Michigan Business Network

Chris Holman welcomes back Elaine Hardy, chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan, Lansing, MI Elaine Hardy, chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan, joined Michigan Business Beat to discuss the Commission’s mission, longevity, and continued relevance more than four decades after its founding. One of the nation’s longest-running MLK commissions,...

Originally uploaded October 2, reloaded Jan. 6th. Thursday, October 2, Lansing Regional Chamber's monthly Economic Club Luncheon at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center focused on Education. This video is the pre-event media availability in the Red Cedar Room with 3 of the panelists highlighting their remarks. The Lansing Economic Club for October hosted a dynamic panel discussion, Classrooms to...

Originally uploaded October 7, reloaded Jan. 5th. Thursday, October 2, Lansing Regional Chamber's monthly Economic Club Luncheon at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center focused on Education. This video is a highlight reel from the hour-and-a-half event. The Lansing Economic Club for October hosted a dynamic panel discussion, Classrooms to Careers: Strengthening Workforce Pathways, highlighting in...

Chris Holman welcomes Nicole Noll-Williams, president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority, Lansing, MI, back to the MBN studios at the airport. Chris had several questions for Nicole right ahead of the holiday season: Do holiday travelers have anything different to consider this year when Flying Lansing? Tell us about the new booking tool on flylansing.com [notes] this is something LAN...

Lorri Rishar Jandron, MBA, Owner & CEO, EDGE Partnerships, along with Becky Burtka, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs, Business Leaders For Michigan. Co-Hosts of the new MBN show "BOLD LeadHERS" now into Episode 8. In this episode of Bold LeadHERS, they recently interviewed Paula Cunningham. Background: Cunningham spent 25 years at Lansing Community College, where she s...

Chris welcomes back Ryan Hundt, CEO, Michigan Works! Association, Lansing, MI. When you look back at 2025, what are the top one or two accomplishments from the Michigan Works! Association and local Michigan Works! agencies that you are most proud of? There has been a lot of conversation about potential state and federal budget delays and even shutdowns. How have those funding uncertainties affecte...

Chris Holman welcomes back Mikhail Murshak, Senior Attorney, Foster Swift, Lansing, MI, 5 offices across Michigan [welcome back for the wrap up of the IP discussion] For businesses considering international expansion, what roles do patents, trademarks, and trade secrets play — and how can companies ensure their IP protections scale globally? Given your dual role as a practicing attorney and adjunc...

Chris welcomes Jonathan Marceau, Co-Founder, Elementary Educator. Synapse Creations - Spelling Safari, Brighton, MI. Welcome Jonathan tell us about yourself and Spelling Safari? What inspired you, after 20 years as an elementary educator, to spin off your classroom-spelling system into a fully-fledged ed-tech startup — and how does Spelling Safari reflect your original teaching philosophy? Spellin...

Chris Holman welcomes Paul Patrash, President and CEO of Elite Mold and Engineering, Shelby Twp., MI. Welcome Paul, tell us about Elite Mold and Engineering? With more than 40 years in Michigan manufacturing How have technologies like Carbon DLS additive manufacturing and Mantle metal 3D printing transformed your operations, and what advantages do they bring your customers today? For manufacturers...

Chris Holman welcomes back Dr. Robert K. McMahan – President of Kettering University, Flint, MI. This discussion covers Institutional momentum, rankings, talent pipeline, semiconductor strategy Kettering’s model and focus Kettering is a private, STEM-focused university in Flint, Michigan, with strengths in engineering, computer science, and business. The University’s curriculum intentionally integ...

Vic Verchereau welcomes Ken Glickman, who is the President at Glickman Associates. Ken Glickman has been a leader in the executive recruiting and consulting field for over thirty years. He has consulted with manufacturing companies, financial institutions, associations, non-profit organizations, technology firms, governmental agencies, and health care systems throughout Michigan and the United Sta...

Chris Holman welcomes Jayme A. King, new Executive Director, Lansing Promise, Lansing, MI. Welcome Jayme, please introduce yourself to our Michigan business community? Lansing Promise recently launched a new strategic plan focused on postsecondary completion. From a business community perspective, how will increasing the number of credentialed and college-ready graduates strengthen the local workf...

Chris Holman welcomes back Scott Weaver, President, and Co-Owner of Douglas J Companies, Okemos, East Lansing, across Michigan, Tennessee, Nebraska. Welcome back Scott, last week we were discussing the Douglas J. Companies but had more to cover, remind us again about Douglas J.? What trends in beauty, wellness, and education do you see shaping the next decade for Douglas J and the industry at larg...

