A summary of the 2014 tour of the Greater Lansing Regional Incubation Network for startup and developing businesses.The presentation highlights the developing RIN and showcases those Incubators for government officials and established business in the Lansing, Ingham county, and Eaton County area.

1. LANSING ECONOMIC AREA
PARTNERSHIP (LEAP)
MAY 29, 2014 TOUR OF REGIONAL INCUBATION NETWORK (TouRIN)

2. Tour of Greater Lansing Regional Incubation
Network
Many thanks to Bob Tresize and his staff
at LEAP for inviting me and perhaps 50
other people from the Greater Lansing
area to participate in the May 29, 2014
tour of the Greater Lansing Regional
Incubation Network!
We all enjoyed it greatly, and learned a
lot. One thing is very clear – LEAP is
aggressively exploring many ways to
make sure that the Greater Lansing
area competes effectively for every
economic development opportunity and
explores every way to assist with
business development!

3. Acknowledgement
Much of the information included in this
slide presentation was taken from
publications of LEAP, or from information
provided by LEAP and RIN staff during the
bus tour held on May 29, 2014.
I apologize for any errors in information I
made incorporating that information.
The pictures taken during the tour were
taken with a cell phone camera, and I
regret any poor quality images. LEAP
staff were taking pictures during the tour,
and I am sure they will share better
quality pictures with the public in the
near future.

4. Did you know Lansing has an Incubation
Network?

5. Incubator…
When the LEAP staff sent out their
invitation to me and other members of
our community to go on an “incubator”
field trip or tour in the region, I did
not know what to expect…
I grew up in an age when an incubator
was used for helping with the growth
and development of newly hatched
chickens and premature human
babies…

6. I was surprised to find out that in the years since I was in graduate business school
and involved in basic economic development work with the old Lansing Economic
Development Corporation the concept of an “incubator” for new business had
developed. I was only very vaguely aware that there were some such “incubators”
existing here in mid-Michigan! And my view of what those incubators might be like
before this tour was significantly different from what I saw and learned on the tour.
Definition of “Incubator”
1. (Medicine) med an enclosed transparent boxlike apparatus for housing prematurely born babies
under optimum conditions until they are strong enough to survive in the normal environment
2. (Biology) a container kept at a constant temperature in which birds' eggs can be artificially
hatched or bacterial cultures grown
3. a person, animal, or thing that incubates
4. (Commerce) a commercial property, divided into small work units, which provides
equipment and support to new businesses
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991,
1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

7. “
”
Incubation programs provide entrepreneurs
with curriculum, mentorship, and networking
opportunities while also helping to foster an
ecosystem that is conducive to business
growth, while lowering initial overhead
costs…
Incubators allow entrepreneurs to share sophisticated resources within a learning environment by
interacting with others in their commercial sector.
Definition of a Commercial Incubator and other background information in this presentation is
provided by LEAP in their publication on Regional Incubation Network. Additional information available
from Quin D. Stinchfield, Business Incubation Manager, LEAP (email quin@purelansing.com)

8. “
”
Aside from reasonably priced office space, other
incubator resource offerings include: Professional
Mentors; Entrepreneurial and Collaborative
Environment; Networking Events; Licensed
Software; Modern Facility Amenities; state of the
art conference rooms…
Incubators provide the benefits of collaboration, cost and equipment sharing, and even expertise
and consulting sharing for new and exploratory business ventures.
Helping New Businesses take root and develop and grow in a safer, more nurturing environment!

9. What is the RIN?
The Regional Incubation Network (RIN)
is a network of business incubators
that are able to connect and
coordinate a wider range of
community and regional expertise and
resources, share specialized services
and training, and create operational
savings compared with stand-alone
incubators.

