INNOVATE STATE: Dan Gilbert | Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, FY26

Dan Gilbert is the founder and chairman of Rocket Companies and a visionary entrepreneur known for transforming the mortgage industry through innovation, technology, and customer-first thinking. As a prominent business leader and philanthropist, he has played a major role in revitalizing Detroit and shaping the future of fintech and real estate.
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The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Michigan State University empowers students to lead lives of impact through entrepreneurship. With an education-first approach, we equip Spartans with the mindset, experience, and community they need to create meaningful change.​

A Journey of Support: How the Tri-County Office on Aging Makes a Real Difference

Sometimes life changes in an instant. A fall, a moment of impact, a phone call—those seconds split life into “before” and “after.” And in the opening moments of “Tri-County Office on Aging – A Journey of Support,” we meet someone who knows that shift all too well.

Tim’s voice is calm, steady, almost matter-of-fact as he shares the story that changed everything:

“I broke my neck back in 1992 in a sporting accident and paralyzed with my shoulders down. So in my case, I need assistance with everything with daily living.”

It’s a line that lands with the weight of lived experience. Eating, bathing, shifting in bed—things most of us do without thinking—suddenly require constant support. Yet this story isn’t just about loss or difficulty. It’s also about what happens next: the people, the programs, and the care that step in to lift someone up when the world tilts sideways.

This is the heart of Tim’s journey, and it’s where the Tri-County Office on Aging (TCOA) enters the frame—not as an agency on paper, but as a partner in daily life.
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The Accident That Changed Everything

When Tim talks about the day his accident happened, there’s no dramatics, just truth. A split second turned into a permanent spinal cord injury, and suddenly the basics of life became complicated.

He needed help with:

– Getting in and out of bed
– Meals and supplement drinks
– Massages to prevent pain and stiffness
– Mobility and a ramp to safely exit his home
– Daily caregiving support

It’s a lot. For anyone. For any family.

And like many people dealing with a new disability, the challenges don’t land on one person—they ripple outward. For Tim, that circle has grown smaller over the years. He explains it quietly:

“Right now it’s just my mom and I. My brother passed away a few years ago, and it’s like TCOA picked up the slack.”

That one sentence captures so much. Grief. Responsibility. Relief. And the need for someone—anyone—to help carry the load.
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Where TCOA Steps In

The Tri-County Office on Aging doesn’t show up with a one-size-fits-all plan. They show up with people—caseworkers, caregivers, coordinators—who learn your name, your needs, your rhythms.

For Tim, that support looks like:

– Consistent caregivers who help with the essentials
– Regular check-in calls from his caseworker
– Home care services tailored to his needs
– Back massages that make pain manageable
– Practical resources, from nutrition support to new equipment
– A mobility ramp that brought independence back into his routine

Tim puts it simply, and sincerely:

“I can’t think of no other organization like Tri-County that has stepped in and assisted us within every area that was needed.”

It’s not just help. It’s partnership. It’s presence. It’s someone in your corner.
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The MIChoice Waiver: An Open Door to Care

At the center of Tim’s support is the MIChoice Waiver Program—a Medicaid program designed to help people stay in their homes instead of nursing facilities. For Tim, this program has been nothing short of life-changing.

He describes MIChoice as “Like an open book.”

Meaning: If he needs something, he can ask. If his situation changes, someone helps him figure out the next step. There’s no judgment. No confusion. Just communication.

Tim explains:

“If you need assistance with something, you call, talk to your caseworker—mine is great.”

And that’s a big deal, because so many people don’t even know help exists.
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The Hidden Challenge: Not Knowing What to Ask For

One of the strongest messages Tim shares is that many people miss out not because they’re unqualified—but because they’re unaware.

“A lot of people with disabilities or older people, they don’t know. And if you don’t know, and you know how to ask, you don’t get anything.”

TCOA tries to bridge that gap by:

– Educating families
– Checking in regularly
– Asking questions proactively
– Helping people understand what they qualify for

Because getting help shouldn’t be complicated.
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Life with TCOA: More Than Surviving

With all the support TCOA brings, Tim says something that stands out:

“Our program never ends because I really enjoy it. I like everything about it.”

That’s not something you often hear about social services. But TCOA isn’t just meeting needs—they’re improving quality of life. They’re helping Tim live, not just get by.

A typical day for him includes:

– Morning caregiving
– Meals and supplements
– Mobility help
– Massage therapy
– Afternoon check-ins
– Time with family

The assurance that if something goes wrong, help is one call away

It’s stability. It’s dignity. It’s peace of mind.

