e state of Michigan had a stable year for venture capital in 2024, with $1.08 billion in investments across the year. at’s despite seeing a sharp quarterly decline in venture capital invested in the nal quarter of 2024, falling to $178 million compared to $648 million in Q3, according to a quarterly report by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association.
at $1.08 billion is spread across 184 deals, up from 169 total deals totaling $1.05 billion in 2023. It marks the rst time that venture capital investing hasn’t fallen across the state since it peaked in 2021.
Despite being a stable year for the VC industry, Michigan’s success in 2025 will hinge on how well the market can embrace arti cial intelligence, said Adrian Fortino, managing director for Texas-based venture capital rm Mercury Fund’s Midwest o ce in Ann Arbor.
“I don’t think we’re going to see a massive in ection either way (for 2025). I think it’s going to be relatively consistent,” Fortino said. “ e question really is, moving forward, how much will be strictly AI versus others, and how strong a presence can Michigan build its own AI expertise somewhere on the tech stack?” Fortino predicts the AI trend that
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PAGE 8
Rocket reveals all-new logos and branding
By Nick Manes
Rocket Companies Inc. has rolled out a signi cant overhaul of its well-established branding, part of a long-stated effort to bring innovation to the challenged housing and home nance sector.
e Detroit-based umbrella organiza-
tion for a suite of consumer nancial services companies — including the wellknown Rocket Mortgage brand — on Jan. 14 rolled out all new logos and branding for myriad lines of business, including its title and B2B mortgage lending arms, according to a news release.
Also, long an advertising mainstay
After a prison stint for a marijuana operation, he’s found ‘Redemption.’ PAGE 3
during professional football’s biggest game, Rocket returns to the Super Bowl airwaves this year.
e “bold refresh (is) designed to position Rocket as one of the most inclusive brands in America,” according to the
See ROCKET on Page 18
REAL ESTATE
Project would bring apartments to Avenue of Fashion. PAGE 4
CONVERSATION
Focus: Hope CEO Portia Roberson on talk of mayoral run, mission focus. PAGE 22
Newlab at Michigan Central, a startup incubator, is one of the driving forces in accelerating the venture capital ecosystem in Detroit. STEPHEN MCGEE/ MICHIGAN CENTRAL
Crain’s Newsmakers of the Year include (top row) Santa Ono, Alexis Wiley, Claude Molinari, (second row) Mike Duggan, Vinnie Johnson, (third row) Johnnie Turnage and Alexa Turnage, (bottom row) Tom Shea, Greg Lehmkuhl and Mary Barra.
Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., is Crain’s Newsmaker of the Year.
Pontiac hospital under stress after losing Medicare funding
By Dustin Walsh
Pontiac General Hospital is in dire nancial straits after federal regulators pulled Medicare reimbursement.
e for-pro t hospital, which is o cially named Oakland Physicians Medical Center LLC, led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. District Court in Detroit in late November after the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it would strip its Medicare funding for a variety of noncompliance in nursing, medical sta , patient rights and other issues.
Neither the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services nor Pontiac General have elaborated on the violations.
Court records show that the troubled behavioral hospital is largely dependent on Medicare reimbursement.
In November, the hospital generated a $2.3 million net income on $5.43 million in revenue. In turn, the hospital projected a $950,000 loss on revenue of just $1 million in December, an 81.5% decline month over month.
e hospital, however, led for bankruptcy protection ahead of losing Medicare reimbursement, and the hospital is still solvent, according to court records.
e company has assets of nearly $22.4 million, including $10.9 million in properties and $4.6 million of outstanding payments it is owed. Pontiac General lists $1.26 million in total liabilities.
Most hospital bankruptcies involve a web of errors and nancial constraints before they become insolvent, Kelly Arduino, health care practice leader for Madison, Wis.based consulting rm Wip i LLP.
“Usually when a hospital goes into bankruptcy it’s not the result of one speci c event,” she wrote in an email to Crain’s. “Although Medicare is a large payor for hospitals and in particular rural hospitals where the majority of the patients have Medicare as their primary payor, that is only a component of the overall operations.”
In response to CMS terminating its reimbursement, Pontiac General planned to lay o 248 employees in waves over November and December, including mental health technicians.
At the time of its November monthly operating report, led on Jan. 8, Pontiac General had laid o 125 employees.
It’s unclear how many total employees are now laid o . e company’s CEO and majority owner Sanyam Sharma has not responded to Crain’s inquiries on the bankruptcy.
Founded in the early 1900s as the rst hospital in Oakland County, Pontiac General was owned originally by the city of Pontiac as a safety net provider. But the city sold it in 1993 and it became North Oakland Medical Centers. After 15 years of unpro tability, it led for bankruptcy in 2008.
A group of 42 physicians and McLaren Health Care acquired the troubled hospital out of bankruptcy and renamed it Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan. ree years and zero pro ts later, McLaren sold its 35% stake to physician investors.
From 2009 to 2014, the Doctors’ Hospital lost more than $73 million. A $2 million judgment against the hospital and accreditation
problems led to the physician investors ling Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2015.
Sharma entered the fray when his family’s private equity rm Sant Partners acquired the hospital out of its second bankruptcy. e Sharma family got the hospital by writing o a $1.5 million loan it had made to Doctors’ Hospital and assuming $13 million of the hospital’s outstanding debt.
e family made Sharma CEO of the reminted for-pro t Oakland Physicians Medical Center LLC, doing business as Pontiac General Hospital, in 2016 at just 24 years old.
Under Sharma, Pontiac General faced more challenges.
Sharma was wrapped in a payto-play scheme in which parents paid the hospital — $400,000 in one lawsuit — for placement in the hospital’s family medicine residency program. It also faced employee complaints and failed state inspections.
e hospital also expanded its psychiatric ward in recent years to more than 100 beds. at, too, led to controversy as media reports allege the hospital was keeping patients against their will.
It’s also the second hospital that has failed under leadership of the Sharma family.
Galesburg Cottage Hospital in Illinois reportedly shuttered in early 2022 after CMS announced it was ending its Medicare contract with the facility and only 18 months after it was acquired by the Sharma family.
Cottage Hospital was also not in compliance with CMS for patient rights, nursing services, physical environment and governing body. CMS had determined conditions were not safe for patients.
Soon after CMS revoked reimbursement, Cottage Hospital led for bankruptcy protection before shuttering days later. It’s now been closed for three years.
For now, Pontiac General remains open, albeit with severely reduced capacity.
Pontiac General Hospital has a long history of operational failures and nancial struggles.
KIRK PINHO
After prison for cannabis, he’s getting his ‘Redemption’
Marijuana company owner sells his story along with product
By Dustin Walsh
This spring, Ryan Basore will return to Morgantown, W.Va.
It will have been a decade since he walked out of federal prison there, after serving three years for federal drug crimes linked to a 41-plant medical marijuana grow operation in Okemos in the early days of legalization in Michigan.
But Basore, 48, will return to West Virginia as an owner and operator of a newer, growing marijuana company. His Lansing-based Redemption Cannabis Co. will find its products in a dispensary of one of the U.S.’s largest cannabis operators, Trulieve Cannabis Corp.
“What they did to me and my family … I was a mess going into prison,” said Basore, whose soft voice and wide shoulders say more small-town barstool intellectual than hardened inmate. “My attitude going in was to use this as my crucible moment. I started walking. I lost 70 pounds. I read 300 books, mostly about branding. I did 100 sweats with the Native American group in prison. I did everything I could so that I was shot out of cannon when I got out. I knew I was getting right back in the industry.”
Basore has spent the last 10 years rebuilding his life — his brother-in-law and father-in-law were also swept up in the federal prosecution and served federal time — and building his brand. Redemption Cannabis is as
much a story as it is a product.
Basore uses his indictment as a battering ram against marijuana drug laws — he helped author Michigan’s adult-use laws that allowed for those with federal charges to gain access to cannabis business licenses and raised funds for pot-friendly politicians like Attorney General Dana Nessel — and as a means to grow his company. Redemption Cannabis donates money to federal prisoners and it got the attention of Trulieve, which is now expanding the Redemption brand across the nation, currently in four states and adding a fifth in West Virginia.
Basore, a longtime marijuana user and advocate, left a real estate insurance career to open Lansing’s first medical marijuana provisioning center, Capital City Caregivers, in 2010. The success of that operation led Basore to open a medical marijuana cultivation site a few miles down the road in Okemos.
At that time, then-President Barack Obama had eased federal restrictions on state legalization of marijuana. Michigan voters approved the medical marijuana caregiver laws in 2008, but the in-
Weed is cheaper than ever. Michigan still broke a sales record in 2024.
By Dustin Walsh
Despite turbulent market conditions, Michigan remains the country’s undisputed kingpin of legal weed.
In 2024, the industry sold more than $3.29 billion in marijuana, an increase of 7.6% over 2023, according to newly released data from the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency.
On a per capita basis, that’s $327.91 worth of marijuana per resident in the state. For context, the country’s largest legal weed market, California, only sold $121.24 worth of marijuana per capita in 2024.
The continued growth in Michigan is squarely due to record-low prices and availability, a formula that’s created financial havoc among cultivators and processors. Adult-use marijuana prices plummeted nearly 26% between the start and end of the year to an average of just $69.20 for an ounce of adult-use marijuana flower.
Two major cultivators recently announced closures.
Chicago-based PharmaCann told employees it would shutter its 207,000-square-foot LivWell Michigan cultivation site in Warren, laying off 222, this month. Fluresh LLC, doing business as Tend.Harvest.Cultivate, announced it was closing down its $46 million, 105,000-square-foot grow facility in Adrian at the end of November.
Oversupply of cannabis is a
prime driver of low prices causing industry strain.
But those low prices continue to drive consumers to the market to spend more.
Michigan consumers bought nearly 6.5 million pounds of marijuana in 2024, more than 1.4 million pounds more than in 2023 — and a million pounds more than the weight of all the steel used in Ford Field.
dustry largely existed in a gray area with few rules and then-Attorney General Bill Schuette rallying to upend the law and give county prosecutors authority to shut them down. Schuette later won a Michigan Supreme Court Case in 2013 that said medical dispensaries could be shuttered over the Michigan Public Health code classifying them as a “public nuisance.”
Basore said he was careful in opening the grow site, allowing the Michigan State Police and other law enforcement to inspect the operations before moving forward.
But Basore was outspoken for the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana, and against Schuette. Despite believing he had the blessing of the federal government, Basore’s operations were raided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, National Guard and the MSP on Dec. 1, 2010, only months after the cultivation site opened.
The investigation would take more than two years, resulting in Basore being indicted on 13 federal counts for the manufacturing and distribution of marijuana.
Fairlane mall dodges lawsuit from lender — for now
By Kirk Pinho
Fairlane Town Center, less than two years into its new ownership, has avoided receivership.
A Wayne County Circuit Court judge on Jan. 8 denied a lender’s request that the Dearborn mall be placed under the control of Dallas-based Trigild Property Management LLC — which previously was the mall’s receiver under different ownership. Annette Berry, the
judge, also said in her order that a fresh receivership request could be considered on or after Feb. 17.
Fairlane, built in 1976, has struggled financially for the past few years.
The Detroit Free Press first reported the decision on Jan. 10.
An entity called PSOF WA Holding LLC, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Peachtree Group, sued
Running afoul
Ryan Basore, founder of Redemption Cannabis, this month in Lansing DaLE yOunG
Cannabis plants in a greenhouse at Pincanna in Pinconning in June. | nIC anTaya
Fairlane, built in 1976, has struggled financially for the past few years.
Project would bring more apartments to Avenue of Fashion
There’s another proposal to build new housing along Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion.
A joint venture between Warren-based builder Brown Schroeder & Co. and Shelby Township-based BmK Design+Planning LLC is planning to tear down the former Fred’s Furniture Liquidation Inc. store at 20201 Livernois Ave. a block and a half south of Eight Mile Road and replace it with a $14.2 million mixed-use building. e three-story building would include 50 apartments, plus a 4,000-square-foot restaurant and another 3,000-square-foot commercial space, said Kevin Schroeder of Brown Schoeder & Co.
On Jan. 14, Schroder said demolition would begin this spring and construction would wrap up in 2027. He said there is a signed letter of intent with a local restaurant owner, but declined to identify them. e joint venture purchased the nearly 18,000-square-foot building for $975,000 in 2023, according to CoStar Group Inc.
