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Connor Long's BBQ expertise runs in his blood. Connor’s uncle is the Executive Chef at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, his dad is a weekend BBQ connoisseur, and Connor attended culinary classes at Wilson Talent Center at Webberville High School.

In May of 2021, Connor went from studying the culinary arts to putting his learning into practice.

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What makes an authentic coney dog? It’s hard to say, but a Detroit-style is a grilled hot dog in a steamed bun topped with yellow mustard, a meat-based chili sauce, and chopped onions.

And thanks to Christina Coden’s Red Hots Chili Sauce company, you can make a Detroit-style Coney yourself.

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Shannon is an author, podcaster, and the founder of the global Rockstar Woman Brunch Experience. She’s been named one of the 200 Most Powerful Business Women in West Michigan and recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Shannon is also the founder and CEO of Shannon Cohen, Inc, a boutique firm that creates products, spaces, and experiences to invest in the emotional wellbeing of people who lead, love, and serve in transformational ways.

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2020 was the best year of Deardra Westfall’s life. That’s not something you hear often, but the pandemic ushered in changes that led to her passion for sea moss and the formation of her company, Nature’s 92.

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Meet Danielle Mayes, from Amayesing Graze Charcuterie. Her company is a mid-Michigan licensed and fully insured catering company specializing in charcuterie and cheese grazing boards, using fresh, elegant, and locally sourced ingredients arranged into a stylish, abundant showcase.

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Jordyn Gudeman was just four years old when she had her first anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts. When Jordyn’s allergy was discovered, food labels rarely stated that the item was processed in a facility that contained nuts, so her family had to play it safe. Jordyn baked her cookies for herself and her siblings, mostly, but she did bring them to parties or birthday celebrations—and her friends loved them. So when it came time to pick a career, she and parents decided to start Eddie G’s Cookies.

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In 2017, Bola Ndifontah and Anwelli Okpue were planning their wedding on a budget, when Anwelli had the idea of baking their own wedding cake. Shortly thereafter, Wani Cakes was born to help cake-lovers celebrate life in all its flavors. Their plan was to develop a more cost-effective product and drive the message of celebration while building stronger communities.

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When most people retire, they plan on a work-free life of leisure. Not Alicia Gonzales. After 30 years working in community service, she retired at 60, then in 2008, she started her restaurant, Alicia’s Authentic Mexican Deli and Catering, serving authentic Mexican food. Fifteen years, it’s still going strong.

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If we’ve learned anything enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that sanitation and personal hygiene are vital to the health and prosperity of our communities. Many services and products were born of this necessity over the past couple of years, including ROVE Soapsheets. Meet Tafari Roberts, CEO and creator of Rove Soapsheets, and learn how the company got it’s start in the midst of the pandemic.

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About a decade ago, Terrie Searer was browsing the aisles of a health food store and came across a bottle of vegan Parmesan cheese. “This tiny bottle was about ten dollars,” she recalls. After reading the list of ingredients, she thought, “Oh, I can make this myself.” She came home and went to work in her kitchen, experimenting with the different ingredients until she came up with a winner to create her signature product that started it all.