globalEDGE Business Beat

Kendra Kuo, Director of the US Export Assistance Center Grand Rapids. Kendra and her organization assist US companies sell their goods and services into foreign markets. Their assistance falls into four areas: international market research, international matchmaking (finding local partners and customers), trade events and training, and advocacy and investment. The U.S. Commercial Service, part of the International Trade Administration, has 100 U.S. locations and a presence in 70 countries worldwide.

Ron Stevens is Associate Regional Director of the Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of the Greater Washtenaw Region, where he’s been since 2007. His office is located at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, although the SBDCs are located at 10 locations around Michigan and they work with businesses of all sizes to launch or expand. He specializes on businesses in the areas of retail, restaurant, and breweries.

Click below to listen to full interview with Ron!

Angela Hofmann is President of World Strategies, a globally-focused government affairs and policy consulting firm.  She’s also the co-founder and Executive Co-Director of Farmers for Free Trade, a 501c4 bi-partisan group working to educate farmers and the public on free trade and mobilize support, which she started in 2017.

Click below to listen to full interview with Angela!

Gabe Guimond is an Honors College senior majoring in marketing and minoring in Spanish. He also lots of other areas of interest, including being a serial entrepreneur. Even at a very young age, he was selling candy on the school bus and finding other ways to teach himself how to do business.

Nolan Schroeder is a senior in the Broad College of Business majoring in supply chain management and minoring in Spanish. He has participated in a lot of programs, activities, and even an education abroad program in Europe while at MSU.

Click below to listen to full interview! 

Melissa Kreger is a sophomore in the Broad College of Business with plans to study accounting and international business. Currently, she’e working as a student intern in the International Business Center in the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University (MSU-IBC). Her job involves working with Michigan businesses to help them by providing international market research that helps drive their export plans and create or increase international sales.

Laura Deierlein is the Founder and President of SPROUTwide, which provides global business expansion services to small- and medium-sized enterprises. She has an expansive background working in imports, and exports, logistics services, and in economic development for the state of Michigan. Laura’s background provides her with a wealth of knowledge on the importance of international markets for growing and diversifying small business sales.

Hosted by Jade Sims, this segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat is an interview with Paul Jarzombek, Chief Operating Officer at LR International. Paul and Jade discuss common concerns for companies new to international shipping, including the new INCOTERMS 2020 and why it’s important to have a great relationship with your freight forwarder.

Hosted by Jade Sims, this segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat is an interview with Noel Nevshehir, Director of International Business Services and Industry 4.0 Strategic Partnerships at Automation Alley.

Hosted by Jade Sims, this segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat is an interview with Alyssa Tracey, Director of the award-winning International Trade Program at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).