Michigan
UP small businesses represent Michigan at virtual South by Southwest Conference in Texas
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Businesses from throughout the Great Lakes State, including the U.P., are attending the 38th edition of the annual South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, which celebrates the convergence of technology, film, television and music.
The conference encourages the businesses to band together with state government leaders this week to help promote the Mitten State as a place to consider calling home, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC).
The MEDC said it and the state’s population growth effort Let’s Grow Michigan will join Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D) and the state’s first-ever Chief Growth Officer Hilary Doe to partner with 53 businesses and organizations to introduce the best digital gift “swag bag” in state history at the famed cultural festival that runs through March 16.
The MEDC said exclusive deals and discounts will be offered to visitors attending Michigan-hosted events at SXSW and are designed to inspire the hundreds of thousands of conference attendees expected to arrive in Austin to consider Michigan as their next destination to explore, experience and envision as their new place to launch a career, start a business and call home.
Michigan has presented gift bags to attendees at previous SXSW conferences, but the number of businesses participating in this year’s offering surpasses any prior distribution, MEDC officials said.
“Michigan is the birthplace of countless innovations that have changed the way we all live and move through the world,” Doe said. “We’re showcasing some of those makers and creations at SXSW, while highlighting the incredible places and opportunities our state offers to live, work and build a life. No matter what you’re into, there’s something for everyone in Michigan. Michigan’s presence at SXSW helps us to speak directly to the talent that we know can thrive in the Great Lakes State, whether they’re building their own company or supporting the vast number of Michigan’s existing tech leaders of all sizes and across industries. Our message is: Let’s grow!”
The MEDC added the annual SXSW Conference offers attendees a view of the future, celebrating innovation and technology and providing a forum for creative thinkers to discuss what’s next and connect to resources and community to build the future.
While SXSW is known for high-profile premieres and live performances, it has also become an early career hot spot for professional development, according to the MEDC. From tech startup competitions and future-focused exhibitors to global emerging talent and buzzworthy speakers, SXSW fosters creative and professional growth across a multitude of industries.
The MEDC added the festival’s demographic data show 62% of attendees are between the ages of 26 and 45, with 67% having a household income of at least $100,000. Among the main industries for total attendance in 2023 were marketing and advertising, creative industries and computer technology. Events like SXSW are opportunities to raise awareness of Michigan’s unique places, creativity and innovation among diverse talent sectors Michigan communities and employers are eager to recruit.
Doe is a featured panelist at SXSW’s influential Midwest House, an experiential embassy of the nation’s Midwest region to SXSW and a year-round catalyst for regions, innovators and creatives, the MEDC said. Gilchrist is featured on a panel during Tuesday’s 2024 SXSW Conference programming. Another SXSW panel will include Michigan Chief Mobility Officer Justine Johnson discussing “The Future of Air Travel: Innovation From the Ground Up.”
MEDC officials said they will join state leaders hosting sessions on a wide array of topics ranging from innovation, technology and economic opportunities to Michigan’s strong union heritage and the state’s role in building America’s premier Black tech ecosystem. Several Michigan-based outdoor recreation companies, such as Carhartt and Wolverine Worldwide will also be highlighted.
In addition, the MEDC said it is hosting a panel featuring Juan Atkins, regarded as the founding father of techno who made Detroit the birthplace of that music genre, and West Michigan tech founder and CEO, beverage entrepreneur and popular local DJ Andrea “Dre” Wallace, who will discuss the intersection of “Techno and Tech” followed by a happy hour showcasing Detroit-style pizza and Michigan beer.
Organizations from the U.P. include:
- Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill (Ironwood): Copper Peak will soon be the world’s largest ski jumping hill!
- Kall Morris Incorporated, dba KMI (Marquette): We are an orbital debris research and solution development company focused on Active Debris Removal (ADR) to keep space clear for all.
- Rigoni’s Bakery Yooper Pasties (Ironwood): Old-world baked goods and home of Upper Michigan’s No. 1 pasty.
- Stormy Kromer (Ironwood): Iconic wool caps, plus jackets, vests, shirts and more!
- Swimsmarttech (Marquette): Enhancing beach safety through smart and connected beachfront technologies with the greater goal of ending drownings in our communities.
- Syncurrent (Marquette): We work with underserved communities to turn entrepreneurship into an economic engine.
All businesses and organizations from Michigan:
- Alfie Logo Gear (Traverse City): We’ll get you geared up. Spiffy logo gear, branded merch and creative solutions for companies, teams, events and more!
