Beyond the Mission - The Business of Nonprofits - The Fledge and the Impact of COVID19

The Fledge and the Impact of Covid 19 on community programming. Vicki talks with Jerry Norris is the CEO and Founder of the Fledge located in Lansing MI. Jerry obtained a B.S. in Statistics from the University of Michigan, with a focus on Computer Science. He began his career with the Unisys Corporation as a Quality Engineer and ISO 9000 Lead Auditor in 1988. Throughout the years, he moved up through the ranks of the quality profession (i.e. Quality Manager, Director of Quality, and VP of Quality). In 1988 as a Quality Engineer and Lead Auditor, he began developing a software product to help manage compliance activities. He served as the CEO of GAIA, LLC, which operated globally with customers in over 50 countries to help members connect based on expertise and vicinity. GAIA evolved into a software company supporting start-ups with an emphasis on mapping. Jerry now serves as the CEO of the Fledge, a radically inclusive ideation and maker space, incubator, and accelerator located in Lansing, MI. He also serves as the Chairman for the GAIA, Solutions, Power in Passion, and the Fledge Music Group. He also spent 5 years as a “Gatekeeper” for the Business Acceleration Fund working with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership. Jerry’s expertise includes software development, quality management, food safety management, automotive and aerospace-related quality management, environmental protection and management, and safety systems. He also enjoys reading standards (e.g. ISO 17021, ISO 9001, GFSI) and following the industries that are moving from prescriptive systems (e.g. customer-based, GMPs) to more agile and adaptive management systems. Specialties: Quality Assurance, Statistics, Software Engineering, Sales, Food Safety, Compliance Management, Auditing, Inspections, International Business, Entrepreneurship, building Brands, start-up assistance, talent acquisition, funding. He has worked in the following fields: telecommunications, automotive, furniture, food safety, environmental management, economic development, h