Brilliance Summit

Thank you for attending the 2024 Brilliance Summit! Stay tuned for our upcoming 2025 date and details.

To view photos from the 2024 event, click here.

While our Brilliance Awards celebrates the talent and intellect of those who tackle issues facing professional women, the half-day Brilliance Summit allows attendees the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding with elevated inspiration and empowerment.

Together, you and your group will hear inspiring stories and leave the event feeling empowered to break barriers and create brilliance in your own journey.

Thursday, November 7, 2024 | 1:30 - 5:30 PM

New Vintage Place | 889 Broadway Ave. NW, Grand Rapids

2024 Agenda

Featuring Meredith Bronk, Zaneta Adams, JD & Brilliance Awards Finalists

1:30 - 1:40 - Welcome from West Michigan Woman

1:40 - 2:00 - Authentic, Purposeful and Determined

Keynote Presentation by Meredith Bronk

After nearly 25 years of helping to grow global technology consultancy OST, Meredith Bronk transitioned from her tenure as CEO and President of the business and joined private investment firm Graham Allen Partners to lead its Value Creation team. Committed to building sustainable profitability while keeping people first, Meredith shares her passion with businesses executing their own growth and transformation strategies in her role at Graham Allen Partners—and everywhere she goes! Today, you'll find her with her husband and daughters, in addition to being surrounded by others as she openly shares the lessons learned during her career and how they're applicable both at work and in life.

2:00 - 2:45 - What Does it Take to Step Up and Stand Out?

Panel Discussion with Dr. Matt Biersack, Danielle Williams, Ashley Soto and Ashlea Souffrou

In today’s fast-paced environment, we're surrounded by an incredible number of talented individuals. But what sets someone apart from simply doing the work and elevating them to truly stand out? In this session, our panelists will explore the key actions, traits, and characteristics needed to rise above, while also being respected, appreciated and fulfilled. Discover the fine balance between performance and visibility, and learn how to elevate your career while maintaining respect and integrity in the workplace.

2:45 - 3:10 - Networking Break

3:10 - 3:25 - Interview: 2024 Brilliant Woman of the Year

With Keli Christopher, Ph.D.

Dr. Keli Christopher is a trailblazing leader and educator dedicated to advancing STEM education for students of color. As the Founder and CEO of STEM Greenhouse, she champions the belief that nurturing curiosity in STEM leads to flourishing children. The third Black woman globally to earn a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering, her experiences fuel her drive to close the opportunity gap and diversify career paths for under-resourced youth.

3:25 - 3:40 - Passion, Service and Creating Community!

Presentation by Jenna Arcidiacono

From aspiring chef to Food Network competitor and philanthropist, Jenna Arcidiacono has dedicated her life to pursuing her passion while uplifting and supporting others. With an unwavering commitment to service, Jenna leads with compassion and authenticity, creating both culinary excellence and a sense of community. Her journey is one of heart and purpose, inspiring those around her to take bold action in their own lives. Her presentation will leave attendees feeling motivated to do just that.

3:40 - 4:00 - Harnessing Strength and Tenacity

Keynote Presentation by Zaneta Adams, JD

Zaneta Adams served eight years in the Army and was medically discharged with honor before serving as Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from June 2019 to December 2022. The first woman veteran in Michigan to be appointed to a governor’s cabinet and the first cabinet member from Muskegon, Zaneta serves today as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As a career driven individual and a mother of six, she has experienced extreme highs and just as extreme lows. Zaneta’s story demonstrates the power of strength and tenacity to forge through any adversity one may face.

4:00 - 4:25 - Audience Q&A

Featuring all Brilliance Summit Speakers

This is your opportunity go deeper with our speakers in an interactive Q&A session! Whether you're looking to gain deeper insight into specific areas or explore broader career advice, this Q&A session is your chance to ask questions directly to these inspiring and accomplished leaders.

4:25 - 4:30 - Closing Remarks

4:30 - 5:30 - Networking Reception

Thank You to Our 2024 Presenters!

Meredith Bronk, 2019 Woman of the Year

After nearly 25 years of helping to grow global technology consultancy OST from its start-up phase, to a 350-person global digital consultancy, Meredith Bronk transitioned from her tenure as CEO and President of the business in September 2022.

