May 1, 2024 • 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM EDT
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Blue Cross wants to ensure group customers have the information they need to promote available mental health resources to their members.
May 16, 2024 – The Henry, Autograph Collection
The MichBusiness Women Thrive Conference is a day of celebration, informative panel discussions, facilitated networking opportunities, and knowledge-sharing. It is advised by a distinguished board of businesswomen and community leaders.
Detroit is a classic example within urban planning of a city that had a rise, a dramatic fall and a chance to rise again – but the question is whether this revitalization will be equitable and include everyone, no matter what their economic status.
That is the topic for discussion for “Building Better Futures: Innovation in Equitable Development,” a two-day conference being held at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Thursday and Friday.
Detroit and national real-estate professionals, urban planners and developers of every size will be in attendance at the conference, some in part because of the invitation of Marc Norman, a University of Michigan faculty member and urban-planning expert.
Marc Norman
“There’s no one answer for how we get development that benefits the greater number of people, so my notion was to bring people together and think about how we’re designing, developing, writing and regulating it,” Norman said.
As Norman and others note, cities including Detroit have enjoyed massive comeback stories – but people have been left behind in that process, activists and others agree. Looking for ways to avoid, improve or talk about economic disparities in cities is one reason for the conference and the work that Norman does every day in Detroit and other cities.
According to conference organizers including Norman, Building Better Futures will bring together experts “at the forefront of designing, financing, developing and promoting better buildings, better outcomes and better futures for all across race, income, age, ability, household type and geography.”
Its goal is to find new policies, design ideas and financial programs that will make cities including Detroit better, build wealth at all levels and develop programs that bring equity to the masses.
“Detroit and Michigan in particular are doing interesting things (and) everyone can learn from what’s being done in New York, Texas, Toronto and other cities,” Norman said. “These cities have lessons to teach Detroit as well as some cautionary tales.”
Guest Speakers Include: Oscar Perry Abello, Next City; Chase Cantrell, Building Community Value; Sam Butler, Doing Development Differently; Maurice Cox, City of Detroit Planning and Development Department; Melinda Clemons, Enterprise Community Partners; Jared Della Valle, Alloy; Kimberly Dowdell, Century Partners / U-M Taubman College; and Kimberly Driggins, City of Detroit Planning and Development Department.
Building Better Futures: Innovations in Equitable Development kicks off Thursday, February 21 with a keynote lecture by Carlo Ratti (Senseable City Lab / Carlo Ratti Associati). The event is free and open to the public.
Michigan-based transportation company Star Truck Rentals recently received the 2018 Leadership Circle Award, presented by NationaLease to its truck leasing network members. Quality markers such as business growth, volunteer service and performance on member network service calls are all criteria.
Genisys Credit Union presented T. Ramsey and Assoc. a Spirit of Main Street Micro Business Grant. T. Ramsey is a consulting firm in Pontiac, with a strong commitment to community, that helps companies be more effective. They will use the funds to improve their office space to better serve clients.
When she was a special-education teacher, Rachelle Vartanian worked with students of all ages to see that they received the attention and education they needed to be successful. It was their right, she believed.
Fast forward to when Vartanian had her second son, Anthony. The mother of two quickly realized he also would need additional attention in terms of his medical and educational needs. Anthony, who is now 18, was diagnosed as having Autism.
Rather than wait for help, Vartanian took action. She went back to school and got another degree, specializing in autism. She took an early buyout from her school system and invested everything she had into the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, a program she now runs as a non-profit organization in Northville.
Today, the organization helps more than 70 clients weekly and could serve more if they had more room, Vartanian says. The staff works with people with autism, attention deficit disorder, anxiety, closed head injuries and more. They attend art classes, play music, watch movies, join clubs and have weekend “hangouts,” where teen mentors help their peers learn social skills and so much more.
It started small – originally, Vartanian had a group of parents meeting weekly at her local library. But she has knowledge grew and her involvement in the autism community spread, she knew she had to expand. The result is a full program of activities, clubs and hangouts aimed at teens and adults with autism, all organized inside a Victorian home that serves as the Center’s base.
Now, Vartanian is hoping to grow again. She’s got her eye on a nearby piece of real estate that would make for a perfect campus. Her goal is to create a workforce development program, skills center and working farm along with a retail store where people with autism can enhance their social and job skills at the same time.
“We have so many people who need assistance with social and job skills,” Vartanian said. “We can help them.”
Ultimately, Vartanian sees the non-profit Living and Learning Enrichment Center becoming a model for other communities. Her long-term goal is to have similar centers in other cities, especially around Metro Detroit. She woud like to partner with companies and employers who want to share their skilled workers as volunteers or want to hire people with disabilities.
It’s a long way from her classroom, but Vartanian knows the need is there based on her work at the Center for these past four years. She believes Northville is just the starting point and that there is room for other programs – she just needs the help to get it started.
To volunteer or donate to the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, go here.
Fort Street Galley, the fourth Food Hall from Galley Group, makes its home in Detroit’s historic Federal Reserve Building at the corner of Fort Street and Shelby. Recently, it was named one of Metro Detroit’s 10 Best New Restaurants, an honor the Detroit Free Press announces every February.
This unique food hall and restaurant features four food-loving chefs with a central bar. According to the Freep, “Big names are holding court offering raw seafood, Middle Eastern sandwiches, healthy barbecue and technique-driven Filipino fare.”
What also makes Fort Street Galley and the Galley Group unique is its work to honor Detroit as an “amazing comeback city.” The Galley Group Inc. is a food hall development, management, and advisory company that partners with real estate developers, community leaders, and industry veterans to create innovative food service concepts, the company says.
As a Veteran-owned company, the Galley Group also prides itself on operating with integrity, work ethic, and dedication to excellence. Those core values are present in the Detroit location as well, from initial site design, to hiring and training staff, to managing inventory.
So why Detroit and why Fort Street? We asked Ben Mantica, Co-Founder of Galley Group, for some answers.
Q: Why did you name the restaurant after Fort Street? A: We like to create a sense of place when naming one of our food halls. With a mission to serve as a launch pad for the city’s best culinary talent, we want both the chefs and guests to feel a sense of pride and ownership when they walk into Fort Street Galley. There is a lot of passion and history in this city and with all of our chefs being Detroit-natives, we wanted to create that special connection from the start.
Q: What is your connection to the city in terms of its history — city history or food history — that is reflected in the name? A: We aim to work with chefs that have a strong connection to Detroit and we always look for buildings that have historical significance. With that in mind, we wanted to pay homage to this city and celebrate its growth. Naming it after Fort Street was an easy decision.
Q: What has been the best thing about operating in Detroit and learning about people’s connections to history, Fort Street or your food? A: Although we haven’t been open for very long, the creativity and energy throughout the Detroit community is impossible to ignore. There is definitely a sense of responsibility that comes with opening in such an iconic building and watching people enjoy the space after so many years of dormancy is incredibly rewarding.
The American Society of Association Executives announces that Julie W. Metsker, president and founder of Grand Rapids-based Professional Association Resources (PAR), has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE®) designation, the highest professional credential in the association industry.
As a mom, Sharen Eddings looked around at the kind of computer skills children were learning in school and knew that she could do better – better for her son or other kids.
She left her career as a project manager for an automotive software company and started her own Detroit-based company, CodewithSharen. Its goal is to create fun, engaging lessons that actually teach students how to write code, programs or websites.
Sharen Eddings
Corp! magazine sat down with Sharen to learn about her business, her inspiration and her work.
Q: Why code?
A: In a world powered by code, Code is all around us and understanding key software concepts has become a new literacy. Coding is the language used to write software programs, develop websites, mobile games and apps. Coding, also called programming, is a skill set that students could use for a future career in a world that has a shortage of skilled coders and programmers. Coding helps children with communication, creativity, writing, and confidence. Programmers obtain some of the highest paid salaries in America and I would love to see our students take advantage of this great opportunity. There’s a saying that I live by ”either program, or be programmed.” We want our students to be a huge part in programming their future and contributing to others by creating software, mobile apps, and games that help improve their lives and others in the digital future.
Q: What attracted you?
A: I love teaching students how to write code. It all started after I volunteered at my son’s school Cornerstone Madison-Carver Academy around 2013. Teaching him and his classmates how to write code, I saw firsthand that the e Learning products that were available to schools weren’t actually teaching students how to write code. What I discovered was that students were being taught how to play online games, disguised as “coding” lessons. I ended up walking away from my career as a project manager for an automotive software engineering company, not only to start my own company, but to build a better e Learning software solution. Our mission at Codewithsharen is not only to provide schools and students with a trustworthy solution, but to deliver value.
Q: Why work with kids?
