While Amber Schlemmer was working as a personal trainer she noticed that some of her clients were also physical therapy patients who had run out of insurance benefits. She quickly realized that she was doing things outside the scope of her expertise to give patients what they needed. “Instead of telling my clients no, I […]

Four years ago, Jackie Berg saw a great market opportunity in Flint. At the time, she says, there was a lack of reporting on positive stories about the community. That prompted Berg, also the publisher of TheHUB Detroit, to expand coverage to Flint with a new publication – TheHUB Flint. “I think Flint is the […]

Erica Soriano started helping at her parents’ restaurant in Grand Rapids when she was seven years old. After elementary school she would go straight to the restaurant – something she continued until her parents had to close their businesses. “I had to look for my own job,” says Soriano. “I started at an insurance place […]

Fifteen years ago, Courtney Simpson and Ryan Garza were working independently as photographers. Garza worked for the Flint Journal and Simpson was operating her own photography business and teaching classes at the Flint Institute of Arts. One day, they decided their efforts would be better together and joined forces to become Pop Mod Photo. This […]

After graduating with a business degree from Baker College, Charles Kuta struggled to find work. This led him to work for a close friend’s mother at Summerfield Personnel Staffing Company. “She said, ‘Come work for me while you’re looking for a job,’” says Kuta. “She trained me, and I learned the business. After she passed […]

Derek Sommer always knew he wanted to own his own business. While studying computer science at Western Michigan University, he began researching what it would take to work for himself. After graduating, Sommer took contract jobs to become more well-rounded and establish relationships in his field. Three years later, and just weeks away from welcoming […]