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.
Michigan Science Center to Launch New Interactive Aerospace Innovation Exhibit
“Above and Beyond,” an interactive science exhibition exploring transformative innovations in aerospace, will launch Jan. 30, in Detroit at the Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci). “Above and Beyond” is presented locally by Aramco Americas. Mi-Sci members will get a sneak peek on Sunday, Jan. 28.
The 6,000-square-foot exhibition will offer an interactive demonstration of advances in aviation and aerospace, from the first powered flights to the newest innovations on Earth and in space.
“Above and Beyond” will push our guests to their limits and help them discover if they have the ‘right stuff,’” says Christian Greer, president and CEO of Mi-Sci. “This is one of our coolest traveling exhibitions to date, and guests won’t want to miss the opportunity to fly in formation like a bird or test pilot a totally new aircraft of their own design, all while applying STEM skills and having fun exploring the future of aerospace.”
After entering an immersive wraparound theater, visitors can venture into five galleries comprising dozens of interactive displays. Exhibitgoers can ride to the edge of space in a simulated space elevator or test their own supersonic fighter jet design in a virtual high-speed flying competition. A group flying experience with motion-sensing image capture helps visitors sense what it’s like to fly like a bird in a flock, while exploring the forces of flight.
Exhibit technology such as flight simulation, immersive theater, touch-table displays, and augmented reality, offer an experiential understanding of the scientific concepts behind flight.
The tour is sponsored nationally by Boeing, developed in commemoration of Boeing’s 100th anniversary.
For more information, visit AboveandBeyondExhibition.com.
The exhibit is included in Mi-Sci’s general admission tickets, available at www.mi-sci.org.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to Speak at Visit Detroit Annual Meeting Jan. 17
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will sit down with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico to discuss the significance of the 2024 NFL Draft and what it means for the city of Detroit during Visit Detroit’s Annual Partnership Meeting at 10 a.m. Jan. 17 at Ford Field.
Topics to be covered include what to expect and how to get involved when the NFL Draft comes to Detroit April 25-27. Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, also will provide a report highlighting a record-breaking year for visitors, meetings, conventions, and events, as well as plans for 2024.
In addition to Goodell, Tirico, and Molinari, notables expected to attend include Alexis Wiley, founder and CEO of Moments Strategies, Rod Wood, president and CEO of the Detroit Lions; and Kai Bowman, COO of the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Grants $250K to Improve Maternal Health in Vulnerable Communities
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation announced $250,000 in grant awards to five organizations through the Advancing Maternal Health Equity grant program.
Funds will support Michigan community-based organizations implementing sustainable initiatives that advance health equity, consider challenges across the continuum of the pregnancy journey, including pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum periods, and reduce a birthing person’s risk of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM).
“As addressing maternal health disparities remains a priority, we’re honored to continue to partner with outstanding organizations to improve health outcomes for those who need it most which makes this second year of the Advancing Maternal Health Equity program extremely significant,” says Ken Hayward, vice president and special assistant to the president for Community Relations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Organizations awarded include:
- Upper Peninsula Perinatal Quality Collaborative ($50,000)
- Southwest Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative ($50,000)
- Cradle Kalamazoo/Young Women’s Christian Association of Kalamazoo ($50,000)
- Because Of His Love Outreach ($50,000)
- Southeast Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative ($50,000)
For more information on the partnership’s grant programs, visit Blue Cross’ grants and contributions webpage and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation’s 2022 Annual Report.
ZKW, LG Present Vehicle Lighting Systems of Future at CES
At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, ZKW and LG will be showcasing their innovations in the areas of intelligent vehicle lighting and infotainment. The highlight is the LG concept car, which is equipped with high-resolution microZ-LED headlights from ZKW.
ZKW also will be presenting the latest innovations such as the intelligent Illuminated Panel and an illuminated bumper (together with Rehau), animated rear lights, sustainable headlights as well as the new headlight for the Volvo EX90 with the moving Thorhammer and GM Chevy Silverado headlights for the important American vehicle market.
“With our locations in Sila, Mexico and Troy, Michigan, we offer customers in the USMCA economic area innovative lighting systems that can interact with other road users and increase driving safety,” says Wilhelm Steger, CEO of the ZKW Group.
The LG Concept Car offers visitors an insight into the future of automotive entertainment. The ZKW microZ headlight modules integrated into the front of the show car demonstrate how animated projections can be created in the future using intelligent front lighting. The projector function of the headlights generates a 100-inch image that can be used to display a wide range of entertainment content based on OTT communication via the Internet (e.g. Netflix), transforming the car into a mobile cinema experience.
