Michiana Business News

AI Masterclass: 100X
2025-12-05 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | NKU – Business Academic Center, BC 368, Highland Heights, KY, 41076, United States
Collapse a week of work into one power hour!

This is not another webinar. It’s a hands-on, results-driven sprint for innovators, entrepreneurs, and high-capacity doers who are tired of trading time for output.
You’ll learn the exact AI-powered system that helps you ideate, build, and launch with velocity. No fluff. No filler.
You’ll walk away having:

Built a business plan, SWOT analysis, or MVP—live in the meeting
Applied curated AI workflows and no-code tools that bridge idea to action
Created a usable, downloadable deliverable you can put to work immediately

Ideal for solopreneurs, small business owners, and corporate innovators who are stuck in the “too many ideas, too little time” loop.
If you’re ready to move faster with focus, this is your launch hour.
Includes parking, breakfast, and breaks.

Early Bird: $349
Regular Admission: $499
VIP Table: $1500 (up to 6 people) with a dedicated coach.

WCR 2025 Christmas Happy Hour
2025-12-09 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | The Cellar Wine Bar & Kitchen, 702 East Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, IN, 46601, United States
Kindly join us as we honor the accomplishments of 2025 and formally welcome our 2026 Board Members.

AI Bootcamp Launchpad: Start Here with AI
2025-12-16 08:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Northern Kentucky University – Business Academic Center Room 251, Louie B Nunn Drive, Business Academic Center, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, United States
AI Mini-Bootcamp for Beginners + Optional Learning Lab

Curious about AI but don’t know where to start? In this half-day, hands-on mini-bootcamp, you’ll learn to use four essential tools—ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and NotebookLM—to save time, organize ideas, and build confidence. No hype, no jargon, just practical skills.
Stay afterward for the AI Learning Lab ($99 add-on) and bring your own project to work on with help from AI coaches. Leave with real progress and a clear next step.
About the Event
AI doesn’t have to be overwhelming — you just need a place to start.
Join us for LLM Launchpad: A Mini-Bootcamp for Beginners, a half-day, hands-on workshop designed for anyone who’s ever asked, “How do you spell Perplexity?” or “Am I even using ChatGPT right?”
This session cuts through the noise and helps you master the four foundational tools that every modern professional should know:

ChatGPT – your everyday AI assistant for writing, planning, and brainstorming
Perplexity – a fast, factual research companion
Claude – for clearer, more nuanced writing support
NotebookLM – Google’s tool for summarizing, organizing, and learning from your own content

You’ll learn how to prompt effectively, personalize your tools, and actually use AI in real work — not just talk about it.
Perfect for You If…

You’re curious about AI but don’t use it regularly yet
You want to build confidence with ChatGPT and other chatbots
You’re tired of hearing the buzz and ready to see what’s possible
You prefer hands-on, supportive learning (no tech jargon, no coding)

Schedule
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Launchpad Mini-Bootcamp

Understand how large-language-model tools really work
Practice clear, effective prompting
Explore how to organize your own notes and ideas using NotebookLM
Leave with a set of reusable prompts and real confidence

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Optional Add-On: AI Learning Lab ($99)Bring your own project — a blog draft, marketing plan, presentation, or messy folder of notes — and work side-by-side with our coaches to make it shine. You’ll get 1-on-1 help, live feedback, and leave with something done.

BizAccessHub: Small Business AI Bootcamp - January 8
2026-01-08 08:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Northern Kentucky University- Student Union 104, Louie B Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, United States
I didn't know AI could do that!

