BUSINESS BRIEFS: May 13, 2022
May 12—Big Brothers Big Sisters promotes Leachman
SOUTH BEND — The board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters Southern Lake Michigan Region recently announced the retirement of Regional CEO William Carnegie and the appointment of Elizabeth Leachman as interim CEO.
Leachman, a South Bend local, has been with Big Brothers Big Sisters since December of 2021 as the regional vice president of marketing and development. She previously worked with South Bend Heritage Foundation, the city of South Bend — Venues Parks & Arts and Downtown South Bend.
Leachman is passionate about youth development and philanthropic work in her community, currently serving as the secretary on the board of directors for Rebuilding Together St. Joseph County and volunteering her time for other local nonprofit and arts organizations, including previously being a Big Sister mentor with BBBS.
Carnegie joined Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2019 and was tasked with expanding the reach of the organization. He led the acquisition of three Southern Michigan counties, expansion to several counties in northwestern Indiana, and, most recently, the merger effort with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Elkhart County.
The organization now serves a 12-county area in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan and serves over 200 youth annually with positive mentoring relationships.
Mno-Bmadsen takes stake in City Center Lofts
DOWAGIAC, Michigan — Mno-Bmadsen, the independent non-gaming investment entity of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, has announced the acquisition of a 50% stake in City Center Lofts from Cressy Commercial Real Estate.
Originally constructed in the 1880s, City Center Lofts sits on the corner of Main Street and Pipestone Street in the heart of downtown Benton Harbor, Michigan. The two-story, 20,000-square-foot mixed-use building is comprised of 16 apartments, all of which are occupied, and two commercial spaces, one of which is open.
Terms of the transaction include Cressy Commercial Real Estate continuing to manage the property, which it rehabilitated in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the City Council of Benton Harbor, and others. The project was completed in July 2021
The stake in City Center Lofts represents another step in Mno-Bmadsen diversifying its real estate portfolio known as Redtail Properties, while also investing in local communities and land that has historical importance to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
enFocus celebrates 10th anniversary
SOUTH BEND — enFocus Inc., a resource for talent attraction in the South Bend-Elkhart region, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Launched in May 2012, enFocus, short for "entrepreneurial focus," attracts recent graduates and young professionals to its fellowship program to catalyze innovation in northern Indiana communities.
Inspired by a class trip to the American Underground incubator in Durham, North Carolina, South Bend native Andrew Wiand and six peers in the ESTEEM Master's program at the University of Notre Dame envisioned an opportunity for South Bend to leverage recent graduates to help solve tough community challenges.
Wiand and classmates pitched the concept for a talent incubator to local business leaders and partners at the University of Notre Dame who rallied around the concept. The initial board of directors then found early adopting project sponsors to support the launch of the fellowship program.
The initial seven fellows were hired in August 2012 to work toward projects for eight South Bend partners and in doing so launched a unique model that would prove successful in attracting talent and fighting the "brain drain."
enFocus has grown significantly since 2012, from seven Fellows to 32 Fellows supported by five full-time staff with a footprint across multiple Northern Indiana communities.
