SURGE powered by Lakeshore Advantage

09/03/2026

What if music could help people move? 🎶

That question has helped take Theraplaying from an idea on the Lakeshore to research, national recognition and the global healthcare stage.

Founded by James Lenger of Sharp and Flat, Theraplaying combines music, movement and evidence-based therapy to support people living with Parkinson's disease and other movement challenges.

And the idea is gaining momentum.

Since it's launch, Theraplaying won the Venture 313 × Start Garden pitch at SXSW, presented internationally at the World Parkinson Congress and was selected among the Top 30 nationwide for the Heal.LA cohort.

Theraplaying is just one of the startup stories we’ll be celebrating during BUILT HERE: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF LAKESHORE STARTUPS as part of Tech Week GR.

Join us to meet the founders, hear the stories and celebrate what’s been built—and what’s being built next—on the Lakeshore.

Register for Built Here during Tech Week GR → https://vist.ly/5h7ey

Built here. Growing here. Going further.

08/26/2026

Ten years ago, the Holland SmartZone set out to build something big for the Lakeshore. Today, it's a thriving hub of founders and innovators — proof of what that decade has made possible.

Join us September 18th for Built Here: Celebrating 10 Years of Lakeshore Startups — a celebration of the founders and members whose milestones, risk-taking, and everyday hustle built this space into what it is. This one's for you first.

And if you're not a founder yourself, you're still invited to be part of it. Remote tech workers looking to step out from behind the screen, the startup-curious wanting a closer look, business leaders and community members curious about the innovation happening in our backyard — come meet the people behind it and see what activation looks like up close.

We know Tech Week keeps you busy, so this one's easy — no agenda, just an open door. Drop in anytime between 2–4pm.

The Next Center, Holland | Friday, September 18
Hosted by SURGE by Lakeshore Advantage

RSVP: https://vist.ly/5g9g9

08/21/2026

National recognition for what we’re building right here on the Lakeshore.

Lakeshore Advantage has received a 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Silver Medal Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for The Next Center in the Entrepreneurial & Small Business Development category.

“By bringing startups, small businesses, mentors, investors and economic development partners together under one roof, we are building a stronger support system for founders and helping grow the next generation of primary employers along the Lakeshore. This recognition from IEDC affirms the power of that collaborative approach and the community commitment behind it,” said Nora VandenBrink.

We’re incredibly proud to see that collaborative approach recognized on an international stage — and even more grateful to the investors, founders, partners and community leaders who helped bring this vision to life.

This one belongs to the Lakeshore. 💙

Read the full announcement:
https://vist.ly/5fn9g

HOLLAND, Mich. – August 20, 2026 – Lakeshore Advantage received a 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Silver Medal Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for its Next Center project in downtown Holland. The award recognizes Lakeshore Advantage in the Entrepreneurial...

08/20/2026

We’re growing our team!

At Lakeshore Advantage, we’re a small team doing big work for the businesses, entrepreneurs and communities that make the Lakeshore region thrive.

We live our core values every day, care deeply about the work we do, and the people we do it with.

We’re currently hiring for two roles:

Entrepreneurship Program Manager: Help entrepreneurs access the programs, resources and connections they need to build and grow through our SURGE startup ecosystem.

https://vist.ly/5fjvb

Event & Meeting Coordinator: Help create the experiences that bring our work and our community together through engaging, well-executed events and meetings.

https://vist.ly/5fjvf

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this post and help us find our next teammates.

08/20/2026

Stop overthinking AI. Come build something with it.

As Tech Week Grand Rapids comes to the Lakeshore, SURGE member Andy Bass of and -ai-llc is bringing a hands-on AI workshop to The Next Center.

Don’t Overthink It, Just Build: Your First AI Agent is designed to give you that AI “aha” moment — by actually building something yourself.

During this lunchtime workshop, Andy will walk participants through building a real, working AI agent from scratch. No coding background required.

Along the way, you’ll learn what AI agents actually are (minus the buzzwords), where they’re useful today, where they may be overhyped, and how all the pieces fit together.

Best of all? You’ll leave with a working agent of your own.

📅 Thursday, September 17
⏰ 11:30 AM–1 PM
📍 SURGE Learning Lab | The Next Center
💻 Bring your laptop
🥪 Lunch provided
🎉 Part of Tech Week Grand Rapids

We love seeing SURGE members share their expertise — and we’re especially excited to have Andy helping bring Tech Week GR to the Lakeshore.

Don’t overthink it. Just come build.

