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.
Downtown Detroit Partnership Hosting Free Events During Grand Prix
The Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) is flying the green flag for its summer activities with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear returning to the streets of downtown Detroit. Beyond the racetrack, Grand Prix fans and visitors to the city can enjoy plenty of racing-themed festivities happening in and around downtown Detroit parks.
Small Business Straightaway — Cadillac Square, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. June 3-4. A showcase of 29 of the best locally owned and operated small businesses across the city of Detroit.
Grand Prix Viewing — Campus Martius Park, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 3-4 (select races).
Ford at Grand Prix — Capitol Park, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. June 2-3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 4. Ford tailgate features vehicle displays, live music, giveaways and more.
Expanded Downtown Street Eats — Cadillac Square, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 2, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. June 3-4. The list of trucks includes Shredderz, Big Bo’s Grill, Max Chicago Italian Beef, Detroit’s Original Seafood Truck, Tacobachis, Spice Rack, and more.
Winning Experiences — Cadillac Square and Woodward Esplanade, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 2 (Cadillac Square), 9 a.m.-6 p.m. June 3-4 (Woodward Esplanade).
Birmingham Teenager Writes Book About Investment
Ian Weinberg, a young investor from Birmingham whose mission is to inspire and educate young people to become independent investors, has released a book titled “Invest Early to Grow Your Wealth.”
The most important thing you can do to build your wealth is to start investing early, according to Weinberg, but the truth is, there aren’t as many young investors as there used to be. This book is for teenagers, parents, and anyone who wants to grow their wealth by becoming an investor but isn’t sure how.
The book includes “everything you need to know about the core principles of investing made simple: from breakdowns of key concepts to detailed guides that will help you understand the stock market and investment accounts.”
To purchase the book on Amazon, visit here.
Mike Morse Law Firm in Southfield Transforms Workplace Operations
The Mike Morse Law Firm in Southfield has transformed its workplace security with the integration of a cloud-based building security and operation system created by Verkada.
Spearheaded by the firm’s chief information officer, John Georgatos, it took fewer than 90 days to achieve a full digital transformation.
The Morse firm’s previous security system was solely designed for retroactive investigation and had no intelligent analytics or proactive alerting system. Also, employees were required to carry multiple key fobs for full building access that were not connected to security cameras, making it impossible to verify their identities.
Georgatos used his experience deploying Verkada at One World Trade Center to take workplace operations at the Mike Morse Law Firm to the next level. Perhaps the most important improvement is the ability to use cameras and visitor management to alert staff to important events such as unusual after-hours activity and vehicles or people of interest.
“Verkada streamlines credential management, so if one of our 200 plus employees forgets or misplaces their badge, they can still unlock doors using their phone,” says Georgatos. “On one floor we have over 30 doors, so previously, if employees were not carrying their badge, they could be trapped between doors, but that is no longer the case.”
Another noteworthy benefit is a streamlined credential management system that allows employees to unlock doors using a mobile application where they simply scan their smartphone over door readers. Employees also are verifiable through integrated video analytics, making it easy to investigate stolen badge incidents. Also, Verkada has the ability to leverage AI analytics to identify employee traffic patterns, measure productivity, adjust staffing, and optimize hours of operation.
Comerica’s Annual Shred Day Returns to Southeast Michigan June 10
Comerica Bank encourages the public to bring paper documents and electronic devices for recycling to the Comerica Bank Livonia Operation Center (39200 W. Six Mile Road) from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. June 10 during its 14th annual Shred Day.
Comerica is partnering with Iron Mountain Inc. and Information System Resources (ISR) to offer residents and business owners a way to securely dispose of sensitive documents, computers, keyboards, monitors, and cellular devices. Along with securely disposing of sensitive documents and electronics, Comerica is helping fight hunger by collecting non-perishable food donations to benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.
“With consumers losing nearly $8.8 billion to fraud last year according to the Federal Trade Commission, we must remain diligent and alert to information and documents susceptible to identity theft and other fraudulent acts,” says Scott Beckerman, senior vice president and director of corporate sustainability at Comerica. “Shred Day reflects Comerica’s efforts to serve as a trusted partner in our community by raising awareness of identify protection, minimizing the negative impact on the environment and helping to eliminate hunger in southeast Michigan.
In its 13-year history, Comerica Shred Day in metro Detroit has collected more than 1 million pounds of shredded documents that turned into recycled pulp. The process of recycling paper into new paper products generates 74 percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water than producing paper from traditional forest products.
For more information and a complete list of accepted and prohibited items, visit here.
ACG Detroit and TMA Detroit Host Ninth Annual Summer Soirée
ACG Detroit and TMA Detroit are celebrating the start of summer with the Ninth Annual Summer Soirée from 5-8:30 p.m. June 21 at Next Step Studio in Ferndale.
The event will include summer cocktails, lite bites, and networking with Detroit’s top middle-market leaders. Guests also are welcome to browse the indoor/outdoor gallery that features emerging artists, as they make their next step into the ever-changing art scene. Ticket prices are $110 for members and $155 for non-members.
