To not overlap with the week of Christmas, we are rescheduling to the third Wednesday of December for the KZEN open office hours at the KPL Washington Square Branch. Drop in and look for the KZEN sign.

The library is not an official host of the office hours, so if you have questions, please do not contact the library, contact KZEN.

Join us for a proctored ServSafe® exam designed for food service professionals, entrepreneurs, and kitchen users. Our on-site, free proctoring service - led by our own kitchen manager - makes certification accessible and hassle-free. Simply purchase the required materials, and you're ready to take the next step in food safety excellence!

Learn more and sign up here.

Every other week, KZEN hosts Open Office Hours at Factory Coffee Downtown.  Come learn more about resources available in Kalamazoo, get advice, and grow your network. Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur curious, and anyone who supports entrepreneurs are welcome.  

Click here to add this recurring biweekly event to your calendar. 

Kalamazoo Contractors and Developers Connect (KCDC) 1st Friday Coffee is a networking event to connect local builders, developers, and trades people (with a focus on minority-owned businesses) with local community organizations who are there to support local businesses and help them grow.

No registration required - learn more about KCDC here.

Come hear two local businesses pitch their businesses and ask the audience for advice about how they can improve. Join us to learn, give support, and network.

No need to register to attend. Just drop in.

Join WMU’s Starting Gate program and panel members Scott Petersen, commercial market manager at Arbor Credit Union and Mike Gerfen, Director, Ka-Zoo Angels. They will share what it takes to access capital in our current market.

For more information, and to register for the event email Devyn Chenault.

Every other week, KZEN hosts Open Office Hours at Factory Coffee Downtown.  Come learn more about resources available in Kalamazoo, get advice, and grow your network. Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur curious, and anyone who supports entrepreneurs are welcome.  

Click here to add this recurring biweekly event to your calendar. 

To not overlap with Thanksgiving week, we are rescheduling to the third Wednesday of November for the KZEN open office hours at the KPL Washington Square Branch. Drop in and look for the KZEN sign.

The library is not an official host of the office hours, so if you have questions, please do not contact the library, contact KZEN.

Begin working on the foundational sections of your start up business plan. This workshop is ideal for new businesses. This is a 6 hour workshop designed to help you prepare your business plan!

Learn more and register here.

Come see Kalamazoo’s own Shark Tank! Every other month, 5 Southwest Michigan-based businesses pitch live to 3 judges for $10,000 equity-free capital, partnership, customers, and free resources to start or grow their idea. Attendees can engage and vote for their favorite pitch. The People's Favorite walks away with $1,000.  

Register to attend

Save the Date: Join Black Wall Street and Sisters in Business for the 2025 Black Entrepreneur Training Academy Graduation.

Registration link and information to come.

Join WMU’s Starting Gate program and Trisha Mitchner, founder of Be Here Now with Trisha, LLC to discuss tools to communicate effectively in the workplace.

For more information, and to register for the event email Devyn Chenault.

Every other week, KZEN hosts Open Office Hours at Factory Coffee Downtown.  Come learn more about resources available in Kalamazoo, get advice, and grow your network. Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur curious, and anyone who supports entrepreneurs are welcome.  

Kalamazoo Contractors and Developers Connect (KCDC) 1st Friday Coffee is a networking event to connect local builders, developers, and trades people (with a focus on minority-owned businesses) with local community organizations who are there to support local businesses and help them grow.

No registration required - learn more about KCDC here.

Come hear two local businesses pitch their businesses and ask the audience for advice about how they can improve. Join us to learn, give support, and network.

No need to register to attend.

Join WMU’s Starting Gate program and Dr. Scott Cowley to learn more about digital marketing tools for entrepreneurs.

For more information, and to register for the event email Devyn Chenault.

Join us for an exciting online pitch event via the Microsoft Teams virtual platform. You’ll have a rare opportunity to see inside the minds of three investors as they reveal what three company presenters did right and wrong. The Kalamazoo Venture Tuesday meeting is designed as a teaching opportunity for participating companies and members of the audience. So come join us for an enlightening look into the minds of investors.

Learn more and register here.

Join WMU’s Starting Gate program and Dr. Marcel M. Zondag to learn more about the importance of the customer value proposition.

For more information, and to register for the event email Devyn Chenault.

Every other week, KZEN hosts Open Office Hours at Factory Coffee Downtown.  Come learn more about resources available in Kalamazoo, get advice, and grow your network. Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur curious, and anyone who supports entrepreneurs are welcome.  

The fourth Wednesday of every month, KZEN hosts open office hours at the KPL Washington Square Branch. Drop in and look for the KZEN sign.

The library is not an official host of the office hours, so if you have questions, please do not contact the library, contact KZEN.

Join us for a proctored ServSafe® exam designed for food service professionals, entrepreneurs, and kitchen users. Our on-site, free proctoring service - led by our own kitchen manager - makes certification accessible and hassle-free. Simply purchase the required materials, and you're ready to take the next step in food safety excellence!

Learn more and sign up here.

Network with other entrepreneurs, as well as nonprofit and business leaders, and learn more about the Kalamazoo Nature Center.

Learn more and register here.

Join WMU’s Starting Gate program and Professor Beth Smith (Department of Management) to learn how to get ‘unstuck’ as an entrepreneur.

For more information, and to register for the event email Devyn Chenault.

Spanish Bootcamp - Begin working on the foundational sections of your start up business plan. This workshop is ideal for new businesses. This is a 6 hour workshop designed to help you prepare your business plan!

Learn more and register here.

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your foundation, grow your team, or simply gain fresh perspective, this panel will give you the tools and inspiration to take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey.

Learn more and register here.

The Southwest Michigan First Chamber invites you to the next Downtown Business Community Townhall on Tuesday, October 14. Bring your ideas, your challenges, and your neighbors! We’ll bring the refreshments.

Learn more and register here.

This workshop helps employers understand their responsibilities when an employee discloses a disability. We will discuss what a "reasonable" accommodation is, when an employee must disclose a disability, and why they may not want to.

Learn more and register here.

Join WMU’s Starting Gate program for an intimate conversation with Payton Walker, President & CEO of Speciality Cups. He will share how to go from being a university student to a successful entrepreneur.

For more information, and to register for the event email Devyn Chenault.

Every other week, KZEN hosts Open Office Hours at Factory Coffee Downtown.  Come learn more about resources available in Kalamazoo, get advice, and grow your network. Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur curious, and anyone who supports entrepreneurs are welcome.  

Western Michigan University’s Office of Information Technology is proud to announce the 4th Annual Cybersecurity Summit. The summit will feature a dynamic lineup of speakers, including Brett Leatherman, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, who will deliver the keynote address.

Learn more and register.