Welcome back to Flagship Friday.

Each week, Toledo Money brings you the business, economic, financial and development stories shaping Northwest Ohio all in one place, and always free.

There’s enough negativity in the world. From the beginning, our goal has been to shine a light on the people, companies and ideas building something meaningful right here in our region.

This week, we’re taking a look inside the Historic South Initiative, serving up a few Money Snacks to curb your information hunger, and wrapping things up with a few well wishes as we head into the weekend.

Let’s get into it.

This week’s Toledo Money shoutout goes to Mike Lawrence. Mike proactively reached out and invited Toledo Money to speak at an upcoming event about the state of business and the opportunities ahead for the Toledo region for a certain industry. Beyond the invitation, Mike has gone out of his way to introduce Toledo Money to his professional network and help spread the word about what we're building.

Mike, thank you. That kind of genuine support and willingness to open doors means more than you know. We're grateful to have people like you in our corner!

Owens Corning | $OC ( ▼ 1.76% )

Dana Incorporated | $DAN ( ▼ 7.91% )

The Andersons | $ANDE ( ▼ 0.89% )

Owens Illinois | $OI ( ▼ 3.46% )

Welltower Inc. | $WELL ( ▲ 1.63% )

Marathon Petroleum Corporation | $MPC ( ▲ 0.66% )

First Solar | $FSLR ( ▼ 10.32% )

With more than $15 million invested in housing improvements, Historic South Initiative is demonstrating how strategic partnerships and community investment can help rebuild a neighborhood economy.

There is a difference between talking about neighborhood revitalization and actually delivering it.

In Toledo's Old South neighborhood, Historic South Initiative (HSI) has spent the past six years doing the latter. Through housing rehabilitation, new construction, commercial property investment, and community partnerships, the organization is working to create a neighborhood where existing residents can thrive, new homeowners can establish roots, and local businesses can find opportunities to grow.

The organization's mission is ambitious: develop bold, long-term, measurable strategies and facilitate partnerships that support a vibrant, thriving Old South neighborhood.

But what makes HSI particularly interesting is that its work is no longer theoretical. It has a track record of turning philanthropic support and community partnerships into tangible neighborhood improvements.

According to HSI, the organization has invested more than $15 million in housing improvements over the past six years.

Its accomplishments include:

The organization's housing work includes lead paint remediation, interior and exterior repairs, and the rehabilitation of existing properties.

These improvements serve an important purpose: helping existing residents maintain their homes while creating additional opportunities for families to become homeowners.

HSI is also working with the Lucas County Land Bank, Habitat for Humanity, the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation, Toledo Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Ladder Up to expand its reach.

Together, these partnerships demonstrate how organizations with complementary resources can address neighborhood challenges that would be difficult to tackle independently.

One of the more interesting takeaways from our conversation with HSI Board Chair Carl Wagner and Vice President Joe Cordella was the financial reality behind building new homes.

HSI is currently constructing two homes on vacant lots, but these projects are not necessarily revenue generators for the organization.

In fact, Carl and Joe shared that the difference between construction costs and the amount recovered through a home sale can range from approximately $40,000 to $80,000 per home.

That funding gap is addressed through community partnerships and grants.

The difference between construction costs and sale proceeds is supported through grants and community partnerships. This is an important distinction. HSI is not approaching new construction with the same financial objectives as a traditional residential developer.

Instead, the organization is using outside capital to help make homeownership attainable for families who might otherwise struggle to purchase a newly constructed home.

The potential long-term benefit extends beyond the individual buyer. Homeownership can provide opportunities to build equity, establish financial stability, and create a lasting connection to the neighborhood.

And when more families have a financial stake in their community, the benefits can extend well beyond their individual properties.

Housing is only one component of HSI's broader strategy.

The organization has purchased and improved two commercial properties at 1421 Broadway and 1256 Broadway, with the goal of attracting businesses and services that meet the needs of neighborhood residents.

Potential opportunities include childcare and nursery-related businesses, alongside other services that can support families and generate local economic activity.

HSI has also facilitated more than $3 million in neighborhood project investments, supported summer and after-school programming, and helped improve local playgrounds.

The strategy recognizes that a thriving neighborhood requires more than quality housing.

Families need access to services. Entrepreneurs need viable commercial spaces. Children need safe places to learn and play. And residents need opportunities to participate in the economic activity happening around them.

By coordinating these efforts, HSI is working to create an environment where residential and commercial investment can reinforce one another.

