- Middle Village is a hub of small businesses in downtown Lansing that provides a micro-storefront for up-and-coming business owners.
- With the implementation of the Michigan Growth Office, it will focus on three pillars to grow the grow and maintain Michigan's population including a $60 million grant to an innovation hub to increase startups in our state.
Oscar Peña worked in a brewery not too long ago. He needed durable clothing and what he had just wasn’t enough.
“I just needed something and I thought I just gotta be the one to do it," Peña said.
Peña started Black Rose Designs, a small business that focuses on custom-fitted clothing for men in our neighborhoods right here in Middle Village.
In the downtown Lansing micro-store front, lives four other small businesses, looking for a foundation.
Program Director Julie Reinhardt says that owners, who apply to the program, spend a year there which gives them the resources to get started.
“There’s a really robust educational program here, with monthly classes, workshops, weekly financial meetings to really demystify everything," Reinhardt said.
Increasing and supporting small businesses is one of the many pillars in the plan to improve Michigan’s stagnant population problem.
It includes 60 million dollars to invest in scaleable startups in our neighborhoods.
Hilary Doe, Executive Director of the newly appointed Michigan Growth Office, says that her team has been working on implementing those ideas since December 2023.
“Everything from working on entrepreneurship and innovation economy to ensuring we increase our post-secondary attainment and working on placemaking here in our state,” Doe said.
Peña found his place in Middle Village and in the future, he wants to give that help to anyone else in our neighborhoods who may need it.
“I especially want to teach people how to make shoes because I love making shoes and it’s a process,” Peña said.
Middle Village accepts year-long applications if small businesses would like to apply, click on the linkfor more information.
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