11 minute read
THE CIRCUIT
LEGAL EAGLES
PATRICK GLORIA
The State Bar of Michigan, a nonprofit organization based in Lansing, hosted its 4th annual Business Law
Symposium on Jan. 20 at The Detroit Club in downtown
Detroit. The event drew local leaders in the legal and business fields for lectures and roundtables about the business of law firms. Topics included how to retain young legal talent, building and protecting a brand, and entrepreneurial strategies for the pandemic.
1. Jasmine Rippy, Alexis Johnson, Arthur Duffy IV 2. Mikaela Armstead, Cloie Chidiac, Nicholas Badalamenti 3. Jason Sluyter, Aida Dismondy 4. Austin Foos, Peter Dukaj, Kenneth Beams 5. Jacob Campbell, Elizabeth Vincent, Elyse Palombit
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ANDREA BOCELLI
LINDSEY SCHWEIKERT
A pre-concert cocktail reception for the Andrea Bocelli concert was hosted at the Budweiser Biergarten at Little
Caesars Arena on Dec. 5 by Alvin Spencer and Chris
Armour from Stifel Financial Corp. Stifel helped bring
Maestro Bocelli, founder of the Andrea Bocelli
Foundation, to Detroit. Guests enjoyed cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres before the show featuring the
Italian operatic tenor and multi-instrumentalist, who performed alongside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
11. Nancy O’Connor, Bernadette Cooper, Mary Leisure, Carrie Schochet, Amy Whipple, Dana Ryan 12. Mike and Kathy Anderson, Andrea and Andy Bethune 13. Chris and Michelle Armour 14. Frank and Kimberly Campanale, Renee Godin, Scott Fergusone 15. Nancy and Craig Valassis
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NIGHT ON THE TOWN
PATRICK GLORIA
EO Detroit, a chapter of the global Entrepreneurs’ Organization, conducted Night Out on the Town, a social and networking event, on Jan. 29 at Leila restaurant in
Detroit’s Capitol Park. The evening, which included a strolling dinner, beverages, a DJ, and desserts, was co-hosted by Matt Wolf, EO Detroit social chair, and Jenny Feterovich, EO Detroit event day chair.
6. Joe Mackey, Chad and Lynn Johnson 7. Namita Prasad, Carman and Mark Winter 8. Audrey and Jason Brown 9. Sheri and Steve Gordon, Anna Longe 10. Janet and Vladimir Gendelman
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EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY DBUSINESS
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF EMPLOYERS (ASE) | HUMAN RESOURCES CONFERENCE
Please join us for THRIVE in 2022 – Engage, Empower, and Evolve on Thursday, March 10. Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi will host the event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This pandemic has created immediate and profound changes in the workforce. We have been part of the largest work-from-home experiment that has yet to end. The war on talent is raging, and the great resignation is upon us. There has never been a more challenging or exciting time for HR professionals. Network with peers in the region. Learn from thought leaders who will explore how to optimize personnel, and thus succeed in an era of uncertainty. Guests include Meridith Elliott Powell, business keynote speaker, and Joshua M. Evans, culture keynote speaker. Do not miss the opportunity to attend this premier convention in southeast Michigan. Advance signup ensures a complimentary, keynote-authored book reserved just for you! Call 248-223-8041 to receive group rates. Contact Nick Corrado at ncorrado@aseonline.org with sponsorship inquiries. View full agenda and submit registration at aseonline.org/ events/hr-conference-2022.
ASSOCIATION FOR CORPORATE GROWTH: DETROIT CHAPTER | M&A ALL STAR AWARDS
ENTREPRENEURS’ ORGANIZATION – DETROIT CHAPTER
The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter is a 430-member nonprofit business organization of corporations, lenders, and private equity firms that invest in middle-market companies. Please join us for our seventh annual M&A All Star Awards on May 3 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. This event provides excellent networking opportunities and recognizes top deals/dealmakers in the Detroit M&A community from 2021. We thank this year’s Diamond Sponsor, Foley & Lardner LLP; Ruby Sponsor, DBusiness; Emerald Sponsors, Aon, BDO, JP Morgan Chase, and Peninsula Capital Partners. To learn more and register online, visit acg.org/detroit.
Please join us at the Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac on Wednesday, March 16, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This is a great way to meet with community leaders and business professionals. City of Auburn Hills Mayor, Kevin McDaniel, will serve as the keynote speaker, acknowledging accomplishments from 2021 and presenting initiatives in 2022 for this dynamic Michigan city. Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce 2021 Chair of the Board, Deborah Burton, CPA, Partner, Plante Moran, now retired, will share innovative experiences, as well as introduce our next chair, Gary Neumann, General Manager of Great Lakes Crossing Outlets and the 2022 Board of Directors. The ILEAD Class of 2021 will also be announced and recognized. To attend, become an exhibitor, or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, call 248-853-7862 or visit auburnhillschamber.com.
Are you an entrepreneur? If yes, then come hang out with us! Our organization welcomes innovative professionals from every facet of life. It brings incredible value to your business and family, on top of personal evolution. There are several local learning and social events throughout the year. Come March, our guest of honor is Dandapani, a Hindu priest who will guide us to highlight our purpose and sustain unwavering focus. In May, we host Alan Miltz, a discussion leader in evaluating the true cash flow of your business, who will provide insight on how to develop and manage this annually. The variety is extensive, but our mission is simple: to grow together as entrepreneurs of Detroit! To acquire more information or attend an event, please contact Anna Longe at admin@eodetroit.com.
To find out about more DBusiness sponsored events and see photos from those events visit DBUSINESS.COM
POWER HOUR
WILSON SARKIS
Networking expert Derek Dickow hosted the Power Connections cannabis business networking event on Nov. 18 at The Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham. The event, which drew more than 400 people, featured networking and panel discussions centered around the future of the state’s cannabis industry. It also generated $55,700 for the Children’s Foundation in Detroit, which focuses on the health and well-being of the children of Michigan and their families.
1. Jason Wentworth, Jeff Gunsberg, Terry Judge 2. Mike Berry 3. Kelly Garety, Stephanie Kern 4. Mike Blogna, Kimberly Scott 5. Paul Mallon, Derek Dickow, Klint Kesto
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ECONOMIC FORECAST
PATRICK GLORIA
The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce hosted its
Industry Outlook: 2022 Economic Forecast on Feb. 9 at the Kingsley Bloomfield Hills — a Doubletree by Hilton. The annual event brought together experts in the field of finance, including Dennis Cowan of Plunkett Cooney, Donald Thorn of Comerica Bank, Michael Acho of Lincoln Advisors, and R.J. King of DBusiness magazine, to discuss what the future holds for Michigan businesses.
11. Laura Mendoza Nillson, Preston Rabban, Rana Adou, Theresa Sawa 12. Ben Schafer, Mark Orechkin, Faris Goryoka, Sharkey Haddad 13. Dominic Fazzolari, Kevin Sheridan 14. David Jappaya, Wassem Ayar, Preston Rabban 15. Livia Khemmoro, Robin Yono, Kevin Jappaya
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DETROIT TECH HUB
PATRICK GLORIA
On Feb. 9, the DBusiness Breakfast Series covering
Detroit as the Tech Hub of the Midwest was held at the Gem Theatre in downtown Detroit. The event focused on growing the local and state technology sector, nurturing and attracting more tech startups, and cultivating future talent locally. As part of the series, Danielle Russell, director of platform solutions in the Americas for Google, moderated a panel discussion between Evan Kramer, CEO of White Glove; Michael Healander, founder and CEO of Airspace Link; and Larry Angeli, CEO of Sift.
6. Dan Patterson, Doug Abraham, Evan Mollenkamp 7. Evan Kramer, Mario Moceri, A.J. Simon 8. Ghada Abdallah, Josiah Willis 9. Marletta Boyd II, Andre Ebron 10. Nathan Labenz, Michael Healander, Danielle Russell, Evan Kramer
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New Standard
Cannabis Culture Thrives at New Standard Provisioning Centers
In 2018, marijuana was legalized for adult recreational use in Michigan. Soon after, longtime Michigan community and business leaders founded New Standard, as they were committed to setting a new standard for the cannabis industry in the state. Cannabis is the first new industry in the U.S. in decades, and it’s also one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries. Leaders from across a vast array of experiences came together to form New Standard, bringing their expertise to this fastpaced new world.
New Standard’s first provisioning center opened in Hazel Park in April of 2020. The company soon added seven more stores to its roster in Michigan; two more locations are expected to open in 2022.
“New Standard has had an incredible year of expanding our retail operations,” says Howard Luckoff, CEO and co-founder of New Standard. “Walking into a New Standard location feels like walking into a Starbucks or a Shinola retailer. The environment is warm, eclectic, comfortable, educational, and engaging.”
While some people may feel overwhelmed walking into a cannabis provisioning center, New Standard pairs each guest with an expert budtender who can provide recommendations and advice, and help the guest through the sales process.
“I came from the cosmetic industry,” says Mary Turon, COO of New Standard. “When I started in cannabis, I was noticing how some CBD products in skincare were making a big impact on people’s skin, which got me curious."
“With hundreds of products for medical and recreational use, shoppers will often spend 40 minutes in the store,” she adds. “Our stores create a culture where customers can unwind and be educated on the use of our products. It’s an individualized experience that brings our customers back again and again.”
New team members receive three weeks of extensive training, including classroom-style product training and dispensary operations training. The stores also offer continual refresher courses as new products and consumption methods emerge in the cannabis industry.
New Standard has two cultivation facilities and a processing operation in Michigan, allowing the company to be fully vertically integrated. The New Standard experience is farm-to-flower, in which skilled cultivators and cannabis experts regularly connect with store budtenders to discuss new products, uses, and developments. New Standard-grown flowers are meticulously cared for, from seed to harvest. The flower is then trimmed, cured, tested, and sent to New Standard locations. New Standard strives to grow cannabis in its most natural state, without hidden or unnatural treatments, to achieve cleaner cannabis. Their flower has become a favorite for New Standard customers.
Not only does the New Standard experience allow for deeper connections between customers and budtenders, but it also welcomes commerce and partnerships with the local community. Committed to positively impacting each community it serves, New Standard donates a portion of its proceeds from each of its locations to local nonprofit organizations throughout the year. Most recently, each store location selected a food pantry in their community and donated canned foods that were collected in the stores.
“We give back to the communities we serve,” Luckoff says, “and we help create opportunities that make the most sense for the needs of that community.”
New Standard was named Best Recreational Marijuana Retailer in Oakland County, Best of Hour in both the Delivery and Dispensary categories, and its Hazel Park location was the only cannabis retailer to be selected as a winner in the 17th annual Detroit Design Awards in the Retail Interior Design category.
New Standard
Howard Luckoff, CEO and Co-founder Mary Turon, COO anewstandard.com