HSI's work has attracted support from several prominent regional institutions, including the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, Stranahan Foundation, PNC Foundation, KeyBank Foundation, Owens Corning Foundation, and Waterford Bank.

These relationships are central to the organization's ability to execute projects that might otherwise be financially difficult to deliver.

For local investors, businesses, and philanthropic organizations interested in South Toledo, HSI offers something valuable: an established organization with neighborhood knowledge, existing partnerships, and a demonstrated record of completing projects.

Our conversation with Carl and Joe reinforced that the organization's ambitions extend beyond individual housing projects. Their focus is on creating lasting opportunities for the people and businesses that call Old South home.

There is a familiar economic principle that a rising tide lifts all boats. HSI's work offers a practical example of what that can look like at the neighborhood level.

By investing in existing homes, creating new homeowners, attracting needed businesses, and improving community infrastructure, the organization is working to ensure that Old South Toledo's future includes the residents who have helped sustain it.

The opportunity now is to build on that momentum, bringing additional capital, businesses, and community partners into a neighborhood where the work is already underway.

In today’s new digital age of shopping, platforms have changed dramatically from the original add a few products to the cart, checkout and move on. One of those is Tandemtide, a turnkey live stream studio helps brands sell across TikTok Shop, Amazon Live, Whatnot, Shopify, and other emerging shopping platforms. Tandemtide is a leading commerce, marketing, and digital engagement agency, launched its new Live Stream Shopping Studio, a professionally equipped production facility in Maumee designed to help brands and retailers capitalize on the explosive growth of live commerce.

According to TikTok representatives, Tandemtide's studio is the only live shopping studio of its kind in the Midwest operated by a certified TikTok Shop agency, combining professional broadcast-quality production capabilities with certified commerce expertise to help brands and retailers drive engagement and sales through live shopping experiences.

The new studio enables Tandemtide to plan, produce, manage, and optimize live shopping events for brands across leading commerce platforms including TikTok Shop, Amazon Live, Whatnot, Shopify-powered websites, and additional livestream and social commerce channels. The company can host broadcasts from its Maumee-based studio or deploy its production team on location at retail stores, trade shows, fulfillment centers, corporate headquarters, and special events. "As consumer shopping behavior continues to evolve, live commerce is quickly becoming one of the most effective ways for brands to educate customers, build an authentic community, and drive measurable sales," said Brandy Alexander, Managing Director at Tandemtide.

"What makes our offering unique is that we don't simply provide production services, we combine professional live streaming capabilities with deep commerce expertise and certified partnerships across the platforms where brands are selling today."

The Tandemtide Live Stream Shopping Studio was purpose-built to support brands looking to reach customers through interactive, real-time shopping experiences. The studio features professional-grade production equipment, including advanced lighting systems, multi-camera capabilities, wireless audio technology, dedicated streaming infrastructure, and broadcast-quality production controls. Powered by OBS and designed around the technical requirements of leading commerce platforms, the studio supports seamless multichannel livestream experiences while enabling product demonstrations, audience interaction, influencer collaborations, promotional campaigns, and real-time purchasing opportunities.

The facility's flexible configuration allows Tandemtide to produce everything from product launches and brand storytelling sessions to marketplace selling events, influencer activations, seasonal campaigns, and ongoing livestream shopping programs.

"Brands and retailers don't need another vendor. They need a partner that understands how commerce, content, technology, and customer engagement work together," Alexander said. "Our certified partnerships and cross-platform expertise enable us to create livestream shopping programs that not only look professional but also deliver meaningful business outcomes."

Tandemtide's live commerce services are designed to support brands at every stage of their livestream shopping journey. Services include:

By combining strategic planning, professional production, and certified platform expertise, Tandemtide helps brands transform livestream events into scalable commerce channels that drive customer engagement and revenue growth.

Tandemtide’s new studio is more than a new facility in Maumee, it’s another piece of infrastructure for the next generation of business in Northwest Ohio. As more entrepreneurs build e-commerce brands and sell products through platforms like TikTok Shop, Amazon Live and Whatnot, having local expertise and production capabilities could lower the barrier for a small business to compete well beyond the region.

For Northwest Ohio, that creates an interesting opportunity: the next successful local product brand may not need a storefront, it may need a great product, a phone and the right audience. Companies like Tandemtide give those entrepreneurs another resource to turn an idea into a business and, potentially, a local company with customers far beyond Toledo.

Here are a few headlines we are snacking on

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