Register: https://vist.ly/5fjga

Your AI aha moment: build a real, working agent over lunch

08/19/2026

There’s something special about seeing a local entrepreneur’s story come full circle.

Hope College recently featured alumnus James Lenger, founder of Sharp and Flat, in The Daring Ones — highlighting his entrepreneurial journey and the thinking behind building something new.

James is a familiar face in the SURGE community and part of the growing network of founders building, experimenting and creating right here in the Lakeshore region.

We’re proud to see his story shared by the college where his journey began — and to have Sharp & Flat as part of the entrepreneurial community growing here today.

Congratulations, James!

Read The Daring Ones from Hope College Magazine:
https://vist.ly/5ff78

Hope isn’t simply a feeling, it’s something we choose to put into action. “The Daring Ones” is a new series celebrating members of the Hope College community who embody that belief. Through courage, curiosity, compassion and faith, they are doing the active, often gritty work, of bringing ho...

08/17/2026

Ten years of startups. Ten years of innovation. And we’re just getting started.

This September, we’re bringing Tech Week Grand Rapids to the Lakeshore with Built Here: Celebrating 10 Years of Lakeshore Startups.

Join us at The Next Center as we celebrate a decade of the Holland SmartZone and the founders, mentors, investors, educators and business leaders who have helped build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem here in West Michigan.

You’ll meet some of the people and companies growing through SURGE, hear the stories behind what they’re building, and get a closer look at where Lakeshore innovation is headed next.

Whether you’ve been part of this ecosystem from the beginning or are just discovering what’s being built here, we’d love to have you join us.

Friday, September 18 | 2–4 PM
The Next Center | Holland

Register: https://vist.ly/5f65u

Celebrating 10 years of Lakeshore startups and innovation.

08/14/2026

Less time searching for help. More time building.

SURGE is launching a new founder resource designed to make it easier to get the right expertise at the right time.

Through a new partnership with , SURGE founders will have access to Vantage - an expert-powered founder support platform that helps entrepreneurial support organizations deliver more coordinated venture development by connecting founders with experienced operators, practical guidance, and the resources they need to keep moving forward.

Have a question about sales? Marketing? Finance? Operations? Growth? Instead of spending hours trying to find the right person to ask, Vantage helps connect you with someone who has the experience to help you move forward.

And we’re kicking things off for SURGE members next Tuesday with our first live session.

📅 Tuesday, August 18 + Thursday August 20
📍 The Next Center
💡 SURGE Members Only

The goal is simple: help founders spend less time searching for help and more time building.

SURGE Members - sign-up in Archie!

08/13/2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 21

West Michigan founders: Applications are open for the Traction Accelerator, a new 8-week program at SURGE designed to help founders turn early traction into a repeatable path to growth.

Through a Trusted Connector Grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, SURGE is able to bring specialized cohorts and resources like the Traction Accelerator directly to our region’s entrepreneurs.

Led by , this hands-on cohort will help founders move from product-market fit to sales-market fit and build the systems needed for sustainable growth.

Participants will dig into:
→ Sales strategy + AI-powered sales tools
→ B2B and B2C sales
→ Pricing + unit economics
→ Strategic partnerships
→ Customer retention + referrals
→ Building a repeatable revenue engine

The Traction Accelerator builds on the Customer Funded Accelerator offered in collaboration with -vs last year, continuing our work to connect local founders with specialized expertise, practical tools and resources to help them grow.

📅 September 23–November 11
⏰ Wednesdays | 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 SURGE at The Next Center, Holland
⏳ Applications close August 21

Ready to turn traction into growth?

Apply by August 21:
https://vist.ly/5eq4f

08/07/2026

The Holland SmartZone isn't measured solely by buildings or dollars invested.

Its greatest impact is what happens after.

A founder meets a mentor. A startup lands its first investor. A student discovers entrepreneurship. A growing company hires its next employee. A new idea becomes a new employer.

Every investment creates opportunities that ripple far beyond a single project or program.

The result is a stronger innovation ecosystem, a more resilient economy, and a community that's better positioned for the future.

That's the SmartZone Effect.

SmartZone Snapshot:
• Approximately $2 million in tax increment revenue reinvested into innovation since 2020.
• Investments continue to strengthen Holland's innovation district through entrepreneurship, placemaking, and strategic partnerships.
• The impact extends beyond startups—supporting talent attraction, downtown vitality, collaboration, and long-term economic competitiveness.

Innovation isn't a single project. It's a community deciding to invest in its future.

Learn more about our start-up ecosystem here: https://vist.ly/5dyzh