A: I want to help prepare as many students as possible for The Next Leap which is the Digital Revolution. Our kids’ future will differ greatly from ours. When we graduated from high school and went out to find our first job, the only skill that we needed or that was largely required, was labor. That won’t be so true for our young people, with smart data, Uber’s AI that books you a ride, to waiter-less, cashier-less restaurants and grocery stores, which are just a few of the industries that will be affected by AI or machine learning. We really need to rethink how we rebuild our workforce for the digital future. We need to prepare our students for those jobs. There will still be jobs, just different types of jobs that require different skill-sets. It is our young men and women’s future that will be affected greatly. So, that’s why I work with kids. Our mission is to prepare them for the “Big Impact!” That means starting in our schools. Codewithsharen takes learning the awesome skill step-by- step and we make our interactive lessons fun, easy to learn, and digestible. We not only encourage girls and minorities to understand that learning how to write source code is doable, but we teach them sought-after programming languages that employers are seeking. I hope that it leads to a more diverse workforce that leads to higher revenue and more opportunities for all communities.
Q: Isn’t that a tough audience?
No. I found that working with kids helped change my
perspective from what I was used to seeing on the news. I’ve found that our
students are so smart, encourageable, and just normal kids and teens who really
do want to learn how to write code. I try not to say “Learn How to Code,” I’d
rather say “Learn How To Write Code.” I see a big difference between
visual-based and text-based programming languages. Visual-based programming and
other coding e Learning software use the drag and drop, block-based, and
snap-together programming language model. It’s meant to make learning to code
easy. The problem is that the computer/software writes the code behind the scenes
for the student. The meat and potatoes is writing the source code yourself.
Students only get that from writing code using text-based programming
languages, which is what Codewithsharen uses to teach students. Drag and drop
should stick to being taught to our youngest students who aren’t capable at
such a young at of reading, typing, and understanding the fundamentals of
text-based programming language. But once those students reach the 5th grade
they should be switched over to using text-based programming language or
“writing code or writing source code.”
Laura Khalil can talk to anyone about anything – she’s fluent in freelancing, verbal as a very busy entrepreneur and outstanding in terms of speaking her mind as a female business owner in a largely male industry.
“The #MeToo movement has done an incredible job of shedding light on the injustices, sexism and harassment many women face. While we can all agree men have a lot of work to do, I am developing programming to help women master the verbal self-defense to shift power dynamics when engaging with men,” Khalil says.
Laura Khalil
To that end, Khalil has created a new workshop focusing on verbal self-defense. With such an event, Khalil said she hopes help other women learn how to speak up for themselves, to get credit for their ideas and generally learn how to regain their power in the office, home or anywhere else,
The workshop’s goal, Khalil says, is to not only learn the fundamentals of speaking up for yourself as a woman but also how to build healthy working relationships with any gender.
*ask for the things your heart desires but has been too scared to say aloud
*put forward your ideas and projects in a male dominated board room
*confidently address catcalling, unwanted sexual innuendo, mansplaining, interrupting and credit taking
“Long term, developing this skillset and learning to shift power dynamics can help women advocate for their worth in terms of negotiation, career advancement and improve their relationships with men, romantic, business and platonic,” Khalil says.
This workshop is taught by Khalil, who describes herself as a “women’s empowerment champion.” She is driven to teach women to awaken the power they have within themselves and use it to become their best advocates. She helps women become better negotiators, advance their careers and experience awesome relationships with men.
Khalil has spoken to audiences at The Moth, Women 2.0, Intermitten, Ladies Get Paid, Bamboo Detroit, Creative Mornings, Zingtrain, Consumers Energy and more on women’s empowerment, developing self-confidence, courageous living, finding clarity in your life, career growth, relationship mastery and productivity.
The Michigan Legislature recently enacted, and later amended, a new paid sick leave law – the first of its kind in the state. It goes into effect in March.
The new law was enacted and amended in an unusual manner, which has led to much uncertainty and conflicting information.
Rebecca Davies, a labor and employment attorney at Butzel Long, is an expert on the current status of Michigan’s Paid Sick Leave Act and helps businesses identify the top 10 things all Michigan employers should know about the new law.
Rebecca Davies
Davies has had success both in and out of the courtroom and has received no cause verdicts in the defense of employment and commercial jury trials as well as obtaining numerous summary judgment decisions, dismissals and favorable settlements in a wide range of employment disputes, including harassment, discrimination, and wage claims. She also regularly counsels employers regarding compliance under federal and state employment laws (including FLSA, FMLA, ADA and Title VII), drafts employment policies, and advises on preventative strategies.
Davies and her fellow Butzel Long attorneys Lynn McGuire and Brett Rendeiro gave Corp! magazine a primer on newly enacted Paid Medical Leave Act (“PMLA”) that soon be taking effect. The following is a brief summary of this new law:
Q. How much paid time off is required under the PMLA? A. The Act requires covered employers to provide 40 hours of paid medical leave to an eligible employee per year.
Q. Must all employers comply with the PMLA? A. No, the PMLA only applies to employers with at least 50 employees. Further, the Act’s definition of “employer” specifically excludes the United States government, another state, or a political subdivision of another state.
Q. Would all workers be eligible for paid medical leave? A. “Employee” is defined to include individuals for whom the employer is required to withhold federal income tax (in other words, it excludes independent contractors). However, the 12 exclusions to this definition severely limit its applicability. Some of the major exclusions include: • employees who are considered exempt under “white collar” exemptions of the Fair Labor Standards Act; • employees who worked in the previous calendar year an average of fewer than 25 hours per week; • employees who have worked for 25 weeks or fewer in a calendar year for a job scheduled for 25 weeks or fewer; • an individual who is not employed by a public agency and is covered by a collective bargaining agreement that is in effect; • an individual classified by the employer as a variable hour employee during their first year of employment because the employer expects their hours to vary and does not reasonably know if they will average over 30 hours per week for the year; and • an individual whose primary work location is not in Michigan
Q. Must the employer provide this paid leave time separate and apart from other paid leave it offers? A. No, paid leave must be available for use for medical leave as discussed below, but the employer can allow it to be used for other purposes too, such as paid vacation days, paid personal days, and other time off.
Q. Is the employee restricted to using this paid time off only for the employee’s personal medical issues? A. No, an eligible employee may use paid medical leave accrued for any of the following: (a) the eligible employee’s mental or physical illness; (b) the eligible employee’s family member’s mental or physical illness; (c) the medical care and/or time to participate in court proceedings if the eligible employee or his/her family member is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault; or (d) for specific public health emergencies, ordered by a public official or healthcare provider, for the employee or the employee’s child.
Q. Must the covered employer provide all of the paid sick time up front at the beginning of each calendar year? A. No, a covered employer has two options to provide this leave: (1) accrual method; or (2) frontloading method. Under the accrual method, eligible employees accrue a minimum of one hour of paid leave for every 35 “hours worked,” for a maximum of one hour per calendar week and 40 hours in a “benefit year.” An alternative to accrual, employers may “frontload” 40 hours of paid medical leave to employees at the beginning of the benefit year.
Q. Can eligible employees carry over any unused time to the next year? A. It depends on the distribution method used by the employer.
If the accrual method is used, the covered employer is required to allow an employee to carry over up to 40 hours of accrued leave per year. Even if the employee carries over time to the next year, the employer is not required to allow the eligible employee to use more than 40 hours per year.
If an employer frontloads the time, then it is not required to allow an employee to carry over any paid medical leave to the next year.
Q. What are the consequences, if a covered employer fails to comply with the PMLA? A. Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs may impose penalties and grant an eligible employee or former eligible employee payment of all paid medical leave improperly withheld. Penalties may include an administrative fine of not more than $1,000. Also, an employer that willfully violates the posting requirement is subject to an administrative fine of not more than $100 for each separate violation.
Q. May an employee file a lawsuit if he/she believes that the employer violated the PMLA? A. No. The Act has eliminated the private cause of action and retaliatory personnel action provisions. Any claim alleging a violation of the Act must be made as an administrative complaint, rather than as a lawsuit in court. Thus, an eligible employee who believes his or her rights have been violated must file an administrative complaint with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs within six months.
Q. Can an employer provide more paid medical leave than required by the Act? A: Most definitely!
Simons Michelson Zieve, Inc. (SMZ), a third generation, Troy, Michigan-based full-service advertising agency, which has served the metro Detroit area since it began on the brink of the Great Depression on Jan.12, 1929, is celebrating its 90th anniversary with activities throughout the year. https://www.smz.com/
Corp! magazine believes in celebrating business and career success in all of its various iterations.
In partnership with MichBusiness, we are recognizing some of Michigan’s leading businesswomen who are receiving Distinguished Leadership Awards.
Our winners are being feted during the Women Thrive Conference, Feb. 4th at MGM Grand Detroit.
The ongoing mission of the annual Women Thrive Conference is to promote high professional standards, encourage leadership, provide education and ensure equal advantages for women who have demonstrated excellence in their professions, place of employment and volunteerism.
Those are attributes held by each of the Distinguished Leadership Award recipients.
MichBusiness recognizes women in three categories: Hall of Fame (those who have cemented their legacy), Distinguished Leadership Honorees (those who stand out for their ongoing organizational stewardship) and Shooting Stars (promising up-and-comers who are already making their mark on Michigan’s scene).
