Grove Community Incubator

03/17/2026

Many of you know that we haven't missed a single Tuesday Office of Possibilities (OOPs) gathering since we started over three years ago. And in that time it has become a critical peer-support group for local entrepreneurs and changemakers.

So winter storms be damned, we ain't about to miss one now.

OOPs is on for tomorrow, Tuesday March 17!

With the forecast still looking a bit rough, we’re adding a virtual option for this week’s OOPs gathering. (We've never done this before, so we'll see how it goes...)

Please join us however works best and feels safest:

📍 In Person:
Commongrounds Building – 3rd Floor Meeting Room (NOT West Shore Bank as usual; they'll be closed.)
9–11 AM

💻 Virtual Option:
DM us for the Google Meet link

See you tomorrow for an amazing community conversation as always!

03/02/2026

We've got no shortage of awesome events at Grove this week. (Get ready for a whole lotta links...)

- Kicking things off tomorrow, Tue, March 03 from 9-11am is our weekly Office of Possibilities gathering for local entrepreneurs and changemakers.
eventbrite.com/e/office-of-possibilities-tickets-1002872628027

-Wed, Mar 04 from 830-10am is our rescheduled Waffle Wednesday--now open to the full community! Swing by, grab some carbs and connect with local changemakers, before getting your day underway.
Eventbrite.com/e/rescheduled-february-waffle-wednesday-grove-tickets-1984326997466

-Thu, Mar 05 from 4-530pm is our rescheduled Grove Happy Hour. We're getting back to this old tradition. After a long week, it's time to fill your cup--literally and metaphorically-- with friends and colleagues. Open to anyone doing good work!
eventbrite.com/e/grove-happy-hour-tickets-1984329659428

- Fri, Mar 06 from 9am-5pm is Free Coworking Friday. Come by and checkout the Grove coworking space free of charge. PLUS, the March Founders First Friday is meeting right downstairs at the new (The) Folded Leaf location.
eventbrite.com/e/free-cowoking-friday-tickets-749456132467

- Sat, Mar 07 from 5-7pm is the opening celebration for The Alluvion Arts' new exhibit, We Will Not Whisper, wherein female artists from across Michigan use their work to comment on this fraught, high-pitched moment in the nation. Follow their socials for more!

Hopefully at least one of these opportunities to gather speaks to you. Even if we're coming to the tail end of winter, isolation is still a killer. So come out, spend time with good people and help build good things!

P.S. As a little thank you for reading this loooong-a** post, we even threw in a sneak peak for an event we're considering for early April. (A silly idea sure, but absolutely not a joke. Could be a lot of fun.)

02/26/2026

The audio is choppy. The hug at the end is awkward. But the message is loud and clear!!

🎖️ Vets & military-connected entrepreneurs in Northern Michigan: applications for the Northern MI MVE Lab are open! (In-person & virtual options this time around)

If you’re ready to start or grow a business, 's .mve.lab is one of the most supportive places to start: hands-on tools, real-world coaching, a mission-driven community, and $15,000 pitch funding at the end of the cohort. (Nuthen to sneeze at.)

is proud to once again support this work and to help facilitate this year's cohort!

Now, we need your help to spread the word. If you know a vet, pls let them know they have until April 7th to apply. Hell, you can even tag em below.

If you'd like to serve as a mentor, a judge, or to support the cohort in any other way, pls give us a shout.

If you're a vet who's on the fence about applying, DM us; we'll help talk through if this is the right opportunity for you right now.

Thanks huntingtonbank, , and all the other partners who've helped make this cohort possible!

02/23/2026

Heading to our weekly Office of Possibilities gathering tomorrow? You might want to stick around....

We’re rolling straight into a Scale-Up! Session on funding, statewide resources, venture pathways, and all the tools Michigan offers to growing startups.

Bring your questions. Bring your notebook. Bring your ambition. 🚀

Click the link to RSVP...or yuh know just show up.

eventbrite.com/e/paths-to-growth-scaling-for-high-growth-in-michigan-tickets-1980200945333

Learn how to scale your startup with funding, resources, and connections from Michigan’s high-growth entrepreneurial ecosystem.

02/19/2026

When our OOPs entrepreneurs team up to support one another, there's nothing they can't accomplish!