According to city council briefing documents, the new building is
expected to be comprised of the following:
◗ 12 studios averaging 445 square feet with rents between $1,115 and $1,370 per month. Six of them would be considered a ordable at
60%-80% of the Area Median Income.
◗ 34 one-bedroom units averaging 620 square feet and renting between $836 and $2,050 per month. ree would be considered affordable.
◗ Four two-bedroom units (two considered a ordable) averaging 995 square feet and renting for between $1,201 and $2,400 a month.
e $14.2 million development is being funded with $10.81 million in debt, $1.78 million in owner equity, $1.5 million in grants and deferred fees totaling $121,000, according to the brie ng documents for the city council, which is considering a Public Act 210 Commercial Rehabilitation Act tax abatement and a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone abatement.
e CRA abatement is valued at about $157,000, while the NEZ is valued at approximately $965,000.
e project is the latest large proposal for the Livernois corridor, which has seen a slew of new
businesses open in recent years and a revamped streetscape. e former B. Siegel department store was redeveloped into apartments and retail space at Livernois and Seven Mile, and a trio of developers has proposed a 38-unit devel-
opment on West McNichols three blocks west of Livernois that’s expected to start vertical construction this quarter.
Fred’s Furniture still has a large location on Eight Mile Road in Warren.
Auto supplier Piston Group parts ways with CFO
By Kurt Nagl
Automotive supplier Piston Group has parted ways with its chief nancial o cer after two years.
Hughey Newsome no longer works for the South eld-based company, which he joined in December 2022 after a three-year stint managing nances for Wayne County, the company conrmed.
Details of Newsome’s departure are unclear as is the company’s plan to ll the role.
Piston and Newsome declined to comment.
C-suite moves at the supplier have garnered special attention
over the past four years after the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council stripped Piston of its minority certi cation, arguing the company was run by white men. Piston, the largest Black-owned auto supplier in the
country, won a bench trial in August. e MMSDC appealed but has lost the backing of General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV, which are customers of Piston. Newsome reported to company founder and Chairman Vinnie Johnson, who in 2022 applauded Newsome’s “reputable background, nancial acumen and stellar experience” in a news release announcing the hire. Prior to the county, Newsome was CFO for the city of Flint, where he served in the wake of the lead-tainted water crisis. Since October, he has served as an adviser at Detroit-based management consultant Vertus, according to his LinkedIn pro le.
Kirk Pinho
The former Fred’s Furniture Liquidation Inc. store at 20201 Livernois Ave. in Detroit. | COSTAR GROUP INC.
A rendering of the proposed $14.2 million new building planned for the former Fred’s Furniture Liquidation Inc. store 20201 Livernois Ave. | BMK DESIGN+PLANNING LLC
PISTON GROUP
Great Lakes Way trail makes plans to shift leadership
By Sherri Welch
Five years into the development of the Great Lakes Way trail from Port Huron to Toledo, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is making plans to transition oversight of the project.
The move comes with almost 70% of the now-167 miles of greenways planned completed or usable and growing public access for kayaks, canoes and other crafts to the water trails along it, according to a new report from the foundation.
The developing trail between Michigan and Ohio is spurring conversation among the eight Great Lakes states about a new regional trail system and with Canadian officials about cross-border tourism opportunities.
“The Community Foundation has played an important role to convene, research and make recommendations about next steps to complete the exciting vision for The Great Lakes Way throughout southeast Michigan,” Greg Yankee, associate vice president of programs at CFSEM, told Crain’s in an emailed statement.
The project will be moving into a phase where coordination between local, state, federal and Canadian partners on construction issues for the remaining gaps in the greenways is better handled by other organizations, he said.
CFSEM will remain involved with the project as an interested community partner and steward of the investments made, but “our role is to create and convene around the vision and then to determine who is best positioned to execute and maintain,” Yankee said.
“We are having conversations about transitioning the implementation for the next phase to experts in our region. It is too early to say what that might look like,” he said.
The Community Foundation, the largest contributor to the project, and six other funders provided a total of $1.5 million to support development and planning for the Great Lakes Way during its first five years, Yankee said.
John Hartig, who worked with the late U.S. Rep. John Dingell to establish the Detroit International Wildlife Refuge downriver, has led the project on behalf of CFSEM. His contract with the foundation ended last month, but Hartig said he is passionate about the Great Lakes Way and plans to remain involved in efforts to create the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in the U.S. with Michigan and seven other states through the Council of State Governments and create cross-border trail tourism with groups on both sides of the border.
“We have just a short amount of time, you know, nine months, and (the Gordie Howe International Bridge) is going to open,” Hartig said. “That is a catalyst, incentive and prod to get organized and get ready for these cross-border trail experiences.”
Completed trails
Some 116 miles of the Great Lakes Way greenways are now usable, Hartig said. That includes 88 miles of completed trails and 28 miles of partially completed trails that can be used but have yet to improve accessibility to meet best practice standards. Local nonprofit and governmental groups are leading development of the projects that make up the trail system and total hundreds of millions of dollars in investment over the years they’ve been developed, Hartig said.
Within the next year, another eight miles of greenways that have secured funding are also expected to come online, he said, bringing the total completed and funded tracts to 74%, up from about 65% five years ago. Improving access to the waterfronts along the trail for kayaks and canoes has also been a work in progress and is continuing as contaminated areas are remediated and additional funding becomes available.
Tourism across borders
Planning is underway for cross-border trail tourism with the expected opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge this fall and pedestrian/ bicyclist lanes on it, Hartig said.
Four major trail organizations are exploring cross-border collaboration on destination trail experiences like following the Underground Railroad from downtown Detroit to the cemeteries and churches of Windsor or studying the rum-running between the countries during Prohibition, he said. Those organizations are the Community Foundation; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, which championed the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail from the St. Lawrence River in Quebec to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; and
Trans Canada Trail, which stewards the 17,500-mile-long trail by the same name from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans.
The group is also exploring joint marketing and promotion and development of an app and other technology to connect trails on both sides of the border and enhance trail user experiences as part of a 2022 memorandum of understanding. Efforts include creating amenities for bicyclists who cross the border into one or both countries, working with local busi-
nesses in places like Detroit’s Mexicantown to become bicycle-friendly, creating maps and signage and working with groups like the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, Hartig said.
A report rounding up many of the cross-border trail tourism opportunities discussed during an October convening of more than 200 trail groups and government representatives is due this summer, he said.
A 2023 study commissioned by
the Community Foundation estimated the economic impact of the Great Lakes Way trail system in the range of $3.75 billion-$5 billion annually.
National designation?
The earlier plan to secure national trail designation for the Great Lakes Way — something that would also spur tourism and possibly federal funding — is also shifting.
The Community Foundation secured technical assistance from the National Park Service and worked with U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell for several years to secure the national designation, but it failed to gain traction, Hartig said, and “I don’t think it can happen right now … because of the politics.”
The multi-year effort attracted the attention of leaders in other Midwest states and has spurred talks about a multi-state trail that would include the Great Lakes Way, he said.
The eight Great Lakes states (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York) are meeting every few months through the Council of State Governments with the Waterfront Regeneration Trust in Canada to explore the idea of mirroring the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in Canada in the United States and connecting it to the Canadian trail through the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the Peace Bridge near Niagara Falls and other crossings, Hartig said.
Growing public access for kayaks, canoes and other crafts is part of the Great Lakes Way efforts. CraIn’S DETrOIT BuSInESS
Time to focus on the Detroit mayor’s race
We live in a media environment in which the old adage that all politics is local is increasingly turned on its head.
Hyperpartisanship, supercharged by silos molded by social media and cable television, has too often led to the nationalization of politics.
The race for president of the United States has understandably commanded nearly all of our electoral attention. With Donald Trump set to be sworn into office Jan. 20, while his administration will rightfully be a focus, we encourage readers to put eyes on elected office closer to home.
Local politics matter — especially this year, in Detroit.
That’s because Mayor Mike Duggan has chosen not to seek a fourth term and instead stand for election for governor of Michigan in 2026.
Duggan is running as an independent and has thrown his hat in the ring early in an effort to build support in what will surely be a hard-fought trek as he seeks to break through to Michigan voters in an entrenched two-party system.
There will be plenty of time later to focus on the governor’s race. Indeed, that election is more than 21 months away.
Duggan’s decision creates a more urgent, and local, question: Who will be the
COMMENTARY
next mayor of Detroit?
Let that sink in for a moment. After more than a decade as mayor, a time in which he has been a competent and steady presence, leading the city out of bankruptcy and onto a solid path of recovery, Duggan will no longer be the chief executive in charge of the city.
Let’s be honest: it’s a little unnerving to think about. Quality leadership cannot be taken for granted in a democracy, which is why it is not too early to start paying attention and engaging with the local political process.
Who the next mayor of Detroit is matters far beyond the city’s borders. Anyone who owns a business or works in the city, and
pays income taxes to the city, should care who the next mayor is. Anyone who comes into the city for a ballgame, a night at the theater or out to eat should care who the next mayor is.
The city’s success and reputation uplift or sink the entire region.
And that’s not to mention city government’s economic impact. It’s a multibillion-dollar organization that is the city’s own largest employer. The mayor is its CEO and needs to be not just a skilled politician, but a cheerleader-in-chief, a salesperson, an executive presence commensurate with the city’s scale, a bridge to the business community, and a connector in
Washington and Lansing.
The New York Times recently named Detroit a top travel destination for 2025, citing its “remarkable signs of renewal.”
Anyone who recognizes the value of Detroit’s vastly improved image — thanks in no small part to Duggan — should care who the next mayor is.
The health of the city of Detroit matters to the region and to the entire state. While the city has made incredible strides under Duggan, it still has a long way to go. It needs more residents, more jobs, higher incomes, better transit, improved schools, more efficient city services, just to name the top areas for improvement.
A handful of local leaders have announced their candidacies so far, most recently former councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins as well as current council President Mary Sheffield.
The filing deadline is April 22, followed by the primary election on Aug. 5 and runoff between the top two finishers on Nov. 4. Now is the formative time to learn about the candidates, both declared and potential, and engage in the process. While it may not garner the attention of what’s happening in Washington or even Lansing, the next mayor of Detroit could have just as much, or more, impact on the daily lives of the region’s residents and businesses.
Remembering when Jimmy Carter made an impact in Detroit
President Jimmy Carter leaves a legacy of compassion, humility, kindness, and peacemaking. While world leaders reflect on his greatness, we in Detroit had the privilege of working directly with him. We consider ourselves fortunate, as he profoundly impacted our lives.
During our tenure with Habitat for Humanity in Detroit, we oversaw and managed several Habitat Blitzes, where six to 20 homes were constructed in a week. Our dedicated team of staff, volunteers, donors, business executives, corporate volunteers, and religious leaders came together with families to help them build and own homes, lifting them up in the process.
Many involved with Habitat for Humanity Detroit, including us, had volunteered with President Carter in different countries. He was well aware of the power of his name and willingly offered it along with his volunteer service.
As we recall, it was President Carter who suggested to Habitat International that the 2005 Habitat for Humanity build should take place in Michigan, specifically in Detroit, Benton Harbor, and Windsor, Canada. He chose Benton Harbor because he had witnessed the civil unrest there and wanted to heal the divide by bringing people together to build homes for those in need.
Detroit opted to build 30 homes in the Core City Neighborhood, a place chosen for its strong community involvement.
As is customary, we hosted a fundraising event to thank donors and welcome guests. The atmosphere was electric, but it was President Carter who set the tone. Despite having Secret Service agents around him, they were unobtrusive. He approached us with a handshake and introduced himself simply: “Hello, I’m Jimmy Carter.” He mingled with the guests, posed for photos, and when the program began, we had to adjust the schedule to accommodate local politicians who were in a hurry. In contrast, President Carter stayed until the end.
True to form, he explained to the audience that he was in Detroit, Benton Harbor, and Windsor to volunteer. He and his team would be building homes, and if possible, he preferred not to be disturbed while working. Those of us who had traveled abroad with him knew the protocol and ensured it was followed.
Like all volunteers, President Carter began his day by holding hands with the family whose house he was building and then started hammering. Each house had a leader, sub-leaders, and volunteers. His team was a mix of skilled carpenters and volunteers, many of whom had never held a hammer before.
Since the build was spread across three locations, President Carter divided his time
between Detroit, Benton Harbor, and Windsor. While on-site, he worked alongside his team, including members of his family who mirrored his work ethic. Volunteers came from all over the world to participate in the Jimmy Carter Build, including the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem and several bishops.
