for the national brand Pablo, talk about their long road to success, the challenges of the cannabis industry, and their take on how to bring more equity into this business.
Links:
Bo Co Middleville website
Bo Co Middleville Instagram
Jason Biggs Instagram
Pablo Canna Co Instagram
40 Acres Soul Kitchen
MiBiz article: West Michigan entrepreneurs to open Middleville’s first dispensary
MiBiz article: Michigan small biz growth during pandemic exceeds the national average and shows permanence, SBAM scorecard finds
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
As the son of entrepreneurs, Corey Hart caught the small business building bug at age 8 while washing dishes. Corey’s career spans coasts and a variety of industries - which makes him a fantastic Chapter Director for StartUp Grind GR, a global community of entrepreneurs. Listen to the end to hear Kate and Justine run down a list of local resources for aspiring business owners and re-emerging sources of funding.
Corey Hart
Corey Hart LinkedIn
Start Up Grind Grand Rapids
Western Michigan University - Center for Principled Leadership
Western Michigan University - The Jungle Podcast
Grand Valley State University - Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Grand Valley State University - Entrepreneur in Residence
Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses
SURGE program powered by Lakeshore Advantage (Holland SmartZone)
Start Garden (Grand Rapids SmartZone)
GROW (formerly Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women)
SpringGR
U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the first group of plans approved under the new round of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
MEDC’s Access to Capital
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
Julian Newman is a storyteller - and the Founder and CEO of Culture Creative, an award-winning consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) worldwide. He chats with Justine and Kate about why businesses need to treat DEIB work like all other operational cadences, how to build a future based on hope, and where West Michigan needs to put effort to move from “cosmetic inclusion” to “catalytic inclusion.”
Links:
Culture Creative
Culture Creative blog
Global Bridge Builders
Cultural Intelligence Center
Grand Rapids Community College - The Bob and Aleicia Woodrick Center for Equity and Inclusion
Chamber launches new initiative for BIPOC businesses
Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce DEI support
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
He was on American Idol, has directed worship choirs since he was a teenager, and now Maurice (Mo) Townsend is the real estate developer MoTown Square affordable, senior housing project. To say that this is a passion project is an understatement: the Townsend family have been residents of this neighborhood for decades and Mo started the project with some of his own parcels. Tune in to hear Mo’s incredible journey and what advice he has for other young, aspiring developers.
Links:
LINC UP
Dwelling Place
Habitat For Humanity of Kent County
City of Grand Rapids Affordable Housing Fund
TowerPinkster
Orion Construction
Custer
MiBiz article: LINC Up partners with local developer for GR affordable senior housing
MiBiz Article: Public votes determine $2M of GR ARPA fundsKent County officials rank 300+ ARPA projectsState Revitalization and Placemaking grants aim to bridge funding gap for many West Michigan housing projects
MiBiz Article: Industrial RE developers, builders brace for slight slowdownIndustrial speculative projects in West Michigan
MiBiz Article: Well House steps into developer roleMuskegon city officials consider reducing dwelling unit sizes to achieve more affordability
MiBiz Article: Housing experts lay out plan to encourage more infill housing projectsGR nonprofits to redevelop former industrial site with ‘tiny home’ community
Interested in connecting with Maurice? Contact him at motownsquare@gmail.com or call @ 616.481.2423.
Follow MiBiz reporter Kate Carlson on Twitter for more real estate and affordable housing news: @BizCarlson
Interested in sponsoring
Episode 12: Culture (Still) Eats Strategy
Rob Dwortz left a successful career in finance to become a founding partner of Become Unmistakable. Rob gets granular with the MiBiz Podcast about WHY knowing when and how your people want to grow, what experiences will drive engagement, and which managers are creating a positive employee experience is an important step in solving the so-called talent crisis AND is impactful to companies’ bottom lines. Stay tuned till the end for important mental health resources.
Links:
Become Unmistakable
Become Unmistakable - 2022 Culture Survey
Gallup 2022 Global Engagement Survey
Consultants see long-term role for virtual workforce training despite limitations
Talent First launches rebrand, talent solutions series
Mi SHRM Conference 2022
Pine Rest patient volume exceeds expectations since opening psychiatric urgent care center in 2019
State budget deal directs hundreds of millions to mental health; $50M planned for Pine Rest facility
Pine Rest - 866-852-4001
The suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotlineis now national. Dial 988
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends atHey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
- The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries ReboundGrant is administered by theGrand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
Before there was Jack Black and the heartwarming, screwball comedy there was the real School of Rock - which turned boring piano lessons into rock sessions. Today the School of Rock has a franchise model, and Gwen Vryhof Bultema recently opened one in Grand Rapids. Gwen and her music direct Joshua Dreyer talk to the MiBiz Podcast about what drew them to the opportunity, why they think it works, and what our West Michigan gains from their presence.
