Great Lakes Wire

Michael recently interviewed Lisa Cooper, the founder and chief people officer of Cooper People Group, on a podcast. The company was recognized as one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2025. Established four years ago, Cooper People Group offers fractional HR services and support to organizations. They also focus on workforce development, knowledge transfer, and upskilling using tools like Predictive Index.

The company has expanded rapidly, now serving around 175 clients primarily in West Michigan and across the Great Lakes region. According to Cooper, small businesses face significant HR challenges such as finding, developing, and retaining talent, building a strong culture, and maintaining compliance with evolving Michigan employment laws. She remarked that most business owners did not start their companies to become HR experts and these issues often cause them concern. “We’re all in the same storm,” she said. “We have slightly different boats as we weather that storm.”

The Small Business Association of Michigan’s weekly podcast features interviews with experts offering advice on entrepreneurial success. Listeners can subscribe via iTunes for new episodes every week or visit SBAM’s Media Hub for past episodes.