It’s not a bad word, but it often feels like one. Sometimes, it seems we’ jump through any hoop to avoid saying it. Even Grey’s Anatomy, a medical show (albeit fictional), used the phrase ‘”va-jay-jay’”—coined by the ever-present Oprah—to keep it out of scripts. What’s so scary about this word?

Making the perfect cocktail is a science. Discovering the right balance of flavors, elements and presentation takes creativity, experimentation and inspiration. On August 10, join Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI) for a night of hand-crafted cocktails and scientific discovery at the first annual Curiosity and Cocktails event. Guests can mix and mingle in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids while enjoying a strolling dinner and cocktails, live entertainment and interactive “curiosity stations.” Relive your childhood science class experiments by participating…

“After college, I drove my mother to the dentist to get her teeth fixed,” said Dr. Suzzette Lirio-Ona. “After having six crowns restored, her life changed. She went from being a meek and shy person who covered her smile to a friendly person who couldn’t stop smiling. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be a dentist.” After graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 1989 with high honors in biochemistry, Ona pursued her dream of becoming a dentist. She…

Inforum was founded in 1962 as the Women’s Economic Club to serve as a speakers forum for women because women were not allowed to belong to business organizations – and they certainly were not being offered opportunities to speak! The organization addressed both those issues and also provided a structure for working women to network and support each other. Inforum has built on that early legacy to become the only educational and charitable nonprofit in Michigan – and one of…