10. RIN Leverages Multiple Incubators and Offers
a Wide Range of Advantages…
• Advantages include:
• Sharing Solutions and Best
Practices
• Cohesive management across
the Network
• Public Relations, Marketing
and Unified Branding
• Growing Economically
Depressed Areas
• Being Part of a Greater
Regional Economic Plan
• Economies of Scale
• Referrals and Training

11. Existing Business Incubators in RIN Include:
• Technolgoy Innovation Center
• The “Hatch”
• The “Runway” (Scheduled to open August 2014)
• Allen Market Place
• Incu-Bake
• The MARC
• NEO Center

12. “
”
The goal of the RIN is to support and
streamline incubation efforts by harnessing
entrepreneurial activity and strengthening the
regional entrepreneurial eco-system by
promoting startup collaboration, education,
and creative action.
Business incubation is an important element in economic strategies further promoting innovation and
job creation in Greater Lansing. -- LEAP, www.PureLansing.com

13. The Tour with Pictures

14. The Tour Stated at the Technology Innocation
Center in East Lansing (The “TIC”)
LEAP, MSU, and the Technology
Innovation Center were great and
patient hosts for about 50 business
leaders and interested persons from
the Greater Lansing area.
This Michigan Economic Development
Corporation cooperative effort is a
partnership between the city of East
Lansing, City of Lansing, Ingham
County and Michigan State University.
LEAP administers the program on
behalf of the region.

15. Waiting to get on the bus & networking
Howard with Bob
Tresize, Chris Swope
Making new friends and better
friends… 
Lots of Friendly,
Curious People
Not quite knowing what to expect,
networking and finding out who was
there and their interests in the
Regional Incubation Network
Our day tour would
start and end here
Unfortunately, my phone camera
died before the end of the day so I
was unable to capture pictures of
the Hatch

16. Off to the MARC

17. First Stop, the MARC...
In partnership with
Meridian Township
Part of Meridain Area Business
Association
Provides virtual
office space
New exploratory businesses can
meet clients there, low cost rental
of conference room and office
equipment
Marsha Madle
Facilities Manager
Phone (517) 618-1930
Email: marcmeridian@gmail.com

18. Then on to the Incu-Bake LLC
This Incubator trains
owners in food
service
Small business owners or prospects
can come here, learn the ins and
outs of restauranting or food
service, get trained and qualify for
Dept of Ag Food licensing
Has worked with 70
startup
entrepreneurs
Even gets referrals from regulators
regarding prospective food service
professionals who need training or
an environment where they can try
out this type of business
We sere served our
first lunch here…
It had been years since I had
rhubarb… I had forgotten it existed
and how much I loved it as a kid…
The rhubarb brownies were great
and are marketed through Horrocks

19. Third stop - the Allen Market Place
Interesting Food
Service Incubator
Was host to a number of farmers
market activities and small
businesses
Hosted catering businesses
A second lunch for
us! 
Entirely different menus, the
second LEAP tour bus had been
there ahead of us and left plenty of
food
Exploring new food
options beyond
farmers market
A couple of entrepreneurs had
leased a small space in the building
and were preparing to sell variety
beers

20. The Runway – Incubator in Development
Under construction
downtown Lansing
An incubator to encourage the
fashion design and manufacture
business here in the Lansing area
Scheduled to open August 2014
Will contain design
and also retail
display space
The hope is to attract designers and
then get fashion buyers to come to
Lansing to see and order product
Will Sell Michigan
designs and fashion
products
When completed it will be the only
fashion related incubator in
Michigan

21. Fifth Stop – The Neo Center
Higher end office
space for startups
Contains office equipment,
supplies, conference rooms,
technology
Ultra modern redesign of building
Seeking innovative
startup Concepts
Discount office environment
Suitable for meeting clients and
collaborating on projects
In Lansing on Center
Street
Some successful semi-established
businesses
Caters to new business models and
stylish tenants

22. Tour End – Hatch and the “TIC”
Unfortunately no pictures of the Hatch or Tic
due to camera exhaustion. 
The Hatch is a think tank project from MSU
which involves students developing business
ideas and trying to make them “work” in a
protected, collaborative environment.
MSU will subsidize and provide incentives for
students to explore their entrepreneurial
projects.
The students may have MSU patent their
ideas, or allow students to develop them on
their own as a part of an ownership real life
business model
And yes, there was an end of tour
celebration! <grin>