When his work was done, he visited each construction site, posing for pictures with volunteers who were thrilled to work alongside him.
President Carter was not an ordinary man or political leader — he was a servant leader who led by example. He was a man of deep conviction, dedicated to building a peaceful, healthy, and safe world for all.
As President, he was ahead of his time, but more importantly, he redefined what it means to be a humanitarian. His accomplishments are too numerous to list, but for those of us fortunate enough to meet and work with him, we aspire to follow in his footsteps by serving and healing the world. He was a rare human being, a great American who will be deeply missed. More importantly, he will be remembered as a humble, honorable, and powerful example of all that is great about America.
John E. Mogk is former Habitat for Humanity Detroit chairman, Terry Ahwal is former president of the organization, and Rob Dewaelsche is former executive director.
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter attach siding to the front of a Habitat for Humanity home in a photo from 2003.
By John E. Mogk, Terry Ahwal and Rob Dewaelsche
Consumers, DTE land $14B in loan guarantees for projects
By Andy Balaskovitz, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business
Michigan’s two largest investor-owned utilities have received more than $14 billion in conditional loan guarantees from the Biden administration to invest in renewable energy, battery storage and natural gas modernization projects.
DTE Energy and Consumers Energy will receive most of the total $22.92 billion in loan financing announced Jan. 16 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office for eight utilities serving millions of customers across the country.
The loans, which provide more favorable interest rates for utilities compared to the commercial market, will support both Consumers’ and DTE’s electric and gas operations. DOE officials say savings from the lower-cost financing would be passed on to ratepayers.
The $5.23 billion for Jackson-based Consumers, which applied for the loan in December 2023, will support proposed investments through 2031 in solar, wind and battery storage projects as well as replacing 1,000 miles of legacy gas pipelines.
“Consumers Energy is making investments to strengthen Michigan’s electric grid and provide reliable, affordable and clean electric and natural gas service to our state’s residents. The conditional commitment from the Department of Energy, if completed, could lower costs for the customers we serve through lower-interest federal loans,” the utility said in a statement.
Detroit-based DTE’s electric utility was selected for a $7.17 billion conditional loan to “help finance significant generation and battery storage,” including a $460 million battery storage project at its former Trenton Channel coal plant. DTE’s gas utility will use the $1.64 billion loan to accelerate upgrades to gas main and distribution lines and to move gas meters outdoors.
“These loan guarantees could lower financing costs for future gas and electric projects, which we would pass on to customers in support of our mission to provide safe, affordable and cleaner energy to millions of Michiganders,” DTE spokesperson Dan Miner said in a statement.
The batch of conditional loans announced Jan. 16 were among the Biden administration’s last attempts to push out funding from the Inflation Reduction Act before President-elect Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
As well, questions remain about whether the conditional loans would be finalized after Trump takes office. A DOE official reportedly said last week that conditional loans are a binding agreement and the conditional commitment means funds are obligated.
Since Trump’s election in November, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office has come under fire from some GOP members of
Congress who want to scale back the office and claim it puts public money at risk. The Loan Programs Office under Biden has issued nearly $55 billion in loans across 32 deals, and more recently has rushed to finalize loans before Trump takes office, Canary Media reported. However, the office’s future role remains unclear, as Republicans could tailor it to support their favored sources of energy, such as nuclear or fossil fuels. A report last year from Politico also found Loan Programs Office-backed projects are mostly in Republican districts.
As of Dec. 31, 2024, the Loan
Programs Office had issued $69 billion in loans and loan guarantees and $41.2 billion in loan commitments, with $40.5 billion dispersed, according to the department. Recipients had repaid $20.8 billion in principal and interest. The office said its actual and estimated losses totaled $1.03 billion since it was created in 2005.
In Michigan, the Loan Programs Office has finalized nearly $4.5 billion in loans, including $1.5 billion to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in Southwest Michigan and $2.5 billion for Ultium Cell LLC’s battery plant outside Lansing.
DTE Energy’s Lapeer solar project | DTE EnErGy CO.
For Detroit, 2024 was a year of culminations.
Long-anticipated projects and events came to fruition, perhaps none so dramatic as the reopening of renovated Michigan Central Station, empty for nearly 40 years. It made its 21st century debut to tens of thousands of visitors eager to look at its marble expanses and lovingly restored finishes.
For his vision in starting this journey to reinvigoration, Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford is our Newsmaker of the Year.
But the rest of our list of top Newsmakers of 2024 is no less impactful. They shepherded events like the NFL Draft, years in the making, that put Detroit and its resurgence front and center on the national stage. Two of them led two of the biggest IPOs of the year. A husband-andwife team started a tech meetup that’s turning into a national phenomenon. And some firmly set in motion plans and projects that we’ll be watching for years to come.
Crain’s will honor Ford and all of our Newsmakers at a luncheon Feb. 20 at Michigan Central Station. Tickets can be purchased for the luncheon at crainsdetroit.com/ newsmakers.
Bill Ford Executive chairman, Ford Motor Co.
Despite being at the center of one of America’s greatest comeback stories, Bill Ford deflects talk of his legacy.
Sure, the 67-year-old executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. is proud of delivering a nearly $1 billion restoration of Michigan Central, once synonymous with Detroit’s decay, now a symbol of its phoenix-like rise.
Guiding the Dearborn-based automaker through a once-in-acentury transformation has been no easy feat for the great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, either. By most every account, Bill Ford had a banner year in 2024. The Detroit Lions’ ascent from league laughingstock to champions of the North, and all that it’s meant for the city and Ford family name, is icing on the cake.
But legacy? Save that talk for the historians.
“I hope I’m not finished, so I don’t worry about that,” Bill Ford told Crain’s in an interview. “My legacy, whether it’s at Ford or in the community or wherever else, I’ll let other people sort that out.”
The way he figures, the future of the automaker — and of Detroit and Michigan, for that matter — is being decided right now. Hard-charging and flashy competitors, from Tesla to Chinese startups, are vying for automotive supremacy.
Incumbents like Ford who were initially caught flat-footed in the electric vehicle race, are now fighting tooth and nail — biting kneecaps, you could say — to keep the Motor City crown.
The truth is, Bill Ford knew Detroit was in trouble decades ago.
After joining the board of eBay in 2005, he made monthly trips to Silicon Valley, where he met the brightest of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. He had a realization: The future wasn’t being invented in his hometown.
“I could see that all these really interesting technologies were being developed there, and none of them were being developed here, particularly as it pertained to the future of mobility,” he said. “And I wanted to change that.”
That set the wheels in motion for one of the most important redevelopment projects in Detroit’s history. The Michigan Central train depot, abandoned for nearly 40 years, reopened last June with a who’s who celebration televised nationwide.
“I’m so happy that people love it, and that it’s becoming a magnet to pull people in. … And it’s helping Detroit get a lot of great
national and international press,” Bill Ford said.
He and his wife, Lisa, are also proud to have marked the milestone by doubling their $10 million fundraising goal for local charities.
More than 1,000 Ford employees now work at Michigan Central, also home to Google’s Code Next and to-be-announced tenants including a boutique hotel on the upper floors. The adjacent Newlab is teeming with tech entrepreneurs, recently surpassing 100 startup tenants just shy of two years after opening.
When Bill Ford looks upon the budding 30-acre tech campus, though, “mission accomplished” is far from his mind. Now that the foundation has been set, the work happens.
“This really is going to be a lifeline for the city and economic development and really the development of technology for our industry,” he said.
While all eyes were on Detroit and Michigan Central in 2024, the company is making a mark beyond Corktown. Ford has restruc-
tured its real estate portfolio in Dearborn and is finishing up a “state of the art” engineering campus on the west side of the city that is “going to blow people away.”
In Marshall, Ford’s $2.5 billion EV battery factory is back on track after being scaled down to adjust for weaker-than-expected EV demand. Michigan won the investment after Ford made mammoth EV bets in Kentucky and Tennessee.
“We spent a lot of time with (Gov. Gretchen Whitmer) and the (Michigan Economic Development Corp.), talking about what a competitive state looks like,” Bill Ford said. “I do think it’s in better shape now to attract future business.”
Educating politicians on the auto industry’s importance takes up a big chunk of Bill Ford’s time these days. He took a call earlier this month from President-Elect Donald Trump to discuss tariffs, emissions standards and manufacturing in America.
It is impossible to predict what the next four years will bring, the chairman said. All the automak-
er can focus on is developing a diverse portfolio of “maximum optionality,” and making EVs more affordable, because as Bill Ford explains it, “product lead times are longer than political lead times.”
Nor would the auto scion, also a diehard Lions fan, care to make any predictions about “America’s team.” But hosting another big celebration in Detroit, for a team Bill Ford helped bring downtown into a stadium bearing the family name, would be a heck of a lot of fun, he said.
No sense in getting caught up in what ifs, though. As in business and sports, the hard work being done right now will determine the future. And sure, 2024 was a “great year all the way around,” but Bill Ford only looks back when he is asked to.
“Because everybody’s life, there’s positive, there’s negative. There’s successes, there are failures. I just feel like as long as I’m moving forward and trying to do good things, that’s kind of what’s motivating me.”
— Kurt Nagl
Mike Duggan
Mayor, city of Detroit
When Mayor Mike Duggan took charge of Detroit a dozen years ago, he prioritized restoring basic services as the city emerged from bankruptcy.
Most important, he said, was tearing down or selling many of a staggering 47,000 abandoned houses to improve residents’ quality of life and, from the standpoint of boosting people’s morale, turning on 500 streetlights a week.
By his second term, he and his team zeroed in on economic development, luring manufacturing plants and other investments to help lower the unemployment rate. In term three, e orts to ght violent crime and beautify the blighted city have intensi ed, he said. at includes an “astonishing” Joe Louis Greenway buildout, riverfront improvements, park upgrades and the teardown of the Packard plant that had symbolized Detroit’s decline.
Duggan realized in 2024 that this would be his last term, after ful lling a long-pledged promise for the population to rise under his watch for the rst time since 1957. He is the city’s second-longest-serving mayor and will undoubtedly go down as a key gure in its rebirth.
“It seemed like a natural time. I accomplished the goals I set out.
Santa Ono
… I feel good about where the city is,” he said, saying that “the usversus-them politics is dead in Detroit” and giving enormous credit to city council members. He expressed con dence that there is a talented pipeline of would-be mayors ready to step up and lead.
Next up?
Duggan, a longtime Democrat, is running as an independent for the governor’s job, which will open up in 2026 when Gretchen Whitmer will be term-limited. He faces long odds but cannot be discounted given his political experience and problem-solver brand.
He formerly was the Detroit Medical Center’s CEO, Wayne County’s elected prosecutor and the late County Executive Ed McNamara’s top deputy. Early reaction to his gubernatorial candidacy has been “very strong, positive,” he said.
“People want an alternative to the two-party system. ey’re just not feeling like it’s producing choices that represent them.
ey’re looking for an alternative. We’re going to nd out over the next two years if that’s true.”
He said he had never given the idea of an independent bid much thought until dealing with the Legislature in the past year. e Re-
President, University of Michigan
During a Detroit Economic Club luncheon in mid-October, University of Michigan President Santa Ono didn’t hesitate when asked what he’d do if he could choose another profession.
He’d be quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines.
Figuratively speaking, he already is, calling plays and moving the university forward on many fronts. And that was very visible in 2024, his second year at the university’s reins.
Under his leadership, UM began concerted work on the $250 million UM Center for Innovation graduate and research campus in Detroit in early 2024 — after breaking ground in late 2023 — marking its biggest move yet back into the city where the university was founded in 1817.
e satellite campus isn’t set to open until 2027, and UM doesn’t have a concrete plan for a second site, yet, but future growth is already on his mind, Ono said. Last month, UM purchased 2.3 acres of nearby property for parking and other future needs.
e satellite campus, ve years in the making, will house a graduate school that will link UM’s business o erings with Detroit entrepreneurs and focus on programs in robotics, advanced
publican-Democratic relationships in the state and country are “toxic,” he said, contending that Michigan will not see transformational change with a partisan governor in an era where every elec-
manufacturing, clean energy and other high-tech elds.
e nal construction dollars will add to a $100 million state earmark and a $100 million donation from real estate developer and UM alum Stephen Ross.
