Capital Area Startup Studio Program Wraps Up Second Year, Helping Local Founders Turn Ideas Into Real Businesses

Lansing Regional SmartZone-backed program reports six tech-enabled companies now actively selling in the market as it builds Greater Lansing’s reputation as a hub for tech entrepreneurship

EAST LANSING, Mich. — (Aug. 5, 2026) — The Lansing Regional SmartZone and the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) today announced the wrap-up of the second year of their Capital Area Startup Studio (CASS) program. 

In its second year, the number of tech-enabled companies supported in the cohort doubled compared to Year One. Six of the companies are now actively selling in the market and building a customer base, and half of the founders have left other jobs to work on their tech businesses full time. Cohort companies have also secured more than $20,000 in early follow-on funding, real dollars flowing back into the local economy as a direct result of the program. 

“This type of early-stage growth fits into a broader vision for the region,” said Bob Trezise, president and CEO of LEAP. “The Capital Area Startup Studio is exactly the kind of investment that builds a stronger, more diverse regional economy. When we help a local tech entrepreneur turn an idea into a company that hires people and attracts outside investment, that is economic development in its truest form, and we’re setting these founders up for exactly that.” 

Many of the resources available to support early-stage businesses require that founders already have a working product in hand. CASS was built to fill that gap. 

“The Capital Area Startup Studio is a missing piece in the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Jillian Winn, director of the SmartZone. “It’s specifically designed to help someone go from a person with an idea to a founder with a business.” 

The program is led by Gravity Works Design and Boost, combining expertise in web development, sales and marketing strategy, and entrepreneurship.  

“The Capital Area Startup Studio provides a safe place for experimentation and validation,” said program co-lead Blake Grewal of Boost. “The companies who finished the year don’t all look like the ones that started it, and that’s the point. Pivots are wins, not failures.” 

“Each founder was met where they were in terms of expertise, progress, and needs for growth,” said program co-lead Jeff McWherter of Gravity Works Design. “Along with education and mentorship, each founder received both development support from Gravity Works Design and training in no-code/low-code tools that can empower them to continue building and iterating on their own.” 

“This year’s cohort may have just ended, but there is already real outside validation and active forward motion for these companies,” Grewal added, “including pilot conversations, partnership talks, a B2C re-launch, a sales sprint, a launched Shopify store, and live book sales with speaking engagements.” 

Meet the Year Two Cohort  

Applications opened in October, and founders began working with the program in November, continuing through June.   

1. Troubleshot – Founded by Zachary Kauffman, Troubleshot is an AI-powered troubleshooting platform that helps industrial facilities capture, verify, and instantly retrieve proven fixes for machine and PLC issues. The company received go-to-market strategy, app design and development, sales support and is now in active conversations with their first pilot customers. 
2. Sound Birthing – Founded by Samantha Vaive, Sound Birthing is a tech-enabled education company delivering research-backed childbirth training through an online learning platform. The company has active online book sales and is speaking at conferences, following support with app design and go-to-market strategy. 
3. Blueprint of Beauty – Founded by Ashia Williams, Blueprint of Beauty is a holistic wellness boutique that sought help to infuse tech into their business. The company launched a digital Shopify store after receiving brand strategy and website support. 
4. Campus Connect – Founded by Michigan State University graduate student Ederick Plantegenest, Campus Connect is a platform that connects high school students with trained college student hosts for structured conversations about academic pathways and campus life. The company is working to land its first sales after receiving go-to-market and AI-assisted app development support. 
5. Letta – Founded by MSU graduate student Jerome Kisting, Letta is a tenant-centric housing management platform that connects students, landlords, and the university through a single, inclusive experience. The company received user experience and product strategy support and is exploring a partnership with the university. 
6. Memory Sketch – Founded by an MSU student team including Cara Kitchen, Angela Leach, Griffin Reis and Jackson Simkins, Memory Sketch tracks the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in real time by scoring patient drawings for accuracy. The company pivoted its business from B2B to B2C during the program and is preparing to re-launch, one of the clearest examples this year of the experimentation the program is built to support. 

  

A Growing Track Record 

CASS’s Year Two results build on momentum from its first cohort. Alumni from Year One continue to grow:   

Recifix (formerly CreatorPulse/JustTheRecipe), led by founder Kristen Wager, has rebranded and is now in active partnership and investment conversations, with a growing user base supported by a new AI meal-planning co-pilot. The company is now bringing its brand-and-creator matchmaking platform to local food and consumer packaged goods brands, using its user data to connect them with the creators best suited to their audience.  

Made in Amirika, led by founder Amirika Richardson, has grown to two full-time employees, is in its highest-earning and first profitable year, and is exploring new office space to host additional programming. “The guidance, mentorship, and direction we received changed everything for us,” said Richardson.    

If you are a tech-enabled business interested in getting connected to programs, resources and workshops, learn more here: https://www.purelansing.com/small-business-support-hub/