36 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 

A

fter Lacey Foon’s 
twins were born in 
2019, the former 
commercial real estate asset 
management and acquisitions 
professional faced some of 
life’s greatest challenges.
Amidst a pandemic and a 
breast cancer diagnosis, plus 
raising two small children at 
home, Foon realized she didn’t 
want to go back to working for 
someone else.
“That forced me to think 
about what I wanted to do,” 
Foon, 36, of Bloomfield Hills, 

explains. As she recovered 
from cancer and gradually 
began to feel better, she started 
to look for needs in the com-
munity coupled with things 
she was interested in.
Then, an idea clicked: She 
wanted to create a center for 
children that specialized in 
play-based learning, or a form 
of free play where kids can 
connect with people, objects, 
content and the environment.
“The birth of my twins real-
ly got me interested in early 
childhood education and play-

based learning,” Foon says. 
“Especially with the pandemic, 
so many places for kids closed 
and there really wasn’t any-
where to take little kids in the 
Birmingham-Bloomfield area.”
It was the beginning of 
Fascination Factory, a colorful 
and spacious 4,500-square-
foot indoor playground in 
Birmingham that offers play-
based learning and STEAM-
focused toys. As a female 
business owner herself, Foon 
chose to work with female 
partners, legal professionals 

and suppliers to bring the idea 
to life.
“Being a woman in business 
in a male-dominated indus-
try, I wanted to help support 
others,” explains Foon, who 
is also the founder of genetic 
screening program JScreen 
Detroit and serves on the 
Hebrew Free Loan board and 
JFamily advisory committee, 
among others.

CREATING ACCESSIBILITY
Foon knew she wanted the 
center, which opened in April, 

Unplugged, 
Play-Based 
Learning

Birmingham’s Fascination Factory 
is powered by kids’ creativity and 
curiosity.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lacey Foon

MELISSA DOUGLAS

Fascination Factory 
is home to 20 activity 
stations

business SPOTlight

brought to you in partnership with 
B I R M I N G H A M