Mark and Murray gave a wonderful update on the continuing work and successes of Launch Lenawee over the past 5 years. The Adrian Noon Rotary Club has been a sponsor of the program which is held on the first floor of the Adrian Armory, Mary said, and was patterned after Launch Detroit that the Murray’s had heard about during a previous District Conference. They were intrigued with what they heard and knew they could do the same thing here in Lenawee County. The program, Mary mentioned, closely aligns with one of Rotary’s goals and that is to “Grow Local Economies”. Launch Lenawee is a program open to people who want to start businesses in Lenawee County. A small fee is charged so that participants are committed to the program.The first ever class assembled back in 2018 and has since seen 5 classes that have been offered by 2023. There are a couple of trained mentors from the Adrian Noon Club that have been fully trained by Dave Maxwell and still active in the program – Nate Smith and Yours Truly.
Mary said that she and Mark get email inquiries throughout thew year asking what the program is about, the requirements, etc. so screening of and working with prospects is continuous. Serious candidates are “collected” throughout that period who make up the next class to go through the program.
Typically, May is the beginning of the “Bootcamp” and then every Thursday from 5-8pm, students/entrepreneurs go through the curriculum for 12 straight weeks. There is also homework which amounts to about 3 hours of work between each class. Many candidates are working adults with families, jobs and other obligations, Mary said. These folks are introduced to other organizations and resources that will assist them in their journey. Mary went on to say that it was really important that these people get involved in the community and network with others. “Networking” is a very important segment of the overall training, she said. “We help them establish connections.” Mary thanked those organizations who have worked with Launch Lenawee like Lenawee Now and the Tecumseh Smart Zone and others to help grow business in Lenawee County.
Mark said that microloans ($1,000 - $1,500) have been made available through Launch Lenawee to participants who need money to move to the next level of starting their own business. Launch Lenawee has invited community leaders to speak at the weekly classes to share their experiences in business. They have included Margaret Noe, Catrina Ossman, Naomi and others, Mary said.
Mary introduced several past Launch Lenawee participants and now successful business owners who accompanied them today - Mike Wells, Ryan Waggoner and Jay and Gwynne Marks who spoke about the program and the businesses they started as a result of successfully completing the Launch Lenawee program.
Mary closed by encouraging people in the room to get involved and to share the wealth of expertise that exists to help budding entrepreneurs’ dreams come true.