With summer winding down and a hectic fall ahead on the business and policy front, I thought it might be nice to take a moment to applaud a few folks and organizations for things that simply stood out.
Leading the way is Bud Denker, president of Penske Corp. based in Bloomfield Hills, along with Team Penske, who put on a patriotic IndyCar race
of a lifetime last weekend on the streets of Washington, DC.Not bad for a kid from Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula, who teamed up with Team Penske in the event, all done under the watchful eye of Roger Penske, “the Captain,” who hails from Shaker Heights, Ohio. The business/racing icon — celebrating his 60th year in racing — has grown his company into a global multibillion-dollar enterprise.
It was
the first race in our nation’s capital since 1801, when then-President Thomas Jefferson held a horse race to celebrate the nation’s 25th anniversary.
Last weekend’s race commemorated our country’s 250th anniversary — an idea hatched by Denker, along with Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks.
“Dreams can come true if you dare to dream big,” Denker told me Monday, Aug. 24.
When asked what moment stood out, Denker said: “Spending four hours in the president’s suite (on race day) with my sons and (wife) Melissa, surrounded by (Donald Trump's) family, his cabinet and special guests. It’s something I will never forget.’’
Denker, who oversaw thousands of details before and during race weekend and was temporarily living in DC, told me he breathed a giant sigh of relief Sunday as he made sure “the Beast,” the presidential limousine carrying Trump and his wife, crossed the finish line of the race route in sync with the military jets, planes and helicopters flying overhead in formation as part of prerace festivities. It went exactly as scripted.
A win for a friend of transit
Not quite as high flying, but certainly an effort that will have long-term regional impact was approval of SMART’s regional transit tax measure by Wayne County voters in the Aug. 4 primary.
It ended opt-out — communities for SMART’s transit efforts going forward in our state’s largest county.
Having integrated public transit between cities is often cited by those in economic development circles for businesses and young people as a factor when deciding where to locate.
"With this millage, our entire region is finally connected," said Ned Staebler, vice president of economic development at Wayne State University. "Transit isn't just about moving people; it's our most critical economic development tool. Seamless, region-wide mobility is exactly what we need to link talent to opportunity and power our economic growth."
Assad Turfe, Wayne County deputy executive, had a leading role in getting the millage effort over the finish line. For it, Turfe received an award from the Michigan Public Transportation Association at its conference held Aug. 19 in Traverse City.
“The 2026 Michigan Transit Impact Award for Friend of Michigan Transit is one of the Michigan Public Transportation Association’s statewide honors recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and advocacy on behalf of public transportation,” Turfe said.
“It’s presented to someone outside of the transit industry who has gone above and beyond to strengthen transit, build partnerships, and advance mobility for communities across Michigan."
Turfe added, "Wayne County Executive Warren Evans set the vision, trusted me to help carry it forward, and gave me the opportunity to bring people together and turn that vision into results."
Giving entrepreneurs a chance
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) gained acclaim this week for its "Shark Tank”-like contest for start-up companies called PitchMI.
The International Economic Development Council honored MEDC with its Silver Award in the Innovative Economic Development category for PitchMI, organized by MEDC and the Michigan State University Research Foundation. (The award will be presented Oct. 25-28 at IEDC’s 2026 Annual Conference in New Orleans.)
"MEDC is leading the field of excellence in economic development with its PitchMI program,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO.
PitchMI provides capital, support and visibility to Michigan’s most promising start-ups. The competition awarded more than $2.3 million in investment capital.
"PitchMI gives our state’s entrepreneurs a stage that matches the quality of the companies that they’re building. This recognition is really a Team Michigan recognition of the engagement and efforts of Gov. (Gretchen) Whitmer, bipartisan members of the state Legislature, partner organizations and my tremendous teammates at MEDC,” said Quentin L. Messer Jr. president and CEO of MEDC.
PitchMi culminated on April 7 when Adrenaline Interactive of Ann Arbor won top prize: a cool $1 million.
Applications for the 2026-27 round of PitchMI closed on Aug. 10. Semifinalists will be announced on Aug. 31, ahead of pitch events held from Sept. 15 through Oct. 1.
Shout-out to credit union for start-up support
In other entrepreneurial efforts, Lake Trust Credit Union, based in Brighton, held its own "Shark Tank" contest for start-ups earlier this year, as winners continue to grow their businesses.
The credit union’s foundation gave away $11,000 to four finalists who participated in their Entrepreneurship Institute.
Whole Mama Michigan — the grand prize $5,000 winner — has a new magazine for new moms it partially funded with its winnings; the magazine is being distributed to doctors’ offices and other locations.
The Lake Trust Entrepreneurship Institute has launched a second cohort of the program with 75 start-ups participating and a new pitch competition scheduled for the fall.
Piggybacking on its community efforts, Lake Trust Credit Union just donated $25,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County for affordable homes, which is so needed across our entire state.
Said David Snodgrass, president and CEO of the credit union: "Empowering homeownership is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back to the community."
Contact Carol Cain at clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of "Michigan Matters,"which airs 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50. See philanthropists Bob and Ellen Thompson; GVSU President Philomena Mantella; Matt Grossmann of Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research; Tonya Schuitmaker of MSU’s Michigan Political Leadership Program, and Ned Staebler, president and CEO of TechTown, on this Sunday’s show. You can also watch the show simultaneously on the two stations' listings on Fubu, Pluto TV, YouTube TV and Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Winners of summer deserve a shout-out. Who made my list and why
