During the week of Nov. 15-19, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages in West Michigan will have a smorgasbord of opportunities to learn, network and be inspired. As part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, Grand Valley State University's Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation will be facilitating a series of 16 events including business plan training, speakers and pitch competitions to help celebrate and inspire imagination and creativity. According to Linda Chamberlain, executive director of CEI, the activities in West Michigan will hopefully do more than just celebrate past accomplishments. After the week is over, "We hope to build on that energy to help entrepreneurs create value," she says. Ryan Vaughn, entrepreneur and founder of Varsity News Network, is also a believer in the potential for events like this to create value. "GEW is a chance for entrepreneurs in Grand Rapids to learn from and collaborate with our colleagues, both locally and around the world," says Vaughn. "I'll take what I learn from any one of the events and apply it to our company the next day." Ten organizations will be helping to bring these events to West Michigan including the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Lakeshore Advantage, Cornerstone University, the Muskegon Inventors's Network, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and The Factory. Regionally, Michigan Emerging is a day-long event that will be held in Dearborn, MI on November 17. This conference is intended to help connect entrepreneurs, inventors and investors from throughout the state and hopefully serve as a catalyst for new venture formation. Global Entrepreneurship Week, founded by the Kauffman Foundation and Enterprise UK, is expected to have countries across six continents participating. Find out more about Global Entrepreneurship Week at their website. For a listing of events, visit the community calendar for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. Source: Ryan Vaughn Writer: John Rumery, Innovations and Job News Editor

Madison Square's first co-working environment is under construction and owner Lighthouse Communities hopes it will not only bring professionals to the neighborhood, but will show those already in the neighborhood they don't have to go elsewhere to be part of a collaborative workspace.Lighthouse Communities broke ground on the rehab of a vacant building at 1167 Madison Ave. SE with the vision to renovate and expand the building into new office space for the nonprofit on the second story and several retail incubators on the main level. That idea shifted when Lighthouse decided to provide incubator space in each future commercial development and another 7,000 square feet of proposed incubator space at a planned development at the nearby T.J. Appliance building. That left room to retain a couple of incubator spaces and develop a co-working environment in the rest of the main level, says Co-director Darel Ross. "We'll have wireless access, video conferencing, individual work stations and modular furniture for small group meetings, plus a private conference room for rent," Ross says. "The WorkBar Boston in Boston, Mass. is the feel we're shooting for with our 100-year-old building. We'll keep the original wood floors and the exposed brick, but make it really modern, urban and chic."To help develop its economic development vision throughout Kent County, Lighthouse hired Jorge Gonzalez to fill a new position as economic development director. Gonzalez speaks Spanish and English and is the current president of the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Lighthouse just completed wrapping the building's foundation in a protective membrane with a ventilation system to prevent chemical contamination from a former Laundromat from affecting the new development center. The co-working center will be operational by May 2011. Source: Darel Ross, Lighthouse CommunitiesWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor Related Articles Madison Square business incubator has community backing for $1.7M project Business incubators coming to new $1.6M project in Madison Square

The Business Review West Michigan reports that students from Grand Rapids Community College will soon have an opportunity to complete an architectural degree at Southfield's Lawrence Technological University.According to excerpts from the story:Grand Rapids Community College plans to announce a joint relationship that will expand options for students wishing to pursue a career in architecture, according to a statement. Through the partnership with Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, students graduating with an associate degree in architectural design from GRCC will be able to transfer to LTU to complete a Bachelor of Science in architecture. "It's our vision, as a college of distinction, to inspire students to meet the needs of our communities and world," GRCC President Steven Ender said in the statement. "This partnership is another proven success story laying the foundation toward a new career." Read the complete story here.

Business and policy leaders from both the west and east side of the state gathered to compare and contrast various approaches to economic development within Michigan. According to excerpts from the article in Crain's Detroit Business West Michigan leaders said they've been able to make economic development strides in the Grand Rapids area by thinking regionally and funding projects privately before taking them to the public sector. Grand Rapids business leaders, who are leading much of the change there, have "really cut across any of the territorial boundaries‚ (which) allowed us to look past any of the arbitrary lines to what's best for the community," said former gubernatorial candidate Richard DeVos. Read the complete article here: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20101029/FREE/101029821/-1#

The owners of two young marketing firms in Muskegon say there's no better time than now to leverage the companies' growth with a merger. And that's exactly what Qonverge and Relevant have done; after five years of collaborating on countless projects, the two companies will soon bring their web and video marketing, branding and market identity, and print media expertise under one roof and one name: Revel.Relevant's Don Kalisz, 33, and Qonverge's Andy Maciejewski, 31, and Jason Piasecki, 38, merged the two companies in early summer 2010 but have held the announcement until now. Revel and its 12 employees will operate from a new 4,000-square-foot headquarters in the former Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce offices at 900 Third St., Muskegon, a few floors above Qonverge's current office. The company will retain its Grand Rapids office space at 25 Ionia Ave. SW, as well. "It was the right time for both companies because we're both coming off record years and had been collaborating on some really complex projects," says Piasecki. "We've been talking about merging for a couple of years. We have some overlapping services, which just strengthens what we were already offering to clients. It's unique in West Michigan to bring the web, video and creative all under one roof."The new space will include an audio/video production studio, and will preserve the loft-style feel of the historic Hume Building with its 15-foot-high ceilings and brick walls. The build-out is in process. The merger creates two new job positions for a print/web designer and a programmer. Piasecki looks to fill those positions soon. "We offer a new agency experience with a unique combination of services," Piasecki says. "There's no need to go outside West Michigan; businesses can get these services all in their back yard."Source: Jason Piasecki, RevelWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News EditorRelated ArticlesGrowing Muskegon communications firm creates four more technology jobsQonverge doing advertising the new wayMuskegon marketing firm opens Grand Rapids office