Chris Holman welcomes back Phil Roos, Director, EGLE, (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), Lansing, MI. Welcome back, Director Roos, remind the Michigan business community about EGLE? What is a brownfield site? Why is brownfield redevelopment a priority for EGLE? Who benefits from brownfield redevelopment? Do you have any recent examples of successful redevelopments? Tell...

Chris Holman welcomes back Bob Hoffman, Speaker, Consultant, Success Coach, Thought Partner Services, Lansing, MI. Welcome Bob, many across Michigan know you but you're embarking on a new role, tell us about Thought Partner Services? A lot of workplaces are feeling stretched thin right now. How does Thought Partner Services help teams feel grounded again and show up with confidence, clarity, and r...

Originally uploaded November 4th, reloaded January 3rd. Jeffrey Mosher welcomes back Amy Rencher, Senior Vice President, Small Business Services, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) How does the budget signed by the Governor impact small businesses here in Michigan? How can small businesses leverage tools available to them through the MEDC? Your role at the MEDC covers both small busi...

Originally uploaded December 12th, reloaded December 26th. Jeffrey Mosher welcomes David Montanez, VP Franchise Development, and Josh Minturn, VP of Development Authority Brands, a Maryland based company with a heavy presence in Southeastern Michigan, Bloomfield Hills, from Arlington, Tennessee and Omaha, Nebraska 1. With layoffs and hiring slowdowns nationwide, why is franchising becoming an attr...

Jeffrey welcomes Ola Iyinolakan, Chief Executive Officer, Stakestack AI, Hollywood, CA. Can you introduce yourself and share the founding story and mission of Stakestack? How does Stakestack’s AI-driven platform improve workforce learning and compliance compared to traditional methods? What specific challenges faced by businesses in Michigan, especially in manufacturing automotive, does Stakestack...

Jeffrey welcomes Nick Chaffin, Program Compliance Officer, CAMW! Capital Area Michigan Works! Lansing, MI, but serving Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties, joined by Mohibullah "Mo" Israr New Americans Navigator at Capital Area Michigan Works! - to talk about the Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (MiSIIP) What is the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program? How does SIIP help businesses...

Jeffrey welcomed Sara Lurie, Chief Executive Officer, Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham Counties Can you explain the kinds of services the new Crisis Care Center will offer? How does the new Crisis Care Center reflect CMHA-CEI’s long-term vision for behavioral health care in our region? What’s something you wish more people understood about seeking support for mental heal...

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Nick Scaccio, North America Chief Development Officer Paris Baguette, NY metro. Welcome Nick, for the Michigan business community, tell us about yourself and the company? Metro-Detroit is a major focus for Paris Baguette’s U.S. expansion. What market dynamics—demographics, consumer behavior, or business climate—made this region a priority for growth? With 11 additional loca...

Jeffrey Mosher welcomed back Maureen Donahue Krauss, President & CEO, Detroit Regional Partnership, and was introduced to Scott Cooley, VP, Consulting & Advisory, Hart, Detroit, MI. 1. Welcome back Maureen, for listeners who may be unfamiliar, can you give us a snapshot of the Detroit Regional Partnership and the role it plays in driving growth across the region? 2. When you’re out pitching the De...

Originally uploaded December 18th, reloaded Dec. 23rd. Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Jon Baker, director of laboratories at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, Lansing, MI. Welcome Jon, yesterday UM Health-Sparrow installed a first-of-its-kind lab automation to speed patient results, tell us about the event? "We hear a lot about automation in manufacturing, but in a hospital lab? Can you explain in s...

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Gina Skibo, CPA. Partner, the manufacturing, retail and distribution industry leader, Wipfli Advisory LLC, Milwaukee, WI. There were several questions he wanted to find out from her in this interview. Welcome Gina, for our Michigan business community please introduce yourself and Wipfli Advisory LLC? You were in Michigan a couple of months ago to celebrate the anniversary o...

Lorri Rishar Jandron, MBA, Owner & CEO, EDGE Partnerships, along with Becky Burtka, VP of member engagement, Michigan Chamber, Lansing, MI. Co-Hosts of the new MBN show "BOLD LeadHERS" now into Episode 7. In this episode of Bold LeadHERS, they recently interviewed Deb Muchmore and Gina Thorson. Deb Muchmore: Background: For nearly three decades, Deb Muchmore has been a trusted advisor to business...