We asked each award recipient to share some thoughts on their life experiences and what it takes to build a thriving career. (Some of their responses have been edited for length and clarity.)
Hall of Fame Inductees
Teresa Lucido Senior Vice President, Sales Excellence, Comcast Spotlight Teresa Lucido, whose career in media sales has culminated in her current position as senior vice president, Sales Excellence, at Comcast Spotlight, has a message for other women who are striving to establish themselves in the business world: dismiss the negative self-talk.
Comcast’s Teresa Lucido has a message for women seeking to establish themselves: be confident and decisive.
“It’s common for women to doubt they’ve earned their rightful place at the table,” she said. “Often this manifests itself in lack of confidence, limiting your voice, fear of raising your hand for a plum assignment and not taking risks. Make your presence known as a contributor and collaborator. Be confident and decisive.”
What is your guiding principle to live by? Constantly strive to grow your knowledge base about everything. There’s room in every part of our lives to get smarter each and every day. Our personal and work lives are moving faster than we can keep up, and so is the world around us.
On a personal level, being a parent of a high school student in this day and age certainly poses a challenge: staying on top of all of the issues facing our young adults. It’s quite daunting just keeping up with the latest good/bad technology and electronic issues, academic pressures, general social concerns and the impact of social media. I work hard to strike the balance between finding ways to educate myself on the latest contemporary and societal issues, while working hard to keep the lines of communication and honesty open.
Who was your mentor in life and why? Actually, I have made it a practice not to align with any single mentor. I have worked to foster multiple relationships with various individuals I respected and knew I could learn from. I looked for different skills and experiences that I could draw from. This way I could either narrow a learning opportunity to a leader with a specific skill set or, for a more general situation, I could call on a number of people to provide a broader breadth of experiences to consider.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? I have several ongoing goals, but one thing I try to keep in mind for them all is to AAPI: Always Assume Positive Intent. Pause that gene we have to immediately react to something and be more open. When I am able to do this, it’s a game changer in terms of my outlook and stress level. One of my favorite sayings is: It may be nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? Don’t obsess over the proverbial balance challenge that is fearfully ingrained into rising female leaders. A perfect balance doesn’t exist. How do I balance it all? No one does. The best approach is to aim for seamless integration of all aspects of your life. Don’t expect a perfect balance. I’d say I’m perpetually in the 60/40 mode, one way or the other, and that works for me.
Barbara McQuade Professor of Law, University of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, whose scholarly interests include criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, data privacy and civil rights, according to her biography on the law school’s website.
Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney, is now a professor of law at University of Michigan.
What was your worst business decision? I’ve been at Comcast Spotlight for 12 years, but it should be 16. I said no to the first two recruitment attempts and wish I would have joined this fantastic company sooner. I let fear of change and a lack of confidence get in the way. Whenever I get the chance to counsel others who are seeking a career move, I pass on my learnings and advise them to explore the opportunity exhaustively, work through their heart/head decision dynamic and ultimately land on the side of risk. In the end, 99.9 percent of the time it will be the best decision.
From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as the U.S attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan—the first woman to serve in that position. McQuade also served as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and co-chaired its Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee. As U.S. attorney, she oversaw cases involving public corruption, terrorism, corporate fraud, theft of trade secrets, civil rights and health care fraud, among others.
Before becoming a U.S. attorney, McQuade served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Detroit for 12 years, serving as deputy chief of the National Security Unit, where she handled cases involving terrorism financing, export violations, threats and foreign agents.
She began her career as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman in Detroit and then practiced law at the firm of Butzel Long in Detroit. McQuade also previously taught at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Juliette Okotie-Eboh Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, MGM Grand Detroit Juliette Okotie-Eboh lays claim to a “sixth sense” that allows her to know when it’s time to reinvent herself in her career. An examination of her career path bears that out. She has been involved with civic and community affairs and government relations on behalf of MGM Grand Detroit since 2003.
Juliette Okotie-Eboh of MGM Grand Detroit says she has a “sixth sense” that has helped to shape her career growth, specifically knowing when she needs to reinvent herself.
Okotie-Eboh, who holds a Ph.D. in city/urban, community and regional planning from the University of Michigan, also has worked in health care, city government, banking and the international business arena. And in between it all, she found time to write a book, “10 Things I Know,” in which she expounds on her rules of living.
What is your guiding principle to live by? Always look for a win-win!
Who was your mentor in life and why? My parents. They were my biggest cheerleaders and always made sure I was productive, happy and, most of all, had a lot of fun.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? To mentor others, especially women in the workplace.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? When the chips are down, reach out and help somebody else. That will take your mind off your problems.
What is your most recent success story? Completing my book — “10 Things I Know.”
What was your best business decision? To cultivate a sixth sense about when it is time to switch gears and move on in my career. In other words, being able to reinvent myself.
What was your worst business decision? I don’t have one.
Ann Thomas Executive Producer, WJR News Talk 760 You might call Ann Thomas a morning person. She serves as executive producer of the “Paul W. Smith Show,” which airs from 5:30-9 a.m. weekdays on WJR News Talk 760. And even though she’s on the job while most people are still sleeping, she manages to maintain a sunny attitude. “I think it’s important to try to be nice at all times, because you never know what people are dealing with in their lives,” she said.
Ann Thomas of WJR News Radio 760 says trying to be positive and slow down enough to pay attention to the people in her life are ongoing goals.
Who was your mentor in life and why? Gene Healy, a senior anchorman in the WJR news department, took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew about radio news. When I joined the news department in 1982 as a young intern, it was a busy news department and he took the time to show me the ropes and work with me on my news delivery and writing. As my career progressed, he stayed in touch and remained very supportive until his death a few years ago.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? My goal is to get up every day and try to be positive and slow down enough to pay attention to the people in my life at work and at home.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? I would recommend that young women in business take the time to network with experienced men and women in the community who can give them advice and guide them as their careers advance.
What is your most recent success story? Eight years ago I started a program here at WJR called “Women Who Lead.” We recently had our eighth annual Paul W. Smith breakfast at Joe Muer Seafood in Detroit, and it was great to see how much it meant to the women in the room to be honored for their accomplishments.
What was your best business decision? My best business decision was to hire a financial adviser a few years ago to review my finances, and it has forced me to pay attention to saving for retirement.
What was your worst business decision? I wish I would have started saving earlier for retirement. I know some women are good at that, but many are not, and I would encourage young women to pay attention to their finances.
Distinguished Leadership Honorees
Camille Walker Banks Executive Director, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Wayne State University When Camille Walker Banks reports to work each day, it’s with the intent of helping the people around her. “When I’m able serve as a strategic resource and support someone in reaching their goals, I am satisfied and proud,” said the executive director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Wayne State University. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing them with greater access to education, financial capital and business support services. The program currently operates in 17 markets in the U.S. through a network of more than 90 academic and community partners and the program continues to expand on a city-by-city basis.
Camille Walker Banks says being able
to speak the language of both the private and public sector has positioned her to be a critical and respected adviser on both sides of the table.
“Connecting the dots gives me joy. I help individuals and organizations achieve personal, spiritual and economic fulfillment by listening intently for opportunities to access capital and resources they don’t know about, or don’t feel that they deserve,” Banks said.
Who was your mentor in life and why? My first boss immediately following graduation from WSU’s business school was Terry Harder, a young entrepreneur and small-business owner who gave me opportunities to develop skills that I never would have developed had I started my career in a corporate setting. Terry taught me to be successful using sheer grit, strategic planning and bootstrapping. I learned to set up business ventures for profit and nonprofit organizations, real estate project management and financial planning, marketing/advertising strategies and, most important, the art of focusing or motivating a team around a specific goal. I was exposed to disenfranchised, vulnerable people, as well as people with means, and I learned that there isn’t much difference between them but for the access to resources. I learned how to be an advocate for a wide array of people and/or interests.
What are the biggest challenges facing women business leaders? Our society is changing and adapting to changing perspectives of tolerance, as well as diversity and inclusion. It is no longer “cool” to walk into a project management meeting or RFQ information session and have the room lack in gender, age, race and other diversity categories. Further “disrupting” systems that are designed to favor a select few people by developing new systems that support, empower and give access to resources and timely information will help women and minorities overcome business growth challenges. It’s time to focus on successes as a team/region, rather than those differences that have divided us in the past. We can all benefit from our differences and change the world as we know it.
What was your best business decision? I followed my heart and shifted from a career in corporate finance to economic and community development, a servant-based approach to work and leadership. I saw a need in my westside Detroit neighborhood and took the initiative to solve some of the problems impeding growth in urban communities. As a single mother with a 10-year-old, I returned to school and studied urban and regional planning, instead of obtaining an advanced business degree. The unique pairing of disciplines offered a perspective that increased my value proposition when pursuing posts with the city of Madison Heights, Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, as I was able to help these organizations and their clients rethink their approaches to entrepreneurship and business growth. I spoke the language of the private and public sectors, which positioned me as a critical and respected adviser on both sides of the table.
