BUILD AND SCALE A HIGH-GROWTH START-UP IN WEST MICHIGAN
Some startup ecosystems are built around venture capital. Others are built around universities. The Lakeshore is built around industry.
With nearly 40% of the region’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) driven by manufacturing, founders gain something that’s increasingly rare: direct access to customers, production partners, supply chains, and experienced operators who can help move ideas from concept to commercialization.
Through SURGE, Lakeshore Advantage’s startup ecosystem, entrepreneurs receive the guidance, connections, funding opportunities, and community needed to launch and grow companies with real market potential.
Whether you’re developing your first prototype, preparing to raise capital, or scaling your business, SURGE helps founders move faster—with the support of a region invested in innovation.
The Next Center
Innovation Needs a Place to Happen.
The Next Center is home to SURGE and serves as the Lakeshore’s innovation hub in downtown Holland’s SmartZone.
Here, founders work alongside entrepreneurs, manufacturers, students, investors, and community partners in a shared environment designed to encourage collaboration and accelerate commercialization.
Whether attending a workshop, meeting with a mentor, hosting customers, or connecting with investors, founders have access to a professional space designed for growth.
Why Build a Startup on the Lakeshore?
Launching a company is about more than finding office space. It’s about finding the right ecosystem.
The Lakeshore offers founders:
One of America’s strongest manufacturing economies
Direct access to potential customers
Production partners and supply chains
Experienced operators and executives
World-class talent
Regional economic development support
Exceptional quality of life
Affordable cost of doing business
Collaborative entrepreneurial community
It’s a place where ambitious entrepreneurs don’t have to choose between building a great company and building a great life.
Accelerator Cohorts: Programs That Help Founders Move Forward
No two startups follow the same path.
SURGE programming is designed around the milestones founders encounter as they build and grow.
Structured cohorts focused on execution.
Topics include:
Customer discovery
Product-market fit
Commercialization
Revenue strategy
Sales systems
Investor readiness
Pitch development
Go-to-market planning
Founder Community Events
Building a company shouldn’t happen alone.
SURGE hosts recurring events where founders connect, solve challenges together, and learn from entrepreneurs who have already walked the path.
Programming includes:
Lunch + Learns
Founder Roundtables
Founder-to-Founder Conversations
Networking Events
Community Celebrations
Have a question? Contact Owen Sette-Ducati, Entrepreneurship Program Manager, to learn more about the SURGE community.
Owen Sette-Ducati