Kalamazoo Forward Ventures

11/02/2026

Did you know that Kalamazoo has an honest-to-goodness superpower when it comes to local food and beverage innovation?

🥤📦

Most people don’t realize how hard it is for emerging drink companies to find a co-packer. Big manufacturers normally shut the door on smaller brands because their minimum production runs are way too high.

Enter Good Trade Depot!

Located right in our backyard, Good Trade Depot is a premier small-batch contract manufacturer and 3PL fulfillment center.

From cold brews to sparkling tonics and specialty drinks, they handle the canning, processing, carbonation, labeling, and nationwide shipping that local brands need to scale.

When you connect that with local resources like Can-Do Kalamazoo, where entrepreneurs can learn the ins and outs of commercial recipe development, our city provides a full pipeline from kitchen concept to national distribution.

Not many cities can say that!

Good Trade Depot Services at a Glance:
✨ Small-batch non-alcoholic co-manufacturing (they welcome lower-volume runs!)
✨ Full canning, pasteurization, carbonation, and nitrogen dosing
✨ Complete warehousing, pick-and-pack, and 3PL logistics
✨ Fully FDA registered, HACCP certified, MDARD licensed, and GMP compliant

Even better news: THEY ARE HIRING! 📣
Good Trade Depot is expanding its warehouse team:

Position: Part-Time General Labor

Pay: $17/hour

Hours: Flexible scheduling with shifts between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM

Perks: Free NA beverages, path to full-time, and great experience in supply chain systems (perfect for students or anyone wanting flexible work!)

Check out the flyer attached for the full breakdown!

👉 Apply for the job here: https://www.goodtradedepot.com/apply

👉 Learn more about Good Trade Depot: https://www.goodtradedepot.com/

10/30/2026

Five founders. Seven weeks. One pitch night. Meet Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan's next wave of startups as they close out the Fall 2026 Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator, powered by gener8tor.

📅 Thursday, November 19
📍 CFAAR, Dalton Center, Western Michigan University
⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM

🎤 Pitches, then networking with founders, investors, and community partners. This is what regional founder support looks like in practice.

RSVP TODAY to see what's next for the Southwest Michigan ecosystem. luma.com/kzoomff

10/29/2026

Retirement looks different when you own the business.

For a business owner, retirement is rarely as simple as turning in the keys. There are people, relationships, and years of hard work tied to what comes next.

Through Tsunami Lab, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures connects retiring owners with experienced and qualified local operators who are ready to take the torch and keep the business thriving in Kalamazoo.

Explore a local path forward for the business and people you care about: https://kzfv.com/sell-a-business

10/27/2026

Five founders. Five industries. One shared inflection point.

The Fall 2026 Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator cohort powered by gener8tor spans infrastructure, recycling and sustainability, consumer, and logistics, proving Southwest Michigan's founder pipeline isn't niche; it's diversified and growing.

Lelo Khaba (FieldStone), Cortez Lake (Tutela), Jamie Bigby (ALCD Systems), Ronald Flowers (Flowers Automotive Recyclers), and Kyle Gulau (Brownfield AI) are all at different stages. Still, they're tackling the same thing right now: getting capital-ready before they raise.

That's the real value of a pre-accelerator. It's not just mentorship; it's de-risking the next 12 months before investors ever see a pitch deck.

We'll be watching this cohort closely, and we'd encourage you to do the same. Founder Showcase: November 19.

10/20/2026

Ready for your next adventure?

Retirement can open the door to new places, slower days, and fewer calls from the office. 🌎

Before the next adventure begins, you need to know the business you built is in caring hands. Kalamazoo Forward Ventures connects retiring owners with vetted local operators who want to preserve their legacy, support their team, and keep the business growing in Kalamazoo.

Explore how Tsunami Lab connects retiring owners with vetted local buyers and ecosystem resources to keep your business rooted in Kalamazoo: https://kzfv.com/sell-a-business

10/15/2026

Who will carry your business forward?

Retirement can bring plenty of questions. What happens to the team? The customers? The reputation you worked so hard to build?

Kalamazoo Forward Ventures serves as a bridge. Through Tsunami Lab, we connect retiring owners with vetted local operators ready to acquire and lead local businesses. We can also connect owners with trusted brokers, M&A attorneys, financial professionals, and other local resources when they need help preparing for a sale.

Explore local connections that can help Kalamazoo businesses move forward: https://kzfv.com/sell-a-business

10/12/2026

When we say Kalamazoo can inspire the world, we mean it!

Our COO & Main Street Managing Partner, Dwayne Powell Jr., recently sat down with the Innovation Alliance of Michigan to share his journey and highlight how we are supporting founders across Southwest Michigan.

The Innovation Alliance is a grassroots coalition of 85+ organizations, from universities and investors to founders and corporations, all working together to improve capital access and make Michigan the absolute best place to build a company.

Now, the Alliance is looking for its very first paid team member: an Operations Director to help turn big goals into daily ex*****on!

What they are looking for:
📍 A sharp operational mind with 7+ years in program management, operations, or coalition building who can run with multiple stakeholders.
📍 Someone who knows (or is ready to dive deep into) Michigan's innovation ecosystem.
📍 A 12–18 month renewable term starting in December 2026, with potential to grow into a full-time role.
📅 Application Deadline: October 30!

Tag someone in the comments who would be perfect for this role or share this post with your network!

👉 Apply for the Operations Director position here: https://wkf.ms/4zuLBQI
👉 Learn more and join the Innovation Alliance: https://www.innovationalliancemi.org/
👉 Watch Dwayne's story here:
https://lnkd.in/p/gq8c8rVP

Are you a member of the Innovation Alliance | Michigan? Hear Dwayne Powell, Jr. Powell Jr., COO & Managing Partner at Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, talk about his innovation journey and what they are doing to support founders in Southwest Michigan. Join the Innovation Alliance at: https://lnkd.in/gPuu...

10/12/2026

Our VC team will be at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco from October 13-15 to connect with the founders, investors, and operators building what's next.

10/06/2026

Retirement could look like this.

A new view. A slower morning. A calendar with more room for family, travel, and whatever comes next. ✈️

That freedom can feel closer when you know your business has a future in capable local hands. Through Tsunami Lab, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures connects retiring owners with community-focused business leaders who want to preserve, lead, and grow businesses here at home.

Explore how Tsunami Lab connects retiring owners with vetted local buyers and ecosystem resources to keep your business rooted in Kalamazoo: https://kzfv.com/sell-a-business

09/29/2026

Your legacy is worth protecting.

Your business has touched more lives than you may realize: employees, customers, families, and an entire community.

When your family is not taking over, let Tsunami Lab help kickstart that process. Through the use of local resources you need to get ready to sell or to connect you with a passionate, vetted local operator who wants to preserve what you built and help it grow, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures helps bridge the gap.

Support a future where Kalamazoo businesses remain locally rooted:

for people looking to Sell a business Thinking About Selling Your Business? Let's Protect Your Legacy. You built something real. Something that supported families, created jobs, and kept value circulating in the community. If you are considering retirement, transitioning out, or simply looking for a...