Two Lansing Organizations Join Forces to Attract & Retain Emerging Talent to the Region
LANSING, Mich. – More than a decade ago, Lansing was remarkably different from the dynamic region we know today. Convincing young adults to live in the Lansing area, invest in the communities, and find a career was significantly more challenging. Over the years, the capital city’s metropolitan area has evolved into a collection of exciting destinations and thriving districts – populated with unique retail, locally-owned restaurants, and increased nightlife – that previously did not exist.
The region has seen a resurgence, a renewed sense of energy, and a better understanding of its strengths in the past decade. Lansing has played host to significant investments in infrastructure, welcomed a newly crafted skyline, and developed a buzzing creative sector that draws local and global talent.
In the spring of 2005, there was no viable social network for those transitioning between life as a college student, to young professional, to settling down as a family. To fill that gap, Grand River Connection (GRC) was established to offer monthly networking events for young professionals in their 20s and 30s. The diverse, non- partisan group provided fun, social, and professional connections that encouraged economic growth and community involvement in the Lansing region.
Recently celebrating its 15th Anniversary, Grand River Connection boasts a networking event on the fourth Tuesday of every month, a quarterly professional speaker series, and co-leads the annual Ten over the Next 10 awards recognition event.
Lansing 5:01’s acquisition of Grand River Connection will marry each organizations’ strengths to foster the region’s talent retention and attraction efforts into the next decade and beyond.
“We are proud of the work that Grand River Connection has produced over the last 15 years, and we are excited about this new collaborative with Lansing 5:01 to ensure a continuum of services for the region’s talent attraction and retention efforts,” said Stephen Hershfield, President of Grand River Connection.
As the economy in the Lansing region has grown, so has the need for highly skilled talent, which was the genesis for creating Lansing 5:01 – a talent attraction and retention initiative showcasing the best of Lansing to Lansing’s future. The organization, which started as an idea five years ago, now partners annually with nearly 30 of the region’s top employers and presents a series of large-scale events throughout the summer for young professionals and college interns, as well as a “Comeback” event series to recruit former Michiganders and Lansing expats. Additionally, the organization’s website, lansing501.com, visually positions Lansing as a great place to call home – serving as a digital tool for employers and hiring companies looking to recruit talent to the area.
“Congruent with the growth of our region, Lansing 5:01’s reach with emerging talent – and partnership with the region’s top employers – has scaled exponentially since our inception five years ago,” said Christopher Sell, Lansing 5:01 Founder and Executive Director. The acquisition of Grand River Connection is a strategic opportunity to provide talent attraction and retention programming to the full spectrum of emerging professionals, including college interns, young professionals, and “boomerangs” looking to relocate to the area.
“Lansing 5:01 is excited to expand our services; adding the GRC event series will allow us to offer year-round programming, in addition to our summer and fall-specific events,” said Sell. “We now have an opportunity to develop events that appeal to our diverse community, and further showcase the best of Lansing to Lansing’s future,” continued Sell.
Lansing 5:01 is a non-profit organization, and will retain the programs, name recognition, and logo for Grand River Connection. Rather than operating as two separate organizations with similar missions, Grand River Connection will become a regular networking and professional development series for local young professionals, as part of Lansing 5:01’s suite of events.
“With this transition into the Lansing 5:01 ecosystem of events, we’re excited about the opportunity to carry on the strong legacy and spirit of the Grand River Connection series, while bolstering our region’s talent retention and attraction efforts in collaboration with Lansing 5:01’s strong portfolio of regional employer partners,” explained Hershfield.
While in-person gatherings are on pause during the pandemic, Lansing 5:01 has announced the creation of three virtual opportunities for the first quarter of 2021. “We know at this moment that we cannot gather together at a local restaurant or venue, but we can still offer virtual programming within the context of the Grand River Connection event series to allow young professionals the chance to make meaningful connections,” said Sell.
Beginning in January 2021, Lansing 5:01 will present monthly events on Zoom to hear from a local leader about a topic that can be influenced by emerging professionals in the community, followed by a roundtable discussion of ideas, solutions and suggestions. Each event will also feature a fun presentation by a local brewer, distiller or restaurant owner to highlight local businesses that deserve our support.
Jan. 26, 2021: Celebrating our Region’s Diversity – Speak with Michigan Representative, Sarah Anthony, as we discuss what makes our community special, unique, and diverse. Recognizing and celebrating our diversity is critical to ensure people of all backgrounds feel welcome in Lansing, so join Rep. Anthony for questions and ideas on how we can make Lansing a better place!
Feb. 23, 2021: Buying a Home in Our Community – Many programs and opportunities exist in the region for future homebuyers, and even opportunities for investment. Hear from Rawley Van Fossen, Executive Director of the Capital Area Housing Partnership on programs that young people can utilize as they seek a home in the region, as well as how we can continue to support the revitalization of this place we call home!
March 23, 2021: Serve in Lansing by Finding Volunteer Opportunities – Our community is only as great as the love we give it, and there is no better way to show your affection than by volunteering with organizations and neighborhoods you care about. Prepare for a fun session with Andi Crawford, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Lansing as she talks about the work happening in the City, and ways to get involved with things you care about!
Looking for more information on Lansing 5:01? Visit Lansing501.com, follow us on social media or send us an email at contact@lansing501.com
###