By early 2023, Meredith joined private investment firm Graham Allen Partners to lead its Value Creation team, leveraging the leadership lessons learned in an authentic, approachable way that builds trust. The commitment to building sustainable profitability while keeping people first is a core philosophy that is easy to talk about, but hard to execute. It’s one that Meredith is passionate about and excited to teach as she engages with businesses executing their own growth and transformation strategies in her role at Graham Allen Partners – and everywhere she goes!

Meredith earned her MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and her BA in Business Administration from Alma College, where she also played softball. The mother of three daughters, some of her favorite lessons extend from the boardroom to the softball field, where she also coached her girls. Today, you will find her with her husband, daughters, and surrounded by others still coaching and teaching those lessons in business and life.

Zaneta Adams, JD, 2023 Woman of the Year

As Deputy Assistant Secretary, Ms. Adams provides strategic advice and guidance to the OPIA Assistant Secretary, Secretary, Undersecretaries for Health, Benefits and Memorial Affairs, and all other VA staff offices by fostering and enhancing government partnerships and acting as liaison between VA and the White House, federal, state, county, municipal, tribal, insular and international governments, rural and faith-based communities.

Prior to being named Deputy Assistant Secretary, Ms. Adams served as Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from June 2019 thru December 2022. She was the first woman Veteran in Michigan history to be appointed to a governor’s cabinet position.

In 2006, after eight years of enlisted service in the U.S. Army, National Guard and Reserve, Adams was medically discharged with honor. During her time in the military, Adams served as a Joint Counter Narcotics Task Force Agent for the National Guard. Prior to her appointment to the MVAA, she was an attorney at Williams Hughes PLLC, assisting Veterans with compensation and pension appeals.

Adams has consistently demonstrated leadership through service and board membership. She is the former President and founded WINC For All Women Veterans. She recently served on the advisory board for Fisher House Michigan and as a board member for the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, Mercy Health Physician Partners and Challenge America. She was also an appointed member of the VA’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Workgroup.

In 2021, Adams was named a Women Veteran Trailblazer by the VA’s Center for Women Veterans. She also recently told her story for a VA’s Million Veteran Program documentary, which was recently submitted for a regional Emmy. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia College and a Juris Doctor from Western Michigan Cooley Law School, where she also taught veterans’ law as an adjunct professor. She has been married to Joseph Adams, an Army Veteran for over 23 years and has 6 children (including 2 sets of twins).

Keli Christopher, Ph.D., 2024 Woman of the Year

Since STEM Greenhouse’s humble beginnings in 2014, Dr. Christopher has spent countless hours investing in the success of the girls and young women she teaches, whether it’s going to their basketball games, taking them on field trips or otherwise. What started as math clubs for girls at local libraries has grown into an organization that serves almost 1,000 students a year.

Dr. Christopher’s greatest accomplishments have been successfully advocating for change in philanthropic, educational and government systems, which in turn have resulted in more equitable funding for nonprofit organizations in our community. Her honors are many, including North Carolina A&T SU, Distinguished Alumni Award, the Nolan Groce Business Leadership Award, and the Dr. Melinda Sapp Legacy Award. Dr. Christopher’s work is a testament to the power of one person’s influence, transforming generations through education.

She shares, “All of my experiences—from being a little girl that struggled with her multiplication tables, to becoming valedictorian of Ottawa Hills High School, to the racism I experienced in graduate school, to losing my husband to cancer, and the challenges I faced leading a nonprofit—have all culminated to this point in time, where others can be blessed from the journey that I’ve been through. For someone to look at my journey and say it is deserving of honor is beyond anything I ever imagined.”

Dr. Biersack, 2024 Brilliant Best Supporting Man

Dr. Biersack returned to his hometown Grand Rapids to begin his professional career as an Internal Medicine Resident in 2007. He has served in various clinical and administrative roles at THGR prior to becoming President in 2021.

A mission-centered leader, he serves as a strong advocate for community needs, and has helped forge partnerships to address much needed access to behavioral healthcare. He is a champion for hospital safety initiatives as well as THGR's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work.

He serves on the Board of Trustees for Aquinas College, The Right Place, Grand Rapids African American Health Institute and TalentFirst.

Ashlea Souffrou, 2022 Brilliant Entrepreneur

Ashlea Souffrou has been a dedicated professional in the medical device industry for 17 years, committed to finding sustainable and cost-effective healthcare solutions. In 2019, she founded SxanPro, a technology company that digitizes inventory processes in hospital supply chains. Under her leadership, SxanPro has been profitable since its inception, doubling its revenue every year. In 2023, Ashlea successfully guided SxanPro through a Private Equity investment, tripling the company’s workforce and customer base.

