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.
Motown Museum Reveals New Renderings of Expansion Project
Motown Museum has provided an update on its expansion project, revealing for the first time a glimpse into the immersive exhibit experiences that will tell the stories of the people, the moments, and the inspiring stories that built the Motown legacy.
During a private donor event in Detroit honoring The Temptations and the Four Tops, Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry provided a status update on the expansion campaign’s progress and thanked donors from around the country.
“It is my pleasure to share that our expansion fundraising has reached $59 million, nearing our goal of $65 million,” Terry says. “We are full of gratitude for the $10 million federal grant Motown Museum received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the beginning of 2023, which greatly furthered our progress.
“Our original plan was to be under full construction on the final phase of the expansion this summer, but that timeline had to evolve to align with the required and rigorous HUD environmental approvals, which are happening now leading to full construction commencing this spring. In the meantime, our talented team of architects and exhibit designers are full steam ahead on creating the immersive experiences that will tell the inspirational Motown story in a larger, expanded way.”
The first exhibit revealed is titled “The Motown Atmosphere,” which will transport museum visitors back in time to an immersive room featuring classic Motown images that showcase the close-knit, family environment of Motown. The curated collection of images shows legends interacting with one another at Hitsville and in their daily lives — allowing fans to not only see their favorite Motown stars up close and personal, but also hear each Motown alumni’s inspiring story as told by them.
The second experiential exhibit shared is titled “The Backstage Lounge,” which will be Motown Museum’s musical repository where visitors can search the Motown catalog to discover music and access exclusive interviews with Motown alumni. This space celebrates those who built the Motown legacy and allows fans to hear from icons in the first person talking about their experiences, the meaningful stories behind their beloved songs and more. There is no other place in the world where fans can access this curated collection of Motown interviews and discover the intersections between alumni and behind-the-scenes stories in their own voices.
For more information, visit motownmuseum.org.
State Releases Transparency Dashboard Detailing Michigan’s Use of Recovery Funds
Michiganders are able to learn how the State is investing the $6.5 billion in flexible state fiscal recovery funds (FRF) provided by the federal government with the launch of the new Fiscal Recovery Funds Dashboard.
“This user-friendly dashboard ensures that all Michiganders can easily see where and how the State has leveraged its federal FRF dollars,” says Christopher Harkins, state budget director. “The FRF dashboard takes a wealth of data and transforms it into information people can use to see how the State has funded projects that align with its strategic goals.”
Featuring a modern design, the dashboard allows users to view FRF project key performance indicators and to visualize projects on a map, which can be filtered by census tract, or state legislative and congressional districts.
As part of the American Rescue Plan passed in 2021, the federal government provided funds to Michigan and other states to support programs and policies that promote social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michigan is using these funds to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and make strategic investments to improve critical infrastructure and address disparities that lead to disproportionate impacts of the pandemic for many Michiganders.
As of Sept. 30, Michigan appropriated nearly all of its $6.5 billion in state FRF to 14 different state agencies to execute a wide range of projects. The appropriated projects include a diverse array of investments in environmental sustainability, workforce and economic development, and public safety. The dashboard will be updated quarterly, with the next refresh expected in early November.
Using FRF, the state of Michigan has supported programs benefiting hospitals, foster homes, small businesses, disadvantaged communities, schools, and many others.
More information about programs funded by FRF can be found in the State’s 2023 Annual Recovery Plan Report.
Astronaut John Cassada to Visit U-M’s Saturday Morning Physics
NASA astronaut Josh Cassada returns to the University of Michigan’s Saturday Morning Physics, this time in person, at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
As a follow-up to January’s live event from the International Space Station, Cassada will present an overview of his crew’s recent mission, including results from on-board experiments as well as technology demonstrations.
Cassada and the rest of NASA’s Crew-5 lived and worked aboard — and, at times, on the outside of — the ISS for 157 days between October 2022 and March 2023. The event also will include a look toward future missions and time for a question-and-answer session.
The event will take place in the Central Campus Classroom Building 1420 Auditorium (1225 Geddes Ave.) in Ann Arbor.
It also will be livestreamed via YouTube.
