Michigan Business Network

Chris Holman welcomes Rodney Cole, President, DTE Foundation, Chelsea, MI, and also Crystal Houston, Executive Branch Director, Bethany Christian Services, East Lansing, MI. The DTE Foundation awarded $310,000 across 12 Michigan nonprofits through its inaugural Community Transformation Grant program, which drew over 115 submissions and exceeded its original $150,000 budget due to the strength of the applicants. Rodney Cole, President of the DTE Foundation, emphasized the program's goal of discovering new partnerships and addressing community needs across Michigan. One recipient, Bethany Christian Services, represented by Executive Branch Director Crystal Houston, will use its grant to serve over 800 youth and 1,500 parents and community members through programs including alternative education, GED and pre-apprenticeship certifications, life skills development, and workforce readiness training. Cole noted that Bethany serves one of the most resource-deprived communities in Michigan, making the partnership especially meaningful. The DTE Foundation confirmed plans to continue the Community Transformation Grant initiative in 2025. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Chris Holman welcomes Kevin Moran, President and Owner, Dream Machine LLC, South Lyon, MI. Kevin Moran, president and owner of Dream Machine LLC, joined Michigan Business Beat to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and two inventions he runs as lean, laptop-based businesses. His background spans engineering roles at Chrysler, working with 5-hour Energy founder Manoj Bhargava, and growing a radiation detection company from 8 to 50 employees before launching his own products. The first product, the "Oil Udder," is a magnetic funnel designed to catch oil drips when removing a car's spin-on oil filter, currently sold mainly through Amazon. His second invention, a gravity-fed dog shower attachment, aims to reduce stress and anxiety in dogs during bath time by replacing harsh spray pressure with a gentler, waterfall-like flow. Moran also participates in the Michigan Inventors Coalition Expos, where he mentors early-stage inventors on how much can be accomplished from home with minimal overhead before major investment is needed. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Chris Holman welcomes Meghan Ziehmer, Executive Director, Lansing Sports Commission, Lansing, MI. The Lansing Sports Commission, a division of Choose Lansing, serves as the region's sports tourism organization by soliciting, creating, and fully operating sporting events — distinguishing itself from typical destination marketing organizations by being hands-on with event logistics. Summer 2024 was exceptionally active, highlighted by MHSAA finals in baseball, softball, and soccer, a USA play national championship that drew roughly 2,000 participants and 8,000 spectators, and numerous other events nearly every weekend. Fall is shaping up to be equally busy, with upcoming events including the Spartan Invitational cross country meet (3,000 participants), the Capital Area Autumn Classic soccer tournament (3,500 players), chaos softball, and the Capital City River Run. Executive Director Meghan Ziehmer emphasized the significant economic impact these roughly 9,000 visiting athletes have on the greater Lansing region through hotel stays, dining, and local spending. Looking ahead, the Commission is optimistic about 2025 and 2026, with several major event announcements pending, though the sports booking window tends to be shorter than other industries. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Chris Holman welcomes Jason Mellema, Superintendent. Ingham Intermediate School District, Mason, MI. From a community and economic standpoint, what impact would a nearly $100 million investment in special education facilities have on the region? Why is now the right time to replace or upgrade facilities like the Beekman Center and Heartwood School, rather than continue maintaining older buildings? How does investing in safer, more accessible, and modern learning environments translate into better long-term outcomes for students and the workforce? For taxpayers and business leaders, how should they think about the cost, like the estimated $55 per year on a $200,000 home, relative to the long-term benefits? What opportunities does this bond create for local contractors, suppliers, and economic activity during construction and beyond? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Chris Holman welcomes back Jason Cords, Executive Manager, Shaheen Chevrolet, Shaheen Cadillac, Lansing, MI. There were several questions he wanted to cover with Jason in this conversation: For today’s customers, how do you balance vehicle sales, financing, and service to deliver a full “one-stop” automotive experience? How does having a large inventory and service capacity help you stay competitive in the Mid-Michigan auto market? What role do after-sales services like maintenance, inspections, and protection plans play in building long-term customer relationships and revenue? How do you create a premium, “luxury-level” customer experience across sales, financing, and service to stand out in a competitive auto market? How is Cadillac’s growing EV lineup, like the Cadillac Lyriq and Cadillac Escalade IQ, changing customer demand and dealership strategy today? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Chris Holman welcomes back Ben Bakken, CFP®, CEPA®, Senior VP, Lansing Market Director, Tri-Star Trust Bank, Lansing, MI. Segment 1 [Chris welcomes Ben for his mini-series (The Owner's Game Plan)]: Welcome back, Ben. Remind us about Tri-Star Trust Bank. Could you share about your career path? So, you will be hosting an upcoming mini-series for Michigan Business Network. Tell us about that? Why is it crucial for the business community to understand this topic better in 2026? Any guests or core subtopics you can let us in on at this point? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Chris Holman welcomes back Suzanne Greenberg, CEO/Executive Director of Children Trust Michigan, Lansing, MI. Children Trust Michigan has been working to keep kids safe for almost 45 years, but some folks may not be entirely familiar with your efforts. Can you give our listeners a quick picture of what the organization does and why the work of child abuse prevention matters? April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. How has Children Trust Michigan been raising awareness, and what message do you most want Michigan families, businesses, and community leaders to take away from your efforts? Research consistently shows that investing in childhood wellbeing pays dividends for community health and economic vitality down the road. How can Michigan businesses play a meaningful role in strengthening families? Next month, you have another big event coming up. The Pam Posthumus Signature Auction is one of the state’s most anticipated philanthropic occasions. What makes this auction so important to the mission of Children Trust Michigan? Each year, the Auction features a unique Mission Moment. Can you explain to listeners what that is and the impact it has? For listeners who want to get involved, whether as individuals, organizations, or corporate partners. What are the best ways to support prevention efforts throughout the year? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Recording Date: March 25, 2026 Location: Capital Region International Airport (LAN) Rick Snyder - CEO at SensCy Gateway, Avalon, Ardesta, State of Michigan Rick Snyder served two terms as Governor of Michigan from 2011-2018. He led an economically depressed bottom 10 state to top-10 status in eight years. Michigan became a national and regional leader in private sector job creation and increases in per capita income. He was responsible for restructuring Detroit, which was critical to enabling its great comeback. Multiple other major economic, educational, infrastructure, cybersecurity and quality of life programs were implemented during tenure. Rick also founded two $100 million venture capital investment firms – Avalon Investments and Ardesta. Successful exits included Health Media, HandiLab and Esperion. Snyder previously served as chairman and president of Gateway which was a leading PC company. During his six years working at Gateway, it grew from 600 to 13,000 employees and $600mm to $6 billion in revenue. His career began at Coopers & Lybrand where he rose to partner in six years where he did tax and mergers and acquisitions services. He has been actively involved in many non-profits, including service as the first chair of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Ann Arbor Spark. For information about SensCy® go to: https://senscy.com/about/ View Presentation PDF https://michiganbusinessnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/Combined_Presentation_Rick_Snyder_2026-03-25.pdf The SensCy Score® To schedule your SensCy Score™ go to: https://senscy.com/the-senscy-score/ » Visit MBN website: http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: http://www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: http://twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/