In March, UM made news in Oakland County with its plan to pay $4.42 million to purchase the long-vacant former Kmart Corp. headquarters site in Troy to expand its outpatient health services there.
As part of the $7 billion capital campaign the university announced in October — the largest ever undertaken by any university — UM is working to raise the nal $50 million needed for UMCI construction and an additional $250 million for startup and programs, he said.
Far beyond the Ann Arbor campus, UM in September said it will invest $12 million to build out space for the Stephen M. Ross School of Business’ Los Angeles-based Executive MBA program in a building originally developed by Ross’ Related Cos. e university is assessing its presence in other cities as well, like Washington, D.C., Ono said.
UM late in the year also conrmed a $1.2 billion plan with the Los Alamos National Laboratory
to bring a high-performance computing research lab to Ypsilanti Township, securing the rst of three state approvals needed to lock in $100 million in state funding for the project.
“We anticipate that moving forward, we will strengthen our relationships with other national laboratories, as well,” Ono said.
Like his peers, Ono faced protests calling for divestment of university endowment dollars in funds that include weapons manufacturers supplying the Israel-Hamas war and backlash tied to them. It has been challenging, he said, to balance the commitment to freedom of speech and the need to ensure that students can get an education, researchers can carry out research and faculty can teach.
Chair of the University Research Corridor, Ono is also leading e orts to revive the talent, research and economic growth collaboration anchored by UM, Michigan State University and Wayne State University and to roll out the welcome mat to business through work with the Detroit Regional Chamber, Business Leaders for Michigan and other groups to leverage their combined assets to bene t Detroit and the state as a whole.
— Sherri Welch
tion “feels like the end of the world.”
“You’ve got Democrats, at least in the working class, who don’t feel like the Democratic Party represents them anymore. You’ve got a whole lot of Republicans who
believe in free trade and balanced budgets who don’t think the current Republican Party represents them. I think there’s an opportunity.”
— David Eggert
Alexis Wiley and Claude Molinari
Co-chairs, 2024 NFL Draft Detroit Local Organizing Committee
The city of Detroit itself was the star of the 2024 NFL Draft, but the show may not have been as well received without the e orts of its co-producers.
NFL Draft Detroit Local Organizing Committee Co-Chairs Alexis Wiley and Claude Molinari took on the task when it was announced in March 2022 that Detroit would host the draft.
e committee worked with entities like the city of Detroit, Detroit Police, the Downtown Detroit Partnership and the Detroit Lions to put the event together. e 2024 NFL Draft set attendance records, with more than 750,000 people coming into downtown Detroit over the course of the three-day event. Detroit and metro area businesses got some big bene ts as vendors for the event. Hotels saw spikes in occupancy.
Wiley, founder of Detroit-based PR rm Moment Strategies and former chief of sta to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, said she
didn’t know what to expect when she agreed to co-chair the event.
She said the focus was ensuring Detroit residents and business owners could bene t from embracing the draft. Black-owned businesses earned about $1 million in contracts to serve as vendors tied to the event.
“I wanted us to share Detroit with the world. I could have never guessed how much it would have done that,” Wiley said. “People who came down had such a wonderful time. It felt like it was (Detroit’s) time to shine.”
Molinari, the president and CEO of the regional tourism bureau Visit Detroit, said the draft exceeded his sky-high expectations.
“We have a great history of hosting big events,” Molinari said.
“We knew we had a great team. We were working with the city, Bedrock, the Downtown Detroit Partnership and other groups when we were awarded the event in 2022, so we had time to start to
S PART ANS
plan. In my 25-year history of putting on events, you get to a point where as you move forward and see the plan come together that you know it’s going to work out well. It’s really satisfying.”
Wiley and Molinari said there were no major issues in the lead-up to or during the draft. Wiley said, though, the committee at one point was working faster than the NFL.
“ ings we had ideas on, we didn’t necessarily know if they
would work,” Wiley said. “All the prep work and planning we did months in advance led us to being ready when the NFL said, “It’s go time.”
Wiley said she’d welcome the opportunity to work on putting together future big events. Molinari didn’t share many details, but said there are some major events coming down the pipeline.
“We have a ton of future events we’re working on. We’re actively,
aggressively seeking the NHL AllStar Game. I believe we’ll have a positive outcome with that. Similarly with the NBA All-Star Game,” Molinari said. “One way or another, we’ll get the Big Ten (football) title game to Ford Field. at’s my Moby Dick as I chase it. We’ve got two Big Ten schools, an amazing downtown. It’s the perfect opportunity for the Big Ten to put the game here.”
— Jay Davis
Congratulations, Greg and Johnnie, on being recognized as a Crain’s Newsmaker! You both are trailblazers, connectors and innovators who are part of something bigger: creating a better future for us all.
SPARTANS WILL.
Greg Lehmkuhl CEO, Lineage Logistics Broad College of Business Alum
Johnnie Turnage Co-Founder of Black Tech Saturdays MSU Great Lakes Leadership Academy Alum
Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital opens its doors to patients
By Emily Sexton
Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital opened its doors to patients on January 21, 2025, marking a significant milestone in expanding access to high-quality behavioral healthcare in the greater Detroit area.
The new hospital, located at 7100 Berryhill Street, West Bloomfield, Michigan, will provide a warm, welcoming, and healing environment for individuals needing acute behavioral health services.
A welcoming place for healing
This state-of-the-art, 192-bed hospital will address the growing need for accessible and evidence-based mental healthcare. It offers a full continuum of inpatient behavioral health services for adults, older adults, and adolescents, including specialized treatment for acute symptoms of mood disorders, thought disorders, and dual diagnosis/ substance use disorders.
Equipped with the latest healthcare innovations and safety measures, the hospital ensures a compassionate, healing-focused environment for patients and staff. This new facility will play a critical role in helping to deliver innovative care, expand resources, and meet the rising need for mental health services.
Expanded access to meet the need
The need for increased mental health services is clear. According to the CDC, one in five adults live with a mental health disorder each year – and more than 50 percent of Americans will experience a mental illness or disorder at some time in their lives. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates roughly 50 percent of people with mental health conditions do not get treatment, often due to barriers like lack of access or stigma.
That is why the partners who built this hospital – Henry Ford Health
invest in our communities’ mental health. Oakland County has invested $13 million in mental health services, including $2 million for its mental health and well-being school partnership program. This is an important reminder that progress takes partnership, persistence, and, most importantly – people.
The next generation of healers
This project also aligns with Henry Ford Health’s proud legacy of teaching and learning. The new hospital will serve as a destination academic site,
institutions’ energy and innovation for years to come.
A compassionate approach to recovery
A cornerstone of the hospital’s treatment approach is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), an evidence-based method that helps patients build self-awareness, manage emotions, and develop healthier responses to stress. This therapy empowers individuals to improve their relationships and overall quality of life by addressing the whole patient
“The support from the local community for this new hospital has been so encouraging. This hospital symbolizes the importance of increasing access to behavioral health services in our communities. Our programs focus on the health and healing of the whole patient. This hospital is here for all in need.”
- Emily Sexton, Chief Executive Officer of Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital.
and Acadia Healthcare – are focused on addressing the growing demand for services, improving outcomes, and meeting the need for behavioral health services in southeastern Michigan.
It is encouraging that state and local legislators share this sentiment to
helping to educate and train the next generation of behavioral healthcare providers, including psychiatry residents, medical students, and nurses. By expanding residency and fellowship training in partnership with Wayne State and Michigan State University, this hospital and its patients will benefit from those
– body, mind, and spirit. Hospital patients have access to various treatments and therapeutic activities tailored to their individual needs. These include:
• Family therapy, providing opportunities for loved ones to participate in care
• Group therapy to build connection and shared understanding
• Individual therapy with psychiatrists and mental health professionals
• Physical activities to promote overall wellness, including an on-premises gymnasium
• Recreational therapy, including art, music, and pet-assisted activities
• Social skill-building programs to support long-term recovery
A place for everyone in need
For more information about the Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital, visit www. henryfordbehavioral.com.
If you, a family member, a friend, or a co-worker need help, please call us at 248-398-3200 or seek assistance through the national crisis hotline by calling 988.
Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital
Vinnie Johnson
Founder and chairman, Piston Group
2024might have been Vinnie Johnson’s winningest year to date.
For a two-time NBA champion and former guard of the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boy” era, that says a lot.
The professional athlete-turned entrepreneur saw Piston Group — the automotive supplier he founded in 1995 — exceed $3 billion in annual revenue, land its largest contract ever and crack into new product segments including hydrogen fuel cell assembly.
But Johnson’s biggest win, perhaps, was in the courtroom — a legal fight nobody could have predicted would drag on so long.
The Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council stripped Piston of its certification as a minority business in early 2021, claiming the company was ineligible because it was run by white men despite being owned by a Black man. What ensued was a bitter (and still ongoing) legal dispute subjecting both parties — and major automakers — to largely unwanted attention.
In August, a Detroit judge declared Johnson victorious, granting a permanent injunction allowing Piston to keep its certification. The MMSDC swiftly appealed the decision, though General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV have since distanced themselves from the council.
“In the end, Johnson can take solace in knowing that he will undoubtedly bring hope to those who follow him and believe in the American dream to build a com-
Two key decisions by Mary Barra last year set in motion a potentially radical realignment of Detroit’s skyline.
First, the General Motors Co. chief decided to move the automaker out of its longtime Renaissance Center headquarters. And second, she opted to take GM’s remaining RenCen workforce a few blocks north to Dan Gilbert’s Hudson’s Detroit development.
That kicked into full gear the dialogue about what precisely the future would have in store for the iconic waterfront mega-development that struggled even well before the COVID-19 pandemic as downtown’s center of gravity continued its shift north of Jefferson Avenue around Campus Martius Park.
Barra, who was not available for an interview, said in April when the move was announced that GM, Gilbert’s Bedrock LLC, plus the city and county and others, would “work to reimagine the Renaissance Center for its next chapter.”
If GM and Bedrock have their way, the next chapter would wildly reposition architect John Portman’s city-within-a-city development built in the 1970s and 1980s.
pany,” Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Annette Berry said in her opinion.
For a businessman wary of media attention, Johnson earned plenty of it.
The minority certification lawsuit was the most prolific storyline, but Johnson’s unlikely return to The Palace of Auburn Hills was the most compelling.
In early 2024, Piston won a contract to supply parts for electric vehicles at GM’s Orion Assembly.
The roughly $300 million plant is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs and is under construction now at the former Palace site, where Johnson helped the Pistons win a pair of championships a quarter-century ago.
In Detroit, the auto supplier is helping GM with a different form of zero emissions propulsion at another high-profile industrial site in metro Detroit. GM awarded Piston a contract to supply hydrogen fuel cells from a plant at the former State Fairgrounds site.
GM has been mum on how exactly the hydrogen cells will be used, and it remains to be seen how much further Johnson branches out with his auto supply business. But one thing seems certain: He’ll do it on his terms.
“There’s one chief in charge. I’m the guy. That’s me,” Johnson said in the MMSDC trial in December 2023. “I started (this business) from scratch and don’t tell me that I don’t run this business … It’s my company. I run my company.”
— Kurt Nagl
some
Mary Barra
Chair and CEO, General Motors Co.
converted into luxury condominiums.
The retail and restaurant areas would be reimagined to provide better connectivity from Jefferson down to the water, and the 20 or so acres of primarily surface parking east of the towers would be developed with athletic and entertainment space that project backers have likened to Detroit’s version of Chicago’s Navy Pier, London’s O2 and New York City’s Chelsea Piers.
The $1.6 billion vision — that price tag doesn’t even include the new construction on the surface parking lots — has faced criticism, in particular from those who take issue with a request for roughly $350 million in public funding. Some $250 million would come from the state, and another $100 million from the city and/or Downtown Development Authority.
In addition, the hotel tower — the state’s tallest building, at 727 feet — would have its 1,300-some Marriott hotel rooms reduced to about 850, with some hotel space
Detroit and the region should know more in the coming months about what ultimately will become of the RenCen. Barra’s and Gilbert’s teams have a self-imposed deadline of April to make a final decision on the complex’s fate.
— Kirk Pinho
The two office towers — 300 and 400 — closest to the Detroit River would be razed, and the 100 tower on the northwest portion of the site would be converted into
300-400 residential units, while the 200 tower on the Northeast portion of the site would remain office space but would be renovated for new users.
Tom Shea
Co-founder and CEO, OneStream Inc.
