Starting a business can be overwhelming. You’ve invested countless hours in developing your product, but now what do you do? How do you market what you’re selling? How do you protect your intellectual property? How do you finance your company’s growth?

Your first stop should be the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (Leap, Inc.).

Leap recently rolled out its SpringBoard program—a business accelerator designed to smooth the way for the region’s most promising early-stage companies—at an invitation-only event at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in February.

While the Cooley event marked its official launch, the Leap SpringBoard has been helping early-stage companies that have the potential to bring both jobs and innovation to our region get off to a strong start for more than a year.

We created the Leap SpringBoard under our organization’s New Enterprise Initiative, one of six key strategic initiatives that guide our efforts to return the Greater Lansing region to its roots as a global economic powerhouse.

Leap’s SpringBoard gives entrepreneurs easier access to the resources they need to launch and build sustainable, globally competitive companies here. It provides them with a direct connection to best-in-class business service and capital providers—providers who can deftly guide the growth of their young companies and provide them with relevant, well-coordinated and personalized support.

More than 65 local business people and members of the media viewed presentations from seven of Leap’s client companies and from its seven SpringBoard partners at the launch event on February 5. Members of the audience also had time to network and enjoy delicious desserts provided by Gellocake, a local company owned by Lilian Chavira that offers gourmet gelatins and cakes.

Leap has already assisted more than 25 companies through the SpringBoard. Among our client companies at the event:

•    Rob Fulk and Susanna Tellschow presented Inventure Enterprise’s idView Background Check Suite, which makes criminal background checks faster, cheaper and more effective—helping to improve homeland security and better protect our society’s most vulnerable citizens.

•    Joe Kobus and Tom Davis presented EnerFusion’s Power Dok, a device that provides a convenient, user-friendly power source in public places for people who need to recharge batteries or maintain charge levels on their portable electronic devices (like laptop computers, iPods and cell phones). The Power Dok, which delivers energy obtained from “green” sources, is currently operating at Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport.

•    Vince Villegas presented Charlie Bucks, a company whose online technology platform with the same name helps businesses market directly to consumers and attract new customers while gathering valuable business intelligence information.

•    Mahmoud Mousa presented HoneyDerm’s line of honey-based products that are patented to treat chronic hair, scalp and skin conditions like hair loss, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

•    Rae Claire Johnson presented CareCk’s Intelligent Care Network™, a system that can control healthcare costs and quality while minimizing patient risk.

•    George Garrity presented NamesforLife™, a technology that tracks changes in scientific and technological terms over time.

•    Bunmi Akinyemiju presented Enliven Software, an application that streamlines financial document exchange and simplifies cash flow for buyers and suppliers.

Audience members also heard from the seven organizations that have partnered with us to assist early-stage companies—Andrews Hooper & Pavlik P.L.C.; CiesaDesign; Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting P.C.;  Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center; North Coast Technology Investors; Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Worksighted, Inc.

By pairing the Greater Lansing region’s most promising new companies with the region’s brightest support through its SpringBoard, Leap plans to turn potential into profitable, sustainable businesses and job opportunities for our region.
Think the SpringBoard program could be a good fit for your company? Call Leap at (517) 702-3387 or e-mail Leap at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

		Denyse Ferguson is the president and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (Leap, Inc.), the region's leading economic development organization.