Small businesses, big shifts

Ford is switching gears once again.  Last month, the company decided to pivot from its electric vehicle plans, and into hybrid cars and gas engines. The biggest signal was the phasing out of the all-electric F-150 Lightning. Why are they pivoting again? And, what is the future for Ford and other automakers? Paul Eisenstein is a contributing editor for Headlight.News, and a contributor to dozens of media outlets, including Japan’s Nikkei. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent

The Empowerment Plan has been in service to metro Detroit’s homeless population since 2012.  Empowerment Plan employs people living in shelters. They manufacture coats made from sleeping bags that they distribute to people in need. That includes people in Detroit, across the nation, and in dozens of other countries.  Veronika Scott is the founder of Empowerment Plan. She talks about her struggles with poverty and homelessness as a kid. She remembers driving around with her mother, getting sent in circles from one caseworker in Detroit to another in Pontiac.  Years later, a class at College for Creative Studies called “Designing to Fill a Need" led her where she is today—and that’s helping people experiencing homelessness. This year, Empowerment Plan hand made its 100,000th sleeping bag coat.  Veronika joins host Tia Graham on The Metro to talk more about reaching this milestone and what’s next for organization.

Artificial Intelligence is already shaping daily life. It’s reducing the work we do, helping us find answers more quickly, and some research suggests it has strong capabilities to diagnose illness, perhaps better than doctors.  But the rise of AI is also accompanied by pessimism and fear. Jobs could be taken and never replaced; our loneliness could worsen; and scholars say our critical thinking abilities are already degrading. Some of these concerns are the context for opposition to data centers, the spaces that house and advance artificial intelligence. Many don’t want them in their backyards. All of this is happening after Wayne State officially opened its own AI research center in October.  Ezemenari Obasi is the Vice President for Research & Innovation at Wayne State University and heads the university’s Institute for AI and Data Science. The Metro's Sam Corey spoke with him about why he believes AI can help us solve some of our biggest problems.

Michigan has been the setting for thousands of films. At one point, the state encouraged movie makers through incentives to produce their films here. Those programs were cancelled a decade ago. Since then, productions have largely gone elsewhere to shoot.  As for the films set in Detroit, which ones really capture the city, its essence and the people who live here?  Steven Shaviro is a former film critic and professor at Wayne State University. He joins The Metro to discuss and critique movies that were made in or about metro Detroit. 

For some of our listeners, arts and culture from kindergarten through high school were guaranteed. Woodshop, cooking classes and of course art classes were a part of the curriculum.  As the decades have gone by, less money to schools means less resources. Oftentimes the first things cut from the budget are the arts.  But, educators who work within the K-12 school system want the arts to stay. They say it's essential to a well rounded education and helps create more open-minded and empathic people.  Meghan Collins is Museum Educator for K-12 and Family Programs at the MSU Broad Art Museum. She is also an Assistant Professor of Art Education in MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design.  In 2024, she was named the 2025 Museum Educator of the Year by the Michigan Art Education Association. 

Tariffs, shifting hiring practices, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the economy — but what do those changes look like on the ground? In this episode, Robyn Vincent talks with Michigan business analyst Mark Lee about how small business owners and workers are experiencing today’s economic shifts, and what it takes to adapt when the rules keep changing.

Michigan’s new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Glenn Maleyko, steps into the job as schools face uneven academic recovery, high absenteeism, and growing demands beyond the classroom. Maleyko joined The Metro's Robyn Vincent to discuss his early priorities, particularly literacy, and how he plans to lead a system being asked to do more than it was designed to handle.

Some people welcome winter in Michigan with open arms, while others watch the calendar until spring's warmth returns. One way to overcome the long, cold winter here in Michigan is to get outside and try some new activities.  Laura Herberg, reporter for Bridge Michigan, joined The Metro to walk us through the Michigan Dreaming Winter Bucket List. 12 activities made this year's winter weather fun bucket list, with dog sledding in the Upper Peninsula taking the top spot and drop-in hockey on Belle Isle representing Southeast Michigan.

Empty office spaces and buildings continue to be an issue for owners the COVID-19 pandemic. Rent is too high for small businesses and entrepreneurs to fill in the gap.  Bamboo is a co-working space that has positioned itself to fill the need of office space without the large commitments required when renting a whole building. Bamboo has flexible options to obtain office space and common areas for any business related needs.  Bamboo now has five locations across Michigan, including one of its newest locations in Midtown.  Amanda Lewen says Bamboo started from a grassroots idea from a group of friends. She spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about Bamboo and the current state of Michigan’s small business ecosystem. 

In Oakland County, local leaders have gotten more attention in recent months. That’s because reports have shown potential conflicts of interest when some have voted on matters that affect their side jobs. Discussions arose about hiring an ombudsman to oversee county officials' operations, or having commissioners disclose their financial information. But in a recent Oakland County meeting, neither of those things happened.  Instead, county commissioners kicked the responsibility to the state legislature, urging those lawmakers to pass a bill mandating local officials to publicly disclose their assets. Why didn’t commissioners pass an ethics resolution?  Oakland County Commissioner Michael Spisz was originally advocating for the county to pass an ethics resolution, but changed course. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.