Twelve years after starting up the software-as-a-service company in Rochester, Tom Shea brought OneStream Inc. to the public through an IPO at a $6 billion valuation in July.
OneStream was born out of the co-founder and CEO’s background in finance and wasn’t his first startup. He founded another company, UpStream Software Inc., in 2000, which was sold to Hyperion Companies Inc. in 2006.
That paved the way for OneStream, an enterprise and finance software platform to “empower the office of the chief financial officer,” using artificial intelligence to unify financial and operational data.
Shea, 55, never envisioned himself as a newsmaker, he said, but when it came to his passion for software development that forged OneStream, it was easy to
continue scaling the Michigan-made company to a global network.
“I’m really proud of building both of my companies in Michigan, and I think it really does show just how engineering-minded and technically capable the population is here in Michigan,”
Shea said.
Shea said OneStream’s success has helped demonstrate that it’s possible to “create great enterprise software here in Michigan.”
OneStream, which is now based in Birmingham, had been conducting mock earnings calls for two years before becoming a publicly traded company, Shea previously told Crain’s. It was part of the preparation to keep growing the company even further.
The company bootstrapped from 2012 until 2019, when it sold a majority stake to KKR & Co. Inc., the New York-based global invest-
Johnnie Turnage and Alexa Turnage
Co-founders, Black Tech Saturdays
Founded in March 2023, Black Tech Saturdays saw tremendous growth, but 2024 was the year the organization really gained traction, co-founder Johnnie Turnage said, making inroads into other cities across the country.
Through bi-monthly meetups at Newlab at Michigan Central, Black Tech Saturdays aim to connect the tech-curious, and provide opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs in Detroit and across Michigan. Last year, Johnnie and Alexa worked to bring Black Tech Saturdays to new cities across the U.S.
“We’ve been able to watch the founders just grow into, grow into these fearless, undeniable leaders that have been able to change things and change innovation, not just in Detroit, but we’ve been seeing it happen all across the country,” Alexa Turnage said.
The couple hosted Black Tech Saturdays pop-up events in Baltimore, New York, the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area, Houston and Miami, and have even more cities on the horizon for 2025.
In February 2024, the Turnages met with former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves to explore ways to increase diversity and inclusion in the technology industry.
The Turnages are working to develop a platform to make it easier for cities to form their own satellite Black Tech Saturdays events.
“We haven’t landed on the specific cities that we’ll activate, but
ment and private equity company.
“We set our goals, at that point, so $500 million (in revenue), which we’ve now achieved. So
we’ll continue to have pop-ups where we’ve been going, and then, of course, pop-ups in Lansing and maybe even Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo,” Johnnie Turnage said.
Dan Gilbert’s philanthropic organization, the Gilbert Family Foundation, awarded BTS a $1.25 million grant in November, which the Turnages are using to expand their team and programming. That includes regularly scheduled pitch competitions, which BTS began hosting in December. Approximately $100,000 will be allocated to such competitions.
The networking event has drawn more than 15,000 attendees and generated an estimated $30 million in economic impact through increased business revenue, new investments, grants and tech job salaries, according to the Gilbert Family Foundation.
The nonprofit also partnered with Newlab to open a headquarters in the building, which will serve as BTS’s workspace as well as a space for its monthly programming.
Johnnie and Alexa Turnage were among Crain’s 2024 40 Under 40 honorees for their work establishing and growing Black Tech Saturdays into Detroit’s hottest event for tech founders.
“I still don’t think we’re doing enough, which is probably why I get so excited about trying to do things. … I feel like we’re still just getting started. I think we’re building a really good foundation. We’re putting in the ecosystem infrastructure,” Johnnie Turnage said.
— Anna Fifelski
now we are pushing ourselves to a billion and beyond,” Shea said.
“The next stop for us is really focusing on that number. But we feel
that this is such a big opportunity that that’s just another opportunity for us to reset to $2 billion, then to $3 billion and beyond.
Part of that growth is harnessing the power of the artificial intelligence boom that’s taking over the software industry — and every other industry. Shea has experience staying on top of trends. UpStream was built during the rise of the web, and he sees tackling AI as no different.
“We’re really used to making sure that we’re taking advantage of and recognizing these trends, and making sure that our software is taking advantage and tuned for that opportunity,” Shea said.
Once the company harnesses the tech, it needs to ensure its customers — CFOs — are comfortable and confident with the software, which requires transparency in generative AI use.
— Anna Fifelski
Greg Lehmkuhl
President and CEO, Lineage Inc.
Greg Lehmkuhl is the reason the world’s largest cold-storage company is headquartered in Southeast Michigan.
San Francisco-based investment firm Bay Grove LLC had spent nearly a decade cobbling together warehouse assets before hiring Lehmkuhl in 2015 to run the newly formed Lineage Logistics. And given the reins to run the company with the directive for rapid growth, the former president of Ann Arbor Township-based Con-way Freight moved Lineage’s main office from Southern California to his own backyard, in Novi.
From that perch, Lehmkuhl has led one of the most aggressive acquisition strategies in recent memory, spending billions consolidating the cold-storage market — which was largely fragmented among local, family-owned operations — growing to more than 3 billion cubic feet of warehousing across 480 buildings and becoming the global leader in the food supply chain.
The company now controls nearly 30% of the U.S. market for cold-storage warehousing and employs nearly 30,000 people.
But 2024 marked the culmination of its efforts and the means to pay off its substantial leverage from years of buying up competi-
tors.
Lineage went public in July last year, launching an initial public offering that raised $5.1 billion, the largest IPO of a real estate investment trust in U.S. history. Lineage used $4.9 billion of the proceeds to pay down its debt load.
Revenue at the company has grown to a projected nearly $6 billion in 2024 from $1.4 billion in 2020.
And the IPO wasn’t the end of Lineage’s aggressive strategy under Lehmkuhl. In October, it opened a fully automated cold storage warehouse in Hazleton, Pa., and completed a $223 million acquisition of Kansas-based ColdPoint Logistics in November.
It’s unclear whether Lineage can maintain its breakneck growth pace — it reported a modest 0.5% revenue growth in its third-quarter earnings — or whether Lehmkuhl was the leader tasked with getting the company to an IPO or if he will be the face of the company for the foreseeable future.
But with a global market in cold storage of nearly $160 billion annually and few large-scale competitors, it seems likely Lehmkuhl will lead the company to more acquisitions through 2025 and beyond.
— Dustin Walsh
Ohio-based marketing agency acquires Detroit firm in expansion push
By Elizabeth Schanz
A Toldeo-based brand and communications agency has acquired a Detroit marketing firm to expand into the market.
Hart Inc. announced its acquisition of Rebuild, based in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, Jan. 14 after finalizing the purchase Dec. 15. Hart said the deal will help it build a strong middle-sized marketing agency in Detroit to support its creative community and clients after the industry experienced sweeping changes last year.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hart and Rebuild executives met six years ago through the American Association of Advertising Agencies, also known as the 4As, and the companies’ leadership stayed in touch.
During the last six months, Detroit marketing agencies saw changes and closures as holding companies “abandoned Detroit,” Josh Gershonowicz, Rebuild CEO and co-founder told Crain’s.
Last summer, General Motors Co. moved its advertising work away from Detroit-based agencies Commonwealth/McCann and Leo Burnett Detroit, resulting in about 135 layoffs.
The Rebuild and Hart teams saw an opportunity to collaborate and continue growing and investing in the Detroit market, Gershonowicz said
“(The acquisition builds) new experiences, new talent and the ability to scale our services to an even wider group of clients who I think can benefit from the model (Hart’s) building,” Hart President Marc Paulenich said. “There’s this middle ground of agencies, our size, that have chosen not to stay independent, and they’ve been bought off and become part of large holding companies. I love to be able to service this middle market client.”
Over its life, Hart has provided services to transform brands in health care, tourism, food
and beverage, personal finance, economic development and business-to-business, Paulenich said. The company has remained family owned since it was established by Tom Hart in 1965. His son Mike Hart is the company’s current owner and CEO and his son Zak Hart is working at the company’s Columbus office in account services.
While maintaining its Toledo roots and headquarters, Hart Inc. expanded into Columbus in 2015, Washington, D.C., in 2023 and now Detroit. Hart sees annual revenue of $14 million-$15 million, Paulenich said.
“This is really an integrated operation moving forward with a shared service model … while still having a dedicated presence there that can work closely with clients that are in that particular region,” Paulenich said.
Rebuild was founded in 2012 in Royal Oak by Gershonowicz and Steve DeAngelis. The pair knew they wanted to be in Detroit and about five years later purchased and moved into a new space in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood at 2921 E. Grand Blvd. to expand the company’s footprint in the community.
Rebuild’s customer base intersects with Hart’s including tourism, health care, personal finance, business-to-business and nonprofit clients. Rebuild has worked with clients locally and across the state including Activate Detroit, an economic development company, and Grand Rapids’ visitors bureau Experience Grand Rapids.
Prior to the acquisition, Rebuild was a “strategy and creatively led shop” that would have to have external partners for some capabilities, DeAngelis said. Hart offered a broader spectrum of media and public relations tools including video editing and a full in-house production team.
Hart was drawn to Rebuild because of its strong digital ex-
pertise with an emphasis on performance, media and SEO, Paulenich said.
Rebuild’s 10 full-time employees will remain with the Hart team bringing the total number of Hart employees across its branches to about 100 people. DeAngelis will remain with Hart as the managing director and Gershonowicz will stay on the leadership team as an independent contractor.
Additionally, around six of Hart’s current Toledo employees are residents of the Detroit area and commute across state lines. Paulenich anticipates those employees will work from the Detroit office following the acquisition.
“I think it’s just such a winwin for Detroit, for the neighborhood of Milwaukee Junction, and ultimately for kind of that next wave of what the combined agency is going to be for Detroit and Michigan,” Gershonowicz said.
During the transition period Rebuild will operate under the name Hart | Rebuild and will eventually transition to the Hart name. Rebuild founders DeAngelis and Gershonowicz will continue to own the building at Milwaukee Junction and lease the space to Hart.
The Detroit location will make the fourth branch for Hart, but it seems as if it will not be the last. As the company looks to the future, further expansion in the state or across the U.S. could be a possibility following the acquisition.
“There’s so many great brands in and around the Detroit community and in Michigan as a whole. We’d love to be able to support more and more of those and ultimately, move those programs to a better place,” Paulenich said. “Our growth won’t be limited strictly to Detroit and the capabilities that Rebuild offers, and those capabilities that they offer in combination with Hart, we think are appealing at a national level.”
Rebuild is based in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood of Detroit. REBUILD
Basore held out hope that an open seat in Michigan Western District Court would be filled by a marijuana-friendly judge. Obama appointed then-Dickinson Wright attorney Pat Miles Jr. to the role. He did not dismiss the case against Basore or the six others charged, known as the Okemos 7.
By early 2013, Basore said he ran out of money to fight the charges and pleaded guilty to two felony counts with a sentence of 48 months in prison at Federal Prison Camp Morgantown in West Virginia.
“They had threatened to indict my now-wife,” Basore said. “I was out of money and knew I had no choice but to accept a plea deal.”
Basore received an early release in May 2015 after attending a federal behavioral modification program.
He quickly reentered the industry, but only as a consultant. Michigan’s medical marijuana laws prohibited individuals with felonies from holding a license.
Basore spent the next several years as an axe battering away at the armor of Michigan’s anti-cannabis political establishment.
He, and his partners, became major political fundraisers for Nessel’s campaign to become attorney general and push the state’s adult-use recreational marijuana laws, which would allow for felons like Basore to hold licenses under a special social equity distinction.
After Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act in 2018, Ferndale-based Gage Cannabis offered $1 million in grants to social equity applicants. Basore secured a $50,000 grant to establish Redemption Cannabis.
“I knew I had an opportunity, but I had no capital and needed to rebuild everything,” Basore said.
Errors and absolution
But the hard luck continued for Basore. He ordered his first batch of Redemption Cannabis packaging in 2019 from Wuhan, China — the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. He eventually received the packaging and launched Redemption in 15 stores across the state.
In the meantime, Basore launched the Redemption Foundation, designed to aid federal prisoners in jail for nonviolent marijuana crimes.
The foundation has purchased wheelchairs, food and gifts for children with a parent in prison and funded expungements. But its largest function is to fill the commissary funds of select prisoners. Redemption Foundation has deposited money into the commissary accounts of 195 inmates across the U.S. so they can buy better shoes, snacks, toothpaste and other supplies in prison.
