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The first cohort of business owners for the Elevate Program are being celebrated by the local organization
LANSING - As 2022 wounded down for all of us, so too did the first installment of LEAP's newest program 'Elevate' and its 6-month program centered around elevating the businesses of 8 chosen entrepreneurs from around Lansing. LEAP, alongside its program partner Best Practices Consulting Services, selected 8 people to participate in various business-building activities and task with the goal of raising profits, increasing brand prominence, and driving up revenue.
It began in April of 2022 with the application and selection process dwindling down dozens of applicants to the 8 chosen:
DeAnna Ray-Brown— Everything is Cheesecake
Donald Lovell— Trouble Shooters Technical Support
Eva Thompson— JEM Cleaning LLC
Lorin Cumberbatch— Skin Studio 211
Marcus Leslie— Mr. Leslie’s Cheesecakes
Nikki Thompson Frazier— Sweet Encounter Bakery & Cafe
Sidney McCalib— Next Up Michigan
Tiffany Nordé—Dancing with the Nordés
The program ran through October of 2022, and consisted of business workshops, meetings with prominent business minds from the region, skill-building, among other professional-development events. PNC Bank was the financial backing for the program, using funds from its nationwide Community Benefits Plan, and Ingham County contributed another $120,000 to the program.
It all came to a celebratory end in December, as LEAP brass, PNC reps, cohort members and their loved ones all celebrated the program at Urban Beat Event Center. Food and drinks were in tow as LEAP CEO Bob Trezise and Chief Equity Officer Tony Willis both gave moving speeches, and awards were handed out the program participants.
While the first cohort is still being celebrated, LEAP is re-energizing the program and working out the kinks for a second go round. The prestigious program is set to take applications for the second installment February 1st - February 24th, 2023.
Check out the official press release from LEAP below:
LANSING, Mich. (Jan. 12, 2023) — In December 2022, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) came together with community, funders, family and friends to celebrate the completion of the first Elevate Black-business accelerator program. This program was the first of its kind in the Lansing Region of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties and saw eight entrepreneurs growing and shaping their businesses through skill building, seminars and technical assistance from Best Practices Consulting Service.
"We are proud to be the first economic development organization in the state to launch a program focused on economic inclusivity, specifically for Black entrepreneurs,” said Tony Willis, chief equity development officer at LEAP. "We know that when Black businesses thrive, the economy thrives. The success these entrepreneurs achieved during the six-month program is only the beginning.”
The entrepreneurs who made up the first cohort were:
DeAnna Ray-Brown— Everything is Cheesecake
Donald Lovell— Trouble Shooters Technical Support
Eva Thompson— JEM Cleaning LLC
Lorin Cumberbatch— Skin Studio