Frequently Asked Questions

The 2023 Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards gala will be held on May 21st, 2024 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The gala will be in-person. Awardees are encouraged to bring their team, family and supporters to celebrate their business success and resiliency.

The gala will be held on May 21st at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The Michigan Reception starts at 5:00 p.m.

Breslin Student Events Center
534 Birch Road
East Lansing, MI 48824

All are welcome that want to celebrate and support Michigan small businesses. Seating is limited, ticket sales will open in 2024.

The MCSB awards gala is the “Academy Awards” of the Michigan small business community. It is attended by growing companies, community leaders, and others that seek to recognize the most significant contributions of small business to the Michigan economy.

MCSB is planning a spectacular and engaging evening full of excitement to celebrate our small business awardees.

The awards program is made possible through the support of our sponsors. Please contact Jennifer Deamud, Michigan Celebrates Board Chair, for more information regarding sponsorship. Jenn may be reached at Jenn@MichiganCelebrates.org or (616) 617-7467.

If you would like to donate to Michigan Celebrates, please click here.

If you have additional questions about Michigan Celebrates Small Business, please contact Jennifer Deamud at (616) 617-7467 or Jenn@MichiganCelebrates.org.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business (MCSB) is a non-profit 501(c)3 that represents one of the most substantial collaborations of small business support resources in the nation. MCSB exists to raise the profile of small businesses in Michigan, build a network of entrepreneurial companies, and tell the stories of successful, growing Michigan entrepreneurs.

MCSB is driven by nearly one-hundred small business support organizations from across the state.  Central among those are the statewide organizations that founded the program in 2004:

• Edward Lowe Foundation
• Michigan Business Network
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
• Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC) – Managing Partner of Awards Gala
• Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM)
• U.S. Small Business Administration – Michigan District Office

See the Awards page for a complete list of award types and eligibility criteria.

It is an awards program honoring second-stage companies headquartered in the state of Michigan. These companies demonstrate high performance in the marketplace or exhibit innovative products or processes. The awards program is designed to seek businesses from a wide range of industries representing all regions of the state, not just the major metropolitan areas. This is not an award of the “top 50” or “best” companies—the 50 companies selected each year make an astounding impact on Michigan’s economy by collectively providing thousands of jobs and contributing millions of dollars of revenue. In short, they tell a compelling story about the state’s diverse economic landscape.

Anyone may nominate a company. Nominations typically come from service providers (accountants, bankers, attorneys, public relations professionals and others); economic development offices; trade, business and community associations; the media; and universities. Past Companies to Watch award recipients are encouraged to nominate their peers. You can even nominate yourself if you meet the criteria for receiving the award.

Submit your nomination using the online awards management system. Once a nomination is submitted, the nominee will be notified via email with a link to fill out an application. Nominations for the 2024 Awards Gala are now closed.

MCSB is supported by about fifty judges from across the state who have established experience in small business growth, economic development, community leadership, and banking. Judges are typically selected from the non-profit or public sector. Collectively, more than one-thousand hours are dedicated to evaluating and rating award applications based on how the companies best demonstrate award criteria.

All applicants will be notified by e-mail in January regarding the status of their application. The final selection of Michigan 50 Company to Watch awardees will not occur until late February. Please contact us with questions related to the status of your nomination or application.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business Board (MCSB) of Directors are listed below. They represent the founding partners of MCSB and organizations that serve and support small businesses across the state.

Brian Calley
President
Small Business Association of Michigan

JD Collins
State Director
Michigan Small Business Development Center

Jennifer Deamud
Executive Director
Manufacturing Growth Alliance

Camron Gnass
Principal
Traction

Todd Gustafson
Chief Executive Officer
Kinexus

Chris Holman
CEO
Michigan Business Network

Josh Hundt
EVP of Business Development
Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Cynthia Kay
President and CEO
CK & Company

Colleen Killen-Roberts
Vice President of Entrepreneurship
Edward Lowe Foundation

Ann Parker
Chief Operating Officer
Small Business Association of Michigan

Amy Rencher
Senior Vice President of Small Business Services
Michigan Economic Development Center

Dan Wyant
President & Chief Operating Officer
Edward Lowe Foundation

Kinexus Group has a family of organizations that are committed to inspiring positive economic change one person, one business, one community at a time. Our nonprofit pinpoints challenges and issues that keep our state from thriving, and addresses gaps in workforce, community and business development. To learn more about Kinexus Group, visit Kinexus.org.