Links:
School of Rock Grand Rapids
School of Rock music school coming to Grand Rapids
Kynda
Convention/Arena Authority approves amphitheater agreement with Grand Action 2.0Convention/Arena Authority seeks to lease, operate GLC Live at 20 Monroe venue
Owners to close, sell Seven Steps Up to cover ongoing losses from Grand Haven concert series
Seven Steps Up owners list building for $925K: ‘We’re trying to get past this’
Frauenthal - full 2022/2023 line-up
Gilmore Piano Festival
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
- The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
Aaron Sorrels had a “grown-up job” in marketing, but found himself unemployed and struggling with sobriety. Turning to his love for connecting with people, Aaron became a professional comedian, going by the stage name of the Unemployed Alcoholic. But instead of waiting years to hone his voice and then more years to get recognized in the industry, Aaron created his own entrepreneurial venture for people in the funny business. Today, he runs several financially successful ventures - including Soapstone Comedy Club in Facebook’s MetaVerse.
Links:
The Unemployed Alcoholic
Well MetaVersed
Jason Earls
Comedy club Dr. Grins set to close amid pending sale of The B.O.B.
4 new venues join Grand Rapids live music, and performance scene
Ambience GR Kitchen and Lounge
The Stray
Skelletones
Grand Rapids Comedy Club
Full House Comedy Club
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here: mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
David Snow and Alvin Richardson II have a combined 30 years of experience in the food service industry, each of them spending countless hours in corporate or restaurant kitchens, senior care facilities, and providing all kinds of catering services. But later this fall the duo launches Imprint Events - a personal chef business for everyone. From intimate dinner parties to meal planning and/or prep, David and Alvin started their own business to better connect with their clients and make their own money.
Imprint Events
United States Personal Chef Association
Court ruling could upend business model for some restaurants and bars
Biz groups ‘stunned’ by adopt-and-amend ruling; warn of restaurant and lodging closures
Court ruling to raise minimum wage, paid sick time delayed to February 2023
‘LONG OVERDUE:’ Restaurant workers welcome higher wages, benefits as owners warn of closures
Former Cherry Deli building sold to growing catering, personal chef business
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
Dana Lowell, one of the 3 founders of LilyPad LLC, has leveraged Michigan manufacturing know-how and a circular supply chain to develop and fabricate a solar-powered boat that is a cinch to rent and use - even for first-time boaters. LilyPad’s vision is to create more affordable, clean access to the water for everyone. Stay tuned after the break as Justine and Andy break down EVs, solar, and the energy market in Michigan.
LilyPad Labs INC
Johnson Controls
Faurecia
Seamless IOT
Retro Boats
Lakeshore Advantage SURGE
Centrepolis Acceratelor
Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification
Michigan Office of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
Global Battery Solutions
Energy Conservation Source
Urban AshesInterested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
- The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
Black and woman-owned Last Mile Cafe intentionally started its coffee roasting business to be more sustainable and transparent than the average cup of joe. Tune in to hear why and what’s next (brick and mortar location in 49507 coming late summer 2022!) from co-founder and Head of Operations Arick Davis and Head of Coffee MacKenzie Tollas.
Links:
Last Mile Cafe
Spring GR
Rising Grinds Cafe
Start Garden
Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
Schuil Coffee
Rende Progress Capital
Foresight Management
Cascade Engineering
Irwin Seating
ESG reporting becomes mainstream as companies seek investors, talent
Michigan Manufacturers Association partners with Nature Conservancy for sustainability training
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
Scott and Christine Vogel of Ohana Ventures, Inc. opened their first (and first in Michigan) Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise in 2017. They went from barely making payroll in that first year to being on the precipice of opening two additional locations. Their bakery’s mission? “Deliver happiness to the community we love one bite at a time.”
Links:
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Cooper’s Hawk
Bricks and Minifigs Kzoo
Lego lovers’ paradise: Bricks & Minifigs opens in Kzoo
School of Rock Grand Rapids
School of Rock announces new location in Grand Rapids
Smash My Trash
West Michigan waste compaction franchise goes sustainable with a smash - with video!
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
- The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
Angela Hill has a lengthy resumé. She started as an aspiring art student only to transition into an intelligence officer working on overt and covert operations inside the Beltway and, eventually, overseas. She then was an owner/operator in a family-business owner and solo-preneur. Today Angela talks with The MiBiz Podcast about why everyone, especially small businesses, should care about cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and social engineering.