At its core, TCOA is about showing up for people. Not with fanfare. Not for recognition. But because everyone deserves support, and no one should navigate life’s hardest moments alone.
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Final Thoughts: Community Makes the Difference

Tim’s story shows what happens when compassion meets connection. When programs are built around people. When caregivers and caseworkers treat clients like family.

“I wouldn’t want to be with no other organization like Tri-County because they’ve just been wonderful to us.”

For anyone facing a disability, caring for a loved one, or simply not sure where to start, the Tri-County Office on Aging is ready to help—just like they were for Tim.

Because sometimes the biggest difference is knowing someone is there.

And sometimes, as Tim says, that alone is “a blessing.”

Behind the Scenes: A Candid Conversation with Sarah Laurie at the Child and Family Charities Nonprofit Hub

Walk into the Child and Family Charities Nonprofit Hub on any given day and you’ll feel it right away—the hum of conversations, the smell of coffee drifting through the air, the steady buzz of people doing real work that matters. It’s the kind of place where handshakes turn into collaborations and hallway chats turn into new ideas. That’s where Melik sat down with Sarah Laurie, CEO of Community Mental Health for Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMH), for a conversation that felt less like an interview and more like two people pulling back the curtain on what community care really looks like.

And if you know UnoDeuce, you know we love moments like these—where the mission meets the people behind it.
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Serving the Community Starts with Humility

Melik kicks things off with a question that makes any leader pause: What’s it like to run such a massive, mission-driven organization?

Sarah doesn’t miss a beat.

She smiles, leans forward, and answers not with the polished script of a CEO, but with sincerity: it’s humbling. It’s an honor. CMH is “woven into the fabric of the community,” she says, and that responsibility isn’t lost on her.

No buzzwords. No grandstanding. Just honesty.

And that’s the heart of CMH in a nutshell—real people meeting real needs, without making it complicated.
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So… What IS Community Mental Health?

Sarah breaks it down simply: CMH serves people—from birth through adulthood—who are navigating serious emotional or developmental challenges. They’re the public behavioral health provider for three counties, and they take that role seriously.

Think of CMH as a lifelong partner in behavioral health, offering:
– Support for youth and adults with severe emotional or developmental needs
– Specialty mental health services
– A Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic that anyone in the community can access
– 24/7 crisis services, mobile crisis teams, and walk-in support
In a world where “access” often means a maze of referrals, CMH keeps it refreshingly simple.

If someone needs help, they call. They walk in. They show up—and CMH is there.
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A Better Way to Get Help: Quick, Local, Human

Sarah shares CMH’s philosophy of accessibility like it’s second nature. Crisis shouldn’t come with barriers, and CMH keeps their doors—and phone lines—open around the clock. The Jolly Road location, tucked between Pennsylvania and Cedar, serves as their home base for walk-in crisis care.

No complicated process.
No red tape.
Just support.
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Building the Crisis Care Center: A Game Changer for Mid-Michigan

As Sarah talks about the future, her voice shifts—you can hear the excitement behind the logistics. Right on the nonprofit hub campus, CMH is developing a full Crisis Care Center in a former women’s and children’s building. It’s more than a renovation; it’s a reimagining of how crisis care should work.

This center will bring together:
– Walk-in crisis services
– A recovery center for withdrawal management
– A crisis residential unit
– And the newest addition: a Crisis Stabilization Unit for both youth and adults

This unit is the missing puzzle piece—offering up to 72 hours of safe, supportive care with access to psychiatry, nursing, therapists, and peer specialists. A place where help starts immediately, without sending people out of town or parking them in an ER waiting room.

“Proximity makes a difference,” Sarah says—and she’s right. Keeping people close to their support systems isn’t just convenient; it’s transformative.
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Collaboration at Its Core

One of the most striking takeaways from this conversation is how tightly knit the nonprofit community is inside the Hub. CMH staff, Child and Family Charities, NAMI Lansing, and others share space, ideas, and mission energy—daily.

There’s no ego in the room, just people doing the work.

The new center will house:
– 8 youth beds
– 13 adult beds
– On-site specialty services
– A recovery center operating right alongside crisis services
Instead of being shuffled around the city, individuals can transition seamlessly through levels of care without ever leaving the building.

That’s what partnership looks like—not just meetings and emails, but proximity, intentional space, and shared purpose.
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Looking Ahead: Opening Soon

Sarah estimates the building will wrap up construction by March, with services launching in the summer. It’s ambitious, but she’s confident—and considering the demand, it can’t come soon enough. Beds will fill quickly, because the need is real, local, and growing.
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The Real Backbone: The Staff

When Melik asks what keeps CMH moving, Sarah doesn’t hesitate. She lifts up her team—the therapists, nurses, crisis workers, peer specialists, support staff. They’re the ones doing the hands-on work, the emotional labor, the late-night calls.

