Peters Tours Ferris Wheel During “Startup Week Across America”

FLINT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) toured the Ferris Wheel, a coworking space and innovation incubator in Flint, where met with startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners as part of “Startup Week Across America.” During his visit, Peters highlighted Flint’s growing startup community and the resources and support services provided by Ferris Wheel and 100K Ideas, a nonprofit based in the Ferris Wheel building that helps innovators turn their ideas into products or services.

“Fast-growing startup companies are launching in communities across the country, and it’s especially exciting to see entrepreneurs and innovators in Flint who are creating jobs and growing the local economy,” said Senator Peters. “As part of Startup Week Across America, I’m proud to highlight the great work that Ferris Wheel and 100K Ideas are doing to support entrepreneurship in Flint. Small businesses and innovation are at the very heart of our economy, and I’ll continue working in the Senate to ensure startups have the resources they need to grow their businesses and create jobs right here in Michigan.” 

“The Ferris Wheel and member organization 100K Ideas are one of many exciting small business developments in Flint. We’re proud to offer support services that help innovators and startups take their napkin sketch ideas to market. We’re pleased Senator Peters is here today to highlight the Ferris Wheel as part of Startup Week, and we appreciate his efforts to support small businesses and startups in the Flint community,” said Phil Hagerman, Chairman and CEO of Skypoint Ventures.

Ferris Wheel is a coworking space and innovation incubator that provides office space, resources and business hospitality services to entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses in Flint. Launched in November 2017, Ferris Wheel is home to nearly 50 startups and small businesses, including Foster Coffee Company, Kalm Clothing, MarxModa and The Yoga Loft.

The building also houses 100K Ideas, a nonprofit with a student-run staff that provides advice and support services to help entrepreneurs through the innovation ecosystem. 100K Ideas’ services provide guidance for innovators every step of the way as they take an idea and turn it into a marketable product.

“Startup Week Across America” is a bipartisan annual event where Members of Congress visit startups in their home states to highlight the important role new small businesses play in creating jobs and growing local economies. Startups are the driving force behind new jobs in the United States, creating an average of two million jobs every year. 

Peters has long been a champion of Michigan small businesses. In the U.S. Senate, Peters joined with U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow to introduce legislation strengthening and reauthorizing the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which leverages private capital with targeted federal investments to support small businesses. The program has been a huge success, supporting nearly 12,000 jobs in Michigan and leveraging nearly $600 million in capital for Michigan businesses since 2010. Peters also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) flagship 7(a) lending program to help meet increased demand. Earlier this year, the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee approved Peters’ bipartisan Small Business Innovation Protection Act to help small businesses protect their intellectual property by improving education on obtaining and protecting patents.

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