Muskegon Innovation Hub at Grand Valley State University

09/03/2026

📢Hub Holiday Closure Notice:
The Muskegon Innovation Hub will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

🔑 CoLaunch Members with 24/7 key card access may continue using the Hub as usual during the closure.

The Hub will resume normal business hours on Tuesday.

We hope everyone has a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable holiday weekend.🌅

Thanks,
The Hub Team

09/02/2026

💡 Your idea, product, brand, or invention could be one of your business’s most valuable assets—but do you know what you can protect and how?

Join us for Entrepreneur Edge Workshop: Protect What You’re Building and learn the basics of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets—and how IP can protect your competitive advantage.

📅 Sept. 9 | 8:30–9:45 a.m.
📍 Muskegon Innovation Hub | 💲$10 - all welcome

👉 Register: https://www.gvsu.edu/mihub/ee2026ip

09/01/2026

📚 Looking to sharpen your business skills this September?

The Michigan Small Business Development Center (Michigan SBDC) has a great lineup of free webinars covering topics to help you start, grow, and strengthen your business. Check out the September schedule and find a session that’s right for you!

👉 https://47863492.hs-sites.com/michigan-sbdc-september-webinars

08/27/2026

This is a great example of what happens when community, collaboration, and connection come together. 🤝

We were thrilled to host a Visitor Day and welcome 52 Connections members, Muskegon Innovation Hub CoLaunch members, and guests for a morning of meaningful conversations, new introductions, and shared opportunities.

Thank you to Sara Barco and 52 Connections for bringing this group together—and to everyone who showed up ready to connect, share, and support one another.

The best part? The connections don’t end when the meeting does. Let’s keep the conversations going and see what comes from them!

08/26/2026

With a 60-year-career spanning from her songs "Joshua" in 1971 to "Tyrant" with Beyoncé in 2024, Dolly Parton leaves an iconic legacy worthy of the title “Queen of Country Music.”

She recorded 49 studio albums, and with hits like “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Coat of Many Colors,” she earned 25 No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the most of any female country artist.

Parton trademarked her name for goods and services ranging from clothing and fragrances to skillets and pet food. She also trademarked Dollywood for her amusement park, entertainment services, health spa, hotel, and restaurant. And she branded her record label, Dolly Records, for musical sound recordings. Her brand is known throughout the world and solidified her entrepreneurship and business empire.

Born on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee and raised in “dirt poor” conditions, Parton supported many charitable efforts, particularly literacy as her father never learned to read or write, through her Dollywood Foundation. She transcended generations not only with her songs but also with her wit and generosity.

Parton has former asteroid 1998 BL3 named in her honor. Especially today and always, may it shine in the night sky like the brightest rhinestone that she was. RIP. 🤍

08/26/2026

Last night I had the honor of serving as a judge for the Start Garden 5x5 Pitch Competition in Oceana County, and what a fantastic evening it was!

First and foremost, congratulations to Bougie Breakfast Jam of Newaygo County and founder Lisa Zook for taking home the win! Bougie Breakfast Jam creates unique fruit jams and spreads featuring creative flavor combinations inspired by local spirits and ingredients. Congratulations on a well-deserved victory!

A huge thank you to Birch & Blossom in Hart for generously donating their beautiful event space. The venue, attached to their floral shop, provided the perfect setting for the competition. Their thoughtful and impressive gift baskets for each finalist and judge were such a wonderful surprise and greatly appreciated. Special thanks as well to the owner for his warm welcome and inspiring opening remarks that helped set the tone for the evening.

Thank you to Start Garden for bringing the 5x5 Pitch Competition to Oceana County and for providing entrepreneurs in Northern West Michigan with the opportunity to share their ideas, gain exposure, and compete for funding.

It was a pleasure meeting all of the finalists and learning about their businesses:

• Bougie Breakfast Jam (Newaygo County) | Lisa Zook
Creative specialty jams and spreads featuring unique flavor profiles for breakfast, charcuterie boards, baking, and more.

• Wild Moon Yoga & Therapeutics (Lake County) | Theresa Hall
A wellness-focused business offering yoga, therapeutic movement, mindfulness, and nature-based experiences.

• LaunchReady Marine (Mason County) | Thomas Wohlberg
Providing customized boating safety kits designed to keep boaters safe, compliant, and ready for the water.

• Hound & Heeler Treat Co. (Oceana County) | Morgan Howe
Producing all-natural, small-batch dog treats made with simple ingredients and a commitment to local sourcing.

• Green Isaac's Coffee & Tea (Oceana County) | Brian & Kelsey Prescott
Expanding their established Pentwater coffee business through e-commerce and bringing their retail coffee to customers beyond the lakeshore.

Thank you to Curtis Burdette and Oceana Economic Development for coordinating such a well-organized event and for supporting entrepreneurs throughout our region.

Finally, thank you for the opportunity to serve as a judge. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting these talented founders, hearing their stories, and witnessing the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that exists across our communities.

08/25/2026

The Hub team is getting excited and preparing for the next ElevateWest Core cohort. The next session starts September 1 (registration closed) and goes through November.

Are we ready?!?

✅ Materials ordered

✅ Henrietta Hadley ready to facilitate

✅ Guest speakers getting arranged

✅ 22 entrepreneurs selected

Are YOU ready?? Let’s go cohort 3!!!
Alumni- do you have any words of wisdom for Cohort 3??
Cohort 3 members - what are you most excited about?!?

08/25/2026

Did you invent something?

Need to talk to a patent attorney?

Can you afford to talk to a patent attorney?

Got 10 bucks?

Now you can afford to talk to a patent attorney!!!

Check out this class!!

08/25/2026

We’re hiring an Associate Director at the Muskegon Innovation Hub.

If you're interested in helping entrepreneurs and businesses grow across West Michigan, apply below. Know someone who would be a strong fit? Send them our way.

This position leads client-facing business development for the Muskegon Innovation Hub, from initial outreach through 1-on-1 coaching, driving the Hub's growth and its portfolio of success stories, with particular emphasis on developing high-growth technology companies from concept to commercializat...