What was your worst business decision? I once accepted a position for the sake of change, instead of considering my personal satisfaction needs. I found myself in a worse predicament than my previous post, and better understanding what gives me satisfaction in my work could have prevented the move in the first place. The new environment treated clients as transactions, focusing more on billable hours than adding value. I felt uninspired, unfulfilled and dissatisfied, which showed up in my work … it always shows up in the work. Eventually, however, I learned that I feel empowered when I can use my knowledge of resources to identify gaps or needs.
Andrea Brimmer Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer, Ally Financial Andrea Brimmer understands the importance of doing it right. In fact, she counts development of the Ally Financial “Do It Right” tagline as among her best business decisions. “It has become so much more than just a tagline,” she said. “It is our brand purpose, core and central to who we are and what Ally is about.” On the flip side, she acknowledges that she didn’t always get things right early in her career as an ad agency executive. “I invested too much of myself personally into my job,” she recalled. “I missed a lot of time with my kids that, particularly now that I’ve gotten older, I wish I could have back. I would have been better at my job if I’d worked harder to find a balance. I’ve learned from that and I’ve tried to pull that into my career at Ally.”
Andrea Brimmer of Ally Financial says having balance in life is a critical skill that more people ought to strive to achieve.
What is your guiding principle to live by? I love the quote “The meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose is to give it away.” As I’ve gotten older, this is something that I have learned to appreciate more. I realize that it isn’t OK to be selfish with your purpose. We all have a higher calling and the notion of giving it away is very important.
Who was your mentor in life and why? So many people have helped me in all different ways throughout my life. My parents have always been there to help me when things get hard. They were wonderful with taking care of my children when I was a working single mother and they have always been there for me. Professionally I’ve had great mentors, including people at Ally like Jeff Brown, Ally’s CEO. He has given me autonomy and taught me about the importance of culture. Diane Morais, president of consumer and commercial banking products at Ally Bank, has been a huge mentor to me as well. She’s been a wonderful sounding board, business partner and a great friend. She understands what I’m going through because she is someone with an equally demanding job and home life. It’s helpful to have someone who understands.
What are the biggest challenges facing women business leaders? Being a female leader is hard because it’s full of challenges and multitasking. First and foremost, you have to never give up and keep pushing on. You have to understand that it’s OK not to be perfect at everything. You should focus on the things that are most important to those in your life who matter most. Have the self-awareness to know that you can’t be all things to all people, but you can focus on what’s the most important to the people in your life at the right time.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? My team and I are very focused on pushing our brand forward, becoming a usage brand and transforming into a modern digital brand. We are doing so by creating content that builds an emotional connection between Ally and consumers, by constructing an ecosystem that surrounds the consumer at every touch point, not just when they are considering which institution they want to bank with. We’ve done a great job so far of differentiating the Ally brand and we’ll continue to separate ourselves from the pack through great, disruptive marketing that helps us break through the clutter in today’s advertising landscape.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? It is important to find good leaders that you can depend on and who believe in the same things you do regarding culture, work-life balance and other important issues. Try to surround yourself with amazing people who inspire you. I also think it’s important to operate an open-door policy and let your team know that you care about them as people. If they feel motivated, they’ll run through walls for you, but you need to make it authentic and real. You need to take care of culture first and everything else will take care of itself.
Faith Fowler Executive Director, Cass Community Social Services Faith Fowler understands what it takes to make a big impact. Consider the Tiny Homes Detroit program advanced by Cass Community Social Services (CCSS), which constructed homes under 400 square feet. The structures are then rented to formerly homeless people or senior citizens, who then have the opportunity to buy their home. It’s just one of many new initiatives CCSS has launched under Fowler’s leadership.
Faith Fowler of Cass Community Social Services has found many of her best mentorship opportunities within the pages of history—
autobiographies and biographies.
The Detroit-based agency works across the city in areas of concentrated poverty, providing programs for food, health, housing and jobs. Recent program expansions include opening the Cass House (a residential program for homeless men with HIV/AIDS) and Green Industries (doubling the organization’s vocational training and employment opportunities while helping to clean the city and encourage recycling).
What is your guiding principle to live by? Do what you love.
Who was your mentor in life and why? My mentors come from history. I devour biographies and autobiographies about individuals who have had a positive influence during a difficult period or in a challenging place. Their struggles have lessons for today.
What are the biggest challenges facing women business leaders? Fear—of failure, success, competition, lack of work-life balance, etc.—still holds women back in many instances. How to mitigate fear is a major challenge.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? Build a team that will outperform and outlast me.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? Let critics and/or obstacles energize you.
What is your most recent success story? The establishment of a Legacy Society.
What was your best business decision? Establishing a deputy director position (filled since 2016 by Kimberly Hudolin).
What was your worst business decision? Waiting to outsource the CFO position.
Michele Hodges President, Belle Isle Conservancy With an extensive background in community and economic development, Michele Hodges knows how to get things done. Fortunately, she’s willing to offer advice on how to marshal projects in the workplace. “Be an elegant pit bull,” advises the president of the Belle Isle Conservancy. That organization was formed in 2011 through a merger of four existing nonprofits — Friends of Belle Isle, Belle Isle Botanical Society, Belle Isle Women’s Committee and Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium — to bring more private and public resources to the island park. “Get the job done in a decisive, intelligent and well-conceived manner, but do it elegantly, while being grounded, always, by the highest levels of character and integrity.”
Michele Hodges says finding a solution to racial inequity is an ongoing goal. “If we find the solution, everything else falls into place. I will forever be in pursuit of it.”
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? I constantly challenge myself to approach problem-solving in a holistic and comprehensive fashion that leverages and creates the greatest value for all parties involved. This approach ensures business models are bolstered and outcomes layered with benefits. I begin by establishing a matrix that doesn’t waste time on obvious solutions and forces one to focus on those that are truly unexpected, innovative and entrepreneurial.
As far as a goal yet to be achieved, I see resolution to racial inequities as our societal domino. If we find the solutions, everything else falls into place. I will forever be in pursuit of it.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? Bring a champion mentality to the table, every day. Imagine yourself as the solitary person on stage, and the curtain is about to rise and expose you to thousands. You better be ready and your knees better not be shaking, because you are overprepared and ready to bring down the house.
What was your best business decision? Using strategic thinking to ensure the most robust business models for various initiatives has proven fruitful. An example would be a partnership the Belle Isle Conservancy has with Wayne State University, whereby the university utilizes the Belle Isle Aquarium as a field office and a place for meaningful research and education. This partnership resulted in a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, thus serving as a pathway to opportunity otherwise unobtainable. WSU also assists with capital improvements at the aquarium and lends a level of credibility that has enabled our education program to take flight in a significant and measurable way. This business model is also well received by donors, as they can be certain every resource is leveraged before an ask is made.
What was your worst business decision? While serving on the board of directors for a local nonprofit, our donated office space was no longer available and we were challenged with finding a cost-effective replacement solution. I developed and advocated for a mission-centered opportunity that would enable the organization to control costs and be more actively engaged with the population it served, but it was voted down. I will forever regret not pushing harder and taking a stronger stand for my position.
And I will always regret not having an extra pair of pantyhose in my bag. I had to be on stage, only to realize I had a large run up the back of my leg. Ugh!
Gretchen Perkins Partner, Business Development, Huron Capital During her 30-plus years of award-winning work in the finance and business development sectors, Gretchen Perkins has gained insight into how women can shape perceptions of themselves in the workplace. “My best advice to future women business leaders is to lose the self-doubt,” said Perkins. “Display confidence and conviction in your capabilities, skills and contributions to your organization. You are as qualified as anyone else at your position — maybe more so.”
Gretchen Perkins of Huron Capital says “lose the self-doubt” is an important piece of advice she would give a woman in business today.
She also advises future women leaders to develop an appropriate amount of dispassion. “Not everyone likes you — it’s completely fine. Women are typically ‘pleasers’ and work overtime to get everyone to like them. It is not necessary or useful. Dispassion will also help combat the ‘bossy’ or ‘hysterical female’ perception that can occur when women express themselves with passion.”
Who was your mentor in life and why? I would have to say that my father was my mentor. As an Episcopalian minister, he showed me the value of outreach and consensus building, both of which are key skills that have served me well in my career.
What are the biggest challenges facing women business leaders? The first challenge is there are typically few women leaders already in an organization whom they can look up to for guidance or mentoring. Most of us women leaders today have relied upon male colleagues for mentorship, which is also a great strategy, but if women mentors could augment it as well, that would be ideal. This is changing, for sure, and will continue to do so as we bring other women up behind and with us.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? I continue to strive to improve my creativity. Specifically, I am always considering new ways to accomplish our team goals. I try to think about new tactics and strategies for tackling our objectives and not just rely on the historical (though proven) protocols for accomplishing them. The goal is to be a market leader and rise above the competition by finding new ways to do things. I am fortunate to have a senior partner to whom I report, Mike Beauregard, who routinely asks “What have you failed at today?” This is a refreshing perspective that takes the fear out of failure and fosters creativity.
