Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Fair Lane in Dearborn Launches 2023 Branco Raptor Sweepstakes
Fair Lane: Home of Clara & Henry Ford in Dearborn is launching its annual Bronco for Fair Lane Sweepstakes, giving participants a chance to win a 2023 Bronco Raptor clad in Code Orange.
The 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor, which includes the Lux Package, is an off-road award-winning SUV that combines brawn and brain. Not just a muscle flexor, the Bronco Raptor, “Braptor,” has the best road manners of any Bronco model, according to Ford Motor Co. The strong engine and sophisticated suspension make it a “comfortable cruiser.” Yet, the Raptorized Bronco also can tow up to 4,500 pounds and sprint to 60 miles per hour in less than six seconds.
All proceeds from this sweepstakes will support the restoration and reimagination of the iconic Fair Lane estate, a National Historic Landmark. Visit codeorangebronco.com to purchase tickets.
DBusiness readers can claim a promotional discount on sweepstakes tickets by entering code DBUS25 at the time of purchase.
Bashar Cholagh Receives APACC’s Minority Business Advocate Award
The Troy-based Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce (APACC) has named Bashar Cholagh, global vice president of purchasing and supply chain communications at Stellantis in Auburn Hills, the winner of the Minority Business Advocate Award at the East-West Business Connection supplier diversity matchmaking conference conducted at Walsh College.
Raymond Boufford, vice president of minority supplier development and business transformation at Forvia, presented the award to Cholagh.
Each year at the East-West Business Connection, APACC recognizes those who advocate for business owners with Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage, minority business owners, veterans, and women business owners with the Minority Business Advocate Award.
“Bashar has been an inspiration for us. He has created partnerships, provided mentorship, and championed relationships with his team that have helped us to grow as a responsible community-engaged company,” Boufford says. “I want to thank Bashar personally along with the other OEM partners and APACC members here today as they have provided the foundation for excellence in the supplier diversity community.”
InSites Consulting Rebrands to Human8
InSites Consulting, the global consumer insight and collaboration agency with an office in Detroit, is rebranding to Human8, the new human-driven consultancy connecting brands with people and culture to drive positive change.
The agency states the rebrand is not just an overnight name change. Human8 is the result of mixing the success ingredients from 10 industry veterans who have joined forces over the last five years. This translated into a global consultancy vision and strategy, a new identity, and one unified portfolio with people communities at its core.
Human8 has a presence in the U.S., EMEA, and APAC, uniting a group of more than 900 people with a shared passion for human connection and collaboration across 23 locations.
“Practicing what we preach, Human8 is built upon true client insight. We didn’t take this global rebrand journey lightly, we’ve been building and evolving towards this new future alongside our employees and clients,” says Kristof De Wulf, CEO of Human8. “We’re beyond proud to say, show and sense how we’ve grown into Human8. With Human8 we bring a new portfolio to the market, we bring a new promise to brands and we bring a new purpose to our people across the globe.”
The new brand positioning is built upon the client insight that brands want to understand the richness of people and their lives, combined with a need for more than just data, interpretation, and a point-of-view on future opportunities.
The name Human8 contains different meanings. Human evidently represents the consultancy’s ambition to put people at the core of what they do. As a symbol for completeness and infinity, 8 conveys that true human understanding only happens by taking multiple perspectives over a longer time frame. Human8 also can be interpreted as a verb (to humanate or make human) and refers to action orientation, being a partner for and with brands to act upon what matters to people.
“We believe in real people connections, diverse human perspectives, and driving action for brands,” De Wulf says. “With Human8 we bring together insights and strategy via our enhanced consultative layer and activation methods, turning insights into strategy, actions and transformation journeys.”
Space Doctors, acquired at the end of 2022, is the global agency’s envision and transform center of excellence and will remain operating as a sub-brand under the new Human8 parent brand, continuing to establish and grow a dedicated business for cultural insight, foresights and futures, and brand and creative strategy.
Meijer is First Retailer Nationwide to Support SNAP Benefits on Flashfood
Grand Rapids-based Meijer is expanding its Flashfood program, making it the first retailer nationwide to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the app that allows customers to purchase surplus close-dated food at a deep discount.