Links:
Navajar LLC
Latinas in Cyber (LAIC)
LAIC LinkedIn Group
Jadex
NuWav
Nicole Scheffler’s podcast and club Tech Diva Success and Tech Diva Success Club TDS.CLUB — Tech Diva Success
USA Today: Cyber threat is huge for small businesses
Kaspersky Lab Report: Measuring the Financial Impact of IT Security on Businesses
TechCrunch: Hackers stole Social Security numbers in Flagstar data breach affecting 1.5 million customers
Glen Oaks Community College: Cybersecurity Program (with stat on cybersecurity analyst starting wage in Michigan)
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Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends atHey Guys
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors:
- Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Western Michigan
- The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (their Creative Industries Rebound Grant is administered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce)
With its recent launch, Grand Rapids-based Biked Inc. seeks to make it easier and more convenient for local cyclists to service their bikes.
The app-based company serves as the equivalent to Uber, but for bike service. The three entrepreneurs behind the venture — Jared Lebel, David Hopson, and Alejo Salomon — joined The MiBiz Podcast to chat about their budding business and what they see in the future of biking.
Biked website
Bike LinkedIN
Biked Facebook
MUVE app launches in West Mich. to break down transportation accessibility barriers
The Rapid receives $15.8M in federal funding; plans Grandville HQ for paratransit service
New operations center to ensure continuity of Go!Bus paratransit services
Fuel, housing costs underscore public transportation access at affordable housing
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Justine and Jayson connect with Jeremy Evans-Smith. A Grand Rapids native, Smith spent time on both coasts before coming home to start Full Cycle, which aims to fix the broken tech recruiting system. Rounding out this episode is a deep dive on West Michigan as a "third coast" for the technology industry.
Stratum Technology Management
GR software firm specializing in wire transfer fraud protection raises $12.5M
Azul Seven
Michigan software companies discuss state of the business
Th3rd Coast acquisition
The Right Place - Information Technology in Greater Grand Rapids
Full Cycle School
Techni/color/ projectBottlesAndSpins
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Brandi Allaway, the founder of Grand Rapids-based B.Creativ Confections, chats with us about growing a business she currently operates from her home kitchen. We also give a rundown of resources available to budding food entrepreneurs in West Michigan.
B. Creative. Confections
B.Creativ Confections Facebook
Food incubators, accelerators on the rise in West Michigan
Square Roots expands produce distribution under latest deal with SpartanNash
Revolution Farms brings automation to the greenhouse
South East Market, WMEAC receive a federal grant to build an equitable community agriculture program
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
Welcome to our launch episode! Host Justine Burdette and Jayson Bussa connect with Grand Rapids-based Soldadera Coffee puts a modern twist on a coffee recipe that is rich in tradition to form a budding start-up. In the back half, we discuss the beverage industry in West Michigan and its proliferation beyond just beer.
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Know an entrepreneur or small business owner we should feature on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at podcast@mibiz.com
Learn more here:
mibiz.com/podcast
https://mibiz.com/sections/small-business/soldadera-coffee-co-owner-expands-business-from-side-hustle-to-full-time-gig
https://mibiz.com/sections/food-agribusiness/revolution-farms-ceo-former-founders-exec-ventures-into-first-of-its-kind-bubbled-wine-product
https://mibiz.com/sections/food-agribusiness/new-founders-ceo-emphasizes-transformational-innovation-international-opportunity
https://mibiz.com/sections/food-agribusiness/welch-s-to-invest-26-2m-in-new-bottling-line-at-van-buren-county-facility
This podcast is produced by MiBiz, Inc. Audio production, sound editing, and post-production is handled by Hey Guys Media Group LLC. Want to start a podcast? Need help with editing? Check out our friends at Hey Guys
An entrepreneur’s journey is wildly educational with opportunistic thinking, creative problem solving, and the application of passionate vision serving as lessons. Understanding these lessons further enhances the entrepreneurial ecosystem and startup mentality in a community.
Join the MiBiz staff biweekly as Associate Publisher, Justine Burdette, and Senior Editor, Jayson Bussa, as they hop in the trenches with business owners in all phases of their entrepreneurial life cycle. They will get candid takes from these bright, young leaders who are hustling to grow a passion and idea into a thriving business.
Each episode features engaging interviews paired with recent news from the print and digital offerings of MiBiz. Through our discussion, listeners will learn why all of these intersections matter for the business community.