Top Execs Address Uncertainty, Talent, and Michigan in the Innovation Economy

• With competition for workers intensifying across the Detroit Region, businesses must actively invest in workforce development and retention to sustain momentum.
• Rather than waiting for stability, Michigan companies are focusing on training and upskilling employees to pivot quickly when economic conditions shift.
• To attract and scale next‑generation industries, business leaders must support bold innovation, modern infrastructure, and collaborative growth strategies.

At the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2026 State of the Region event, four panelists offered a candid assessment of Michigan’s economic landscape and shared insights on positioning Michigan for future growth. Their discussion underscored a shared commitment to strengthening the state’s workforce, modernizing critical infrastructure, and ensuring Michigan remains competitive in a rapidly evolving national and global economy.

Watch the panel recording below.

Drawing on his experience as a cross-sector Detroit investor, Sixteen42 Ventures’ Dennis W. Archer Jr. acknowledged the challenges facing downtown Detroit’s foot traffic since the COVID-19 pandemic, but emphasized his and other investors’ continued confidence in Detroit’s broader economic ecosystem, saying, “We’re still looking to invest.”

Archer noted that while the downtown core remains important, Detroit’s opportunity extends far beyond its 7.2-mile boundary, where reduced foot traffic has noticeably impacted businesses. Describing the city and its outer limits as a broad and diverse ecosystem is increasingly competitive for talent, as investment spreads across the city’s neighborhoods. This competition for workers reflects both positive and negative economic momentum and the need for sustained workforce development.

“There are many places that are recruiting and staying here,” Archer said when asked if these underlying factors are causing businesses to close. “So that’s a drain on labor just because there aren’t enough people.”

Archer framed the growing pains as a transitional opportunity, rather than a structural demise.

Yasmeen Jasey of Citizens addressed the persistent theme of uncertainty shaping today’s economic environment, noting that volatility has become a recurring feature rather than an exception.

“Every year around March, it seems like we get some sort of uncertain information, and it kind of shakes things up,” she said. “And this year, we are dealing with geopolitical uncertainty.”

Despite renewed hesitation among businesses, she highlighted Michigan’s resilience and adaptability. Many organizations are choosing to pause major investments while strengthening internal operations for adaptability. Preparing employees to pivot into new roles is becoming a strategic priority for many organizations across industries.

“The bigger focus is training their employees and making sure that they’re ready for any kind of pivot that might come,” Jasey said.

Anthony Chang of BAMF Health introduced the audience to his organization’s mission of making advanced care accessible, efficient, and affordable. He explained that while pharmaceutical companies like his are heavily investing in technology, the infrastructure required to scale and deliver has lagged in the Detroit Region.

“The problem is we don’t have the infrastructure to manufacture these drugs efficiently, scale the therapy, and conduct clinical trials,” Chang said.

With its headquarters in Grand Rapids, BAMF Health has already achieved global milestones, including dramatically shortening clinical trial timelines, and its plans to expand into Detroit through partnerships with Henry Ford Health. Through his company’s unique perspective, Chang emphasized that Michigan must strengthen its appetite for risk to continue to attract next‑generation companies like his.

“There’s still a gap compared to the West Coast and East Coast in terms of risk‑taking,” Chang said. “We need to create a safe space for high‑risk, leading‑edge companies and figure out how to support them instead of questioning whether they’re too crazy.”

Chang concluded by pointing to the growing importance of computing power, positioning both data and infrastructure as essential to future competitiveness.

DTE Energy’s Trevor Lauer provided insights into how Michigan successfully attracted major data center investments from Google and Oracle. He noted that collaboration, across utilities, state partners, and economic development organizations, was central to that success.

Lauer explained that data centers require contracts vastly different from those for traditional customers, including mandatory minimum bills, credit protections, and full cost responsibility.

“Customers can’t subsidize data centers,” Lauer said. “They have to pay their own way. And because of that, Oracle and Google will provide about $9 billion of positive affordability for the rest of our customers.”

Importantly, Lauer stressed that Michigan’s regulatory framework protects ratepayers while enabling growth, which has been met with public skepticism. He called for better education and communication about the data center’s economic impact.