EarthTronics in Norton Shores Introduces Color Selectable A/B Hybrid Linear TLED
EarthTronics in Norton Shores (south of Muskegon) has introduced its new 48-inch, 15-watt direct wire linear LED T8 with a flexible design that allows for single- or double-end operation on 120-277V for maximum energy savings.
The new product is a plug and play solution that can work on electronic ballasts and can be direct wired to line voltage quickly with no lamp holder modifications necessary.
Designed for commercial, municipal, school, and university retrofit applications, the new A/B Hybrid LED lamp is color selectable 3,000K, 3,500K, 4,000K, 5,000K, or 6,500K and is adjusted in the field by sliding the switch to the desired color.
The linear LED delivers 2,100 lumens with 220° beam angle and a CRI greater than 80 to provide a replacement for T8 fluorescent tubes. It is engineered for high lumen maintenance over its 50,000-hour rated performance life.
For more information, visit here.
Mars Agency Launches Self-serve Marilyn Commerce Media Dashboard, Database
The Mars Agency in Southfield has launched its self-service Marilyn Commerce Media Dashboard and Marilyn Commerce Media Benchmark Database products. These advanced tools that are part of the agency’s marketing platform are for the first time directly available for brands wanting to put the power of Marilyn into their own teams’ hands to evaluate retail media effectiveness.
Tapping into these specialist-level insights, The Mars Agency is unveiling two new self-serve retail media solutions:
- Marilyn Commerce Media Dashboard: Ingests, normalizes, and visualizes all global campaign results in one place, making it easy to analyze and compare Commerce Marketing performance across all vendors. This added layer of transparency enables brands to see results more quickly – helping them make smarter, more real-time decisions.
- Marilyn Commerce Media Benchmark Database: Extends to brands the ability to benefit from data across thousands of past campaigns and to derive benchmarks at the retailer, category- and brand-levels, helping clients visualize the impact of their Commerce Marketing investments.
“As investments in the retail media space continue to grow, brands are scrutinizing retail measurement more than ever, spurring an evolution and proliferation of best practices,” says Ethan Goodman, senior vice president of media at The Mars Agency. “Bringing transparency, better measurement, and deeper insights to retail media through the brand-direct, puts our client partners in the driver’s seat to guide commerce media programs that can respond to specific market opportunities that will impact their business.”
For more information, visit here.
Detroit’s Lumos EV and U Power Tech Unveil Plug-and-play EV Chassis at CES
Detroit-based startup Lumos EV is partnering with China’s U Power Tech to unveil the UP Super Board at CES in Las Vegas this week.
The UP Super Board is a skateboard chassis that serves as a vehicle foundation for automakers to accelerate EV development.
According to the development contract, Lumos will craft its own last-mile commercial van, the Lumos LC2 built on the U Power UP Van model. With industry-leading range and payload capacity, the Lumos LC2 will first sell in Mexico in mid-2024, followed by further expansion in North America with certification testing commencing in early 2025.
“We are very excited to access U Power’s extraordinary EV product design and technical engineering capabilities,” says Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Lumos EV Inc. “Leveraging the Powered by U Power business model, Lumos is able to bring this groundbreaking electric van to market more quickly, and allow us to bring real sustainable mobility solutions to customers around the world.”
Trailways Forges Alliance with Greyhound, Flixbus to Provide More Travel Options
New York-based Trailways has announced a new partnership with Greyhound and Flixbus that will add hundreds of Greyhound and Flixbus destinations to Trailways.com and Trailways.ca.
Starting Tuesday Jan. 23, customers visiting the Trailways websites will be able to purchase tickets for Flixbus and Greyhound trips, with travel dates beginning Jan. 30.
“This is a historic moment for Trailways,” says Alex Berardi, president of Trailways.com. “Connectivity is the backbone of North America and a critical piece of this partnership. By working in concert with one another and interlining our inventory, we’re aligning with Trailways’ commitment to make affordable and eco-friendly transportation more accessible to travelers across North America.”
Members of Trailways’s Loyalty Program, Driven Rewards, also will reap the benefits of the new relationship. Driven Rewards Points members will be able to earn and redeem across all Trailways partners, including Flixbus and Greyhound, when making purchases online.
MSU Health Care, Nomi Health Partner to Improve Delivery for Self-funded Employers
MSU Health Care in East Lansing has announced it has joined Nomi Health’s employer-directed network to meet the needs of self-funded employers in Michigan. The collaboration is one of the first of its kind, which brings direct and affordable health care options to Michigan employers looking to provide high-quality and affordable care to their employees.