The Driven operations, which include 15 acres of outdoor grow, 60,000 square feet of indoor cultivation and 15,000 square feet of processing, will be rebranded as Redemption Cannabis in the coming months.
The growth is triggered by a licensing agreement Redemption secured with Florida-based multistate operator Trulieve Cannabis Corp. — the third-largest cannabis company in the U.S.
Trulieve grows Redemption’s handpicked cannabis strains in other states and packages them for Redemption. The brand launched in Maryland in June last year and is now for sale in Pennsylvania, with launches in Ohio and Arizona in the fall later this year.
“Michigan is just a knife fight,” Mark Passerini, vice president of business development for Redemption, told Crain’s. “It’s a crazy competitive market and we’ve been a top-15 brand here for a while. While we’re proud of that, we knew we needed to expand elsewhere.”
Redemption now employs more than 100 workers and is available in 250 dispensaries across the state.
Basore said the company’s blossoming in the tightest margin market in the country makes growth elsewhere easier.
“If you can make it in Michigan, you can make it anywhere,” he said with a rare wry smile.
‘The Jared Goff of weed’
gy that works in cannabis.
“Prohibition branding resonates with 30- to 45-year-olds; the people who saw marijuana prohibition and saw it come down,” Young said. “It strikes an emotional chord for them. And I know my students are willing to pay a little more to feel good about a service or brand — whether that’s sustainable packaging or another social mission like Redemption’s. The commissary fund is something they’ve done a good job marketing. I think about them as the Jared Goff of weed. Sent off to rot and came back stronger than before. That resonates.”
Basore’s return to Morgantown with Redemption and Trulieve is a middle finger to the political powers and laws that incarcerated him.
“Leaving that place, I never wanted to go back,” he said. “I can take myself back to that cell in my mind. But now I see that time with gratitude, or try to. Because of that experience, we have to be successful no matter what. It raised the stakes for me.”
And by all measures, Basore has won.
In December, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced it would be permanently shuttering the federal prison in Morgantown, which houses roughly 390 white-collar and drug crime inmates, due to “staffing shortages” and “crumbling infrastructure.”
Last month, the foundation deposited $15,500, roughly 10% of the cannabis company’s revenue plus donations from partners, into commissary funds.
Basore said the money goes a long way to supplement prisoner paychecks. He earned 14 cents an hour as a custodian in the West Virginia prison, eventually earning $35 per month working in the facility’s law library. Meanwhile, phone calls in prison cost 50 cents a minute and internet use was 25 cents a minute, he said.
As Basore’s operations grew, so did the company’s appetite for cultivation. Last year, Driven Cannabis, a grow operation run by his friend Drew Driver in Frederic Township between Gaylord and Grayling, merged with Redemption Cannabis.
Basore is selling a story with Redemption. It’s a social cause behind a label. It’s his story of incarceration and comeback that he hopes is resonating.
Nick Young, an adviser for Baltimore-based cannabis advisory firm Tivity Labs and adjunct professor at Western Michigan University, said it’s a marketing strate-
To complete his full redemption, Basore is seeking a full presidential pardon from President Joe Biden — a clock that will expire Jan. 20 when incoming President Donald Trump is inaugurated.
Still, Basore said he has contacts within that administration as well.
“That’s redemption to me,” he said. “I can’t have a gun as a felon. Just to be able to go hunting again, to have my slate wiped clean. That’s very real for me.”
An assortment of Redemption Cannabis products | rEDEMPTIOn CannaBIS
Redemption Cannabis founder Ryan Basore, at left, attends a pro-cannabis legalization rally in this undated photo. ryan BaSOrE
Ferndale-based Gage Cannabis awarded Ryan Basore a $50,000 grant as a part of a social equity program after cannabis was legalized in Michigan in 2018. Basore used the grant to establish Redemption Cannabis. | ryan BaSOrE
release. As part of the effort, the new branding includes an updated logo, typeface and all-red color palette.
While Rocket’s roots are in the mortgage lending space and its name and branding have changed many times over the years since its founding in the 1980s, company executives have in recent years been pushing to brand Rocket as a “home ownership company.” The Jan. 14 announcement solidifies that push, according to executives.
To that end, the goal is to seek inspiration from leading brands such as Apple, Coca-Cola and Nike and “elevate” the Rocket brand to that echelon of marketing and branding titans, according to Rocket Companies Chief Marketing Officer Jonathan Mildenhall.
“Because those brands have been able to create timeless, iconic brands and brand narratives and ideas and yet show up as culturally relevant the entire time,” Mildenhall told Crain’s. “And I don’t believe there is anything more culturally relevant than home ownership in America.”
In short, the goal is to make Rocket “the Apple of homeownership,” he added.
Rocket (NYSE: RKT) decided on the new designs after testing showed they resonated more with young people and women, who are outpacing men in homeownership, Mildenhall told Ad Age, a Crain Communications Inc. publication.
The new typefaces for Rocket’s updated branding were designed to honor Nick Gilbert, the son of Rocket founder Dan Gilbert, who died in May 2023 at 26 years old. A promotional video released as
part of the new branding rollout notes Nick Gilbert’s signature bow ties and the updated typeface and fonts are designed to be “brighter,” “lighter” and more “inclusive,” according to the video.
Mildenhall, who started with Rocket a year ago, said he never got the chance to meet Nick Gilbert, but while watching videos of him he was drawn to his bow ties and general “fancy” demeanor, which helped inspire the bespoke fonts used in the branding. Additionally, Rocket is rebranding some of the companies within its organization.
Rocket Pro TPO, the company’s wholesale lending arm in which consumers work with independent mortgage brokers, is now
simply “Rocket Pro.” Amrock and the Amrock Title Insurance Co., which handle title, appraisal and insurance needs, are now “Rocket Close” and “Rocket Title Insurance Co.,” respectively.
The release also states that the company will take additional steps to solidify its new branding campaign during the Super Bowl next month, which Rocket sat out last year.
Mildenhall said the Super Bowl makes for the “world’s most celebrated media event,” and particularly given the period of divided politics in America, it makes for a time to bring the country together, and therefore a natural time to ramp up Rocket’s updated branding.
Rocket plans to “put a premium
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
HEALTHCARE
Teijin Automotive Technologies
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Teijin Automotive Technologies announced that Wayne Meyer, vice president of Operations, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). Meyer, who will serve as a director-at-large, joined Teijin Automotive in 2018 as the director of Lean Manufacturing and promoted to his current role in 2024. Founded as a not-for-profit organization in 1985, AME is the premier organization for the exchange of knowledge in enterprise excellence. Hall Render
on creativity” through design and storytelling and lean more heavily on interactive marketing targeted to various communities, Mildenhall said. For example, it plans to develop experiential events and educational platforms for Hispanic consumers, who are expected to account for 56% of all new homeowners by 2030. The community-building efforts will include social media and iHeartRadio and begin Feb. 10.
The updated branding comes as consumers and mortgage lenders alike have struggled over more than two years of elevated interest rates, making homeownership considerably more expensive.
Such macroeconomic challenges, both real and perceived, make
for an ideal time for the updated branding initiative, according to Mildenhall. As an example, the marketing executive pointed to programs the company offers to help with down payments, often resulting in far less than the standard 20% down.
“We need to grow the category through presenting the case for home ownership and presenting the product opportunities that will make homeownership more accessible for more people,” Mildenhall said of the marketing goals. “We’ve got to help reduce the delta between the perceived financial cost of entry and the real cost of entry based on our suite of products. — Ad Age contributed to this report.
Fisher Foundation
Karmanos welcomes José Larios, M.D., transplant hematologist, and member of the Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant and Hematology Oncology Multidisciplinary Teams. He specializes in treating leukemia and lymphoma blood cancers, including Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. His research and clinical interests focus on the role of bone marrow microenvironment in leukemia progression. This includes bone marrow signaling in acute leukemias, stem cell transplantation, and cellular therapy.
Hall Render is pleased to announce that Kathryn Jones has been named a shareholder of the Firm. Kathryn is situated in Hall Render’s Detroit office and concentrates her legal practice on employment law and litigation matters. With over a decade of experience, Kathryn partners with health care clients to offer strategic advice on how to resolve a wide range of labor and employment disputes. Kathryn graduated from Wayne State University Law School with her J.D. in 2011.
Jennifer Fahnestock has been promoted to Director of Operations & Grants Management. Since joining as administrative assistant in 2007, she has advanced to executive assistant and most recently grants manager, showcasing exceptional leadership over 18 years. In her new role, she will oversee operations, finances, HR, compliance, and grants. This well-deserved promotion reflects Jenn’s dedication to the Fisher family, Foundation staff, partners, and community.
Blue Chip Talent, a Certified Women-Owned staffing and consulting firm, has acquired Michigan-based JDM Systems Consultants. Finalized on January 1, 2025, this move enhances Blue Chip Talent’s IT, Engineering, and Professional Services expertise while expanding services and client reach. JDM employees transitioned seamlessly, benefiting from Blue Chip Talent’s award-winning culture. The partnership reflects shared values, bolstering innovation and excellence in staffing solutions.
Max M. & Marjorie S.
Rocket Companies Inc.’s new branding and visual identity unifies many of the Detroit-based company’s services under the overarching “Rocket” brand. | ROCKET COMPANIES
Duggan aims to strengthen Stellantis ties amid turnover in leadership
By Kurt Nagl
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan met with Stellantis NV’s new North America leader Jan. 10 in hopes of re-establishing a connection lost due to leadership turnover at the automaker.
Duggan had a brief introductory meeting with Antonio Filosa, who was promoted to COO of North America in October, at the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place. Prior to the meeting, Duggan told Crain’s that his goal is to re-engage with leadership at the automaker, which has had three different North America chiefs in the past year.
“I had that close relationship with leadership, and they’ve had so much turnover that that kind of connection has been lost, and I need to rebuild it,” Duggan told Crain’s on Jan. 9 during a tour of the Detroit Auto Show — his last as mayor as he prepares a run for governor.
The mayor said he is “optimistic” about the direction of Stellantis, whose embattled CEO Carlos Tavares stepped down Dec. 1 amid operational woes in North America, where sales and profits have sunk and relationships with suppliers and dealers have frayed.
“I had a great relationship with (former COO) Mark Stewart, with (former CEOs) Sergio Marchionne and Mike Manley,” Duggan said. “I’m looking forward to building a relationship with the new COO.”
Among the mayor’s most touted achievements while in office is helping facilitate the construc-
tion of a new Jeep factory on the city’s east side. He credits that deal — and follow-on supplier plants including Lear Corp. at the old Cadillac Stamping site and Dakkota at the former Kettering High School — to a strong relationship with Stewart, who left a year ago to be CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
“When Stellantis had to site a Jeep plant somewhere, they picked Detroit, and a big part of that was the trust between the Stellantis leadership and me, and I need to rebuild that with the new team, so I’m excited to meet them,” Duggan said.
Duggan declined to comment on his meeting with Filosa on Jan. 10.
Keeping close ties to the automaker is also a top priority for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who told Crain’s in October
that she was in regular discussion with Tavares about its presence at Chrysler Tech Center, its North America headquarters in Auburn Hills. The company has indicated its desire to find new uses for the mammoth complex along I-75. Since Fiat acquired Chrysler in 2014, and Fiat’s merger with Peugeot created Stellantis in early 2021, industry and elected officials in Michigan have worried about the carmaker’s center of gravity shifting to Europe.
Duggan said “Stellantis’ future is critical to us,” and he aims to convince executives to keep investing in Detroit.
“I’ll do what I did with Bill Ford with Mark Reuss and Mary Barra and Jim Farley and say, ‘tell me where your company is going, tell me what I can do to help make you more profitable by investing here,’” he said.
But it’s THC drinks that really broke through the market in 2024.
The industry sold 18.8 million ounces of infused liquids, which include THC drinks, in 2024 — the equivalent to nearly 1.6 million cans of beer. That’s up from just 8.5 million ounces in 2023.
Mount Clemens-based Emerald Canning Partners, a joint venture between cannabis company Pleasantrees and hard cider giant Armada-based Blake’s Hard Cider Co., is the largest player in the state for THC drinks. It produces drinks for several operators, including Evart-based Lume Cannabis Co.’s Buzzn and Jones Soda’s Mary Jones.
Despite that growth, infused liquids still only accounted for less than 0.5% of sales in December.