What was your best business decision? I would say my best business decision of late has been to delegate more. Not only does this empower others on the team and helps to develop new skills in the firm, it frees me up for my highest and best use — being in front of acquisition candidate referral sources and the investor community.
What was your worst business decision? My worst business decision has been my delay in being knowledgeable about and embracing the power of social media in our business. As someone who has prided myself on the scope and power of my personal network, I was slow to realize that social media tools are network amplifiers and offer an environment for discourse that is uncluttered by the email inbox. It is only within the last 12 months that I have truly embraced social networks for business purposes. I’m looking forward to extracting even more value out of them in coming years.
Shooting Star Honorees
Genevieve Anyiah CEO, Embrace the Natural You LLC Genevieve Anyiah believes in living fearlessly and with confidence. “My company’s key message is to just embrace your natural beauty because I believe it creates a fearless confidence, allowing you to fearlessly pursue many things,” said Anyiah, who founded the natural hair care products company in 2012. Her company’s mission is to “educate women on how to conquer and embrace their natural tresses by instilling confidence in every customer, influencing women to be themselves and inspiring self-love.”
Genevieve Anyiah—CEO of Embrace the Natural You—says her parents remain her most significant mentors.
“I consult them on every big decision, especially when I decided to pursue entrepreneurship.”
Who was your mentor in life and why? My parents are my biggest mentors, as I consult them on every big decision, especially when I decided to pursue entrepreneurship. They told me I had accomplished everything career-wise and academically with a B.S. and M.S. in business administration. Therefore, they were very much on board when I decided to get my cosmetology license, open a salon and offer amazing natural hair care products, because I truly believed in them.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? My ongoing goal is pursuing more wholesale accounts and getting our natural hair care product line into medium to large chain stores. We are currently in 12 locations, but I would like us to be in many more locations. Our textile side of the business is already selling in Europe, but our next goal is getting a representative in order to export our hair care product lines to Europe. We are also trying to work with small independent regionally located manufacturers, as far as our production and packaging, in order to meet the growing demand for our natural hair care product line online.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? Know that sometimes you have to just jump out there and do it! Sometimes, we spend so much time planning that opportunities just pass us by. Another piece of advice is to pursue multiple streams of income to build a successful business. I also believe you have to be passionate about whatever you are selling, or it won’t be successful.
What was your best business decision? The best business decision was our product line label change at the end of 2016, as it appealed to a larger demographic and allowed the products to get picked up in more locations.
What was your worst business decision? Bad business decisions eventually become learning lessons. I have had my fair share of bad marketing decisions, but the success is in turning it around. We used to work with a company that helped find beauty influencers to promote our brand, but the content turned out better when we worked with influencers of our own choosing. We wasted two years and lots of money with that company.
Laura Grannemann Vice President, Strategic Investments, Quicken Loans Community Fund Laura Grannemann is uniquely positioned to observe the interplay of business and philanthropy. “A lot of people see philanthropy as distinct from business,” she said. “However, as someone who invests in community every day, I see business decisions everywhere I turn.” The Quicken Loans Community Fund works to prevent homeowner foreclosure in Detroit.
Laura Grannemann of Quicken Loans Community Fund says she finds “incredible power” in seeking out the root causes of a problem.
“The best part about working with a business like Quicken Loans is that there are so many tools that a business can use to give back to the Detroit community—leadership, team member talent, technology, government relations and, yes, philanthropic capital,” Grannemann said. “Learning to coordinate the incredible power and opportunity that all of those tools offer has been incredible, because I can see how it makes the impact on our city even stronger.”
What is your guiding principle to live by? Always strive to understand why. I have found incredible power in asking questions to comprehend and address the root causes of a problem. Today’s world—whether we are looking at relationships, technology, housing, workforce or the success of our cities — is driven by incredibly complex systems. Without deeply understanding the detailed nuance of the people and systems around us, we cannot hope to build a better reality.
Who was your mentor in life and why? My mother has been the main influence in my life. I have seen her set a beautiful example for my sister and I of what a working mom looks like. She is a compassionate, effective and strong businesswoman, which has really informed how I approach leading others.
What is your ongoing goal? What goal(s) do you still strive to achieve? I strive every day to create a resilient housing market, where Detroit residents have accessible, safe housing that allows them to build wealth. This means that we need to increase access to repair resources, build affordable housing and reform our tax foreclosure system, which has affected 150,000 households in the last 15 years.
This past year, Wayne County foreclosed on the lowest number of occupied properties in a decade because of innovative partnerships, policy change and data. While we have made a lot of progress, I will always work to educate Detroit homeowners and renters in the hopes that we have zero occupied properties in the auction.
What is your most recent success story? In the fight against tax foreclosure, we recently partnered with the United Community Housing Coalition to create a program that helps renters at risk of tax foreclosure get ownership of their home. In many cases, renters are completely unaware that their landlord is not paying his or her property taxes. This program pulls properties out of the tax foreclosure auction through an investment by the Quicken Loans Community Fund, and allows renters and homeowners experiencing poverty an opportunity to work with United Community Housing Coalition to obtain (or maintain) ownership of their home. This year, we will help 600 families own their home.
What was your worst business decision? My worst business decision was thinking that I could do everything myself. I’m sure this is something that many young leaders experience, but it took me a while to hone the art of delegation. While some may argue that is not a business decision, management and leadership is the key to ensuring any business is operating smoothly and most effectively.
Bailey Sisoy Isgro Owner, Detroit History Tours LLC Bailey Sisoy Isgro is aiming for nothing less than the truth. And to help find it, the founder and director of Detroit History Tours is enlisting a diverse team of Detroiters.
Bailey Sisoy Isgro says a guiding principle is to treat people like you want to be treated—with dignity, respect and a promise of hard work, fairness and opportunity.
“We are a history company and, with that at our heart, we have to understand that everyone has a different perspective on historic events,” she said. “That perspective can be affected by age, race, gender, economics or even what high school you went to. For us, history is the search for facts and truth, told though the feelings, emotions and experiences of people. The more varied our team is, the better job we can do at presenting a true and inclusive history of Detroit to our guests.”
What is your guiding principle to live by? In all things, treat people the way you’d like to be treated. From guests and clients of the companies to employees, I believe in treating everyone with dignity, respect and a promise of hard work, fairness and opportunities.
Who was your mentor in life and why? I love Richard Branson’s style of leadership: Train your people well enough and they can go anywhere. Treat them well enough and they never leave.
What are the biggest challenges facing women business leaders? Finding the people who believe in you, from funding to services delivered. I’ve noticed that as a woman-owned business, we’ve always had to try a little harder. One of the biggest challenges is finding the first foot-in-the-door opportunity, that first person who gives you a chance that you can then build a relationship on.
What is the best advice you can offer to other potential women business leaders? You will always have people who say you can’t do it. Do it anyway. If that means that the method you use or the path you take is different, that is fine. In fact, the best companies are the ones that find a better way. Be a source of help to others. When they make it you’ll have a friend whose company will be the first to send over swing employees to fill shift gaps, show up to help pack orders, or buy you a drink on the hardest days.
What is your most recent success story? This fall I was able to step away from a full-time job at General Motors to run Detroit History Tours and the Detroit History Club full time. After more than a decade (in the auto industry), it was a gut-wrenching leap to transition to fully self-employed, but so far it’s been fantastic. I’m able to accept more bookings, we are training more staff, and 2019 will be our largest year ever with over 275 tours and 30 events planned. For a company that started off as a hobby — my personal love letter to Detroit history — to now support my living wage and the good-paying living wages of a staff is our greatest success.
What was your worst business decision? Early on in the company, I wasn’t thinking like a business owner. I allowed myself to be railroaded into choices that I would never make today. They ended up being expensive mistakes in the first year and a crash course in the difference between a business and a hobby. Today I call them my “education expenses” because, although I paid for them, they did teach me a ton. My biggest takeaway from my mistakes was that saying no is part of the job. Being seen as mean, or any other nasty word choice, is going to happen, but reputable people won’t be offended by questions about their polices or pricing.
Eating and drinking are much more than a means to survive. For many, it’s a way to build memories into an unforgettable experience.
More and more of us want to visit places that will give us something to talk about with our friends and family or put on social media.
People have moved away from collecting things in favor of collecting experiences and they range from glamorous trips to a night out at a new restaurant, winery or brewery.
It’s experiences—face to face—that help them connect with the people they care about. And they’re putting their money where their hearts are. In fact, Americans spend more money on dining than grocery shopping.
U.S. spending dedicated to experiences has increased by 70 percent compared to 30 years ago, according to Forbes. What we do and see become part of who we are. It’s not about striving for the things we own, but the great times we feel.
Quality time The four owners at Grey Ghost in Detroit want the dining and drinking experience for their guests to tickle all the senses from the minute they walk in the door. John Vermiglio, his twin brother David Vermiglio, and Josef Giacomino, all chefs, along with Grey Ghost’s beverage wizard, Will Lee, want them to understand they’re going to be wowed.
So says John Vermiglio.