- Angling A.i. (Jackson): Revolving around the “do-it yourselfers” in the fishing industry, our products allow anglers to make high-quality baits at reduced prices.
- Athlytic AI Fitness Coach (Detroit): Apple Watch or iPhone app that gives you personalized insights into and coaching about your health and daily training.
- Audio Radar (Holland): Deaf and hard-of-hearing players can “see the sound” during game play with innovative Adaptive Surround Vision Technology.
- Badr Photography (Dearborn): Specializing in advertising food photography.
- Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo): The home of Oberon beer, and other unique and inspired craft beer.
- BetterPlay Studios (Ann Arbor): World-class gaming experiences to positively impact your mental health.
- BrandXR (Detroit): Bring your brand to life with Augmented Reality (AR)!
- Breadless (Detroit): Low-carb and 100% gluten-free dishes that are absolutely tasty!
- Bridge Street Exchange (Fenton): Lifestyle-based clothing and gift store with an emphasis on quality.
- Cafe Rica LLC (Battle Creek): The Cereal City’s top coffee spot for cold brews and brunch service.
- Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill (Ironwood): Copper Peak will soon be the world’s largest ski jumping hill!
- Corteva Agriscience (Midland): The world’s largest pureplay agricultural company — we offer farmers a comprehensive and diverse portfolio, from crop protection to seeds.
- Discover Kalamazoo: In Kalamazoo County, you’ll experience big-city excitement, with a twist of easygoing comfort.
- Experience Grand Rapids: Culture Pass GR is your three-day admission ticket to explore Grand Rapids.
- Farmish (Grand Rapids): A marketplace app that connects local farms with consumers and wholesale buyers.
- FPX Consulting (Dearborn): Business solutions for small businesses and organizations.
- Giggso (Bloomfield Hills): A no-code Model Ops observability platform for data science, engineering teams and business execs.
- Gilmore Car Museum (Hickory Corners): North America’s largest car museum.
- Great Lakes Crystal (East Lansing): A cost-effective source of large-area, high-quality, single-crystal diamond materials for advanced electronics and quantum technology applications.
- Holo Footwear Inc. (Grand Rapids): Created with a want to shake up the footwear industry — we create sustainable and attainable shoes made with recycled materials.
- IMAGIO Glass Design (Sterling Heights): A healthy alternative to tile and grout!
- Kall Morris Incorporated, dba KMI (Marquette): We are an orbital debris research and solution development company focused on Active Debris Removal (ADR) to keep space clear for all.
- Krav’n Cookies (Saginaw): Sweet shop with over 50 cupcake flavors and more than 100 menu items, including Krav’n Cookies.
- The Lip Bar (Detroit): We’re maximum impact, minimal effort beauty must-haves designed for your complexion. Founded and owned by Women of Color.
- Lite Raise (Mount Clemens): Empowering students and organizations to increase their fundraising potential.
- Live Oak Coffeehouse (Midland): We’re a local gem, offering specialty brews and a warm ambiance for gathering and conversation.
- LoanSense (Ypsilanti): We reduce student loan payments and debt-to-income to help borrowers.
- Lodge Sound (Brighton): The future of outdoor audio! The first self-charging, weatherproof, premium wireless speaker for the outdoors.
- MaxPro (Rochester): Fit a weight room’s worth of equipment into any size space. MaxPro gives you the flexibility of a complete full-body workout, no dedicated space required.
- MoGo (Detroit): Sustainable, on-demand transportation.
- Own It (Holland): Leveraging biometrics to improve wellness, performance and quality of life.
- Paxahau Presents (Detroit): Dance music events promoter and producer of the Motor City’s iconic Movement Music Festival.
- Pearl Edison (Detroit): Streamlining energy efficiency retrofits, making electrification easy and affordable.
- Politics on the Go (POGO, Detroit): A civic tech company simplifying civic engagement for Gen Z and millennials through a gamified, nonpartisan app to revolutionize election research.
- Port City Emporium (Manistee): We carry art and artisan wares from over 40 artists, most from Michigan.
- Reaction Technologies (Ann Arbor): Building athletes’ spatial awareness and proper form using a heads-up display.
- Rebel Nell (Detroit): Sustainable jewelry brand supporting women transitioning out of shelter living.
- Revolin Sports (Holland): Sustainable pickleball paddles designed for obsessed players.