“It really is the staff… they are the backbone,” she says.

And that acknowledgment feels like the perfect note in a conversation grounded in real community commitment.
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Final Takeaway: We Can Do More Together

If one line sums up the entire interview, it’s this:

“Proximity makes a difference. We can do more together.”

It’s simple. It’s powerful. And it’s exactly what the Nonprofit Hub is built for.

If you want to get involved, learn more, or get support, CMH and Child and Family Charities are ready to welcome you in.

Introducing the UNO Cup: Where Fun, Community, and Giving Tuesday Collide
There are two things nearly everyone can agree on: UNO brings out the competitive spirit in all of us, and supporting local nonprofits is always worth celebrating. This year, those two passions are coming together in a way that’s never been done before. UnoDeuce Multimedia is rolling out something fresh, fun, and a little bit chaotic—in the best possible way. And for those who love a good game night mixed with a good cause, this is the big announcement worth staying tuned for.
Because just when you think you’ve played every version of UNO imaginable, UnoDeuce is here to flip the deck.

A Giving Tuesday First: The UNO Cup
This Giving Tuesday, UnoDeuce Multimedia is launching the first-ever UNO Cup, a live-streamed Uno tournament designed to spotlight nonprofits, raise awareness, and bring the community together over a beloved classic. It’s everything people enjoy about Giving Tuesday—generosity, collaboration, celebration—but with a competitive twist that promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
The format is simple but thrilling: a four-round tournament featuring nonprofit organizations from the local nonprofit hub. Each round will knock out players, elevate tension, and showcase the personalities, missions, and camaraderie shared among Lansing-area nonprofits.
UnoDeuce will produce and broadcast the entire event live, ensuring viewers don’t miss a single draw-four, reverse card, or unpredictable moment. It’s an opportunity to highlight the incredible organizations doing great work in the region—while giving them a chance to duke it out for Uno bragging rights.

Sponsorship With Real Impact
Of course, a community event this unique also comes with the opportunity for local businesses to get involved in a meaningful way. UnoDeuce has created two sponsorship tiers, each designed to give businesses valuable visibility during the broadcast.
Sponsors can expect their logos featured onscreen throughout the event, offering consistent exposure to viewers tuning in from across the region. Higher-tier sponsors can also enjoy video promotions played during breaks in the tournament, giving them an engaging way to connect with audiences while supporting a community-driven initiative.
For businesses looking to show their commitment to local nonprofits—and have some fun doing it—UNO Cup sponsorship offers a fresh and memorable platform. Instead of simply appearing on a flyer or website, sponsors become part of a live event that blends entertainment with impact.

A Community Effort With Big Energy
As with all UnoDeuce initiatives, the UNO Cup is built on partnership and community spirit. With nonprofits participating directly, and with the possibility of celebrity guests joining the competition, the outreach potential extends far beyond a single live stream.
Participants will be promoting the event through their own social media channels, amplifying the reach and ensuring that audiences from across the region—and beyond—tune in. That means more eyes on the nonprofits, more visibility for sponsors, and more energy behind Giving Tuesday.
And no tournament would be complete without prizes. The winning team won’t just walk away with bragging rights; they’ll claim the UNO Cup trophy, a symbol of victory that their organization can proudly display. Even better, the champions will be invited back next year to defend their title, setting the stage for an annual tradition the community can rally around.
This isn’t just a one-off event—it’s the beginning of something lasting.

How to Join the Fun
UnoDeuce Multimedia is encouraging everyone—businesses, supporters, community members, and Uno enthusiasts—to get involved. Whether it’s becoming a sponsor, watching the live broadcast, or spreading the word across social media, every form of engagement helps fuel the excitement and uplift the nonprofit community.
Sponsorship opportunities are open for businesses looking to align themselves with Giving Tuesday and community impact. Viewers can tune in live on UnoDeuce’s streaming platforms, cheer on their favorite nonprofits, and join the conversation online.
And for anyone who has questions or wants to connect directly, UnoDeuce is making it easy. Community members can reach out through UnoDeuce’s website, social media channels, or via email to learn more about the event, available sponsorship packages, or how to support the participating nonprofits.

A New Tradition Begins
In true UnoDeuce fashion, the UNO Cup isn’t just about competition—it’s about storytelling. It’s about showcasing the faces and missions behind the organizations that strengthen the community every day. It’s about creating a fun, inclusive event where nonprofits can shine, businesses can give back, and viewers can enjoy something entirely new on Giving Tuesday.
This year, it’s time to shuffle the deck, raise the stakes, and bring the community together in a way that only UnoDeuce Multimedia could imagine.
And when the cards hit the table, one thing is certain: Giving Tuesday just got a whole lot more exciting.