“We’re setting the scene and creating the environment,” he said. “You want to make sure you capture every sense, from the hospitality to the food and drinks. We can play into those senses, because we’re offering quality and we want to make sure that’s felt at every level. You stay here a little longer and sense the hominess and service, hopefully. I wanted it to be an extension of our homes and who we are. It’s what we’re passionate about.”
The owners try to diversify the offerings, from fried bologna to Caprese ravioli, diver scallop, King Salmon, filet mignon, dry aged New York Strip and cheeseburgers to attract everyone from the casual diner walking in on a whim to a couple celebrating a special anniversary.
Flavor explosion Every detail of the restaurant layout was thought out during the design stages by being mindful of things like the level of sound from the music to the lighting and how they will affect the guests’ moods.
It’s like choreographing a play; every step segues to the next, from signature drinks and dishes to service and atmosphere.
“We always make sure we have a shining bright face when you come in and to say goodbye when you leave,” John Vermiglio said. “I see my team more than anyone else I know. That’s palpable, so we want to make sure we train, retrain, educate and continue to educate to make sure everything is going the way it’s supposed to.”
Cortney Casey, co-owner of Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room, says they quickly learned their guests were looking to find “new experiences close to home.” Photo by Rosh Sillars
Cocktail names are as enticing as the beverages themselves, with examples like Liquid Courage, Son of a Biscuit, Death Becomes Her, and Blank Check.
The fried bologna has become an unexpected signature dish that started as a playful recreation of jalapeno poppers that has become so popular the restaurant goes through 100 to 150 pounds of bologna weekly.
While the owners try to save a few seats for walk-ins and people in the neighborhood who regularly stop by, he said, it’s helpful to have a reservation to limit the wait during peak times.
The eatery and cocktail bar, nestled between the historic Brush Park and Midtown neighborhoods, opened in July 2016 and is still a young establishment on the must experience circuit in Detroit’s comeback.
“All too often, restaurants try to be everything to everybody and you lose yourself and who you are,” John Vermiglio said. “We stay true to us.”
The Grey Ghost name is a nod to the alias used by one of the most notorious rum running pirates on the Detroit River during the Prohibition era. Although the individual was never identified, the legend of the Grey Ghost lives on at 47 East Watson.
Capturing feelings A study conducted by Harris and sponsored by Eventbrite said people, especially millennials, not only highly value experiences, but increasingly spend more time and money seeking out these events. Living a meaningful, happy life is about creating, sharing and capturing memories.
That’s just what Cortney and Shannon Casey were after when they started Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room in Auburn Hills, Royal Oak and Shelby Township. Shortly after they opened, they quickly learned their guests were looking to “find new experiences close to home,” and they wanted to make sure they gave them just that, explained Cortney Casey. They’re also cofounders of MichiganByTheBottle.com, an online community supporting the entire Michigan wine industry with articles, podcasts, contests, interviews, and aggregated wine news from the web.
Shannon and Cortney fell in love with Michigan wine while exploring the state’s wine trails. They learned some of the Michigan wineries didn’t have a big web presence or they were hidden gems that a lot of people in Metro Detroit didn’t know about.
“We thought it would be fun to do videos, podcasts and articles, to give people a look at some of the wineries,” she said. “It just took off like crazy.”
While the wine tasting was fun for a lot of their patrons all by itself, they wanted to give them a little more.
If it suits your fancy “That led to us developing a jam-packed schedule of events, from dinners featuring a guest chef and winemakers from our partner wineries to wine education workshops, live music performances, a book club, themed parties, blind tasting challenges, trivia nights, pop up food events and more,” said Cortney Casey.
All of the wines, and most of the snacks, on the MBTB menu are made in Michigan.
“There are a lot of people who are under the misconception that Michigan can’t produce high quality red wines due to our climate,” she added. “We love changing their minds when they come in and taste. Our guests at the tasting rooms truly represent the complete spectrum, from people who are passionate about wine and want to learn everything they can about it, to people who casually enjoy wine and just want to sip it with friends.”
MBTB staff are trained to help guests find wines they like.
“And, as we joke, we say there are no wine snobs allowed at MBTB,” Casey said.
Feeling willkommen There’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in everything German, from the meals and drinks to the snacks, when you visit Frankenmuth.
“It is a destination city and people come here for the experience,” explained Mandy Borsenik, Bavarian Inn Restaurant marketing manager. “They come wanting to take a break from everyday life to step into another world of fun and excitement.”
The Glockenspiel in Frankenmuth is part of experiencing the city’s German atmosphere.
While some guests come with their parents and grandparents and are now bringing their grandchildren, some are first-time visitors who have heard of Bavarian Inn, Borsenik said.
Guests have to get into the spirit of the place immediately when they come through the doors of the Bavarian Restaurant and are greeted by staff in dirndls and lederhosen. Meals are served family style and are meant to offer a relaxing time where they often take pictures of their time with loved ones in Frankenmuth, she added.
“We pride ourselves on creating enjoyable experiences every moment a guest is here, from dining with accordion players as entertainment, to shopping in the seven shops to watching pretzel rolling and strudel making,” Borsenik said. “When people come here they get to experience old world charm in a modern day setting often not too far from home.”
Just like Europe Millennials didn’t invent the idea of capturing experiences while they eat and drink with friends and family to help make their lives more meaningful. Europeans have always known the value of lingering over a meal and drinks for hours, not just on the weekends, but every night.
Brewery Vivant is set in a refurbished historic funeral home in Grand Rapids and much of the inspiration for the business comes from the small breweries that dot the countryside in southern Belgium and northern France. Even its name lauds the importance of grabbing the good times—Vivant translates “to be alive” or to be lively.
Brewery Vivant brews farmhouse inspired beer and serves a from-scratch menu. The management prides itself on offering a variety of beers, “and we often pair and cook with those beers,” explained Chris Bates, Brewery Vivant general manager. In fact, he said, beer is used in just about every recipe from the gravies to sausages. They experiment with unusual yeasts to create different tastes.
“It adds another element and allows us to pair those beers nicely,” Bates said.
Brewery Vivant service staff are all cicerone certified, which is what a sommelier is to wine. The servers are prepared to answer questions.
“We require all staff to be beer certified servers,” Bates said. “It gets people trained to talk about it, serve it and pair different items, as well. It makes it a little bit more of a memorable experience. We always want our patrons to feel welcome to come back time and time again for different occasions, whether it’s the end of week or birthday celebrations.”
Sourcing their ingredients from Michigan farmers makes their beer pair exceptionally well with a meal of local produce, meats and cheeses, Bates said.
Regular customer Dave Nitkiewicz, of Experience Grand Rapids, a nonprofit dedicated to luring visitors to Grand Rapids and Kent County, said choosing the right place for a special dining and drinking experience depends on personal taste. Grand Rapids has such a diverse mix of options, he said, that just about everyone can find what they want.
He raves about New Hotel Mertens and its new rooftop lounge, Haute at New Hotel Mertens. Nitkiewicz tries to visit on a regular basis and is especially drawn there for its “casual but glamorous” atmosphere, serving French cuisine.
Fresh cut flowers greet guests throughout the restaurant that serves breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, dinner and even afternoon tea. At Haute, the atmosphere provides a one of a kind experience with north, west and south views of the city.
Eating and drinking for an experience doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair. Maybe you and a group of friends are dedicated to supporting small businesses, fresh food conscious chain restaurants, farm-to-table businesses, getting closer to a brand, and being part of developing a sense of community pride and eco-preservation.
The “Eat Local” mantra is very much alive and well, according to Forbes. In fact, from 2007 to 2017, farmers’ markets in the U.S. grew by 100 percent to 9,000. Michigan has the second-most agriculturally diverse industry in the country, worth more than $102 billion. California is first.
If you want to eat locally sourced food, Michigan is a good place to live. In fact, agriculture is Michigan’s number three industry.
Supporting area farmers is one of the main goals of the owners of Butcher’s Union in Grand Rapids who “strive to source local ingredients from farmers we know and partners we trust, supporting our communities and creating meaningful relationships with those around us,” according to the Butcher’s Union website, butchersuniongr.com.
The diverse menu
created by the owners
of the Grey Ghost in Detroit includes fried bologna, right alongside filet mignon and the Chicago style oysters pictured here. Photo courtesy Michelle & Chris Gerard
Getting to know you Dianna Stampfler, president of Promote Michigan, said the personal touch completes the dining and drinking experience.
Michigan offers a wealth of opportunities for this kind of interaction at more than 250 breweries, 140-plus wineries, 30 distilleries, countless cideries and meaderies, and historic farm markets.
“Any time they can also meet the winemaker…brewer…chef, that experience is amplified,” she said. “It goes well beyond consumption these days. People want to feel a connection to what they’re tasting.”
They also want to know who was involved in the process of getting the vegetables to the table, who made the bread and who crafted the beer.
“The culinary industry is very personal and also quite approachable in today’s world, where the producers are as excited to meet their customers as the guests are to meet those behind the scenes,” Stampfler said.
