Career seekers, career builders and those simply mulling over whether to stay or go in Greater Lansing are drawn to the changing landscape and the diverse, supportive community of our mid-sized city.
Capital Gains asked a handful of professionals, entrepreneurs and thinkers in the early- to mid-stages of their careers to share what they adore and value about Lansing, as well as to reflect on the opportunities that cinched their decision to become contributors to the Capital City's new economy. Here are their stories.
Samantha Amburgey
IT
Samantha Amburgey loves people. But she also loves technology. And while she was earning her bachelor's in sociology from the University of Las Vegas, the Holt, Mich. native spent her spare time designing web pages and other high-tech media.
Amburgey graduated college and worked in Vegas for a few years. But when green grass called her home in 2004, she resettled in Greater Lansing and landed an entry-level job in the call
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center at the
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union. Within a year or two, she was on the management track and headed toward her current post as chief information officer—a job she's held since 2014 that combines her affinity for people and technology.
"I spent a lot of time understanding the service side to the credit union by working in the call center, branches and in e-services," says Amburgey. "Now, my focus is all about how to make technology work for our members."
Amburgey never forgot how her parents inspired her to pursue her high-tech passions. She says their support and the opportunity she was provided is something that drives her to give back through volunteerism. Among her activities is her membership on the
Capital Area IT Council. Another is serving as a mentor through
2020 Girls—a program through the
Information Technology Empowerment Center that inspires girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and prepares them for work in Lansing's growing IT sector.
"Sometimes, if you don't have someone inspiring you, you won't go in a particular direction," says Amburgey. "This program does that for girls, and shows them they do have value and can pursue something they didn't think they were capable of."
Erik Larsen
Non-profit management
When Erik Larsen was 7, he entered a dark tunnel, walked by a wall of shadows, and nearly stepped into a giant mouth. Those experiences were enough to keep him in Greater Lansing for the next 35 years.
Today, Larsen is the executive director of
Impression 5 Science Center. It's a job he cherishes, and one that evolved from those early experiences at what was then a fledging museum.
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"I started visiting the museum when it moved downtown from the South Side in 1982," says Larsen. "I remember having a lot of fun coming here. Working here was not something I planned on, but the right opportunities presented themselves."
Larsen began as a volunteer at 14. He worked side-by-side with his mother, who was among the community members who helped found and run the museum in the early 1970s. He took a paid position cleaning up after lab classes and helping with summer camps when he turned 16, then worked while he attended college.
"I fell in love with the connection between the science courses I took in college and what we were teaching kids about science at the museum," says Larsen. "That experience forged my connection with the center and pieced together opportunities that helped me see this as a career."
In his 10 years as the executive director, Larsen and his team have strengthened the museum's presence as a resource for educating children in science, technology, art and math. He's raised nearly $2 million toward reinventing exhibit inventory and improving an aging facility. Attendance has nearly doubled since Larsen came on board, with about 148,000 people visiting the museum in the fiscal year ending September 2016.
Larsen says he's happy to have stayed in Lansing, and is excited about being immersed in the city's resurgence.
"You can make a difference here," he says. "While we don't have skyscrapers, the ability to be involved and connected is immense. My advice to young talent is to find the niche that will feed you spiritually and not just employment-wise. Lansing has those connecting points. There are no huge barriers, and lots of opportunity."
Mal Hulbanni
Engineering
Mal Hulbanni grew up in metro Detroit. But when it came time to settle into a career, he decided against the big city and instead settled on a "small big city" 90 miles from home.
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In 2004, Hulbanni graduated Michigan State University and applied his knowledge in engineering arts and product design with an advanced manufacturing solutions company in Lansing. He joined the
Eckhart team as a detailer and designer, and steadily worked his way through the ranks until become the VP of business development in 2015.
"I didn't want to be part of a large company where you get lost in the shuffle," Hulbanni says of his decision to roll up his sleeves in Lansing. "I know every single person at Eckhart by name. I've grown up as a professional here with their guidance."
Hulbanni's trajectory has followed the company's steady rise from a Lansing-based manufacturer with $6 million in sales to nearly $25 million today. The company serves customers in the automotive, home appliance, construction, agriculture and medical device industries, including
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General Motors, Ford, Bradford White, John Deere, Caterpillar, Stryker, PACCAR and Fiat Chrysler Automotive. The company, too, has forged new partnerships with electric car innovators like Tesla and Faraday Future.
Hulbanni's parents immigrated from India, making him the first generation in his family to grow up in Michigan. He started working at 15, and although he says he was happy working in a neighborhood bagel shop, his parents pushed him to attend college.
"My parents came from nothing and made an amazing life for me," says Hulbanni. "The thought of making a good life through hard work and effort and doing that here in Michigan is important to me. I love this state. I love this city. I don't ever see myself leaving."
Emily Matthews
Charitable giving
Emily Matthews had the resources to build a career. Now she's working to find resources and forge pathways for others.
