LANSING, Mich.—Lake Trust Credit Union said it has entered into a five-year extension of its partnership with Allen Neighborhood Center (ANC), a Lansing-based community hub.
As part of the renewed collaboration, Lake Trust CU said it will support the Lansing community through new professional workshops and educational courses, focused on financial wellbeing education for entrepreneurs and the ANC Youth Corp, a job and life skill development program for neighbors between the ages of 11-17.
“Notably, a portion of the funds donated by Lake Trust will be earmarked for ANC’s Entrepreneurship Support Fund, offering financial assistance for equipment, training, licensing and other business-related costs,” the credit union said. “This will join Lake Trust’s ongoing commitment to powering ANC’s Maker Kitchen, a mixed-use incubator space for entrepreneurs (also referred to as Makers) to help scale production and solidify operations for new food businesses, which Lake Trust has sponsored since its partnership with ANC began in 2021.”
‘Strong, Vibrant Neighborhoods’
“At Lake Trust, we are dedicated to building strong, vibrant neighborhoods and that starts with supporting local entrepreneurs who are contributing to the community,” Amanda Huszti-Vickers, community impact manager, said in a statement. “Expanding our partnership with Allen Neighborhood Center is a vital step in uplifting the entrepreneurs at the heart of the Lansing community and driving the local economy forward. ANC’s incredible work to date has made a meaningful impact and we are thrilled that this collaboration will continue to empower many more local entrepreneurs in the years to come.”
Prime Example
According to Lake Trust, a prime example of the power of this partnership is Marcus Leslie, owner of Mr. Leslie’s Cheesecakes and longtime Lake Trust business member, who is a distinguished alumnus of The Maker Kitchen. Utilizing the shared kitchens alongside other entrepreneurs reduced financial pressure, empowering Leslie to invest in licensing and continue to scale his business, the credit union said, adding that with this support, Leslie established his own brick-and-mortar location in Holt, Mich., and has secured a distribution partnership with multiple Meijer locations.
“There would be no Mr. Leslie’s without Allen Neighborhood Center,” Leslie said in a statement. “Having a space like this is essential for food businesses to help them learn what it takes to start and grow a successful business. They provide a needed space that allows you to fail forward.”
