Appropriations Requests for

• Cosponsoring legislators' names (if applicable):
• Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:
  202 E Grandview Parkway, Traverse City, MI 49684 Northern Prosperity Region (Region 2)
• The recipient's employer identification number:
  844874842
• Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:
  $150,000.00
• What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?
  Through the Michigan Innovation Fund, E&I Ecosystem Convenings category funding, Traverse Connect will design and implement the Shoreline Startup Series program. This program will activate a shared brand across existing entrepreneurial events, deliver monthly communications, and introduce new signature convenings spotlighting regional innovation sectors. The initiative will foster long-term collaboration between Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs), expand access to programming, and increase engagement across geographies. Northern Michigan’s innovation ecosystem is vibrant yet fragmented. This funding will address the gap with a unifying, branded, and accessible structure that will maximize the value of ongoing work by ESOs while creating an inclusive foundation for sustained entrepreneurial growth.
• Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?
• If so, how?
• Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:
  January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027
• Has the nonprofit corporation continuously operated in this state for the preceding 36 months?
  Yes
• Has the nonprofit corporation had a physical office in this state for not less than the preceding 12 consecutive months?
  Yes
• Does the nonprofit corporation have a board of directors?
  Yes
• List all of the officers and active members on the board of directors:
  Rachel Johnson, Past Chair Bill Myers, Chair Kevin Klein, Treasurer and Vice Chair Dan Buron, Secretary Gabe Schneider, Government Relations Chair Norm Plumstead, Finance Committee Chair

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator