Incubators: A Two-Way Street

By Jami Miedema Business incubators have been helping start-up companies across the nation gain access to information, resources, and professional networking opportunities to foster growth and entrepreneurship. But the incubator-tenant relationship isn’t all...

Religion and Economic Development

By Dean Whittaker Economic development agencies often team up with local businesses, leaders, and organizations to promote economic, political, and social well-being within their region. But, perhaps, their greatest ally for promoting community matters is left...

Research Parks Bring Benefits

By Jami Miedema Last month, I wrote about incubators and the effect their success can have on a community. This month, I want to take a look at research and technology parks and the benefits they provide to their local areas and beyond. Research parks are similar to...

Looking for a Future?

By Dean Whittaker For the past three days, I have witnessed an amazing example of community leadership. A group of our community leaders in West Michigan determined that the business model on which our community is based is obsolete and no longer provides the future...