The Michigan Opportunity
Episodes
273 episodes
S6 Ep.14 - Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, President, Michigan State University
Reimagining Higher Education: How Michigan State University is leading the future of talent, research and impactIn this episode, Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, the 22nd President ...
S6 Ep.13 - Pure Michigan Governor's Conference on Tourism 2026
Twenty Years of Pure Michigan: Exclusive Insights from Michigan’s Tourism ExpertsThe Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism is Michigan's premier annual event for travel and hospitality leaders to collaborate on advancing ...
S6 Ep.12 - Maureen Donohue Krauss, CEO, Detroit Regional Partnership
Driving global investment to Detroit: What does it take to position a region for global competitiveness in today’s economy?In this episode, we sit down with Maureen Dono...
S6 Ep.11 - Michelle Grinnell, Chief Communications & Attraction Officer, MEDC
Where is Michigan placing its biggest bets for the future? Diving into MEDC’s investment priorities with people, places and projectsWe sit down with Michelle Grinnell, Ch...
S6 Ep.10 - Jonathan Smith, Senior Chief Deputy Director, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Powering Michigan’s Transition: How LEO is Shaping the Future of Work and IndustryWe sit down with Jonathan Smith, Senior Chief Deputy Director at the
S6 Ep.9 - Roberto Vazquez, Mexican Consul, Detroit
Diplomacy at the local level: Inside the Mexican Consulate in Detroit, MichiganIn this episode, we welcome back Roberto Vazquez of the
S6 Ep.8 - Mary Buchzeiger, CEO, Lucerne International
Manufacturing without borders: What it takes to lead a global manufacturing company while navigating supply chains, innovation and international marketsOn this episode we sit down with Lucerne In...
S6 Ep.7 - Steven Wilson, Executive Director, Economic Growth Institute, University of Michigan
From research to real-world results: how the University of Michigan - Economic Growth Institute powers business innovationThe University of Michigan - Economic Growth Institute (EGI)...
S6 Ep. 6 - Matt Elliot, Founder and CEO, Blue Lake Ideas
From $35B in Sustainable Capital to The Power of &™: Matt Elliott on Driving Durable Growth and Community ImpactMatt Elliott, Founder and C...
S6 Ep.5 - Lori Lancaster, Vice Chairwoman, Emotiv Mobility and Tony Tomczak, Strategic Energy Lead, Emotiv Mobility
Powering the Next Generation of Mobility in Michigan On this episode of The Michigan Opportunity Podcast, we highlight Emotiv Mobility, a Michigan-based leader in supply chain integra...
S6 Ep.4 - Ryan Smith, Global Marketing Director, Dow Mobility Science
Dow is driving the future of sustainable mobility in Midland, MichiganAs the Global Marketing and Strategy Director for Dow Mobility Science™,
S6 Ep.3 - John Gutierrez, Executive Director, The Michigan Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation
From the battlefield to Michigan’s arsenal of innovation: Colonel John T. Gutierrez on powering the state’s defense & aerospace futureColonel John T. Gutierrez, U.S. United States Marine Corps (Ret.), brings over 30 years of o...
S6 Ep.2 - Michael Zahuranic, Director of Business Development, BAE Systems
From the US Army to BAE Systems: How Michigan’s Sterling Heights hub powers the future of military ground vehicles as a prime original equipment integrator Hear from
S6 Ep.1 - Quentin L. Messer, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Economic Competitiveness Officer of the MEDC
A Conversation with Quentin Messer: Michigan’s Competitive Position and the Mechanics of Economic DevelopmentQuentin L. Messer, Jr. is the Chief Executive Of...
S5 Ep.51 - Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Office of Future Mobility and Electrification
The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) bridges state agencies and private industry to cement Michigan as the world’s transportation proving ground.Recently recognized as a
S5 Ep.50 - Jeff Donofrio, President and CEO, Business Leaders For Michigan and Rachel Stewart, CEO, Gardner White Furniture & Mattress
Business Leaders for Michigan launches “Michigan in a New Era,” featuring two experts working to shape the state’s next economyOn this episode we’re diving into research-driven, fact-based strategies designed to strengthen Michiga...
S5 Ep. 49 - Kasey Wierzba, Executive Winemaker & General Manager, Shady Lane Cellars
From field to bottle, Shady Lane Cellars is leveraging Michigan’s agriculture in their vineyard and wine selling businessAs the Executive Winemaker and General Manager of Shady Lane Cell...
S5 Ep. 48 - Nick Roe, Cybersecurity and Compliance Manager, Brightline Technologies Inc.
Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance and more—all from one Michigan-based tech companyHear from Nick Roe, Manager of Cybersecurity and Compliance at
S5 Ep.47 - John Nunneley, Senior Vice President Engineering and IT, Astemo Americas, Inc.
From electrification to motorcycle systems, Astemo Ltd.’s new Michigan headquarters anchors the future of mobility!We sit down with John Nunneley of
S5 Ep.46 - Mike Duggan, Mayor, City of Detroit
City of Detroit's Mayor Mike Duggan talks through the economic developments during his tenure. As the second-longest serving Mayor in Detroit history,
S5 Ep.45 - Kara Wood, Executive Director, Grand Action 2.0
Grand Rapids Developments: Spotlight on Amway Stadium and Acrisure Amphitheater Projects with Grand Action 2.0We join Grand Action 2.0’s Executive Director, Kara Wood, as she di...
S5 Ep. 44 - Ned Staebler, VP for Economic Development at Wayne State University and President and CEO of TechTown
From entrepreneurship to innovative workspace and the creation of 2,340 jobs, Wayne State University’s TechTown Detroit is driving impact across Michigan’s future economy.From supporting startups and emerging companies, to establi...
S5 Ep. 43 - Trevor Friedeberg, President & CEO, Greater Muskegon Economic Development
Aerospace, Defense,
S5 Ep.42 - Alison Todak, VP of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, MEDC and Pete Martin, Director of Portfolio Management, MSU Research Foundation
PitchMI crowns 4 winners: smarter hospital beds, powered campsites, satellite tech, and in-game ads—highlighting Michigan’s dynamic startup ecosystem.Join our two startup experts —