Page 31 - LRCC January 2022 Focus

lansingchamber.org MEMBERS ON THE MOVE

The Clinton County Board 2021. Each artist’s work will run for refugees because they emigrated to
of Commissioners and LEAP two months from December 2021 to the United States suddenly during the
announced 107 Clinton County small November 2022 with a two-week big rapidly evolving crisis in Afghanistan
businesses will receive grants from splash in January, featuring all the through the Afghan Placement and
the Clinton County Small Business artists at once. Assistance program.
Relief Program. Grants range from
$10,000-$25,000 based on total A local nonprofit with over 45 years Okemos-based premier software
employment and collectively total of experience assisting refugees as a service (SaaS) provider
$1,640,000 funded by the county’s first will leverage a recent grant to help Konnech, Inc. has kickstarted
tranche of American Rescue Plan Act ensure 150 Afghans newly arrived an exciting new business growth
funds. Fifty-eight percent of the 185 in the United States can find phase by expanding and opening
eligible applications received awards, employment as quickly as possible, a new office in downtown East
which were distributed throughout so their families can become self- Lansing. Konnech specializes in
all corners of the county. Notably, 49 sufficient as they resettle in the election logistics management
percent of eligible applicants were Lansing area. St. Vincent Catholic products and services, providing
from women-owned businesses, with Charities, which operates the only programming, hosting, technical
46 percent of awards reaching this refugee resettlement program in support and training for election
significant group of Clinton County mid-Michigan, received a $40,000 administrators. Konnech currently
business owners. grant from the Jackson biannual has a team of 35 full-time
grant program. According to Tamara employees spread across the globe,
The Arts Council of Greater Lansing’s El-Khoury, the nonprofit’s director of with nine at home in the Lansing
2021/2022 billboards have taken to development, in addition to helping region. Konnech’s expansion in East
the sky. Congrats to artists Christine 150 refugees find jobs, the grant Lansing will create more than 51
Beals, Chelsie Boodoo, Max Boyang, also indirectly assists their families, full-time high-quality jobs in the
Louis Boyang, Isabella Croff and supporting 300 Afghans in all. She Lansing region and paves the way
Jena Hovey. The first billboard to go said time is of the essence providing to onshore additional positions
live was Chelsie Boodoo’s on Dec. 6, employment services to these currently based overseas. l

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