The
Lansing Economic Area Partnership is springing forward with new directions that promise to take the region's entrepreneurial and business startup initiatives to a national level of prominence.
Tony Willis will serve as the director of the recently reconfigured New Economy Division, moving from his previous post as manager. Willis will run RING—the Lansing region's entrepreneurial system—while Quin Stinchfield will oversee the
TIC and
Runway as the new manager of business incubation. Stinchfield will also be responsible for continuing the expansion of incubators throughout the Lansing region.
The reconfiguration of the division enables LEAP to introduce an aggressive series of programs designed to increase the likelihood of startup businesses and entrepreneurial culture. Among those programs are FundLansing—a tri-county loan program with an entrepreneurial focus. Two others include the rebranding of 3D Lansing to Lansing Proto, and new curriculums for the TIC and Runway.
"The reorg will allow LEAP to better handle the needs of our entrepreneurial community," says Willis. "We have laid a great foundation over the past few years, but with this new structure and development of great programs, we can really begin to accelerate the growth of new companies."
In other restructuring news, Karl Dorshimer was promoted to director of business development. LEAP COO Steve Willobee will also assume more day-to-day management responsibilities for the New Economy Division in addition to providing leadership in the business development arena.
Continuing to garner strong support from
MEDC, LEAP will use the $100,000 annual incubator grant to contract a high-tech startup specialist to run the Lansing Regional SmartZone and target the growth of high-tech, startup businesses. Additional MEDC grants include $65,000 to support The Runway as well as $70,000 for development of an "accelerator region" surrounding the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University.
"The funding and support from MEDC only continues to affirm our region is not only posed for success but is a leader in innovation for the state," says Willis.
The City of Lansing also proposed additional funding for LEAP that would be applied toward adding one staff person at LEAP to work on City of Lansing projects.
Sources: Tony Willis, Director, LEAP New Economy Division
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
Got a story idea for Innovation News? Email Ann Kammerer here.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.