Flower remains the top money grosser for the industry, accounting for roughly 43% of sales last month.
The question remains, however, whether 2025 will be a banner year for the industry as well as the consumer.
Bloodshed is all but a certainty with the low prices evaporating margins for many cultivators.
Southfield-based PharmaCo Inc. — a cannabis company linked to a bribery scheme to Michigan’s
then-top marijuana regulator Rick Johnson — entered court-supervised receivership this month, and experts predict more to follow.
But there’s the lingering hope of federal rescheduling of marijuana to change it from a Schedule I narcotic to a Schedule III drug, placing it alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency removing marijuana as having “no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse” under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 would also free cannabis businesses from a costly tax code law.
Rescheduling marijuana eliminates the IRS Tax Code 280E, which prevents individuals from writing off business expenses involved in the trafficking of narcotics translating to a 70% or sometimes higher effective tax rate for marijuana dispensaries instead of the regular 21% corporate rate. While this largely only impacts marijuana dispensaries, a massive boost in cash by reduced taxes could allow those retailers to buy wholesale marijuana at a higher price, thus buoying the struggling cultivators and processors.
But, for now, Michigan’s consumers will continue to enjoy the lowest legal weed prices in the nation, while the industry hopes to weather the market.
Fairlane Town Center Realty Holding LLC, an affiliate of Great Neck, N.Y.-based Kohan Retail Investment Group, in late November seeking a receiver after an alleged default on a $28 million loan issued in April 2023. In its lawsuit, Peachtree Group says Kohan — controlled by Mike Kohan — missed its $200,000 October payment, plus a $3,000 fee, as well as November’s. The complaint says Peachtree is owed almost $1.35 million as a result: the $400,000 in missed principal, the $6,000 in fees, late fees of $121,964 and interest of $819,639.
In addition, the lawsuit says that as of Sept. 30, Kohan was delinquent on property taxes totaling $2.96 million, and that the company had for several months been “diverting” about $400,000 in rent that was supposed to be deposited in a Peachtree Group-controlled account. The filing claims that Peachtree Group “confronted” Kohan about the alleged diversion of funds and he “did not dispute” the allegations.
In court filings, Kohan, through his Livonia-based attorney Dennis Harris, denied Peachtree’s claims about amounts of money owed, both on the loan and property taxes, as well as that he has been diverting payments that should have been deposited with the lender.
Kohan also says in filings there is $2.3 million in a lender-controlled account, and Peachtree failed to take November and December payments out of it.
“One can only assume that this is an attempt to declare a non-payment default,” Kohan’s attorney writes in court filings.
“The plaintiff (Peachtree) has alleged that the defendant has mishandled rental payments but has failed to support this allegation in any way other than to state that rents deposited in the designated account are less than expected.”
And Kohan says in an affidavit that he never admitted to “misappropriating rental payments,” that an “alleged misappropriation” of $85,000 was for snow plowing at the mall, and that there is not $400,000 in collected rents not being deposited to the Peachtree account.
The Wayne County Treasurer’s website says Kohan is delinquent on taxes totaling about $1.18 million on one parcel of the mall property.
Requests for comment were made with Peachtree Group and its attorneys at Varnum LLP in Birmingham, as well as Harris and Kohan.
Kohan, which has a long track record of letting the malls it buys fall into tax foreclosure, have their utilities shut off and accumulate blight tickets, paid $52 million for Fairlane in April 2023 after a brief ownership by Dallas-based Centennial Real Estate in 2022.
Prior to Centennial’s ownership, Fairlane Town Center had been owned by Miami Beach, Fla.-based Starwood Capital Group before the company fell behind on a $161 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan and it was sent into receivership. Starwood purchased Fairlane and the 600,000-square-foot Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township plus five other malls in 2014 from what was then Taubman Centers Inc. (now Taubman Co. LLC) for $1.4 billion.
Although Kohan told Crain’s that Fairlane wouldn’t follow a similar path as his other malls, it didn’t take long for the past-due tax bill notices to start arriving. In less than a year, Kohan had fallen behind to the tune of $1.73 million.
yrs of exp in Automotive Engg or rltd occupation. MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS: Ability to speak, read & write fluently in Japanese. Knowl of biz trends & tech in the automobility field Knowl of all fields & disciplines req comprehending the prdcts, materials, procdrs, process & anlss & QA functions of automotive components. Exp w/ negotiations to resolve issues. Exp w/ prgm mgmt for auto mobility projs. Exp w/ Mkt rsrch of automotive components. Exp w/ forecasting sales of automotive components. Exp w/ biz case dvlpmt in automotive components. Exp w/ product dvlpmt in automotive components. Exp w/ process dvlpmt in automotive components. The employer will accept any pro exp w/ the above skills. To apply for this pos: Pls access: https://workforcenow.adp.com/ mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=23354965-305e-43288f00-d2192aa6b2d5&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&selectedMenu Key=CareerCenter&jobId=545581 to apply & send resume. Niterra North America Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
Mgr Tech. Project, Continental Automotive Systems, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI. Drive eng. teams to deliver automotive product releases on time, ensuring releases meet the maturity requirements of the project at each phase. Telecom. permitted up to 40%. To apply email resume w/ 242037 in subject line to 07AHFMCIT@continental-corporation.com
Dev. Eng., OESL Automotive USA LLC, Rochester Hills, MI: Coordinate creation & release of 3D-modeling & CAE to develop vehicle sys. design concepts, proposals & solutions based on customer reqs. while adhering to design guidelines & customer specifications. Telecom. permitted up to 40%. Int’l & domestic travel req’d up to 10%. To apply email resume w/ 242483 in subject line to 07AHFMCIT@continental-corporation.com.
Sr Staff Software Eng, Continental Autonomous Mobility US, LLC, Auburn Hills, MI. Plan, monitor, drive & report on progress of proj. privacy & security aspects. Telecom. permitted up to 40%. To apply email resume w/ 242094 in subject line to 07AHFMCIT@continental-corporation.com.
Jamie Noll of Stellantis (left) and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan chat on Jan. 9 as Duggan gets a preview of the 2025 Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place. | CITy OF DETrOIT VIa FLICKr
began in late 2023 will continue into early 2026. However, all companies need not specialize in AI, but must harness it to be successful, he said.
Metro Detroit saw 16 venture deals in Q4 2024, raising $55 million in capital — an increase of more than $20 million across 17 deals in Q4 of 2023.
Ann Arbor, on the other hand, saw a drop in capital invested, from $186 million to $64 million between Q4 2023 to Q4 2024.
However, last year Ann Arbor-based autonomous vehicle company May Mobility Inc., closed the largest venture capital deal in the state in Q4, with a $105 million Series D round, contributing to a significant spike in the overall total.
West Michigan saw nine deals in 2024, with two landing in Kalamazoo and receiving investments of $24 million. Grand Rapids startups raised $19 million across seven deals in the fourth quarter, up from six deals and $6.6 million in investment in Q4 of 2023.
Michigan had fewer exits in 2024 than the year before, falling to only five exits from 12 exits in 2023. One 2024 exit had a value of $37.5 million back in Q2, though the rest failed to generate any value.
Startups in Michigan tend to have a central focus of life sciences, advanced manufacturing and technology companies, Dale Grogan, a managing director at Michigan Capital Network in Grand Rapids, told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business in 2024.
Nationally, artificial intelligence remains a hot sector in VC, and funds are being funneled to startups that are pioneering the technology.
According to PitchBook, deals for five San Francisco-based AI companies DataBricks Inc., OpenAI, xAI, Anthropic, and Waymo inflated the total amount invested into the market by over $42 billion in 2024.
Fortino thinks that for Michigan to continue to compete, it needs to “level up” and startups should look at how they can best adopt AI.
Fortino predicts in 2025 the industry will see increased AI activity “from every angle you can imagine. From more startups being built designated AI, to companies large and small adopting AI in their workflows, to investments.”
In order to best guarantee the state’s successes in the industry, Fortino said that Michigan needs to emphasize its current skill set and expertise, and to lean into talent attraction.
Interest in AI is already growing in the state.
In December, Troy-headquartered HTC Global Services Inc. received a $1.2 million Michigan Business Development Program grant to expand its artificial intelligence operations. And earlier in October, Newlab at Michigan Central and Google announced a partnership to develop a set of AI tools designed to help Michigan startups grow their businesses.
Top VC deals raised $119M for Southeast Michigan startups in Q4
By Anna Fifelski
Southeast Michigan saw more than $119 million in investment in the final quarter of 2024, with $55 million in investment across 16 deals in metro Detroit and $64 million in capital fundraised across 9 deals in Ann Arbor, according to data from PitchBook, a Washington-based data platform.
An Ann Arbor-based startup saw the largest fundraise in the state, with the close of a $51 million Series B round. The $119 million invested in Southeast Michigan in Q4 makes up the majority of the total $178 million invested across the state during the same time.
Here are the region’s top deals:
Top metro Detroit VC deals
Grounded: $3.5 million
Grounded, an electric RV startup headquartered in Detroit, closed its first pre-seed funding round on Oct. 4, Crain’s previously reported.
The round was led by Chicago-based firm The 81 Collection and New York-based Also Capital, with contributions from San Francisco-based Side Door Ventures, as well as Michigan Rise and the Michigan Outdoor Fund.
Grounded was the first startup to take residence at Newlab at Michigan Central in October 2022, and has since moved into an adjacent building to manufacture its electric RVs. It was founded in 2022 by Sam Shapiro, an Atlanta native, an ex-SpaceX engineer and a TripleLift product leader who moved to Detroit to establish Grounded, his first startup.
Income Power: $4 million
Waterford-based EV charging solutions startup Income Power Inc. closed a $4 million seed round on Nov. 6, increasing the company’s value to $9 million.
Income Power was founded in 2015 by Patrick Lloyd. Its services include EV charging design, installation, maintenance, warranty work, site hosting and help to navigate funding programs for charging infrastructure, providing clients with licensed electricians to build and promote EV infrastructure, according to its website.
Auto Hauler Exchange: $4.7 million
Rochester-based Auto Hauler Exchange, a vehicle logistics company, raised a $4.7 million Series A funding round that closed on Dec. 23.
The company was founded by Royce Neubauer in 2020, as a “marketplace that enables direct collaboration between carriers and shippers, eliminating the need for brokers,” according to the company’s website.
Skilltrade Inc.: $5 million
Skilltrade, a health workforce development startup founded by
Jason Aubrey, closed a $5 million seed round on Dec. 6.
Headquartered in Grosse Pointe Woods, the startup aims to address the need for skilled health care professionals through online medical assistant training, prepping students to become Certified Clinical Medical Assistants.
The startup officially launched on Oct. 22, according to a news release.
Stepful: $31.5 million
Educational software startup
Stepful pocketed the largest venture investment in Southeast Michigan in Q4 2024, closing a $31.5 million Series B funding round on Nov. 13.
The round was led by Oak HC/ FT with participation from Y Combinator, Reach Capital, AlleyCorp, SemperVirens, Company Ventures, Green Sands, ECMC Group, Intermountain Venture Fund and Cedar Pine, according to a news release.
The Detroit-based startup offers educational training programs for medical assistants, medical administrators, pharmacy technicians, licensed practical nurses and surgical technicians. It was co-founded by Carl Madi, Tressia Hobeika and Edoardo Serra in 2021.
Top Ann Arbor VC deals
Peptinovo Biopharma:
$1.4 million
Ann Arbor-based Peptinovo Biopharma Inc. closed a $1.4 million Series A financing round on
Dec. 16, Crain’s previously reported.
Founded in 2020 by Ren Homan and Bill Elliott, Peptinovo uses nanoparticle technology “smartdrug delivery platform” PALM to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs directly into cancer tumors.
The $1.4 million is the first round of a $10 million funding goal, aimed at enabling Peptinovo to move its drug-delivery platform to clinical trials.
Peptinovo is headquartered in the MI-HQ, shorthand for the Michigan Innovation Headquarters, at 600 South Wagner Road, Ann Arbor.
Ecovia Renewables:
$2 million
Ecovia Renewables Inc. was founded in 2014 by Dr. Xiaoxia “Nina” Lin and Dr. Jeremy Minty as a spinout to commercialize their research at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The early-stage biotechnology company develops biopolymer products that are biobased and biodegradable. Applications range from “soil additives for water retention to super-absorbents in infant diaper cores to ingredients for personal care and industrial uses,” according to the company’s website.