In partnership with Flashfood, Meijer is now accepting the payment capability at all its Midwest supercenters and Meijer Grocery stores, which allows customers with SNAP benefits to pay for their Flashfood orders using an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card in the Flashfood app.
“As a company committed to enriching lives in the communities we serve, we’re pleased to be the first retailer to expand our Flashfood program in this way,” says Rick Keyes, president and CEO of Meijer. “Feeding people has always been at the heart of what we do, and this is another way Meijer is working to provide extra value to those customers who need it most.”
Study: Shopping for Easter Dinner Has More than Half of Hosts Stressed
A new study commissioned by the Honey Baked Ham Co. found that 67 percent of Americans celebrating Easter are visiting multiple grocery stores to find all the items they need to prepare Easter dinner this year.
The average shopper stops by three stores to check all the items off their list. The hassle leaves 59 percent stressed out by grocery shopping.
The research also revealed that 78 percent find hosting a large dinner in their home to be stressful. Almost half of respondents say hosting a large dinner is more stressful than catching a plane before the gate closes or taking the SATs. This year, in addition to their immediate family, Easter hosts expect to welcome an average of five guests at their table.
What has hosts so stressed?
- Determining how much food to prepare (41 percent)
- Worrying about how clean their home is (40 percent)
- Figuring out how long it will take to prepare or cook food (40 percent)
- If guests will like the food (39 percent)
- If guests will have enough food (37 percent)
Royce 5’9″ Debuts The Heaven Experience: New EP and Virtual World
Along with a Detroit Pistons half-time performance to celebrate 313 Day, platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated rapper, songwriter, producer, community activist, and entrepreneur Royce 5’9″ Monday announced his partnership with Passage for the launch of a new virtual world, The Heaven Experience, in advance of his upcoming EP project, The Heaven Experience: Lost Sessions, which drops March 31.
Fans can participate by buying the Heaven Experience Pass on April 4, which will offer exclusive opportunities to connect with Royce 5’9″ throughout 2023. The EP can be found across all streaming platforms and on sale on iTunes through Heaven Studios Inc. in partnership with The Orchard.
Watch The Heaven Experience trailer here.
“I have been searching for a better way to connect with my community for a while, but existing platforms haven’t lived up to my expectations,” says Royce. “Passage delivers on all fronts.”
Heaven Experience passholders will benefit from connecting directly to Royce and his team, real-time engagement with the community and artists, and access to exclusive songs, performances, interviews, VIP events, meetups, apparel, and more.
The Heaven Experience doubles down on Royce 5’9″‘s commitment to community, offering a unique, immersive space to authentically engage with fans, artists, and the community. The initiative follows a successful 60-second sell-out of his first NFT offering, which gave fans a percentage of streaming royalties from the critically acclaimed single, “Caterpillar,” ft. Eminem and King Green.
“Collaborating with Royce and his team has been a dream,” said Lex Avellino, Founder & CMO of Passage. “Royce has a real story to tell and a clear desire for authentic connection with his community. This is what Passage was made for, and the Heaven Experience will bring fans closer than ever to Royce and the Heaven Studios family.”
By allowing creators to connect directly with their audience in immersive, 3D virtual settings, Passage is empowering artists and brands to forge deeper relationships with their supporters and engage in ways that aren’t possible with existing social platforms.
Fans interested in buying a Heaven Experience Pass can join the waitlist at heavenexperience.com.
Turning Point to Host Stepping Out with the Stars April 14
Turning Point Inc., the Mount Clemens-based organization that provides services to empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking, is hosting its seventh annual Stepping Out with the Stars Gala from 5:30-11 p.m. at the Palazzo Grande in Shelby Township on April 14.
The event is centered around five community members — Doug “Odie” Slocum, Erika Riggs, Joshua Puranen, Madeline Bialecki, and Maggie Shively — who have committed to performing a dance routine at the event.
All of the compete to be crowned the best dancer and collect the most votes (donations) to support Turning Point. Donate by visiting here.
The event also includes a survivor speaker, dinner, premium open bar, a silent auction, raffles, and a wine pull. To purchase tickets, visit here.
For more information, visit here.