- Rigoni’s Bakery Yooper Pasties (Ironwood): Old-world baked goods and home of Upper Michigan’s No. 1 pasty.
- Robal Tech LLC (Detroit): Reduce HR workload! Put talent and workforce management into one single sign-on. Try us free for 30 days.
- Short’s Brewing (Bellaire): Michigan’s largest independent craft brewer (plus award-winning Starcut Ciders).
- SISU Custom Fit Mouthguards, an Akervall Technologies Company (Saline): Specializing in advanced oral protection.
- Sniffer Robotics Inc. (Ann Arbor): Sniffer Robotics is a leading environmental technology-enabled services firm providing methane emissions monitoring services for ground applications.
- Soldadera Coffee (Grand Rapids): Authentic Mexican coffee experiences through premium products.
- SOVA Night Guard, an Akervall Technologies Company (Saline): Advanced dental protection for nighttime use.
- Southwest Michigan First (Kalamazoo): With vibrant, artistic communities, family-friendly entertainment options and over 80 public access lakes, you can thrive in Southwest Michigan!
- Stormy Kromer (Ironwood): Iconic wool caps, plus jackets, vests, shirts and more!
- Swaddelini (Holland): A seamless 3D knit sleep sack made with zero closure systems.
- Swimsmarttech (Marquette): Enhancing beach safety through smart and connected beachfront technologies with the greater goal of ending drownings in our communities.
- Syncurrent (Marquette): We work with underserved communities to turn entrepreneurship into an economic engine.
- TripSlip (Detroit): Digital permission slips making field trips equitable and easy to manage.
- Visit Detroit: Mobile-exclusive passes offer savings at some of the best craft breweries and pizzerias in metro Detroit.
Copyright 2024 WLUC. All rights reserved.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – After beginning a direct admittance program at one West Michigan high school in November, Aquinas College has now expanded the program to cover more classrooms.
The guaranteed admission program, first implemented for graduates of West Catholic High School with a 2.0 GPA or above, has now been expanded to Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids and Muskegon Catholic Central High School.
The partnership will apply to students from all three schools entering college in the fall of 2026.
The direct admission program was described by Aquinas College leaders as offering high school students a “clear path to college success” while also continuing to develop partnerships.
Aquinas College, a private Catholic liberal arts institution located at 1700 Fulton St. E, was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1886.
The college has enrolled 1,262 students during the 2025-26 academic year, and its new student numbers are up, with 419 new students on campus this fall, up from 311 in 2024-25.
The college’s overall enrollment total is just slightly under the approximately 1,300 students Aquinas recorded across its campus in 2023-24, according to a press release sent out in January 2025.
This year’s partnership announcements do not mark Aquinas’ first direct admittance deal.
The college also has a direct admit bachelor’s in nursing partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy, which allows students to take core curriculum courses at Aquinas and nursing classes from Detroit Mercy faculty.
On Nov. 14, Aquinas announced its direct admittance deal with West Catholic High School.
The school, located at 1801 Bristol Ave. NW, enrolled just over 500 students as of the 2024-25 school year, according to an online school profile.
West Catholic President and CEO Jill Wierzbicki said the initiative simplifies the college application process and offers students a straightforward path to higher education.
On Nov. 20, Aquinas then announced it had also partnered with Grand Rapids’ Catholic Central High School, 319 Sheldon Blvd SE, which enrolls 567 students and is the oldest co-educational diocesan Catholic high school in the nation.
Brian Matzke, vice president for enrollment management, said there’s “no doubt that Aquinas here has had more graduates from Catholic Central than any other school in our history.”
On Dec. 10, the college announced another partnership deal with Muskegon Catholic Central High School, 1145 W Laketon Ave., which enrolled just under 300 students in 2023-24, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Jerry McDowell, Muskegon Catholic Central president, said both the high school and Aquinas share a “deep commitment to developing the whole student — academically, spiritually, and individually.
“This direct-admit program provides our graduates with an exceptional opportunity to transition confidently into higher education while maintaining the Catholic values that guide their formation,” McDowell said.
Aquinas’ listed price for traditional undergraduate tuition is $41,192, according to senior director of strategic communications Dave DeJonge.
Students are eligible for annual merit scholarships between $15,000-$25,000, depending on their GPA and housing status. Additional scholarships may be available. This applies to all students who are admitted to Aquinas.
Matzke highlighted the direct admittance program’s easy transition from one West Michigan school to another, with those accepted to Aquinas able to live on campus or commute from home depending on what best fits their needs.