Transform Your Business in Just One Day with AI Boot camp!
Leave manual tasks behind and supercharge your business operations with the power of AI. This dynamic, interactive, and hands-on AI Boot camp is designed exclusively for small to mid-size business leaders who want to unlock the potential of AI for real-world applications.
What You’ll Experience:This isn’t a typical lecture-heavy event—it’s an action-packed day that prioritizes learning by doing. With guidance from our amazing expert trainers, you’ll dive into AI tools and strategies that can transform your business. Whether you’re new to AI or eager to refine your existing strategies, this boot camp provides the knowledge and practical skills you need to drive innovation.
Here’s what sets us apart:

Hands-on Demonstrations: Discover how to apply AI to your business challenges through interactive sessions.
Table Coaches: Get personalized support to maximize your learning experience throughout the day.
Networking Opportunities: Build valuable connections with other business leaders.

By the end of the day, you’ll achieve in ONE DAY what might otherwise take weeks to learn and implement on your own.
Post-Bootcamp Support:Learning doesn’t stop at the event. Your ticket includes 3 coaching sessions by appointment. When you’re back in the office and need help navigating what you’ve learned or have follow-up questions, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Ticket Options:

Early Bird Admission: $225
Regular Admission: $375
VIP Corporate Table (up to 5 attendees, includes personal coaching for your team): $1200.

What’s Included:

Personalized coaching support during the boot camp.
Networking opportunities with like-minded business leaders.
Free parking.
Continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments throughout the day.

We make registration easy—Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted!

Business Plan Certified Orientation
2026-01-21 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Learn to build your business plan with Live Plan! Join us Jan 21, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. Lunch provided.

Join us for an interactive two-hour session designed to help entrepreneurs gain a clear understanding of the Business Plan Certified program structure. Participants will begin developing a comprehensive business plan using Live Plan to guide their entrepreneurial journey and refine their business idea. Two tracks will be offered—one for start-ups and one for businesses operating five years or more. Facilitated by Chrissy Meek, this session will be held on January 21st at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

The Growth Architect: Building Your Business for Exponential Success (JAN)
2026-01-22 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Business Academic Center Room 368, 100 Louie B Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099, USA, Highland Heights, KY, 41076, United States
Taking You and Your Business from Stress to Strength

The Growth Architect: Building Your Business for Exponential Success is a transformative program designed for seasoned entrepreneurs who feel “successful but stuck.” Led by Dan Hackett and Dawn Parks, this course introduces the M.E.N.D. Flywheel, a proven framework that transforms stress into strength by giving you clarity on your numbers, control of execution, confidence in decision-making, and freedom to lead. Through pre- and post-course business assessments, hands-on exercises, and practical AI-powered tools, you’ll learn how to measure what matters, execute with precision, navigate growth deliberately, and deliver from the owner’s seat. Whether you’re looking to reclaim your time, build scalable systems, or unlock creative profits, this course equips you with a complete operating system for exponential business success.
What you’ll leave with:

A forward-looking profit dashboard

Two documented, ready-to-use processes

A dynamic job description and accountability cadence for a key role

A sharper value narrative and ideal customer profile

A concrete delegation plan to reclaim 2–4 hours per week

A 90-day implementation plan for immediate results

Tax Time: What You Need To Know As A Small Business
2026-01-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
A quick, informative session covering what small businesses need for tax season—required forms, EIN basics, new updates, and filing tips.

Join us for a practical and informative Tax Time Prep Event designed specifically for small business owners. We’ll walk through the essentials you need to file confidently this year, including required forms, EIN guidelines, important updates, and common mistakes to avoid. Whether you’re filing on your own or preparing documents for an accountant, this session will give you the clarity and confidence you need to stay compliant and organized for tax season.

Business Plan Certified Business Idea & Development
2026-02-11 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Build your business foundation—define your idea, target market & value. Join us Feb 11, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance.

Join Entrepreneurial Services for a two-hour interactive workshop designed to help entrepreneurs strengthen their business foundation by refining a well-defined business idea, identifying their target market, and developing a strong unique value proposition. Hosted in collaboration with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and facilitated by Bonnie Gabriel and Sierra Gunnett (TBD), this session will take place on February 11th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

Business Plan Certified Growth Strategy
2026-02-18 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Create a growth strategy aligned with your business goals. Join us Feb 18, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. Lunch provided.