A global survey released by The Conference Board points to a recession as the biggest external concern cited by CEOs, with the attraction and retention of talent as their top internal worry.
The annual survey, which was based on a survey of more than 800 CEOs and more than 600 other C-suite executives, found CEOs to be particularly uneasy about global political instability, leader development, and trade.
Notably, last year’s survey saw recession concerns being something of an afterthought, with a ranking of 19 in The Conference Board list.
While a recession was the top external concern globally, for U.S. CEOs, cybersecurity was said to be their top worry.
Bert van Ark, a report author and chief economist of The Conference Board, said executives are aware of the need to stay focused on the longer-term disruptive forces impacting their future, even as they express anxiety about external challenges faced by the global economy.
“That awareness reinforces the need to continue the development of new business models, a strategy that will be tempting to neglect if and when the economy starts slowing.”
Looking ahead, CEOs appear to be confident about their organizations being able to thrive in 2025.
“CEOs sense fundamental changes coming to the expectations and preferences of future customers,” said Chuck Mitchell, executive director of Knowledge, Content and Quality at The Conference Board and an author of the report. “They see the importance of moving from a product-central approach to servitization to enhance the customer experience. This approach turns customers involved in one-time transactions into ‘users’ who seek continuous interaction with the firms they deal with.”
A report authored by Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) has ranked Michigan as first among states bordering the Great Lakes for the number of jobs created more purchases related to hunting and fishing.
Some 171,000 jobs are created and supported annually, according to the report, which adds that more than $11.2 billion generated makes hunting and fishing among the top 10 percent of job-creation industries.
The greatest impact is said to occur in Southeast Michigan.
From an overall economic impact, the numbers quoted are more than twice as much as previous estimates from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to the report commissioned by the MUCC, which turned to the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University, with funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation.
The goal, according to a media release, was “to more accurately quantify the impact” that the activities have on the state’s economy.
Amy Trotter, MUCC’s executive director said every region of the state benefits from those who hunt and fish. The activities, she said, “are vital to continuing Michigan’s prosperity now and in the future.”
Officials say the MUCC report is the most comprehensive effort to date geared toward measuring the annual statewide economic impact of Michigan’s 700,000 hunters and 1.1 million anglers—$8.9 billion from hunting and $2.3 billion from fishing, numbers that include purchases of gear and clothing, hotel rooms, and meals.
“This is information the conservation community has long needed to improve our understanding of the financial importance of outdoor recreation,” said Daniel Eichinger, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, who prior to his appointment in December 2018 was executive director of MUCC.
The report shows that for every $1 million spent on purchases related to hunting and fishing, 19.61 jobs are created for state residents.
Officials say previous estimates in Michigan and other states were based on a narrow formula that used survey results of just 187 Michigan households. That survey methodology, which was used as recently as 2011, resulted in much lower numbers from an economic benefit standpoint and number of jobs created.
State Representative Gary Howell (R-North Branch), who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, said the new report should deliver “a new appreciation for the economic power Michigan’s sportsmen and sportswomen deliver. That helps make our state a great place to live, work and recreate.”
The MUCC report was authored by three professors in the Eli Broad College of Business: Roger Calantone, Shawnee K. Vickery and Joyce Wong.
The MUCC-MSU report can be found online at mucc.org.
When Microsoft Corp. moved into Detroit, the tech giant looked around for partners to work with in hopes of expanding its reach across the Motor City. One of its most recent relationships is with Wayne State University, and the two are creating a new employee skills program that promises to help students, companies and, most of all, the city itself.
For the past 18 months, Wayne State and Microsoft officials sat down together to talk about what its students needed, what the community wanted and what was possible between the educational institution and Microsoft’s vast network of resources, explained WSU Provost Keith Whitfield.
“We were trying to identify points where our premiere research university aligned with what they were doing in terms of fostering education in 21st century learners,” Whitfield said. “We talked about so many possibilities.”
The result is a new partnership to pilot what the two are calling an employability skills program. The program’s goal is to create job-ready, employable talent in the form of WSU students for jobs that are in high demand locally and nationally. These include careers in cloud computing, data analytics, cybersecurity, AI (artificial intelligence) engineering and more.
Putting people and technology together in a way that bolsters Michigan and, specifically, Detroit’s economy is one of the desired outcomes, Whitfield said. As the pilot program progresses, both parties hope to create a talent pipeline to strengthen Detroit, its residents and its overall potential during its ongoing revitalization, he added.
“Student success and employability are tied together,” Whitfield said. “We want our students to reach their graduation day, and we also want them to have great jobs to go to the following week. Moreover, we want the businesses and industries in Detroit and Michigan to view our graduates as integral to their growth and success. This pilot program with Microsoft helps us institutionalize our efforts and ensure our graduates are ready for 21st-century jobs.”
This kind of pilot program and outreach will eliminate the so-called Brain Drain and create “a brain gain,” Whitfield added.
“We’re just really excited,” he said. “Our students tend to stay in Michigan. … We want to teach them to be digitally literate in part so they can continue to learn the skills they’ll need over a lifetime.”
The program extends Microsoft’s commitment to the city. In spring 2018, the company opened a Microsoft Technology Center in downtown Detroit to serve as its Great Lakes regional headquarters, and LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) secured a permanent office downtown to meet the needs of its expanded team.
In 2018, Wayne State and Microsoft launched several programs in Detroit, including a technology curriculum for teachers and students through the Microsoft Imagine Academy and a pilot program in partnership with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, a citywide summer jobs program. Microsoft also supplied HoloLens technology to Wayne State that was used in recruiting efforts for the School of Medicine and will be used to enhance classes and simulation labs with virtual reality and augmented reality learning experiences.
Future projects include a technology skills camp for high school students at Wayne State’s Mike Ilitch School of Business; TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools), a Microsoft program to increase youth access to computer science and computer engineering education; and enhancements to Wayne State’s existing K-12 STEM learning initiatives in the College of Engineering.
The Microsoft partnership also will provide Wayne State students with the Microsoft Professional Program curriculum to enhance students’ knowledge with up-to-date technical skills that will make them more valuable to potential employers.
“This is about employability, having those kinds of skills makes you more competitive in the workplace and that’s our goal,” Whitfield said. “We’re trying to make sure that we give (students) all the skills that people need to create a better life for themselves.”
To understand blockchain is to first grasp what it is not, and that’s Bitcoin.
The application is often conflated with the cryptocurrency, which runs on it, and that’s like putting Facebook on par with the internet.
Like the internet, though, blockchain, the underpinning of cryptocurrency, is seen as a revolutionary force in technology and business, potentially reshaping how transactions in banking, real estate and entertainment are completed due to the decentralized digital ledgers that are its foundation.
Through linked blocks, which are cryptographically verified through hashing and timestamps, blockchains provide secure documentation of every transaction.
Blockchain’s built-in security is key: its decentralized security features kicks in if any attempt is made to alter one of the blocks that was established as part of a transaction. That change would need to be made on all the blocks on the peer-to-peer network to take effect, thus modifying its DNA. Some experts say even a single modification would be impossible, given the number of nodes in the chain.
To underscore that assertion, IBM has fully embraced the technology through its “Blockchain-as-a-Service” platform, particularly in the area of supply chain management.
Through use of the open software platform Ethereum, “smart contracts” are being developed to negotiate services and other tangible assets, which could radically change how consumers buy goods on auction sites like eBay or download copyrighted material from providers like Netflix.
Eliminating the middleman An undercurrent of a blockchain peer-to-peer framework is eliminating the middleman.
“I think (blockchain) has the potential to be a real disruptive force business-wise, in a positive way,” said Keith Harder, Rehmann Financial principal and financial advisor in Troy. “I think it’s one of these technologies that has the potential to really change and redevelop a number of industries.
“And I know that this is a bold statement. I think that there is a lot of hype out there and I’m not sitting here today trying to overhype the prospects of it, but I think it really does have some tremendous potential and a few concerns out there as well.”
Detroit Blockchainers, a group of developers, techies and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, only see the technology’s upside. The group meets on Tuesdays during cold weather months in the Fisher Building. On summer nights, the group gathers informally at Capitol Park in Detroit.
The group also partners with North End Tech Team for a weekly hack night on Wednesdays at Red Door Digital at 7500 Oakland Avenue in Detroit.
How does a blockchain work: cryptocurrency and secure transactions infographic, uses and benefits
Some members also belong to EOS Detroit, a developer group, and Detroit Blockchain Center, a nonprofit advocacy outfit.
Detroit Blockchainer Andrew O’Brien, a software developer for Nexsys Technologies, part of the Quicken Loans family of companies that includes title arm Amrock, is understandably fascinated with blockchain’s capabilities in terms of real estate transactions, which are typically bogged down in bureaucratic paperwork.
“My problem right now is there is a lack of alignment of incentives because the county recording office is being paid every time they pull a record for someone,” said O’Brien, 22, who grew up in North Andover, Mass., but moved to Detroit after graduating from Georgetown University.
