Creating pathways to growth

Access to resources — whether informational, financial, or something else entirely – is key to achieving growth and progress. That’s why the Flint & Genesee Group worked diligently to support the resource needs of a variety of audiences and stakeholders in 2023. Through a combination of high-quality programming, dedicated staff, and committed partners and funders, the Group provided tools and assistance designed to strengthen our workforce, businesses, and community over the course of the year. 

Small Business Support

Often, when a business is ready to grow, expand, or open in Flint & Genesee, the first call they make is to the Flint & Genesee Group or one of our divisions. 

For entrepreneurs and first-time business owners, that call is often with the Flint & Genesee Small Business Help Desk, a program of the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance. In 2023, the Help Desk met with 197 unique businesses, providing them with technical assistance and coaching, customer connections, and more.  

Some of those clients were among the 23 small businesses represented in the 2023 Moving Flint Forward cohort. This grant program administered by the Economic Alliance and funded by General Motors provides not just financial support but also one-on-one counseling, connections to small business resources, and help with implementing grant-focused activities. 

Additionally, the Flint & Genesee Business Bridge – an initiative that supports area businesses owned by someone who is Black, Indigenous, and/or a person of color (BIPOC) – continued to grow. In 2023, the program grew beyond an online directory and annual contracting expo to also include a training series preparing participants to do business with larger organizations and buyers. By the end of the year, 266 businesses were on the Bridge.  

Also helping businesses navigate contracting opportunities was the East Michigan APEX Accelerator, formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). The APEX team conducted 1,449 business counseling hours with small businesses and helped facilitate $57.4 million in federal, state, local, and subcontracting opportunities during the U.S. Department of Defense fiscal year.  

As the calendar year came to a close, the State of Michigan’s Small Business Support Hubs (SBHS) program announced it would award the Flint & Genesee Group Foundation a $2.4-million grant to establish the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance as one of 27 entrepreneurial hubs across the state. Staff started preparing for the launch of the hub, which will offer resources including one-on-one coaching, access to capital, partner referrals, and statewide resource navigation.

Talent Development

With the launch of new afterschool programming options, Flint & Genesee Education & Talent retired its YouthQuest afterschool program at the end of the 2022-23 school year. This move led the division to reframe its talent efforts in a way that more strongly aligns with the Group’s role as an economic development organization. 

In the talent development space, 257 high school students learned how to get and keep a job through the TeenQuest pre-employment and leadership training program. The program was made more accessible with flexible schedule options that included weekends, virtual programming, and expanded day-time delivery – which eliminated barriers like transportation and conflicting extracurricular activities.  

The Education & Talent division also provided 54 career prep workshops to more than 1,600 high school students. These workshops, offered in 45- to 60-minute increments, were adjusted based on grade level to support the career development curriculum being used in each district. 

In terms of higher education, Flint Promise – a last-dollar scholarship program offering tuition support, individualized coaching, and wraparound services to eligible students who live in and graduate from a school located in the city of Flint – served 162 students in 2023 and saw 19 new graduates.  

As Flint Promise celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2023, the program secured its first tax capture for tuition. The scholarship is part of the Flint Promise Zone, a tax increment financing district that captures a share of the growth of Michigan’s state property tax. This provides a public revenue stream that combines with private contributions to pay for the scholarships through the Flint Promise Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

Our organization also sought ways to strengthen the current workforce. To do this, 26 professional development workshops were offered, serving over 700 program participants. 

Additionally, eight local leaders graduated from the Group’s leadership development program, which provides in-depth leadership assessments, one-on-one coaching, and monthly training sessions. As Lead Now kicked off its 10th cohort, it did so under the new name of Leadership Flint & Genesee – a rebranding that pays homage to predecessors including Leadership Flint and Leadership Genesee and reinforces our connection to the community we serve.