Last week, in lieu of our regular Tuesday Office of Possibilities meeting--where local entrepreneurs and changemakers connect and collaborate--we decided to mix things up. Folks pitched in to help Rachel move Folded Leaf's inventory and furniture from Cedar to the Commongrounds Cooperative bldg in TC.

Thanks to everyone who came out and lent a hand (or a truck bed) for a few hours. Time is the most precious commodity an entrepreneur has. And yet our northern Michigan entrepreneurs always find time to lift one another up.

There's "high growth" and then there's "deep growth." We know what our folks value.

(Also, they're entrepreneurs, so they value being fed. Thanks Common Good Bakery for keeping our people from getting hangry.)

01/29/2026

Here's what one of last night's TC SOUP pitch presenters wrote on her last page of notes just before taking the stage.

Not sure who needs to hear this today...

but it's probably all of us.

01/28/2026

Last call!

TC SOUP is happening tonight at Commongrounds! Doors, music, and food starts at 5:00 PM, pitches around 530PM, and we’ll wrap by 7(ish).

We’ve got several kinds of hearty soup, fresh bread, live music, and four incredible presenters ready to share what they’re building in our community. Come grab a bowl, cast a vote, and cheer on local entrepreneurs.

Open to everyone — pay what you can, give what you can, support who you can.

See you tonight!

(Ticket link in the comments below. You can also show up and donate at the door, but you might have to just scrape the bottom of the soup pots.)

01/28/2026

We’re proud to feature Loghan Call, founder of Men of Devotion, in our Jan 28 TC SOUP lineup. (Tomorrow!)

Men of Devotion is creating structured, supportive spaces for men to engage in emotional growth, accountability, connection, and service — all grounded in intentional community agreements. The work strengthens not only individual men, but family systems, workplaces, and the broader social fabric.

Loghan is seeking support with outreach, visibility, and community building, as well as men interested in participating in circle work, social connection, and community contribution.

If you believe in the importance of strengthening community wellbeing from the inside out, you won’t want to miss this one.

See you tomorrow at 5:30pm! (Tickets in the comments/in our bio)

01/26/2026

Meet our friend Holly Mullins, who’s bringing a bold (and much-needed) idea to TC SOUP: a year-round indoor sand volleyball facility right here in Traverse City.

Imagine this:
• Sand leagues, clinics, practices, and tournaments... in winter.
• A warm, bright space to move, play, and connect when everything outside is frozen.
• A facility designed not only for volleyball, but for community exercise, youth sports overflow, creative programming, and even wellness elements like grounding and red-light therapy.

As Holly puts it: there’s a big gap in indoor recreation space in Northern Michigan. TCAPS and the YMCA have filled part of the need, but we’re still missing a dedicated, flexible facility for year-round play.

This project is brand new — and Holly is seeking capital partners, investors, collaborators, and community feedback to help shape it.

Come hear her vision at TC SOUP on Jan 28.

Ticket link in the comments!

01/26/2026

We’re thrilled to welcome Rachel Zemanek, founder of The Folded Leaf, to our Jan 28 TC SOUP lineup.

The Folded Leaf is a new & used bookshop, art gallery, and community hub centered around diversity, authenticity, and belonging. As the business transitions into its new space, Rachel is focused on creating a home that strengthens both the literary and creative community in Leelanau.

If you care about third spaces, inclusive community-building, and supporting local creative entrepreneurs, Rachel’s story will resonate deeply.

Hear Rachel and several other incredible entrepnruners share their story and pitch their businesses at this month's TC SOUP. See you there!

IG: .nomi /

01/23/2026

Join us for the Office of Possibilities — Tuesday, Jan 27

Please note: This week we’re meeting inside Riverside, the restaurant on the ground floor of the Commongrounds building (414 E 8th St). We are not meeting at Westshore Bank.

OOPs is Northern Michigan’s front porch for connection and collaboration. Every Tuesday, entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the region gather to support one another, share updates, make asks, and celebrate wins—no business plan or pitch required.

This week’s learning session features Daniel Marbury, Program Specialist at Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology. Daniel will share information about their Food & Farms Microloan program and highlight new opportunities emerging through the Good Food Fund, where he serves on the board.

If you’re working in food, farming, land-based work, or simply curious about community-rooted business support, this is a great week to join us.

- Tuesday, January 27
- 9–11am
- Riverside @ Commongrounds (414 E 8th St)

Open to all. Come connect with your communit