Displaying items tagged: Consumers Energy Foundation

Muskegon Heights’ downtown revitalization plan has received a $250,000 boost from the Consumers Energy Foundation.

The first managing director of a venture capital fund that plans to invest in businesses owned by people of color sees an opportunity to pioneer an initiative for greater economic diversity in West Michigan.

COVERT TOWNSHIP — Local officials in Southwest Michigan got a more than $1.2 million boost last week to advance their efforts to prepare for the impending closure of the Palisades nuclear power plant. 

GRAND RAPIDS — The West Michigan venture capital fund that intends to invest in growing, minority-owned businesses has garnered attention from interested parties who want to replicate the model elsewhere in the U.S.

GRAND RAPIDS — The venture capital fund formed a year ago in Grand Rapids to invest in minority-owned businesses has netted $8.5 million in commitments from investors and aims to hit $10 million this year.

The corporate foundations of the state’s two major energy utilities have distributed nearly $26.5 million in direct relief funds to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and personal protective equipment since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

A Grand Rapids-based venture capital fund that will invest nationally in companies owned by minorities has secured commitments now totaling $6.25 million, with potentially millions more on the way.

GRAND RAPIDS — A new venture capital fund to invest in businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities looks to secure financial backing locally before reaching out nationally for investors.

Two Michigan congressmen behind legislation that would create a $50.5 billion relief fund for small businesses nationwide hope to get it included in the next federal aid package that may come before Congress this summer.

New grant funds by the state and in Kalamazoo, as well as a loan fund in Grand Haven, are the latest efforts to provide relief to small businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is the MiBiz growth report for May 10, 2020.

BATTLE CREEK — A grant fund started in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has expanded to $600,000 and will cover more businesses in the Battle Creek area.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Right Place Inc.’s new venture capital fund plans to target investments toward an area of the economy where capital historically has flowed the least: startups and businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities.

GRAND RAPIDS — Aiming to create greater ethnic and racial diversity in business ownership across the region, The Right Place Inc. teamed with Bank of America and the Consumers Energy Foundation to form a capital investment fund.