LEAP and Lansing Regional SmartZone Announce Key Partnership at MSUFCU’s Coworkerie, Expanding Support for the Region’s Growing Tech and Startup Community
New partnership with MSU Federal Credit Union brings LEAP and the SmartZone’s incubator programming to a modern, amenity-rich coworking space in downtown East Lansing.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — [Oct. 21, 2026] — The Lansing Regional SmartZone (LRSZ), Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), and MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) today announced a new partnership for coworking space to support the small business and innovation community in the region.
Over the past 18 years LEAP and the SmartZone have been operating out of an incubator space at the Technology Innovation Center (TIC), which is a 7,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the Michigan State University campus and currently managed by the MSU Research Foundation. Since opening in 2008, the TIC has nurtured entrepreneurs across the Lansing region to grow, expand their ventures with hundreds of founders calling it a home for their business since its inception. The TIC will be closing its doors by the end of 2026 after an amazing tenure in the community, capping nearly two decades as the premier incubator space in downtown East Lansing.
Today, that tradition continues as the next chapter begins in the Coworkerie, MSUFCU’s coworking space at 311 Abbot Road in downtown East Lansing. Not only will this space be open to SmartZone clients but also scalable non-tech businesses supported by LEAP. The Coworkerie fills an important 3rd space gap in the area. For founders who have not yet grown into a brick-and-mortar, a coworking space can meet those needs while remaining flexible and affordable. Founders in the Coworkerie already have mentioned the benefits of getting out of a home office or a coffee house and into a more professional setting with high-speed internet, open workspaces, hot desks, conference and meeting rooms, and a kitchen/cafe area. In addition, the space will serve as a hub for events hosted by the SmartZone which will further grow the community aspect of the space.
“Founders don’t just need a desk, they need a community that believes in what they’re building, and that’s what the Coworkerie gives us,” said Jillian Winn, director of the Lansing Regional SmartZone. “I love to watch someone walk through our doors with an idea and walk out with a plan, a connection, or a first customer. Now they get to do that in a space built for exactly that kind of momentum.”
“Every great region needs a place where its brightest builders can put down roots, and that’s exactly what this partnership creates in downtown East Lansing,” said Bob Trezise, president and CEO of LEAP. “When we think about economic development, we’re not just counting jobs, we’re building the infrastructure that keeps our best ideas, and the people behind them, here at home. The Coworkerie gives our founders a space that matches their ambition, and it tells the rest of the state and the country that this region is serious about competing for tech talent and scaling companies.”
This announcement officially cements LEAP and the SmartZone as resident partners within the Coworkerie and represents the shared, regional effort to establish Greater Lansing as a destination tech hub where someone can go from idea to income to a growing enterprise. Current and prospective LEAP and SmartZone client companies can begin signing up for the space today.
For MSUFCU, the partnership reflects a broader commitment to community investment. The credit union has long opened its community rooms to public events and local organizations and built the Coworkerie as a space for that same spirit of collaboration, and through its Desk Drawer Foundation, funds programs that empower entrepreneurs and support financial education across the region. This expanded partnership with LEAP and the SmartZone extends that same spirit of giving back, this time in direct support of the region’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“We opened the Coworkerie because we saw an opportunity to create a space where entrepreneurs, small business owners, and innovators could connect, collaborate, and grow,” said April Clobes, CEO at MSUFCU. “We wanted to create a place where people can access the office space resources and support they need, build connections, and help one another succeed. We’re proud to partner with the Lansing Regional SmartZone because we share a commitment to investing in local talent, encouraging innovation, and strengthening our community.”
“We need incubator space next door to MSU to help get new businesses off the ground, and I’m grateful to LEAP, the Lansing Regional SmartZone, and MSUFCU for making sure we continue to have this important facility,” said East Lansing Mayor Erik Altman.
LEAP manages the SmartZone and the Small Business Support Hubs both of which are state designations that uses tax dollars and public-private partnerships to fund accelerators, coworking spaces, and resources that help high-tech and scaling startups to grow locally. The Lansing Regional SmartZone TIF expires on June 30, 2027 unless an extension for another 15 years is approved by the state legislature.
“This move represents a new chapter in how we grow and support the entrepreneurial talent that will shape our region’s future,” said SmartZone board chair Abbie Tykocki. “The Coworkerie puts SmartZone founders at the center of a vibrant network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and partners, creating more opportunities for ideas to become companies and for companies to grow here in the Greater Lansing region. After 18 years of building an entrepreneurial foundation at the Technology Innovation Center, we’re excited to take that work to the next level and further position our region as a place where ambitious founders can launch, connect, grow and stay.”
“[The Coworkerie] provides a really good balance of stability because we know we will have space here that we’ll have access to, that we have control over, as well as a really dynamic jumping off point,” said Sit Sense founder, Dr. Justin Scott.
This move is the latest step in a broader, multi-partner effort to strengthen Greater Lansing’s tech and small businesses ecosystem, giving founders the space, resources, and community they need to start, grow, and stay in the region.
About LEAP
The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a coalition of area leaders partnering to build a stronger community for all — working every day to grow, retain and attract business to the Lansing, Michigan, region.
About the Lansing Regional SmartZone
The Lansing Regional SmartZone, established by the Cities of East Lansing and Lansing, supports high-tech, high-growth companies looking to start, scale, and succeed in the Greater Lansing region.
About MSU Federal Credit Union
MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) was established in 1937 to provide a secure place for members to save and borrow. Guided by its mission to help members achieve financial security, reach their goals, and realize their dreams, MSUFCU supports members through key milestones in life while helping them plan for the future. Recognized as a leader in innovation and as a great place to work, MSUFCU continually seeks new ways to enhance the member experience and strengthen the communities it serves. Today, the Credit Union proudly serves more than 415,000 members through 35 branches, with over $9.3 billion in assets and more than 1,400 employees. MSUFCU is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. employees. MSUFCU is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. For additional information, visit msufcu.org.