Ecovia Renewables closed a $2 million later stage Series A funding round on Dec. 17, increasing the company’s post-value to $10 million, according to PitchBook. It is headquartered in the MI-HQ location on 600 S. Wagner Road in Ann Arbor.
Ambient Biosciences:
$4.2 million
Biotechnology startup Ambient Biosciences closed a $4.2 million Series A funding round on Dec. 16. It was formerly known as Upkara Inc. but rebranded in late 2023.
The Ann Arbor-headquartered startup was founded by Pravansu Mohanty, a professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan in Dearborn. It specializes in the stabilization of biomolecules such as antibodies, enzymes, growth factors and nucleic acids for its customers.
Strata Oncology: $6.1 million
Strata Oncology Inc., a cancer sequencing and testing company, secured $6.1 million in investments in a later stage financing round that closed on Nov. 22. The life sciences company was founded by CEO Dan Rhodes, Chief Medical Officer Scott Tomlins and Keith Flaherty in 2015. It’s headquartered at 8192 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor.
In 2021, it closed on the largest funding round for a biotech company in the state’s history, with a $90 million Series C funding round.
LuxWall: $51 million
Glass manufacturing startup
LuxWall Inc. closed a $51 million Series B fundraising round on Oct. 9, which it will use to help build a factory in Detroit and scale production in Litchfield, Crain’s previously reported.
The $51 million financing round was also the largest investment netted by any startup in the state of Michigan for Q4 2024. The round was led by London-headquartered Climate Investment and London-based Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital.
The Ypsilanti-based startup was founded by Scott Thomsen and specializes in product development, scaling and commercializing of innovative energy-efficient glass products and solutions for the built environment.
Grounded’s G2 electric camper van. | GROUNDED
LuxWall is planning to open a glass factory on a 10-acre site in Southwest Detroit. The Ypsilanti-based startup made the biggest deal in the state in Q4 2024, as it closed a $51 million Series B round. | DETROIT ARCHITECTURAL GROUP FOR OLIVER/HATCHER CONSTRUCTION
Startup incubator MI-HQ to expand footprint to Detroit
By Anna Fifelski
Nearly 100 startups operate within a 108-acre network of coworking spaces in Washtenaw County — a playground for hardware development, with access to capital equipment, machinery, hazardous material storage, wet lab space and more.
Michigan Innovation Headquarters, or MI-HQ, has quietly grown a sizable footprint in the shared workspace model for startups for more than 20 years.
MI-HQ will anchor Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock development at the former “fail jail” site on Gratiot Avenue in downtown Detroit with nearly 150,000 square feet of wet lab space, manufacturing facilities, offices, coworking space and more in what will become the Life Sciences District on a proposed three-mile innovation corridor.
“As we go into Detroit, we want to make sure that we all collaborate together, because the community model works, and when we take down those barriers I think we all go farther and we go faster,” said Mark Smith, CEO and founder of MI-HQ.
MI-HQ has been looking at an expansion into Detroit for the last five years, Smith previously told Crain’s. The Gratiot site will be the company’s first step into Detroit, with plans to grow its footprint in the city.
Word of mouth
But Smith didn’t set out to manage a community of startup incubators. The Ann Arbor native attended Calvin College with plans to follow his family’s footsteps in medicine and health care.
Partway through Smith’s degree, extenuating circumstances forced him to change gears. He transferred to Michigan State University to pursue a degree in agribusiness management, and worked on a farm with his wife for several years after.
Smith wasn’t new to the startup scene. He had a successful exit with his company AeroSports, which he founded with friend and former astronaut Jack Lousma in 1994. When Lousma approached him in 2000 about a new business opportunity, Smith bought a building to house his friend’s new startup, a sensor company called Diamond General Corp. Diamond General went bankrupt before it could be the building’s first tenant. So Smith set out to find other companies to fill the building.
“We didn’t call it MI-HQ at that time, it was just a building, just a space, and it was all word of mouth,” Smith said.
Nearly 25 years later, MI-HQ boasts more than 90 companies and 800 members across its three campuses. About 65 companies operate in the 612,000 square feet of space that MI-HQ manages in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
The startups within the incubators tend to be industry agnostic, Smith said, with focuses on life science and material sciences, as well as battery R&D and manufac-
turing companies, quantum computing and more.
Connecting the dots
Within those facilities startups have access to equipment that small companies and startups may not have access to on their own. MI-HQ offers memberships through a flexible lease program to lower their costs to stay in Michigan’s ecosystem.
“Our mission is to grow companies that want to establish roots and make sure that they have the necessary tools,” Smith said.
“We’re working really hard to try to identify and capture Michigan companies so they don’t leave the state to find capital or find space.”
It tends to source spinout companies from local universities, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University, Smith said. The majority of founders who call MI-HQ home
are Michigan-made companies.
Companies can vary in size. Before it opened its regional headquarters near Ann Arbor in 2022, Wacker Chemical Corp. had a satellite location in MI-HQ to try to attract local talent, Smith said. Autonomous vehicle company May Mobility also incubated at MI-HQ.
Other notable startups include biotechnology company AlphaCore Pharma, which was acquired by global biopharmaceutical business AstraZeneca in 2013, and Swift Biosciences Inc., which was acquired by genomics solutions provider Integrated DNA Technologies in 2021. Smith said he’s confident MI-HQ is growing more of Michigan’s unicorns.
MI-HQ’s 612,000 square feet of workspace doesn’t include pending projects or those that haven’t begun construction yet.
“I see us passing through the 1 million-square-foot barrier without leaving Southeast Michigan, but we do have aspirations and are
in discussions for other locations, both in the state and outside the state,” Smith said.
He anticipates MI-HQ will own and operate upward of 1 million square feet of startup incubator space by 2027.
In addition to the newly announced Detroit MI-HQ location, the company has three new locations undergoing construction, and another two yet to break ground. Those include its facility at Gratiot Avenue in Detroit, another 65,000 square-foot facility at 600 S. Wagner Road in Ann Arbor and more.
Smith anticipates 60 more companies to join the MI-HQ community once the remaining three buildings under construction are activated, including 20 at the renovated building on the Ypsilanti campus.
MI-HQ will operate 40,000 square feet of the 117,000 squarefoot building at 300 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti, which will also include a restaurant, pharmacy and
Michigan Medicine to anchor the space with 60,000 square feet. Michigan Medicine will be relocating and expanding its existing Ypsilanti Health Clinic, which is scheduled to open later this spring.
MI-HQ is also renovating a facility at 300 N. Zeeb Road to allow for more space for its companies to expand. Smith said he acquired the 162,500-square-foot building in 2022.
In November, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy awarded MI-HQ a $1 million Brownfield Redevelopment grant for its 300 N. Zeeb Road facility. The funds will be used for additional investigations to determine if a vapor mitigation system will be needed in the building, as well as the removal and disposal of contaminated soil, and some interior demolition. The project is anticipated to cost around $115 million and create approximately 300 jobs.
The state of Michigan’s growing startup ecosystem has Smith optimistic for the future, which makes it easy for him to dream big. Now, it’s just a matter of “connecting all the dots.”
“This discussion about people leaving the state for this or for that, I’m convinced that we have a great platform to build from that,” Smith said. “I believe it’s all here. We just have to do a better job of connecting it and supporting it … I’m very bullish on Michigan because of the talent pool and the infrastructure that we have, that we can be a really significant player in life science, sciences in general, and mobility just by connecting the resources together.”
A rendering shows the MI-HQ facility at 300 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti. | MICHIGan nnOVaTIOn HEaDQuarTErS
Wet lab space at MI-HQ in Washtenaw County | MICHIGan nnOVaTIOn HEaDQuarTErS
Focus: Hope CEO Portia Roberson on mayoral run speculation, mission focus
Focus: Hope CEO Portia Roberson, an attorney by training, held several governmental posts before joining the Detroit-based nonprofit seven years ago, turning around its finances and refocusing its work. She served as corporation counsel for former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and head of civil rights, inclusion and opportunity for Mayor Mike Duggan. She was also tapped to serve as Wayne County political director for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and public liaison for the U.S. Department of Justice. She ran in the crowded Democratic primary in 2022 for the newly redrawn 13th Congressional District after years of being recruited to run for office but lost to Shri Thanedar. Roberson talked with Crain’s about where Focus: Hope stands today and speculation she might be a contender for the Detroit mayoral race. Her remarks have been edited for length and clarity. By |
You inherited significant financial issues at Focus: Hope. How is it doing these days? We were about $6.5 million in debt when I got here. We spun off Hope Village Revitalization. It was work that I don’t think that Focus: Hope needed to be focused on. We were better in early education, workforce development and the senior food program space. So that’s what we wanted to get back to. Post COVID, we were able to get out of debt. We had a little bit of funding from the sale of two buildings. We spent our Paycheck Protection Program loan (during the pandemic) and had a lot of funders come through for us during that same period of time. Our board gave us some advice on where we might make some investments, and those have turned out to do well for us. We have about $3 million in an investment account, and we utilize some of the interest that we raise off of it. Last year it was about $250,000. We want to operate where we have a little bit of money, just in case there are some times where things get difficult again. And to be perfectly candid, we’re not sure what 2025 is going to look like in terms of where our funders are.
You expanded your senior food box program a couple of months back, right?
We added five counties this past fall in the Thumb area. The state came to us and asked would we consider it. We had four counties — Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw — but we thought we could do more. We have pantries, community centers there who we deliver the food to so that individuals who can’t pick it up on the day that we are there can pick it up later. We probably added about 1,200 more seniors in that area and now serve 42,500-43,000 seniors. The program is our largest. Our total revenue for fiscal 2024 was $36 million, $19 million from the value of food.
But you have concerns about the program?
In 2016 former and now President-elect Donald Trump sort of zeroed out the budget for the supplemental food program. Congress was able to get it back
Read
Sherri Welch
in the budget, so we were able to continue to provide food for seniors. We are a little worried about what might happen going forward, and whether that food program as a whole will continue to survive. If that should happen again, I hope that Congress members across Michigan would come together and say, ‘Listen, we’ve got to make sure that our constituents are getting all the food that they need.’ But we’ll have to wait and see.
What else is new?
What we’re hoping in 2025 is that we are able to expand the slots that we have for early education. We had been in the Thrive by Five grant as a subgrantee of Starfish Family Services for some time. We are now applying to become our own grantee, which would allow us to increase the children we serve in Headstart and Early Headstart from about 300 to maybe 450. We’re still doing quite a bit of workforce development, working with suppliers. We also have a (training) program with DTE Energy for tree trimming, which has been very, very popular; a construction pathways program; and we’re looking at a couple more that we’d like to add on. I’ve had some conversations about a hospitality program.
conversations at CrainsDetroit.com/TheConversation
Anything new on the racial equity/advocacy front at Focus: Hope?
I think we’re seeing a time, not just with this recent election, but the last couple of years, a lot of people are backing away from the inclusiveness that was popular for a short time after George Floyd (was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020). We want to make sure that we are again making clear that we are an inclusive organization, figuring out ways in which we can serve communities that may be otherwise sort of nervous about asking for help. In 2025, we’re going to be looking at what immigration looks like and whether we’re serving communities who might otherwise be afraid to tell us a lot about their personal lives because they don’t know what that will mean in a bigger picture.
We’ve heard your name in the mix as a possible candidate for Detroit mayor. Any truth to that?
No. I think there’s going to be a number of candidates. It’s quite an honor to have people quote my name, but I think what I’m doing right now is what I’m going to be doing right now. There won’t be late announcements
from me about the mayor’s race.
Do you like anyone who is running?
I’m not sure, because I think there’s still a few more that are going to throw their names in the hat. But I’m incredibly interested and happy to see two women who already said they’re going to run, Saunteel Jenkins and Mary Sheffield. I think we might see, for the first time, a woman mayor in the city of Detroit. I think you all have probably heard about others. I practiced law with Todd Perkins and know Fred Durhal. I think you have all probably heard, too, the former police chief James Craig, Solomon Kinloch, pastor of Triumph Church. It’s going to be an interesting election year.
What would surprise people about you personally?
I’m more introverted than they think I am. Really. I have a very public-facing job and run my mouth in a lot of different capacities, but if I’m somewhere with a book and a glass of wine and probably some potato chips, I can sit there for hours. Maybe it’s a little bit of nosiness, but I love to read people’s books about their lives. My retirement job would be owning a bookstore.
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Focus: Hope CEO Portia Roberson
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