Slide into Lansing's Future with GRC!

Join the Grand River Connection from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 28th at Lansing's first small business incubator. Located at 934 Clark Street in Lansing, the Center for New Enterprise Opportunity, or the "NEO Center," provides high quality space and business support services for emerging entrepreneurs. But this isn't your parents' office park -- to facilitate plenty of creative energy, the NEO Center has thrown Nerf guns and a two-story spiral slide into the mix! Complimentary appetizers and beverages will be provided. Limited parking is available behind the NEO Center with additional parking available on the street and at First United Brethren Church, located just down the block at the corner of Clark and Oakland.

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New Year, New Location, New People!

Start the New Year off right and join the Grand River Connection from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 24 at East Lansing's newest burger tavern. Bagger Dave's is located at 1351 E. Grand River Ave in East Lansing. They offer award winning hamburgers, homemade french-fries and the best sweet potato chips in town. They will be providing free appetizers and a cash bar. There is plenty of parking right in front, so bring a friend or two and meet some new people and network with the Grand River Connection!

We are pleased to have Independent Bank Corporation as the sponsor for our January event. Independent Bank Corporation is a Michigan-based bank holding company that operates more than 100 offices across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. It provides a full range of financial services including retail and commercial banking, mortgage lending, investments and title services. Independent Bank is committed to providing exceptional personal service and value to its customers, its stockholders and the communities it serves.

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GRC Business Breakfast

Don't miss the opportunity to meet Michael Wells, President and CEO of Jackson National at the Jan. 12 business breakfast!

Wells will be speaking about the pros and cons of operating a large company from mid-Michigan, his vision for his company and the Lansing region and what we can do as a region to improve the business climate.

All GRC business breakfast's start at 7:30 a.m. and are held at the The James B. Henry Center for Executive Development. Breakfast and drinks are provided by the Henry Center.

Please RSVP to Naomi Burton at nburton@mwadvocacy.com.

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It's a Jazzy Holiday Gala!

It's that time of year again. Instead of our regular 4th Tuesday event, we have a very special holiday gala planned from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month, Dec. 13.

This will be our 6th Annual Holiday Gala! Arrive dressed to impress at 621 in downtown Lansing located at 621 E. Michigan Ave. There is plenty of parking on Michigan Ave on the streets and around the corner from 621.

The new 621 is upscale and low key, with dim lights, brass and wood decor. Perfect for Jazz! Primarily a restaurant and bar, a DJ also plays at 621 Thursday through Saturday. The restaurant offers fantastic food and superior service as well as outdoor seating. Drink specials are available all week, but this place is famous for its martinis! Come enjoy one with Lansings best networking group!

Note: For this one event this year, we ask for a $5 cover charge and a non-pershiable food item to donate to the Lansing Food Bank.

Our December sponsor, Force by Design is a cloud computing consulting firm with expertise in Salesforce implementation, custom Force.com application development, and most importantly, helping large and small organizations become successful in their use and adoption of cloud technologies. Having worked with clients in every industry ranging from non-profit to high tech, Force by Design views every project as a partnership and are ecstatic about the success their clients have because of their work. Facing a period of rapid growth, Force by Design is on track to bring more than 50 high tech jobs to East Lansing over the next few years. Committed to the communities that it calls home, Force by Design has already adopted East Lansing as its new home; hosting User Group Meetups, working with local clients, and partnering with local organizations like the MEDC, Leap, and the Capital Area IT Counsel in order to foster and retain highly educated and skilled IT workers in the Greater Lansing Area.

December sponsor Lansing Board of Water and Light has provided Hometown Power to Hometown People, since 1855. Owned and operated by the citizens of Lansing, the LBWL has grown to become the third largest electric utility in the state, and the largest municipally owned utility in Michigan not to mention a major employer in the Lansing area. By owning the LBWL, customers enjoy electric rates that are the lowest in the state, averaging 20 percent or more below the average rates of other utilities in Michigan. The LBWL is now scaling to new progressive heights by building their new Reo Town facility which will allow them to produce power utilizing natural gas as opposed to coal; this will reduce the burning of 139,000 tons of coal each year. The construction alone will create more than a 1,000 jobs in the 18-month building phase.

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Show Your Spartan Pride at the Hall of Fame Cafe

*NOTE: The November Networking Night will be held on the THIRD Tuesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.*

Come show your Spartan Pride and join the Grand River Connection for our Networking Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15. The Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe is graciously hosting the event at 1601 W. Lake Lansing Rd, East Lansing, MI.

Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe offers a great full service menu and bar along with banquet & catering facilities. It boasts one of the largest collections of historic MSU memorabilia and has Spartan merchandise available for purchase in case you need to enhance your own collections of Spartan gear. Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will be provided and free parking is available on site.

Our November sponsor has been rooted in the Lansing community for more than a century. Maner Costerisan is a full-service public accounting and business advisory firm dedicated to providing quality and reliable services based on specific client needs. They are the largest locally-owned firm in mid-Michigan, serving clients of all sizes and across a range of industries. With a staff of more than 70 individuals, their clients can rest assured they will receive the necessary attention and expertise to obtain the best possible results for their unique situations. They take an active role in the professional development of their people through in-house training and continuing education from both regional and national organizations. Maner Costerisan's primary focus and number one priority is the satisfaction and success of their clients. They strive to provide them the best service available, while giving them the personal attention and respect they deserve.

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