He also said a growing Grand Rapids job market, combined with support from the college’s career center, contributes to a 97% placement rate for graduates.
Michigan
Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court Friday on charges of stalking, home invasion, and breaking and entering, just days after being fired from his position.
The 39-year-old coach, who has no prior criminal history, was terminated by the university on Wednesday following an investigation that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident that occurred after the victim, a University of Michigan staff member, ended her relationship with Moore on Monday (Dec. 8).
Following the breakup, Moore allegedly made numerous unwanted calls and texts to the victim.
The situation escalated on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2025, when Moore allegedly forced his way into the victim’s Pittsfield Township apartment.
Prosecutors say he grabbed kitchen utensils and threatened to take his own life, allegedly telling the victim, “My blood is on your hands.”
“The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intimidating. She was terrorized, your honor,” a prosecutor told the court during Friday’s arraignment.
Defense attorney Joseph Simon pushed back on prosecutors’ claims that Moore could be a threat to public safety.
“My client’s 39 years old, with zero prior criminal history, zero prior contact with the criminal justice system in any fashion,” Simon stated.
Attorney Todd Flood, who practices both criminal defense and civil litigation, said the fallout within the university could continue depending on when the organization was first alerted about the relationship and how university athletic officials first responded.
“What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it when they found out? Those are going to be the three major questions,” Flood said.
“The university could possibly have some culpability there, that they didn’t put a stop to this,” noted Flood, adding that the victim may have grounds to pursue action against both the university and Moore.
Flood said the stalking charge against Moore likely stems from a documented pattern of harassment.
“When there is a position where he is harassing, either via text messages, harassing via telephone calls, social media content, or showing up at a place where he doesn’t belong,” Flood said. “Those stalking charges are ones where you can show that pattern of conduct.”
“He’s ultimately going to probably plead this case out, under some sort of either misdemeanor, or something that gives probation,” Flood said.
Moore posted his $25,000 bond Friday.
As part of his bond conditions, he must wear a GPS tether, undergo mental health treatment, and have no contact with the victim.
He is scheduled to appear in court in person on Jan. 22.
–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond
Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Sherrone Moore fired: Who could replace him at Michigan football?
Michigan beat writer Tony Garcia on who the Wolverines could target after firing Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
With the firing of Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Dec. 10, Michigan football is on the hunt for a new head coach.
It’s extremely late in the hiring cycle, with nearly every Power Four squad with an opening already having made a hire. But the Wolverines’ maize-and-blue brand could be strong enough to restart the coaching carousel, with several established coaches considered potential candidates for the U-M job.
It’ll be athletic director Warde Manuel’s call on the hire (with the usual inputs from donors and regents), despite rumors swirling on social media of his firing.
Here’s the latest on the Michigan football coaching search:
A former Notre Dame QB as Michigan football’s next head coach?
It’s possible.
Michigan football is reportedly interested in talking to Rees, according to Cleveland.com, who starred as a quarterback at Notre Dame. He moved up the coaching ranks fast, getting his big break as offensive coordinator with Notre Dame in 2020, where he served in the role for three years before moving to Alabama to be the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in Nick Saban’s last year. He has spent the last two years with the Browns, first as a passing game specialist and then as offensive coordinator this year.
Rees also reportedly talked to Penn State before the Nittany Lions landed on Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
It’s an interesting proposition, as Rees is seen as an up-and-coming young coach, but it can be wonky trying to hire NFL coaches into the college game due to the schedule. But in this circumstance, it just might work. The Browns are out of playoff contention so their season should drag out, and Michigan is in a position to wait longer than normal because early signing day for recruits is over and the transfer portal won’t open until January.
It’s early.
Michigan still has time to make a case.
But according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there’s “no indication” that Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, one of the hottest names in connection to the Wolverines, has an interest in taking the job in Ann Arbor.
DeBoer, who has Alabama in the 12-team College Football Playoff, was also briefly connected to Penn State earlier this offseason and quickly shot that down.
But never say never in college football in 2025.
If Michigan is looking to swing big for its third head coach in four seasons (or seventh, if you count the interims who served during Moore’s and Jim Harbaugh’s suspensions), the Free Press’ Tony Garcia broke down four big names, including a couple with established ties to Ann Arbor, one who couldn’t quite beat the Wolverines and another who’s the darling of the college football world.
Check out that list of candidates here.
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