Lead to Succeed

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Danica Stanciu, President of the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation, about legacy, philanthropy, and the kind of bold thinking needed to move the Upper Peninsula forward. Danica shares the story of her father, Daniel J. Kobasic, and how his values continue to guide the Foundation’s work across the U.P. The conversation also explores the Foundation’s recent $1.4 million commitment to Build U.P.’s CTE housing partnership, the importance of investing in skilled trades and workforce development, and why the region should be thinking bigger about its future.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood welcomes longtime broadcaster and newly retired host of The Ryan Report, Don Ryan, for a conversation shaped by decades of watching the Upper Peninsula grow, change, and meet new challenges. Don reflects on the U.P.’s long-standing population challenge, the role entrepreneurs and natural resource industries have played in building the regional economy, and why building even greater awareness of the U.P.’s strengths is part of the region’s future.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood is joined by Corey Soumis, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at the Copper Country Intermediate School District, and CTE Supervisor Steve Aho. They share how a partnership between local contractors, Moyle Real Estate Development, InvestUP, and the Build U.P. fund turned a construction trades class into a real-world homebuilding program that is adding new housing units in Houghton, Hancock, and L’Anse while preparing the next generation of skilled trades professionals across the Copper Country. Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Amy Hovey, Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), about what it takes to tackle Michigan’s housing shortage. She walks through MSHDA’s  toolbox from vouchers, mortgages, and home repair programs to Missing Middle investments, housing TIF, and new mixed-income financing models and explains how these tools are being used in rural regions and tribal communities, including the Upper Peninsula.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood welcomes Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place and Chair of the Economic Development Leaders for Michigan (EDLM). The conversation dives into EDLM’s Top Ten policy priorities and the importance of consistent, regionally driven economic development across the state. Randy shares lessons learned from West Michigan, the critical role of rural communities, and why Michigan’s future depends on innovation, infrastructure, and alignment.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood talks with Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund’s Jim Tenzillo and Jim Baker. The conversation covers how the fund is fueling early-stage companies focused on improving the outdoor experience through technology. With a statewide focus and deep roots in the Upper Peninsula, the fund has already backed 20+ startups and is helping make the U.P. a hub for innovation. Learn how flexible financing, targeted investment, and a new second-stage fund are opening doors for founders, and what it could mean for the region’s economic future.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood sits down with Mike Smith, Executive Director of the UP Construction Council, and Ryan Stern, U.P. Representative, Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, to talk about the workforce that’s building the future of the Upper Peninsula. The discussion covers major construction projects, the growing need for skilled trades, and the programs designed to keep young talent local. From summer camps and job drafts to new training centers and college articulation agreements, hear how the trades are investing in the next generation, and why that matters for the region’s long-term success.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood sits down with Anne Giroux, Director of Development and Investment Services at Build U.P., and Kyle Aho, Partner at AV Housing Solutions. The conversation explores how new tools like brownfield redevelopment, land bank partnerships, and targeted grant programs are helping drive housing projects forward in communities like Marquette. Learn how collaboration between developers, local governments, and economic development organizations is addressing one of the region’s biggest challenges – housing – and how these strategies can be expanded across the Upper Peninsula.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode of Lead to Succeed, host Steve Arwood welcomes Ryan Sistad, Executive Director of Better In Our Back Yard, for a timely conversation about resource development, environmental responsibility, and the economic future of the Upper Peninsula. Ryan shares how his organization supports responsible industrial development by promoting policies that balance job creation, environmental standards, and U.S. resource independence. The discussion touches on the Copperwood project, the national importance of critical minerals, and what communities can do to advocate for smart, sustainable development.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In this episode, Lead to Succeed welcomes Chris Patritto, President of Gogebic Community College, and Mandy Lake, Wakefield Township Supervisor and Bessemer City Manager, to discuss the economic potential of the Copperwood Mine project. With job creation, infrastructure investment, and community growth on the line, they break down what this could mean for the region.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

In the first episode of Lead to Succeed in 2025, host Steve Arwood sits down with key players behind a major housing project in Crystal Falls. Guests Zach Hautala (Director at Iron County Economic Chamber Alliance), Jacqui McElroy (Director of Business Development at S.C. Swiderski), Kortni Wolf (Development Manager at S.C. Swiderski), and Gerard Valesano (City Manager at the City of Crystal Falls) discuss how a proactive and cooperative approach led to 68 new middle-market rental units in a region facing a housing shortage. Learn how city leaders, developers, and economic partners worked together to create a model that other U.P. communities can follow. Tune in to hear how this project came to life and what it means for the future of housing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Roxanne Daust, President & CEO of Range Bank, shares her insights on the economic state of the region, workforce development and growth opportunities, and the importance of community banks in the Upper Peninsula.For more information on Range Bank, visit rangebank.com.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Bob Crumb, CEO of Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, shares his insights on current challenges that the U.P. is facing, how hospitals can address workforce challenges through internal growth and internship opportunities, and the collaboration between regional healthcare leaders that has continued since the start of COVID-19.For more information on Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, visit scmh.org.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Dr. Rodney Hanley, President of Lake Superior State University, shares his insights on the university’s impact on the community, the high quality of life that the Upper Peninsula offers, and how Lake Superior State University adapted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.For more information on Lake Superior State University, visit lssu.edu.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Dr. Richard Koubek, President of Michigan Technological University, shares his insights on the complementary relationship between all of the higher education institutions in the U.P., the university’s relationship with the local community, and how higher education institutions play a large role in economic development across the region.For more information on Michigan Tech, visit mtu.edu.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Kristen Mariuzza, Vice President of Environmental and Social Performance at Lundin Mining Corporation, talks to Steve about the challenges of the pandemic, connecting to the community, responsible mining, and building opportunity in the U.P.For more information on Lundin Mining Corporation, visit lundinmining.comLearn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Jan Allman, Senior VP of Public Affairs and Community Relations at Fincantieri Marine Group, talks to Steve Arwood about workforce development, housing, and how U.P. communities can come together to maximize their power.For more information on Fincantieri Marine Group, visit https://fincantierimarinegroup.com/.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Chuck Nelson, CEO of Dickinson County Healthcare System in Iron Mountain, shares insights on how DCH has continued to lead the community through the pandemic, opportunities for growth and talent attraction in the U.P., and how the U.P. benefits when business leaders work together.For more information on Dickinson County Healthcare System, visit dchs.org.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Jessica Frost, General Manager, Heavy Equipment Group at Trident Maritime Systems, shares how the company has continued to adapt throughout the pandemic despite supply chain shortages and what attracts talent to the Upper Peninsula.This series is presented by InvestUP, the leading economic organization for the Upper Peninsula.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula. Todd Brassard, VP/COO of Calumet Electronics, shares how a company located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has become a leader in the American electronics industry.For more information on Calumet Electronics, visit calumetelectronics.com.This series is presented by InvestUP, the leading economic organization for the Upper Peninsula.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Gina Thorsen, CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products and Stormy Kromer, offers a unique perspective of leading a business in the region as she transitioned into a role that came with the responsibility of upholding an iconic U.P. brand.For more information on Stormy Kromer, visit stormykromer.com.Learn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/. 

Lead to Succeed: Conversations with U.P. Business Leaders is an interview series focused on leadership in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Hosted by Steve Arwood, InvestUP Strategic Advisor and former MEDC Director, the first episode welcomes Steve Hicks, President and CEO of JM Longyear.For more information on JM Longyear, visit jmlongyear.comLearn more about InvestUP at https://www.investupmi.com. Connect with us on social media at https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-up-mi/.