Southwest Michigan First

Earlier this week, Southwest Michigan First took a full day to enjoy the beautiful weather at Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center for our annual team retreat! There was lots of team bonding, laughter, and challenges to solve together. We started off the day sharing one fact we didn't already know about each other (Rodney was his elementary school's long jump champion, who knew?); held a rousing game of rock-paper-scissors (Heather was the ultimate winner); and conquered the low ropes course (we're looking at you, Kevin!). A few of us also ate way too much broccoli salad (Justine) because it was just.so.good! Riley and Stephanie dominated the archery course and several team members kayaked across the lake (Ambrei, Melissa). There was also a VERY competitive game of pick-up basketball (Jonas, Nick, and Carla), while others chose to relax in hammocks by the water for a little while in the afternoon (Petey, Kim, Cynthia, Abbie). We learned many positive lessons along the way as we celebrated the unique qualities each individual brings to our team. We left refreshed and ready to take on new challenges ahead and serve the Southwest Michigan region even better! Special thanks to Heather for organizing the team retreat, everyone on our team for participating so fully, and David, Nate, and our lovely host Amanda from Sherman Lake YMCA for a truly incredible day!

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber was pleased to celebrate Colors & Cocktails &with a ribbon cutting ceremony last week! Founder and owner Lauren Lasater originally opened Colors and Cocktails as a mobile art party in 2014. Through a series of twists and turns, this Nashville, Tennessee native, along with her US Navy sailor husband from Texas, landed in Kalamazoo. Now Lauren employs 10 people and leads a team of volunteers, to support more than 30 women-owned businesses at her colorful shop at 240 S Kalamazoo Mall. They offer art classes in person, mobile, and over Zoom for groups from 4 to 20 people. Their boutique also features one-of-a-kind handmade gifts in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo.

Join us for our Virtual Legislative Update on Monday, September 16 to hear from elected officials and municipal leaders as they share their priorities and what they’ve been working on. You can even help guide the conversation by submitting a question when you register to attend. Click the link below to see the list of featured elected officials and register for this virtual event today! https://lnkd.in/dCBfbnAq

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber is hosting three events this week: ?Chamber Member Orientation ?Business Breakfast Roundtable: Redefining Hiring ?The Black & Brown Connect Mixer Learn more and reserve your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gy5jrSbk We'd love to see you!

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber was excited to host our monthly Rise & Thrive Coffee Connect at the Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center in downtown Kalamazoo last week! This $94 million facility was named to commemorate Kalamazoo's first Black judge, the Honorable Judge Charles A. Pratt, who was elected in 1968 and retired after 12 years of service. Attendees were able to connect over coffee and treats as they toured the new facility and learned more about one of our community partners, the United Way of South Central Michigan. Thank you to Honor Credit Union for sponsoring our monthly Rise & Thrive Coffee Connect events!

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber was excited to celebrate the grand opening of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services's newly relocated and expanded outpatient clinic in Portage! The ribbon cutting was more than just a ceremony—it was a milestone in bringing greater access to mental health care and addiction treatment to individuals of all ages and their families living in Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. Attendees enjoyed a tour of the state-of-the-art facility, delicious snacks, and inspiring words from Pine Rest’s CEO Mark Eastburg and the manager of the Portage location, Justin Hutchison, LMSW. We were pleased to welcome local elected officials, and several Chamber ambassadors to help us celebrate!

Thank you, Stryker Medical, for another incredible MIX event last week! Nearly 200 design professionals learned all about Stryker's principles of customer-centered design and toured their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Attendees got to hear first-hand stories of how Stryker brings innovation and creativity to make healthcare better, from concept to final product!

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber was thrilled to celebrate the grand reopening of City Centre Events with a ribbon cutting ceremony during their public open house last week! City Centre Events is a premier venue for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo. The newly renovated space can host up to 300 people and offers reserved parking, onsite catering, a built-in bar, and so much more. The event was very well attended and several businesses and organizations were on hand to help make every event a memorable one!

For our August session, the Leadership Greater Kalamazoo cohort took a deep dive into the art of leading through adaptive change, a critical skill for today’s leaders. Carla Sones led the morning by guiding the group through the essential qualities of leaders who excel in adapting to change, especially in the challenging middle management role. To put their teamwork skills to the test, the group tackled the spaghetti-marshmallow challenge—a fun yet insightful exercise in preparation for the afternoon's focus on design thinking. It's much harder than it looks! After lunch, the class had the privilege of hearing from two outstanding leaders: Jane Ghosh from Discover Kalamazoo and Ken Miller from Millennium Restaurant Group. Jane shared her experience managing major organizational shifts at Kellogg’s, while Ken reflected on steering his team through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The day ended with Carla leading a hands-on design thinking session to work through their current problems and discover solutions to those real-world challenges. This session was a powerful reminder of the importance of adaptability and innovation in leadership! Are you interested in participating in a future Leadership Greater Kalamazoo cohort? Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 class. Download the application and find out more at this link: https://lnkd.in/giqrE4K6

Southwest Michigan First Chamber's Pins Not Putts Chamber Bowling Classic FUNdraisier at Revel & Roll West was an absolute blast! The TowerPinkster team took home the grand prize of a $2,500 donation to their nonprofit of choice—Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo—to continue their amazing work serving and empowering the youth in our communities. Thank you to our incredible Chamber ambassadors for your help and support during the event and to each and every bowler who was in it to win it! Lots of memories and connections were made as you can see! We want to especially thank all our amazing sponsors as this event simply wouldn't be possible if not for your generous support. T-shirt Sponsors: Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan Strike-a-Thon sponsors: ELITE COMPANIES Overneath Creative Bowling BINGO sponsors: Visiting Angels of Southwest Michigan Kalsee Credit Union Provision Living Senior Communities 11th Frame Happy Hour sponsors: College Hunks Hauling Junk Kalamazoo Slick Raven Marketing Nametag sponsors: People Forward The Barton Group Friends of SMF Chamber: Wightman? Rolling River Apparel and Gifts Nulty Insurance Abonmarche Byce ? Western Michigan University-Corporate Relations Special thanks to News Anchor Andy Dominianni at WWMT-TV News Channel 3 for emceeing this event!