Recognized for her entrepreneurial excellence, Ashlea was honored as EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Michigan and Northwest Ohio. She is part of the 4% of women who have secured a patent as a sole female owner, holding two patents for mobile technology that extracts product data from medical devices via UDI barcode scanning. As CEO, she continues to advance the company’s product line while building strategic partnerships with healthcare systems and companies across the industry.

Ashlea is a Certified Materials & Resource Professional (CMRP) and an active member of the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), contributing to the Learning UDI Community and Chapter Relations Committee. She serves as the UDI Implementation Expert for the industry-leading podcast, Power Supply, where she educates through accredited seminars and on-air episodes. Additionally, she is involved in initiatives that drive Grand Rapids forward as an entrepreneurship and small business hub, specifically with The Right Place Technology Council and Onboard, supporting female entrepreneurs.

Ashley Soto, 2024 Brilliant Emerging Leader

A West Michigan native, Ashley Fermina Soto is a strong leader grounded in her commitment to justice. Raised by her mother, Soto is a first-generation college graduate who served as president of her sorority for two years and oversaw the Right to Success College Access Program.

She began her career at the height of the pandemic, supporting a pipeline of over 200 Latinx college students in early career navigation. Soto has built a career in place-based community impact, interrogating power and playing a meaningful role in restructuring institutional systems to expand access for all. Her honors include the U of M MLK Jr. Spirit Award, the Hispanic Center Desafío Award, DTL’s National Neophyte of the Year, and the 2024 Emerging Leader Brilliance Award. As a queer Black Latina, it became easier for Soto to envision herself as a leader thanks to the women role models who looked like her and helped her navigate long standing systems not built for the children of immigrants, people of color, queer folk, and other disenfranchised communities.

Danielle Williams, 2024 Brilliant Connector

Danielle Williams has built networks and friendships all over the world, always led by the mantra of staying true to who you are and never conforming.

Backed by many years of experience in corporate communication, marketing, community development and philanthropy, Williams serves as Director of Economic Opportunities at Amplify GR, where she connects local businesses with resources, builds bridges for social capital, brainstorms ideas to help small businesses grow, and connects neighbors to good-paying jobs. In recent years, Williams has led the launch of two grant programs at Amplify GR, the creation of Kzoo Station commercial incubator kitchen; started her own firm, DMWilliams Consulting, LLC; and served as campaign finance director for State House Representative Rachel Hood’s 2018 winning campaign. Williams serves on the Women’s Resource Center board and leads the Economic Vitality cohort for the national Purpose Built Communities network.

“Depending on where you come from, it’s not easy to build a close community in Grand Rapids,” Williams says. “The ‘host’ in me always feels committed to making sure people who move to GR feel like they’re in my home. And in some ways, they are. That means making sure they find friends, food, cultural activities and organizations where they feel a sense of belonging.”

Jenna Arcidiacono, 2024 Brilliant People's Choice Honoree and Champion of Service Finalist

Jenna Arcidiacono’s love language is serving others through food. Her first job was slinging chili dogs and root beer floats at Cook’s Drive-In. Slowly, she realized cooking was more than a way to pay for her stirrup pants, music cassettes and perms.

After high school, she attended MSU and worked in restaurants near campus, and moved to San Francisco and fell in love with a handsome Italian visiting from Milan. Together, they moved to Italy, where Arcidiacono spent three years in the kitchen with her mother-in-law, growing her passion for Italian cuisine. Once back to the U.S., Arcidiacono opened Amore Trattoria Italiana, where meeting her guests in the dining room became part of the experience and her connection to the community. During the COVID pandemic, Arcidiacono started Food Hugs, which fed frontline workers. She continues to give and serve the community in creative ways. If you see a sparkly pink SUV with a “FOOD HUG” license plate, that’s her.

Arcidiacono says, “In serving others I meet so many amazing people and have the opportunity to hear their stories and make a difference in their lives. Everyone is going through something—if I can be the smile for them, I want to be that.”

2024 Presenting Sponsor

2024 Session Sponsor

2024 Team Sponsor

To sponsor this event, contact Susan at [email protected] or (616) 458-8371.