● Can you tell us what inspired Kalamazoo Forward Ventures to launch Tsunami Lab?

● Nearly 40 percent of the nation’s small businesses are owned by baby boomers, with an estimated $10 to $15 trillion in business value changing hands over the next decade. How does Tsunami Lab respond to that reality?

● Tsunami Lab is partnering with Kalamazoo Valley Community College to launch the first cohort. What does that partnership make possible?

● What does it mean to transform the Silver Tsunami into an inclusive wealth transfer moment?

● How does Tsunami Lab help build a new class of business owners in Southwest Michigan?

● The deadline to apply is March 19. What would you say to someone who has always wanted to own a business but isn’t sure if this is for them?

● Tsunami Lab is described as being just as much for retiring business owners as it is for buyers. Can you explain what that means?

● Looking ahead, what does success look like for Tsunami Lab?

Talking Points

● The Succession Crisis Reality: Fewer than 30 percent of baby boomer business owners have a succession plan. Without intervention, trillions in business value — and the jobs and community roots that go with it — are largely left to chance. Tsunami Lab is KzFV’s answer to that challenge.

● Local Ownership, Local Impact: Tsunami Lab is built on the belief that business succession is not just a transaction — it’s an opportunity to keep generational wealth and employment rooted in the communities where they were built.

● An On-Ramp to Ownership: Rather than only betting on startups, Tsunami Lab trains people to step into existing, proven, cash-flowing businesses. It’s a more stable path to ownership, with coaching, community, and capital partners built in.

● Regional Economic Development: KzFV’s goal is to identify 50 companies looking to sell within the next year and match them with the next generation of local owners — protecting jobs, preserving legacies, and expanding ownership to people who have historically been left out of that conversation.

About Kalamazoo Forward Ventures Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, KzFV, is one of the largest Black-founded investment firms in the Midwest, managing more than $50 million in assets. The firm deploys venture capital, Mainstreet acquisition capital, and strategic real estate investments to expand ownership, preserve local businesses, and strengthen Michigan’s economic foundation. Operating with institutional discipline, KzFV pairs capital with operational support, strategic partnerships, and leadership development to facilitate business succession, protect local jobs, and create durable pathways to generational wealth.

By investing in both growth-stage companies and established businesses in transition, KzFV is building a scalable model for inclusive economic growth that is measurable, investable, and transformative. About Kalamazoo Valley Community College Established in 1966, Kalamazoo Valley Community College offers certificate programs in more than 50 areas of study and associate degrees in 60 others.

These include business, healthcare, human and public service, and technical occupations, culinary arts and brewing training. The college has four Kalamazoo, Michigan locations, including the Texas Township Campus, the Groves Campus, the Arcadia Commons Campus, and the Bronson Healthy Living Campus. Classes are available during the day, evening, online, and weekends. Learn more at kvcc.edu