Since joining the South Haven Regional Business Hub as Executive Director in July 2025. I have been continually inspired by the strength of the foundation we’ve built. Our innovative programming and strong regional ecosystem enables entrepreneurs to turn ideas into thriving businesses. We serve entrepreneurs who are deeply committed to growing their businesses and strengthening our regional economy.
Businesses rarely fail for lack of ideas; they fail when entrepreneurs lack the knowledge, skills, and strategic guidance needed to execute effectively.
Through our programs, mentorship, and technical assistance, clients gain the skills, confidence, and networks necessary to launch, scale, and sustain their ventures. The results speak for themselves: While nearly half of new businesses fail nationally within five years, Hub clients have achieved a remarkable 92% retention rate, generating jobs, innovation, and lasting impact across Southwest Michigan.
Though the Hub is a young organization—still a startup itself in many ways—our roots run deep. Volunteers, board members, funders, and partners ensure our mission is sustainable and that every investment of time and resources delivers measurable outcomes for our clients and the region.
2025: A Year of Collective Impact
In 2025, we expanded our reach across three core pillars, to deliver targeted support at critical stages of the entrepreneurial journey:
- Startup Series: Served 69 entrepreneurs as they moved from idea to execution, building foundational business skills and increasing readiness for launch and growth.
- Growth Series: Provided intensive support to seven growth-stage firms, strengthening internal systems, improving operational efficiency, and positioning businesses for sustainable growth.
- Strong Leader Series: Launched this inaugural three-session intensive, equipping 16 South Haven leaders with essential leadership competencies, including communication and influence, strategic thinking and decision making, and motivating and developing others.
Bridging the Gap: A Look Ahead
Despite our success, the need for small business support remains significant. With an average 2,700 new business applications filed regionwide each year, our current capacity serves only a small fraction of emerging entrepreneurial talent.
This gap represents both a challenge and a clear call to action.
That reality guided an intensive strategic planning process in the final quarter of 2025. In December, our team gathered at the Michigan Maritime Museum for our first-ever strategic planning retreat. Facilitated by MSU Extension, we spent two days translating community feedback, data, and lived experience into an ambitious, actionable three- to five-year roadmap.
In the coming months, you will see this plan in action as we:
- Bridge the gap from startup to growth by expanding early-stage support and guiding entrepreneurs through the critical transition into scaling;
- Cultivate alumni networks through a dedicated peer community for Growth Series graduates;
- Drive innovation by integrating transformative technology into our learning models;
- Enhance mentorship through deeper, more structured engagement between local expertise and entrepreneurs;
- Protect local legacies by expanding the Strong Leader Series and launching a regional succession planning initiative; and
- Expand regional impact by diversifying funding streams to sustainably grow our reach.
This Impact Report is both a celebration of our progress and a declaration of our future. Our impact is made possible by volunteers who share their expertise, funders whose generosity sustains our work, community partners who strengthen the ecosystem, and clients who trust us with their dreams.
Join us in building a more resilient regional economy. Whether as a mentor, partner, or donor, your involvement ensures no entrepreneur in our region has to build alone. Together, we are empowering entrepreneurs and elevating Southwest Michigan—one business at a time.
We invite you to visit: https://southhavenregionalbusinesshub.org/contact to explore how we can work together to achieve our 2026 goals and beyond.
With gratitude,
Elizabeth Bernhard, Executive Director
South Haven Regional Business Hub
elizabeth@southhavenregionalbusinesshub.org