Two-thousand-eleven has been a banner year for key development in the Greater Lansing area. It’s not just that there was an influx of any old type of building projects. The kind of development we saw in Lansing this year has been groundbreaking and innovative. They are the kind of projects inspired by collaboration, history and community - furthering growth across the region.

Conscious design is the backbone of Old Town’s against the Grain design studio. Over the last few years, the company has worked to bring local artisans together to share their skills. Now they’re ready to grow on a bigger scale, building on a long-time dream of creating a truly sustainable artist community and teaching center.

Last year over Thanksgiving, Jeff and Allie Siarto visited family and friends in Michigan. The newlyweds, both in their mid-20's, had been itching to leave Chicago for some time and always entertained the idea of returning. That quickly became a reality after a fantastic few days in Michigan. Less than two months later, they made the big move.

EPrize has been part of what founder and CEO Josh Linkner calls a "reverse brain drain," attracting employees from the coasts to work at the Internet promotion agency. Watch their story here.