Southwest Michigan First

Have you registered for our second annual State of Economic Development event on Thursday, January 30, 2025? You won't want to miss the invaluable insights you'll gain on current and future economic development trends from business leaders, industry forecasters, and engaging guest speakers. Early bird pricing ends this Thursday, October 31. Secure your spot today! https://lnkd.in/g7ES4vqt #StateofEconomicDevelopment2025 #SoEd2025 

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber had a wonderful time forming new connections and strengthening the business community at our monthly Chamber Connect last week! Special thanks to our friends at Kellogg Community Credit Union for hosting this fabulous event and for donating $500 to further support the important work of Gryphon Place. We appreciate you! If you weren't able to make it to this event, please join us at a future Chamber Connect. We host two networking events every month—one in the morning and one in the evening. Learn more and reserve your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gy5jrSbk

At our final Leadership Greater Kalamazoo session, we reviewed key takeaways from every session and leveraged these takeaways along with our strengths and values statements to set goals for 2025. We also learned from community leaders about various ways that they engage with our community through board service, volunteering, civic service, mentoring, and creating initiatives. Our panelists for this leadership session were: ◾Mason Everett, Fund Development, Communications, and Community Engagement at Kalamazoo RESA ◾James Liggins, Jr., Senior Counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd ◾Shawn Premer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Chief Human Resources Officer at Consumers Credit Union ◾Chris Praedel, Executive Director at Community Homeworks and City of Kalamazoo City Commissioner ◾Clarence Lloyd, Vice President and Chamber Director at Southwest Michigan First We ended our day with the graduation of this year’s class led by our commencement speaker Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo Executive Director James Devers who shared an inspiring message about the power of one person’s service to the community. This year’s class left empowered to use their leadership skills and new insights from the session to make their workplaces better and to engage in our community in a way that will leave a positive impact. Special thanks to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for their generous support of this program. If you'd like to be part of the 2025 Leadership GreaterKalamazoo cohort, please complete your application by the deadline of this Friday, October 25. Find out more information here: https://lnkd.in/giqrE4K6

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber had a great turnout at our monthly Rise & Thrive Coffee Connect at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in Portage last week! Attendees connected over coffee and treats as they learned more about the significant value and convenience the airport offers by serving the business community in Southwest Michigan. Thank you to Honor Credit Union for sponsoring our monthly Rise & Thrive Coffee Connect events!

Join us this Friday, October 25 at Nanny's Family Restaurant in Mattawan for a morning of coffee and conversation with several of our elected officials in a small group setting. Our program format is designed to provide you with a high level of engagement and discussion. And, of course, coffee is provided! Check out the list of local officials attending at the link below and reserve your spot today! https://lnkd.in/dV-qWqaS

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber is excited to be a part of the Black & Brown Connect Mixer Series! September's event was the third and final event in the Small Business Seeds for Growth series, powered by Huntington National Bank and in partnership with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Kappa Psi Lambda. We heard from not one, but two different panels at this event. The first panel included business support resource providers who shared what they do and how they continue to serve this community of business owners. The second panel featured a group of business owners who shared their inspiring success stories, letting others know how they were able to successfully navigate our local ecosystem and achieve the next level of success. Special thanks to our special guest speakers and panelists, Huntington Bank, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and Stryker for their continued support of the Black & Brown Connect Mixer Series!

The BOSS is back! The Southwest Michigan First Chamber is hosting our Business Owners Sharing Solutions (BOSS) Workgroup on Friday. This facilitated and highly productive morning session is designed to ensure you get the most value from your time while building a network of sharp and savvy leaders. The goal? Collaborating with your peers to share and workshop solutions for your business. Space is limited. Learn more about this and other upcoming Chamber events and reserve your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gy5jrSbk

Learn how Kalamazoo RESA's Career Connect program is providing opportunities for area students to explore in-demand careers at their MiCareerQuest Community Night. This free, family-friendly event will be held on Tuesday, October 22 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center. Check out all the details! https://lnkd.in/eNrDkU2H

After two decades of vacancy, the iconic Cass County Administration building has been painstakingly restored through the incredible work of our partners: construction firm ELITE COMPANIES, architect Intersect Studio, and owner's representative PlazaCorp Realty Advisors, Inc. Working closely with the skilled trades and Cass County, Michigan Government administrators, they've preserved history while embracing the future, revitalizing this community treasure for generations to come. Plus, the work was completed just in time for the community to celebrate its 125th anniversary with a public open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 11! Check out the full story and see the incredible transformation at the link below! https://lnkd.in/gpUMhZQT #HistoricRestoration #CommunityRevitalization #125YearsStrong #CassCounty #Construction #Architecture #skilledtrades #CommunityGrowth

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber was pleased to offer another way for our members to engage with one another in the communities we serve. Last week, members came together at Care Collective of Southwest Michigan to sort and pack diapers of all sizes and period supplies into smaller and more discreet packaging, ready for distribution at schools and support organizations around the region. Thank you to everyone who volunteered at this event. Thank you also to Care Collective for how well you care and support multigenerational wellbeing. We are grateful for you!