“This collaboration represents a fusion of academic prowess and entrepreneurial innovation, with the shared goal of creating a more seamless, patient-centric health care experience,” says Roger Jansen, chief strategic growth officer at MSU Health Care. “By leveraging MSU Health Care’s clinical excellence and Nomi Health’s proficiency in direct health care solutions, we are not just building a partnership; we are constructing a blueprint for the future of health care in Michigan—one where accessibility, efficiency, and patient well-being take center stage.”
In this alliance, MSU Health Care will use its clinical expertise to provide high-quality care to self-funded employers utilizing Nomi Health’s solutions. With a longstanding commitment to advancing health care through education, research, and patient care, MSU Health Care is well-positioned to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of the community. Michigan employers using Nomi Health’s direct network can now access MSU Health Care’s extensive list of health care facilities, medical groups, and affiliated providers through $0 deductible and $0 co-pay plans, delivering an easy and seamless experience for their employees.
“Employers of all sizes are considering alternative solutions to address the increasing cost of health care,” says Mark Newman, CEO and co-founder of Nomi Health. “Our partnership with MSU Health Care delivers the growing need for affordable, alternative health care options that are easily accessible by employers and the families they serve.”
By combining the clinical expertise of MSU Health Care with Nomi Health’s proficiency in direct health care solutions, the collaboration seeks to redefine the landscape of health care delivery. Through Nomi Health’s network, Michigan employers and their employees gain access to MSU Health Care’s extensive list of more than 300 physicians through transparent and cost-effective health care.
Chefs to Share Tips, Recipes During Oakland County Farmers Market Series
The six-session Cooking with edibleWOW demonstration series at the Oakland County Farmers Market (2350 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township) is set to begin from 10-11 a.m. on Jan. 27
Each of the six sessions will feature a local chef preparing a recipe with ingredients readily available in the winter months, such as root vegetables, mushrooms, honey, garlic, onions. and apples. Chef Frank Turner from Citizens Provisions will kick off the 2024 series on Jan. 27.
A collaboration with edibleWOW magazine, each cooking demonstration highlights a different chef, who brings his or her culinary experiences to the table. Chefs not only share recipes, but also handy tips and tricks that home cooks can use when preparing meals for family and friends. In addition to Turner, the 2024 lineup includes:
- 10 – Chef Anthony Lombardo, SheWolf Pastificio & Bar
- 24 – Chef Allie Lyttle, LaLa’s Too
- March 9 – Chef James Kokenyesdi, Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association
- March 23 – Chef Souri Gaillard, Bowers School Farm
- April 13 – Chef Amanda Saab, Amanda’s Plate
“The cooking demonstrations are very popular with our guests,” says Brad Wethy, manager of the Oakland County Farmers Market. “Many enjoy how chefs prepare recipes highlighting various regions of the country and diverse cultures so they can create new, exciting experiences at home.”
Chef biographies and recipes are posted here following each cooking demonstration.
No preregistration is necessary. Winter hours at the Oakland County Farmers Market are 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays only. For details, call 248-858-5495.
Gesher Human Services to Offer Paid Apprenticeship Training Program
Gesher Human Services in Southfield will begin offering paid, on-the-job training for local residents who would like to start a career working with people with disabilities.
The Gesher Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship program will provide unemployed and underemployed individuals with on-the-job training and 155 hours related technical instruction to earn a nationally recognized Journeyperson Direct Support Specialist credential.
Apprentices will be matched with a journeyperson at Gesher who will provide training, support and mentoring to the apprentice. Direct care work at the nonprofit organization could include working in residential homes with people living with mental illness or other disabilities, or providing job support to metro Detroiters living with intellectual and other disabilities who are employed at work sites in the community. The new program will be ongoing and there is no limit to the number of openings, although it is expected that at least 20 apprentices will train in 2024. For images of direct care workers in action click here.
Participants in the program do not need to be current employees of Gesher nor do they need prior experience, but they will need to formally apply, pass background checks, be available to work 35-hours-per-week, attend classes, and apply for services with Michigan Works.
The cost of the classes will be covered by Gesher Human Services and classroom time will need to be scheduled outside of work hours. Apprentices will earn at least $15.32 as an apprentice, and $16.67 once they complete the apprenticeship requirements, with an earning potential of $20.35. The apprentices also will be eligible for benefits and vacation while they are training.
Interested candidates can apply for the internship at geshermi.org.