Plymouth Township Firm Awarded $1M for Development of Oral COVID-19 RNA Vaccine
Esperovax, a Plymouth Township-based preclinical biopharmaceutical company and a Blue Knight resident company, is receiving an award for $1 million to further develop a yeast-based oral COVID-19 RNA vaccine candidate as part of the Blue Knight QuickFire Challenge: Accelerating Project NextGen.
This award will support critical studies aimed at demonstrating vaccine safety and immunoprotection in orally vaccinated animals challenged with different COVID-19 virus variants. Esperovax is collaborating with Dr. Slobodan Paessler at the University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston to conduct these studies.
Blue Knight, a joint initiative between Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), collaborates with companies to accelerate innovation against emerging health security threats.
“This award enables animal challenge studies that may determine whether our unique oral COVID-19 RNA vaccine elicits protective immunity that prevents disease and reduces virus dissemination and affords completion of other requisite studies supportive of an Investigational New Drug application for future clinical evaluation,” stated Dr. Robin Robinson, president and CEO of Esperovax. “Positive results from these studies have the potential to bring inexpensive, safe and long-lasting effective oral vaccines a step closer to address public health threats like COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases.”
About Esperovax: Esperovax was founded in 2019 to advance development of its Egress RD™ oral mRNA platform, a transformative technology for delivering mRNA vaccines to the abundant populations of immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract via a small oral capsule.
For more information, visit here.
Women of Aerospace Industry Association to Stage Girls Future Flight Challenge
Women of Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan’s (WAIAM) second annual Michigan Girls Future Flight Challenge (MGFFC) is a virtual, state-wide aerospace competition for girls in grades 4-8 with the mission to create a unique, sustainable way of flight to solve a problem of the team’s choosing.
The event involves a kick-off on Oct. 14 where participants will meet mentors and learn more about the virtual competition, three weeks of group work, and virtual final presentations on Nov. 4.
It involves critical thinking in the areas of engineering, marketing, and design, and business planning and sales. Each group will be paired with female mentors currently working in the aerospace industry. The teams will schedule meetings with their mentors to get questions answered, receive feedback, and learn about jobs in the aerospace industry.
For more information, visit here. To register, visit here.
Gardner White Partners with U-M Rogel Cancer Center, American Cancer Society
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Gardner White announced partnerships with the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center and American Cancer Society, in their commitment to the fight against a disease that has become the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women in the U.S. and worldwide.
October marks the start of a 10-year gift commitment by Gardner White to the Rogel Cancer Center to support enhancements to the Breast Care Program that will impact the patient experience. The Rogel Cancer Center is the top-ranked cancer program in Michigan, according to U.S. News and World Report, and is deeply committed to improving the well-being of people who have, or are at risk of, getting cancer.
The gift, which includes investments in nurse navigators to assist patients in their care journey, updated technology including enhanced mammography machines, survivorship resources for patients following cancer treatment, access to specialists, and more, will support and streamline the patient experience from first diagnosis through last treatment and beyond.
“Breast cancer affects both women and men and has unfortunately become so common we will undoubtedly all be impacted by it in some way during our lives,” says Rachel Stewart, president of Gardner White. “As a company deeply committed to investing in the health and well-being of our community, Gardner White is honored to play a small role in supporting the incredible work of U-M Health and helping to provide access and support to patients.”
Additionally, Gardner White has “gone pink” for the month of October to inspire hope, provide support and bring awareness to the cause. Now through Oct. 31, a percentage of sales from all store and online purchases will benefit the American Cancer Society, a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Stores will be lit pink during the month and include pink furniture vignettes, while sales team members wear pink to inspire hope and bring awareness to the cause.
“We are proud to work with the American Cancer Society, which, similar to Gardner White, has been a part of the metro Detroit community for over 100 years,” says Stewart. “It is an honor to work together to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.”
SME PRIME Program Expands to 16 Michigan High Schools
The SME Education Foundation announced an expansion of its public/private partnership with the State of Michigan today, powering its SME Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education (PRIME) program in 16 additional high schools throughout the state.
Announced at Troy High School’s SME PRIME program celebration, the program provides students with manufacturing education and opens doors to career pathways post-graduation. SME PRIME’s latest expansion brings the program to a total of 49 schools throughout Michigan.
