Grand Rapids Community Foundation (GRCF) has received a $50,000 grant from the Michigan College Access Network to establish the Kent County College Access Network (KCCAN).   According to Ruth Bishop, GRCF education program officer, this grant will support the high school counselors and local networks that coordinate the programs, services, and resources helping primarily low-income and first-generation students to pursue postsecondary educational opportunities. Bishop is quick to point out that the program is not only focused on four-year schools. "We use the word college, which is the word the national organization uses, because it is something everyone understands," says Bishop, "but these programs also support two-year schools and vocational training programs too." To accomplish their goals, the program will have services to help students navigate their way through the financial aid bureaucracy so they can access the money to continue their education.   The programs will also consistently reinforce a strong message on the importance of continuing education and training beyond high school. "We want the individuals working with students to plant the college culture seed early," states Bishop. The Community Foundation will provide oversight to KCCAN. A team including individuals from youth-oriented nonprofits, K-12 and higher education and the private sector will lead the planning and implementation.  A portion of the grant will also help hire a part-time coordinator to get the program up and running. For more information on this program, you can visit their website. Source:  Ruth Bishop Writer: John Rumery

Trending for several years on both the East and West Coasts, the cupcake business is about to get a little sweeter in West Michigan. Classically trained pastry chef Campbell Evett sensed an opportunity when she moved back to Grand Rapids from Chicago after receiving her pastry degree from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago and her food and beverage degree from Kendall College (Chicago). "I wanted to start to a business when I moved back to Grand Rapids," Evett states.  Relying on her baking skills and coursework while in Chicago, Evett launched Sweet Revenge Patisserie in 2010.   "The name 'Sweet Revenge' comes from school projects involving business strategies and menu development," Evett says. "It's a play on the quote, 'revenge is sweet.'" Working out of a shared kitchen, Evett began selling her cupcakes, French macaroons and tarts at the Fulton Street Artisans Market during the summer. At the same time, she set up a web page with her menu and a Facebook page to promote her business.   Evett also sells some of her specialty products at Rowsters Coffee. One is a cookie she developed especially for the coffee roaster. "It's called a Noz, and it's based on a Portuguese recipe and features the African peri peri pepper," she says. Business is exceeding her expectations and if all goes well, she plans to open a storefront in spring of 2011. For the time being, customers can go to her website for the menu and instructions on how to order. Evett cautions buyers to expect anywhere from 2 days to 1 week to fulfill orders. Besides what is on the menu, Evett says her business is really based on custom orders, and she can create whatever the customer desires. Source: Campbell Evett Writer: John Rumery

The need is now. The numbers are dire. Kids' Food Basket, a Grand Rapids nonprofit that provides a daily sack supper for elementary students who would go hungry without it, has been nearly overwhelmed with requests from area schools who say kids are stuffing their pockets with cafeteria food so they'll have something to eat when they get home. The desire to respond to those requests prompted the organization to move from its 3,500-square-foot space near John Ball Park to a new 10,000-square-foot warehouse/office at 2055 Oak Industrial Dr., Grand Rapids. "We definitely have an opportunity to grow here, and we need to grow and expand our services," says Executive Director Bridget Clark Whitney. "We are currently providing 3,140 sack suppers each weekday. Each of our schools has 80 percent or higher of its students below the poverty level, and those are the kids we're helping."Six days a week, over 100 volunteers, including children and teens, pack the sack suppers with foods from each of the five food groups. Each supper always includes fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, a meat/cheese sandwich and a 100-percent fruit juice box, Whitney says."The kids that we serve receive breakfast and lunch through school lunch programs, where they're getting about 1,000 calories a day," Whitney says. "Kids under 12 need 2,000 calories for their brains to develop, so our suppers are always between 800 and 1,000 calories."With the job losses and the economy there's been a high spike in poverty," she adds. "A Brookings Institute study revealed that between 2000 and 2008 Grand Rapids had the highest spike in poverty in general of any city in the country."An October 16 public open house will feature tours, games, a scavenger hunt in the building and refreshments from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Source: Bridget Clark Whitney, Kids' Food BasketWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

WOOD TV8 reports that Dematic proposes to invest $11 million in expansion in Grand Rapids and could add some 500 jobs if the city sees fit to approve a tax break. According to excerpts from the story:The Dematic Corporation has asked the city of Grand Rapids for a tax break that would allow it to expand, adding 505 jobs. The business is located on Grand Rapids' northeast side and specializes in making conveyor systems. The city estimates the new jobs would bring $228,987 in new income taxes each year. In exchange, Dematic is asking for a five-year personal property exemption that would mean about $44,387 in taxes that the city would not receive each year after the expansion. Read the complete story here.