For more information and to register, visit here.
How Michigan Women Forward Supports Michigan’s Economy
Michigan Women Forward (MWF) says it will ignite economic advancement across Michigan thanks to $2 million in federal and state funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the State of Michigan’s CDFI Funds. These grants will support thousands of women and entrepreneurs of color across the state:
A $1.5 million grant that will be used to improve infrastructure and loan funds for Michigan Women Forward loan clients like Youset Alagi, owner of Detroit Grill and Chill.
A $500,000 CDFI ERP that will be used to assist businesses that are still suffering economically as a result of the pandemic like Char Buffkin, owner of Fabulous Fabrics. The funding from Michigan Women Forward allowed Buffkin to work with a CPA to develop a better cash flow management system, paving the way for a bright future.
A $560,000 Financial Assistance award that will continue to support MWF’s technical assistance programs to help entrepreneurs with day-to-day business operations to help them in growing their businesses.
CCS in Detroit to Host Glass Art Society’s Annual Conference June 7-10
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit will host this year’s Glass Art Society Annual Glass Art Conference on its Ford Campus, June 7-10.
More than 100 presenters will conduct lectures, demonstrations, and special events at CCS, he DIA and the Russell Industrial Center. Today is the last day to purchase tickets online for the event.
The Annual Glass Art Society Conference brings together glass enthusiasts from across the globe, providing opportunities for participants to make connections, learn new techniques and have fun. It provides a hub for artists looking to connect with gallery owners and collectors, schools seeking new students and suppliers ready to launch their latest innovations.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.
American Heart Association Planning Heart and Stroke Walk June 3 at Comerica Park
The American Heart Association is conducting its signature event, the Heart and Stroke Walk, at 8 a.m. June 3 at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit.
More than 5,000 people are expected to participate. The theme of this year’s Heart Walk is “I Walk to Save Lives.”
This year’s event is sponsored by Key Bank, Henry Ford Health, HAP, Meijer, Strategic Staffing Solutions, Fifth Third Bank, Barton Malow, Detroit Diesel, Kroger, Ally Financial, Manga International Services, Chrysan Industries, MedStar, Supercuts, Howard and Howard, First Merchants Bank, and Taft.
Participants can register for the Heart Walk by visiting detroitheartwalk.org. From there, participants can create personal fundraising pages, download the Heart Walk mobile app, and encourage family and friends to join.
Detroit’s Hannan Center to Honor Exceptional Older Adults
The Hannan Center is Detroit is accepting nominations for its 70 Over Seventy: The Next Chapter Awards. The annual program, which celebrates Older Americans Month in May, celebrates the human potential that continues and, in many cases, increases with age.
“Older people aren’t just remembering great life experiences, they’re making them too, every day,” says Vincent Tilford, president and CEO of Hannan Center. “The 70 Over Seventy awards are our opportunity to celebrate their accomplished lifetimes thus far. Every year, we look forward to recognizing these incredible Michigan citizens in a variety of impressive categories.”
70 Over Seventy awardees reflect the diverse interests, accomplishments, and lifestyles of older people across the state. These exceptional older adults prove impact is ageless through their determination to make a difference.
The seven categories of nominations are:
- Lifetime Achievement
- Art
- Changemaker
- Civic/Community Leadership
- Entrepreneurship
- Lifelong Learning
- Unsung Hero
All nominations will be reviewed by a judging panel made up of Hannan Center trustees, past honorees, and community members. There will be 10 awardees per category. Awardees will be recognized at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7 during a program and brunch at the Fellowship Chapel Banquet and Conference Center in Detroit. All awardees also will be featured in a commemorative program book and on the 70 Over Seventy Awards website.
Any individual is free to nominate someone who is 70 years or older from now until July 14. For more information or to submit a nominee, visit 70overseventy.com.
Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac Raffling a ’56 Chevy Bel Air Convertible
Metro Detroit classic car fans have a chance to win a restored 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible and help make a difference in the local community.
Grace Centers of Hope (GCH) in Pontiac is selling raffle tickets for the street-ready classic car that is two-tone Sierra Gold and Adobe Beige with copper and beige interior. It has an appraised value of more than $148,000.
Raffle tickets are $25 each or five tickets for $100 and can be purchased in-person, at special events, or here. The drawing for the classic car will take place Aug. 19 as part of the nonprofit’s Second Annual Cruising with GCH. The winner need not be present to win. All monies raised will support GCH’s programs that help men, women, and children overcome issues such as homelessness, addiction, abuse, and spiritual emptiness.
“We hope our neighbors will generously support our raffle and combine their passion for vintage automobiles with a desire to truly make a difference for those in need,” says Kent W. Clark, pastor and CEO of GCH. “It’s a win-win situation that supports a worthy cause while potentially offering the chance to own and drive a piece of Detroit automotive history.”