Students, teachers, and community partners joined representatives of SME, Troy School District, and federal, state, and local political officials to celebrate Troy High School’s SME PRIME program and showcase classroom projects, equipment, and involved participants.
The development of Troy High School’s program was announced in 2021 as part of the initial public/private partnership between the SME Education Foundation and the State of Michigan.
“We strongly believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity here in Michigan and beyond,” says Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation. “That starts with educating the future workforce and providing hands-on opportunities to encourage young adults to continue their manufacturing education at community college or a four-year university, or to enter the workforce directly after high school graduation.”
Informed by private industry, SME PRIME builds custom manufacturing and engineering programs in high schools across the country, providing equipment, curriculum, and professional development. SME PRIME supports engagement in manufacturing-focused extracurricular activities for students and teachers as well as student applications for scholarship funding through the SME Education Foundation. After initial development funding, SME PRIME schools are eligible for sustainability grants to maintain their programs going forward.
SME PRIME is located in 33 schools throughout Michigan, paving the way to high-paying jobs for students — an average of over $85,000 annually for the state’s manufacturing workers according to the U.S. Census Bureau — without running up massive student debt.
Michigan Science Center’s Fall Film Series Explores Pandas, Astronomy, Weather, and More
Starting Oct. 14, the Michigan Science Center’s (Mi-Sci) film series adds stories on pandas, astronomy, and weather to its fall lineup.
The new films include “Pandas: The Journey Home,” “Big Astronomy,” and “Extreme Weather,” joining “National Parks Adventure,” “Turtle Odyssey 4D,” “A Lunar Journey,” and “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure.” A musical laser show will also rotate monthly in the IMAX Dome Theatre.
“Mi-Sci’s three theaters offer unique immersive experiences that put our guests at the center of science,” says Christian Greer, president of Mi-Sci. “Our fall features will appeal to various ages and interests, transporting audiences to exotic ecosystems, distant countries, and far away worlds.”
Standard Mi-Sci films are available as a $6 add-on to general admission tickets ($3 for members). Tickets, showtimes, and other details are available at mi-sci.org.
Knight Foundation Launches Digital Transformation Arts Initiative in Detroit
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is inviting artists and arts organizations to apply to receive up to $100,000 from the Art + Tech Expansion Fund, which will allocate a total of $300,000 in Detroit to increase digital integration in the arts, enhancing how art is produced, shared, and experienced.
The application period will open on Oct. 16 and close on Nov. 3.
“Digital transformation in the arts is one of Knight’s top areas of focus as it allows artists and arts organizations to broaden their reach and strengthen ties with communities.” says Koven Smith, senior director for arts at Knight. “The fund seeks to support artists and arts organizations across Detroit by equipping them with technology to further their work.”
Earlier this year, Knight announced a $23 million investment in the digital future of the arts in Detroit and allocated additional funds to commission new work from artists utilizing technology in their practice. These investments create a foundation for further development, increase capacity, and enable artists and arts organizations to foster meaningful connections between people and place.
The Art + Tech Expansion Fund was launched in Charlotte in 2022, resulting in grants awarded to nearly 30 local artists and arts organizations for their innovative projects. The expansion of this fund to Miami, Akron, and Detroit demonstrates Knight Foundation’s commitment to extending its impact across Knight cities.
Funding decisions for the Art + Tech Expansion Fund will be made based on the applicants’ capacity to use technology to increase the impact and reach of their work. Categories eligible for funding are:
- Purchase and installation of hardware and/or software (e.g., licensing of archiving software, installation of live streaming equipment, purchase of cloud storage)
- Build-out/permanent infrastructure (e.g., installation of networking equipment, outdoor projections)
- Staff or contract support (e.g. contract videographer, full-time web developer, social media manager)
- Website design and development
- Mobile application development
- Digitization/archiving (e.g. digital collection photography, media conservation/preservation, archives records management, etc.)
The fund is open to individual artists, nonprofit arts organizations, and arts collectives based in Detroit. Applicants must show how technology will further their work or mission.
Knight will be hosting the first of two information sessions on Oct. 12 for interested artists and organizations. Appointments with members of the Knight Arts team also are available.
For more details and registration, visit here.