The Renew Therapeutic Riding Center in Holland recently opened its doors for children and adults with special needs.  The program utilizes a five-step process to teach students about riding and caring for horses.  This type of therapy helps in building balance and confidence. According to excerpts from the story in the Chicago Tribune:A west Michigan facility has begun offering special needs children and adults the chance to take part in therapeutic horse riding sessions with professional trainers by their side. Read the complete story here:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-helpfulhorses-hol,0,3720862.story

As many a Michigan worker knows, the times are changing.  Individuals and businesses need to acquire new skill sets to stay competitive in the 21st century. These changes have impacted not only the manufacturing industry, but the legal industry is also having to adapt to the new economy, especially as it relates to using technology and working in a global economy. To help both alumni and students beginning their academic careers better compete in the flattened world, Thomas M. Cooley Law School has expanded and restructured their career and professional development services by adding six professional advisors, all attorneys with experience in career development and placement.    These advisors are placed throughout the four of Cooley's campuses in the state and will help integrate new economy principles in the classroom so that students know the importance of relationship building, presentation skills, technology and effective communication, in addition to the mastery of subject matter. Cooley Law School Associate Dean Nelson Miller points out that many economic changes have impacted the legal industry. Like other service businesses, law firms and sole practitioners have to find new way to deliver their services. "They need to be more efficient and serve a more global market.  There is also more emphasis on international law and comparative law." It is not only individuals working in large firms that are faced with these pressures. Smaller firms and sole practitioners all need to better understand and utilize technology. Miller indicates there is a higher level of expectation with clients who are very tech savvy. They expect technology to be integrated in all their interactions with their law firms.  Source: Interview with Nelson Miller Writer: John Rumery

Looking for a sturdy, weather-resistant shelving unit for her herbs, Lynn Smith couldn't locate something that worked well on uneven ground. As a serial entrepreneur, this problem was only an opportunity to create something on her own. Using earrings and chopsticks to build the first prototype, she designed a model that served as a catalyst for her new invention. As the saying goes, the rest is history. <br><br>Smith and Mike Suman, owner-principles of AngleWorks, LLC, recently introduced the first product of their company,<a target="_blank" href="http://ileanstore.com/"> iLean™.</a><br><br>Their product is a sublimely simple solution to Smith's problem of needing impromptu shelving systems that can be used in a wide variety of environments. Featuring interchangeable shelves, steel support wires and multiple options for materials, the applications are limitless. <br><br>Smith states the reaction from customers, distributors and retailers has "been wildly wonderful. Everyone is enthused. They are enamored at the ease of the product." <br><br>Smith outlines how it only weighs 17 lbs., is delivered fully assembled and can be configured in a multiple ways. Smith and Suman refer to it as a "lifestyle tool" that can be used room-to-room, in the office, dorm or outside in a variety of settings.<br><br>Suman and Smith have also been surprised by a couple of applications they never thought of. "The RV industry was a pleasant surprise.&nbsp; You can buy an extra set of brackets and place (the product) outside of the motor home. It is perfect for a quick lunch setup." <br><br>Another surprise was with the retail display industry.&nbsp; Smith indicates the flexibility and design make it attractive for a point-of-purchase display. <br><br>As enthusiastic and optimistic as Suman and Smith are for their new venture, they are also very proud of the process and support system. "It was Michigan talent," they say. Besides being manufactured in Michigan, they also pointed out the legal, financial and accounting infrastructure they tapped into. <br><br>Suman explains, "since 2002, a cottage support system for inventors" has taken root. There is a "tremendous amount of talent here," citing the wealth of industrial designers who understand the dynamics of the new economy, "especially the need for speed."<br><br><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/idKnOBZTOjU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/idKnOBZTOjU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Source: Lynn Smith and Michael Suman<br>Writer: John Rumery