Alverson’s Little Forks
Spencer Alverson learned to fish on the rivers around Midland—wading into the Titabawassee and Chippewa as a kid, casting lines where curiosity mattered more than technique. Years later, those same rivers pulled him downtown to Little Forks Outfitters, a fly-fishing shop just a block from their confluence. At first, he came for the camaraderie: the […]
Trust
If you trace Trimell Hawkins’ path to this moment, it reads less like a résumé and more like a carefully composed menu—each step deliberate, each experience building toward something bigger. That vision comes to life with the opening of Trust, his long-awaited dream restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids. Born in Chicago and shaped by his […]
Fresh Coast Inspections
As Scott Kiaunis built a career in construction and building inspection, he kept noticing something important—every time he stepped into a compromised building, he stepped into a much bigger story. As a Municipal Dangerous Buildings Inspector, his work regularly brought him into contact with community and neighborhood services, the Red Cross, Child Protective Services, and […]
Dos Locals
Dos Locals is a proudly woman-owned, tribally owned food truck created by a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Maritza Fuerte Lopez and her husband Joel Lopez. Their story began with a vision born out of resilience, cultural pride, and the desire to build something meaningful for their family. After years […]
Mitts 2 Pits
Benny Young grew up cooking. He cooked at the church where his dad was the pastor and he cooked at home for his family of five brothers. Cooking was never an issue. But business? Business was kind of an issue. During Covid, Benny and Denise Young decided to learn how to run a business, and […]
Wormies
Luis Chen-Aguilera is turning Kent County’s food and yard waste into fertile soil, with the help of 166 million worms. He’s also changing hearts and minds about agriculture in the process. While Wormie’s specializes in vermicomposting, its roots are in sustainable and organic farming, with a priority on helping the planet. “Composting is basically recycling,” […]
Blue Dove Pharmacy
Dr. Jacqueline Mbwille Sakaya, owner of Blue Dove Pharmacy, faced persistent challenges with her previous landlord, including disruptive construction that affected her business. Despite the uncertainty of relocating, she embraced the opportunity for a fresh start. With support from Opportunity Resource Fund, Dr. Sakaya successfully established her pharmacy inside the new Ypsilanti Health Center — […]
Red Hen Food and Goods
In tiny Nisula, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Alison Kirksey and her neighbors were driving 45 minutes for basic groceries and supplies. With a successful food blog and a passion for cooking for others, Alison combined her loves and opened Red Hen Foods & Goods, a community gathering place that also has groceries, gifts, prepared food, […]
Northland Precision
The roots of CNC machining run deep in Traverse City — and Northland Precision is carrying that legacy forward. It all started with John Parsons, a Traverse City engineer who, in the 1940s, invented numerical control (NC), the precursor to today’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC). “He was the father of CNC machining,” says Bill Dittrich, […]
Flowers Automotive
Ronald Flowers is using his business to save the planet, as well as create a family legacy. It all started in 2014, when Flowers’ truck broke down and he took it to his neighborhood junk car dealer in Kalamazoo. Flowers was familiar with scrapping, but not the end-to-end, recycling-everything method John Rouse introduced him to. […]