Join us for a two-hour interactive session focused on creating a personalized growth strategy that aligns with your business objectives and goals. Facilitated by Bonnie Gabriel & Wendy Spreenberg (TBD) in collaboration with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), this workshop will help you develop actionable steps to drive growth. The session takes place on February 18th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

AI Masterclass: Orbit (FEB 2026)
2026-02-27 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | NKU – Business Academic Center, BC 368, Highland Heights, KY, 41076, United States
Where business owners & key staff bring specific they’ve encountered or ideas they’ve developed while experimenting with AI tools

Our AI Masterclass is specifically designed to help small and medium-sized businesses use MIT's Orbit** framework to scale your operations, enhance productivity, and unlock new revenue opportunities. This hands-on, practical Masterclass will transform how you approach business challenges.
What You’ll Learn How To

Scale Operations Using MIT Orbit: Map your current processes and identify areas for optimization and automation. MIT Orbit will help you streamline your operations, enabling growth without proportional increases in time or cost.
Boost Productivity: Use MIT Orbit to develop a business profile and pinpoint productivity bottlenecks. With its disciplined framework, you’ll make informed decisions on where to focus your efforts for maximum impact.
Maximize Revenue: Through MIT Orbit’s structured approach, you’ll refine your business model by identifying high-value opportunities, improving customer engagement, and developing revenue-generating strategies that scale with your business.

Why This Masterclass is Different

Focused on Scalability: Our Masterclass doesn’t just teach AI tools—it helps you integrate them into a structured approach that makes your business scalable in terms of operations, productivity, and revenue.
Tailored for Small Businesses: Small businesses can adopt AI faster than enterprises, and we’ll show you how to take advantage of that agility using MIT’s proven entrepreneurship framework.
Information-Driven Decisions: With the help of MIT Orbit, you’ll make data-backed decisions that are practical and immediately applicable to your business, ensuring long-term growth and sustainability.

Who Should Attend?
Business owners, operations managers, marketers, and innovators who have completed our first AI bootcamp or have worked extensively in ChatGPT and similar models, and are ready to:

Scale their operations and improve productivity
Solve specific business challenges using data-driven insights
Refine their business models to drive revenue growth

Join Us for a Deeper Dive into AI and Scalability
Reserve your spot today and bring AI solutions to life in your business with the support of MIT’s Orbit framework.
**Access to the MIT Orbit Platform provided by the AI Online Classroom. Many thanks to MIT and Christopher Brock for making this available.

Business Plan Certified Market Research & SWOT Analysis
2026-03-11 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Analyze your market, refine your value proposition & test your idea. Join us Mar 11, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. Lunch provided.

Join us for a two-hour interactive workshop designed to help entrepreneurs conduct a thorough market analysis, identify a unique value proposition, and confirm the feasibility of their business idea. Facilitated by Ryan Thyfault & Laura Sheeran in collaboration with Kinexus, this session will provide actionable insights to strengthen your business strategy. The workshop takes place on March 11th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

Own It Series! A Healthy Mindset
2026-03-16 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Detroit) | Sourdough House & Coffee Bar, 234 Territorial Road, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
A Healthy Mindset – Sustain your business & wellness! Join Becky Atkinson Mar 16, 3–5PM at The Sourdough House. OWN IT Series.

A Healthy Mindset – Join us for a two-hour OWN IT Series experience at The Sourdough House, where we’ll explore how consistent care sustains both businesses and entrepreneurs. Facilitated by Becky Atkinson, participants will watch an owner create fresh, healthy dishes while reflecting on the importance of mental and physical wellness. By linking personal well-being with business sustainability, attendees will leave inspired to invest in both their health and professional growth. This session takes place on March 16th from 3:00–5:00 PM.