Since 2015, Matthews has overseen all the charitable work of the
Dart Foundation in mid-Michigan, Sarasota, Fla., and in about 30 domestic and international communities. As the foundation's manager, her work advances and encourages youth education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as additional projects that strengthen the quality of life.
"We're very focused on workforce development in the skilled trades, as well as STEM education in public schools," Matthews says. "We believe you have the ability to make a meaningful impact on people's lives by providing educational opportunities that can lead to a good job and a self-sustaining life."
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Originally from Tecumseh, Mich., Matthews attended law school at the Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington. While there, she met her husband Aaron, and the two came to Lansing for career opportunities. The Matthews carved out a life that combined working as lawyers, as well as investing in the community, most notably as founding partners of a local restaurant group that owns
Zoobies, The
Cosmos,
The Creole, and the upcoming
Punk Taco.
After a dozen years in the legal field, Matthews switched gears. She redirected her career toward philanthropy, taking a position as CEO for the Capital Region Community Foundation, and then her current post with Dart. It's a change, she says, that reflects her growing desire to give back and to help lead efforts that shape the community and quality of life where she lives.
"I like the ability to be visible and make a direct impact on the community," says Matthews. "Lansing is a place where you can be that 'big fish in a small pond.' Those same opportunities are not available in larger geographic areas. It's amazing the impact you can make. "
Tashmica Torok
Social entrepreneurship
Tashmica Torok turned 21 in Lansing. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Torok moved in 2000 when her mother relocated to mid-Michigan for a job.
"My intention really wasn't to stay here, but I met my husband and decided to stay," she says. "I've have really grown to love this town and feel rooted and connected to the people who live here."
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That feeling of wanting to stay put wasn't always a constant. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Torok spent large parts of her life trying to escape the underlying trauma. While in therapy, she began to confront the trauma, and to draw from the scars she had incurred. Rising from those embers, she says, she decided to start a foundation could empower other survivors—particularly children and families—to heal from the effects of sexual abuse.
In 2013, Torok founded the
Firecracker Foundation with the mission of honoring the bravery of children who have survived sexual trauma by building a community invested in healing their whole being. In just three years, the grassroots organization has grown from a home office to one in Lansing's REO Town staffed by employees and volunteers. A volunteer board provides ongoing guidance, and pediatric medical advisory and mental health therapy teams provide valued services. A partnership with
St. Vincent Catholic Charities strengthens the foundation's capability and outreach through a caretaker support group, while yoga groups, special events and fundraisers add healing power.
Figures from the Foundation's 2015 Annual Report show support from 1,035 advocates from 18 states and four countries—a nearly 57 percent increase from the 448 members and supporters in 2013. A record 584 donors and 43 supporting businesses and organizations raised $100,000, while
Just Beginnings Collaborative— a national movement that funds strategic efforts to end child sexual abuse—awarded the foundation a $275,000 grant.
"Some people are like, 'you shouldn't be surprised, you're doing good work,'" Torok says, "But everyday when I sit down at my desk and write a grant report or do an interview and think about how it was a very simple idea that I wanted to accomplish, I am always taken a back by what we've done in such a very short time."
Jose Yanez
Finance
While MSU basketball was the original force that drew Jose Yanez to Michigan, the strength of Lansing's entrepreneurial culture made him stay put.
Relocating from San Antonio, Texas, to attend MSU, Yanez discovered a "small big city" full of diversity and emerging opportunities. Lansing, he realized, was a place that aligned with his vision to set up a business that could help people ensure their financial security at every stage of life.
"I love Lansing," Yanez says. "After I graduated MSU, I moved to Miami for a year, but I came back. It's too hard to make a presence in a place with so many people. In Lansing, you can really build your business here and make a difference."
Yanez began working for a personal finance company in 2005. When the Great Recession hit, he decided to go out on his own. He founded
Full Circle Financial Planning in 2009, intent on taking the fear out of financial planning by educating clients about their options in understandable way.
Raised in a single parent household, Yanez empathizes with the challenges of personal and family finance. As soon as he was old enough to work, he took a job as a custodian to help pay for tuition at a private school. He did that, he says, while maintaining his academics, playing basketball, and supporting his mother and sister.
"I feel like I understand hard work, but I also understand it's not easy," he says. "Doing what I did in high school gave me the empathy to understand people need help sometime. If I could be in a position to help others, that's what I wanted to do."
In addition to running a business, Yanez is president of the
Greater Lansing Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and vice chair of the
Lansing Community College Foundation. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Hispanic Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan.
"Lansing isn't the same place that your grandparents saw," says Yanez. "It's even completely different from the place I first saw in 1999 when I came here. It's a great place to get involved with the community, to make a name for yourself, and to raise a family."
Ann Kammerer is the News Editor for Capital Gains and writes occasional features.
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.
This article was created in partnership with Capital Area Michigan Works.