INNOVATE STATE: Dr. Isil Berkun | Burgess Institute, FY26
INNOVATE STATE: Dr. Isil Berkun | Burgess Institute, FY26
Dr. Isil Berkun is an AI engineer, entrepreneur, and educator specializing in artificial intelligence, data science, and advanced manufacturing. She earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and previously worked as a Staff AI Software Engineer at Intel. She is also the founder of DigiFab AI and an instructor on LinkedIn Learning, where she teaches AI and analytics to a global audience.
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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 […]
CLIENT STORY: Able Eyes – Inside Abrams Planetarium: How Inclusive Design Is Transforming Astronomy for Everyone
CLIENT STORY: Able Eyes – Inside Abrams Planetarium: How Inclusive Design Is Transforming Astronomy for Everyone
Able Eyes at Abrams Planetarium: How Inclusive Design Is Opening the Universe to Everyone
There’s something universal about looking up at the stars. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or how you experience the world—space has a way of pulling you in.
At Abrams Planetarium on the campus of Michigan State University, that sense of wonder is being reimagined. Not just as a moment of awe, but as an experience designed for everyone. This is more than a planetarium. It’s a place where accessibility, storytelling, and science come together to create […]
Meet Aral Gribble: From Actor to Filmmaker
Meet Aral Gribble: From Actor to Filmmaker
Finding Purpose Behind the Camera: An Internship Story That Proves It’s Never Too Late
“I’m an old man who went back to school and this is still my first internship I’ve ever done.” That line stops you for a second. It’s not the typical opening to a story about film, media, or internships. But that’s exactly what makes this journey worth paying attention to.
For Aral Gribble, a seasoned actor stepping into a new chapter, the decision to return to school at Lansing Community College wasn’t about reinvention for the sake of it. It was about curiosity. Growth. And a deeper connection to storytelling. […]
ART’S ROLL CALL: Arts Roll Call Episode 34: Ruelaine Stokes–Pathways to Poetry
ART’S ROLL CALL: Arts Roll Call Episode 34: Ruelaine Stokes–Pathways to Poetry
Welcome to Episode 34 of Arts Roll Call–a podcast for the arts curious. In this episode, host Robin Miner-Swartz talks with Ruelaine Stokes, Lansing poet laureate. They discuss Ruelaine’s path to poetry, writing, and becoming the poet laureate, as well as the projects she has been working on and her affinity for Greater Lansing.
About Arts Roll Call
Arts Roll Call pulls back the curtain to explore the lived experience of artists and arts organizations in the Greater Lansing region. Presented by Arts Council Greater Lansing and hosted by local celebrity Robin Miner-Swartz, this podcast was created to give […]
CLIENT STORY: Danny Bath Legacy Awards – Changing Lives One Car at a Time
CLIENT STORY: Danny Bath Legacy Awards – Changing Lives One Car at a Time
Changing Lives One Car at a Time: How the Danny Bath Legacy Awards Turn Tragedy Into Purpose
There’s a difference between doing a good deed and building a legacy.
The Danny Bath Legacy Awards (DBLA) exists at that intersection. What started as unimaginable loss has grown into something tangible, practical, and life-changing. One vehicle at a time, they are helping people move forward—literally and figuratively—while honoring a young man whose impact refuses to fade.
This is not just a story about a car. It is a story about momentum.
When a Nomination Becomes a Turning Point
For Christina, transportation was […]
CLIENT STORY: Justice League Greater Lansing – Repairing the Breach, Rebuilding Community
CLIENT STORY: Justice League Greater Lansing – Repairing the Breach, Rebuilding Community
The Journey of Michigan’s Justice League: Repairing the Breach, Rebuilding Community
Sometimes the real heroes are not found in comic books. They are found in classrooms, churches, community centers, and living rooms. Michigan’s Justice League was born not from fantasy, but from lived experience, hard conversations, and a decision to act.
The story begins with Willye and Prince. Two leaders. Two perspectives. One shared conviction that repair is possible.
The Seeds of Awareness
For Willye, awareness started early. Growing up in the segregated South, she remembers opening a school textbook stamped “property of” a white school. The message was unspoken but […]