The Teen Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TESA) has influenced hundreds of high school students in West Michigan over the course of the past ten years. We recently got in touch with some of our past participants to hear first hand how…
TESA impact
Q&A with Start Garden Community Relations Officer Laurie Supinski
Since 2012, Start Garden has played a large role in Grand Rapids' entrepreneurship ecosystem by giving entrepreneurs a stage to present their ideas to the community while they compete for the opportunity to win $5,000. Neu spoke with Start Garden…
Lessons from a local coffee company
Doomed to Fail Even those who are unfamiliar with business may know the old adage that coffee shops are “doomed to fail." Trevor Corlett, owner of Madcap of Coffee Company in downtown Grand Rapids, suggests that many people who open…
Latesha Lipscomb: August 5×5 Night Winner
For Latesha Lipscomb, winning 5x5 Night last month was a long time coming. “I wasn’t going to do it,” Lipscomb said. “I had done 5x5 twice in the past, and I had come really close to being able to present, but…
Entrepreneur Zoe Bruyn stirs things up
It’s no secret that there are limited employment opportunities for individuals with special needs. In a 2015 survey conducted by the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), 57 percent of respondents with Down syndrome reported working paid…
5×5 at LINC Gallery
Voting closed on Wednesday for the top five 5x5 ideas, and those that emerged on top will be presenting at the return of the monthly pitch competition on August 24 at 5:00 p.m. at the LINC Gallery, located at 1167…
Starting a business…while working 9-5.
Believe it or not, most people don't start off as entrepreneurs. Starting a venture often co-occurs with working and/or going to school. Although it is possible to save enough money to live off of while starting your own business, few…
Socks and Social Enterprise
This is the first in an ongoing series highlighting the stories of Grand Rapids' growing small business community. Bold Socks is a recent addition to the Avenue for the Arts retail sector. The Bold Socks store at 17 Division Ave…
Marketing on an entrepreneur’s budget
When you are first starting out as an entrepreneur, you may have limited room in your budget for marketing. Fortunately, you don’t need to have a multi million dollar marketing department to create recognition for your brand. You just need…
Introducing Entrepreneur in Residence Matt Larson
Matt Larson has always been a self-starter. One afternoon when he was 3 years old, he told his mother he was going to play in the front yard. Instead, he walked eight blocks to downtown Ludington to go to work.…