“So if you were to go to someone who’s getting money off of this archaic system and tell them there’s a better way to do business such that you can digitize those records and have them immutably available on some kind of system that is validated peer-to-peer, I think that’s probably going to be one of the greatest barriers to transferring of a national title system (based on) blockchain,” he said.
Disrupting the real estate industry Last year, velox.RE conducted the first real estate transaction using blockchain in Cook County, Ill., so the technology is there, O’Brien said. The drawback for blockchain is when a transaction actually becomes legally binding.
“One of the big things is that until your title is recorded in a recording office, it’s not technically yours yet,” O’Brien said. “There are a few different things that happen when you’re transacting a property. One is obviously when you are at a closing you’re doing payment and conveyance, so payment as in, ‘I’m writing a check for the house,’ conveyance as in you’re doing a quit-claim deed perhaps, which means you give away your interest in the property and then I sign a deed, which allows me to own the property. But that’s not actually fully confirmed until it’s a recorded account in a recording office.”
He continues: “So, we’re in the closing room. I may pay you and all the papers are there, and next day our title agent will hopefully go out, if they’re good, to their county recording office and actually file it with them. It’s called recording. That’s what actually gives it that kind of legal standing. Until then, it’s hard to really tell who owns what in a certain legal sense, where in a blockchain everything would happen immediately, the payment, the conveyance and the recording would happen in a single layer.”
Thom Ivy, another Detroit Blockchainer, is using the technology for a humanitarian purpose. He’s developing a reporting process through blockchain where survivors of sexual assault can share information anonymously without fear of retribution.
Nicolas Burgess, left; Ivan Kacir, and Erin Mitten listen to Konrad Rauscher (standing) during a Detroit Blockchainer and EOS Detroit Hack Night Wednesday meet up at Renaissance City Club Apartments.
Ivy has been involved in blockchain and cryptocurrency since 2010, first using Bitcoin to play blackjack.
His pursuits in all things blockchain have taken a more serious tone in recent years.
“So in the day and age of (Brett) Kavanaugh’s trials, Nasser, Cosby, I’m particularly interested in taking all these people who know something to be true, which is that someone victimized them and coordinating their knowledge in a way that is reliable while also protecting them from retribution on the part of their victimizer,” said Ivy, a Detroit resident who is a marketing consultant and philosopher. “So, essentially, we use a bit of encryption of blockchain technology to prevent censorship or interference by particularly powerful actors, like politicians or billionaires, which we see play out all the time in the U.S.”
He adds: “It’s pretty technical, but basically we’re just using a decentralized way to allow people to anonymously report social predators in a way that is mathematically reliable, meaning that it prevents against false accusations as much as it prevents actual future action.”
Better than ‘best before’ In another scenario, blockchain technology is being employed in an effort to respond quicker in cases of food contamination.
Walmart has teamed with IBM through a pilot program, Food Trust, to create a digital ledger to track fresh produce from the farm to grocery store shelves, Forbes reported.
“If you think about it, Walmart is buying green leafy vegetables from hundreds, if not thousands of suppliers and producers,” Rehmann’s Harder said. “So if they’ve got an outbreak in southern California, it’s like goodness sakes, how do they track where it came from?
“Well, I think blockchain technology is going to really help them drastically improve that and be able to identify, ‘OK, who bought it? Where did they buy it and when did they buy it?’ and be able to track that all the way through.” Harder also sees those blockchain technologies potentially extending to nonprofit giving.
Instead of using third-party solicitors or even Go-Fund Me pages, 501(c)3 groups could raise money directly through distributed ledgers.
Through blockchain transparency, donors would see better accountability of their money, Harder said.
“I might be able to get some information by logging onto their website, but ultimately if I’m going to write them a check for a thousand dollars and put that in the mail and give that to them, I am kind of trusting that they are going to do good with that $1,000 donation,” Harder said. “But I am not really sure what happens to that $1,000.”
He continues: “Using blockchain technology, I can gift a charitable organization and really track that from the moment that $1,000 is in my hands to it going to the charity, to the charity then allocating it to administrative costs, marketing costs and then, ultimately, whatever causes and details of that to which it is going. I can monitor that and actually holds the charitable organization more accountable because the transparency is right there.”
For the time being, though, the forces behind blockchain are for-profit endeavors.
Shifting the financial model In cryptocurrency, authenticators — or miners — are offered financial incentives. Miners earn 12.5 Bitcoins for every block created. That amount will be reduced to 6 BTCs in 2021.
A new block is created every 10 minutes, which fuels a market where there are more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies available.
Ethereum is proposing a switch to a proof of stake model, which is less energy intensive and relies on validators — or forgers — who would receive 2 to 15 percent of transaction fees rather than a set amount. The percentage would vary, depending if there are too many or too few authenticators in the predetermined pool.
“What they have said is this proof of work has become way too inefficient, too many people are participating,” said Naveen Khanna, the A.J. Pasant Endowed Chair in finance at Michigan State University. “There is over participation and, consequently, a lot of resources are being wasted. A lot of resources are being consumed just to mine and if you have over mining and then it is inefficient.”
Naveen Khanna, a business professor at MSU, says the market for cryptocurrencies is “very speculative.”
He explains further. “Let us now go to a new concept called a proof of stake, which means if you own a lot of Bitcoins, you have more of a say with respect to certifying every deal or every new blockchain which is going to be created. So that is again not going to be very different from large stockholders, or large blockholders, controlling a major part of the decision making in any firm.
“So we are trying to decentralize. If we move to proof of stake, I think we are moving away from decentralization.”
Detroit Blockchainers’ Ivy concedes the proof of stake model has elements of centralization, which may seem like an anathema to blockchain’s purpose.
“To clarify the reasoning there, is that you’re not going to take any actions which decrease the worth of your money,” he said. “And you if you have a lot of Ethereum, you’re not going to mess with the system because that’s your money going down the drain.
“You’re going to reduce the system’s trustworthiness or effectiveness. And, therefore, your money will be worthless.”
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Plunkett Cooney continued the growth of its Transportation Law Practice Group with the recent addition of attorney Michael C. Dennis. Dennis is an associate in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office who has extensive experience handling first-party no-fault and third-party auto negligence litigation.
Carina Jackson, Mariners Inn’s Chief Operations Officer, was one of the 80 dynamic and diverse leaders chosen for W. K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network’s Class Two of fellows. Over 800 people applied to the WKKF Community Leadership Network program.
Michael Bashawaty wanted to find a new way to cook for himself and friends during a Pure Michigan day on the water. He took that idea one step further and created it, too.
As a co-owner of Float ‘N’ Grill, along with his business partner Jeremy Quillico, these Michigan inventors combined a love of boating on area lakes with a taste for burgers, brats and all things grilled. After three years of research, the duo has finalized the first-ever operational floating grill. Now, they are ready to share it with the masses.
Float ‘N’ Grill is set to launch this winter at The Detroit Boat Show. Expect a chance to see the Float ‘N’ Grill in action and meet the founders in person on Saturday, Feb. 16-24, 2019 at Cobo Center in Detroit.
Bashawaty freely admits he would rather be boating on a lake in Michigan than almost anywhere else. That’s why in 2016 he purchased a 16-foot jet boat to make this outdoor hobby a regular occurrence. Bashawaty planned summers on the water and days spent out on the sandbar with good friends and good food. That’s when it struck him.
“There was nowhere on the boat for me to cook,” said the 28-year-old entrepreneur. “I thought – why not put a grill on the water?”
Prototype city Bashawaty, an engineer by trade, got to work quickly. He built a prototype for the portable, floatable grill he imagined he – and others – needed. Early iterations involved a floating PVC pipe that weighed 28 pounds in total – far too much to make this dream a reality for boat enthusiasts.
Bashawaty sought advice from a longtime friend, Quillico, sharing his concept and the prototype for the product that would become Float ‘N’ Grill. Quillico provided his expertise on the technical and financial side of the project.
“We did our research and nothing like this existed,” Bashawaty said. “We started this project together. We share it 50/50. I managed the design and Jeremy pushed forward for a patent.”
The Float ‘N’ Grill evolved through four prototypes to become the product that is set to hit the market today. Replacing PVC with plastic and perfecting a hinge that secured the grill to the floating device itself, the Float ‘N’ Grill base weighs in at just 9 pounds. Its full dimensions are 35. 5 inches long by 26. 5 wide by 6. 5 inches tall.
The float in Float ‘N’ Grill is manufactured at International Mold Corporation in Clinton Township. Every piece of the Float ‘N’ Grill is modular, making it easy to carry and to use on the water. “I like to design things that are as simple and user-friendly as possible,” said Bashawaty.
Float ‘N’ Grill features textured marine-grade vinyl, a built-in igniter, cup holders, a dual latch that locks the grill lid tight, a secure and removable grease trap and a slot to hold the propane tank in place. Float ‘N’ Grill sells for $279 and is available to ship across the United States.
The Detroit Boat Show is owned and produced by the Michigan Boating Industries Association (MBIA), the voice of boating in Michigan. Revenue generated from this event is returned to fund boater’s interests via MBIA’s programs and services.