Business Plan Certified Financial Plan
2026-04-08 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Develop a financial plan with budgets & funding strategies. Join us Apr 8, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. Lunch provided.

Join us for a two-hour interactive workshop focused on developing a detailed financial plan, including budget projections and funding strategies to support your business growth. Facilitated by Molly Vincent, this session will provide practical tools to guide your financial planning. The workshop takes place on April 8th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

Own It Series! Grow Your Business & You
2026-05-05 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Detroit) | Fernwood Botanical Garden, 13988 Range Line Road, Niles, MI, 49120, United States
Grow your ideas like a garden! Join Marion Higgins May 5, 3–5PM at Fernwood Botanical Gardens for inspiration & planting.

Join us for a two-hour interactive experience at Fernwood Botanical Gardens where growing a business is explored through the metaphor of gardening. Participants will hear from Marion Higgins owner of Bloomfield Lavendar Apothecary, who will share her entrepreneurial journey, and then tour the greenhouse to plant a small symbol of new beginnings. The session encourages stepping out of your comfort zone, expanding ideas, and nurturing growth. This event takes place on May 5th from 3:00–5:00 PM.

Business Plan Certified Management & Operations
2026-05-06 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Build your team, operations & legal plan for launch. Join us May 6, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. 3-hour workshop with lunch.

Join us for a three-hour interactive workshop designed to help entrepreneurs establish a team structure and operational model for launching their business. Participants will identify necessary licensing, legal, and zoning requirements, and select key professionals such as an accountant and attorney. Facilitated by Jennifer Sipla, Tammy Vincent & Jenny Minor in collaboration with IMS, Mark Miller Law, & Hungerford, this session takes place on May 6th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

Business Plan Certified Marketing & Sales Strategy
2026-06-10 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Build a marketing & sales strategy to attract & retain customers. Join us Jun 13, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. Lunch provided.

Join us for a two-hour interactive workshop focused on creating a targeted marketing and sales strategy to attract and retain customers. Facilitated by Tim Ramos & Carrie Reece in collaboration with Thryv, this session will provide actionable strategies to grow your customer base and strengthen your business presence. The workshop takes place on June 13th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

Business Plan Certified Business Pitch Rehearsal
2026-08-19 10:00 - 12:30 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Rehearse your business plan for investors. Join us Aug 19, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. 2.5-hour workshop with lunch.

Join us for a 2.5-hour interactive workshop where participants will complete a business plan rehearsal in preparation for presenting to investors. Facilitated by Chrissy Meek & Brandy Jaquez in collaboration with Cornerstone Alliance, this session will provide hands-on practice and feedback to refine your pitch. The workshop takes place on August 19th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

Business Plan Certified Business Plan Presentation
2026-09-09 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Detroit) | Cornerstone Alliance, 80 West Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States
Perfect your business plan pitch for bankers. Join us Sep 9, 10AM at Cornerstone Alliance. 3-hour workshop with lunch.

Join us for a three-hour interactive workshop where participants will deliver a polished business plan pitch, ready for presentation to commercial bankers. Facilitated by Investors with collaboration from a mixed cohort, this session will provide feedback and insights to strengthen your pitch and confidence. The workshop takes place on September 9th at 10:00 AM at Cornerstone Alliance, with lunch provided.

ELEVATE Entrepreneurship 2026
2026-10-01 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit) | Union + Social Event Venue, 216 Court Street, St. Joseph, MI, 49085, United States
Celebrate small businesses at ELEVATE 2026! Join us Oct 1, 11AM for a celebration & graduation, at Union Social.

Join us for the ELEVATE Entrepreneurship 2026 celebration, honoring all small businesses and marking the graduation of our Business Plan Certified participants. In this two-hour event, participants will receive their certification, and you will have the opportunity to network with them. Facilitated by Chrissy Meek & Brandy Jaquez, the ceremony takes place on October 1st at 11:00 AM at Union Social.
