The finalists of the 2023 Brilliance Awards are: Brilliant Woman of the Year Zaneta Adams, JD | CEO & Owner | River Acres Development LLC Cara Anne Poland, MD, MEd, FACP, DFASAM | Michigan State UniversityMegan Schmidt | Senior Vice...
Recent Brilliance Awards Finalists Articles
Maria Erazo
Founder & Chief Brand Officer Maria Erazo Enterprises Brilliant Entrepreneur Maria began her journey working factory jobs and learning English, but she did not want to settle there, she knew she had so much more to give. Through her determination, grit and...
Sandi Frost Steensma
President & CEO Kennari Consulting Brilliant Entrepreneur Realizing that nonprofit organizations needed customized, “nuts and bolts” fundraising support as well as campaign coaching, Sandi formed Kennari Consulting in 2007. Today, as one of the largest...
Mike Guswiler
President West Michigan Sports Commission Brilliant Best Supporting Man Mike oversees the West Michigan Sports Commission, which has one male and six female employees. For a sports industry organization this is very rare. It’s obvious that Mike is a champion for...
Meredith TerHaar
AM Content Director & Anchor WZZM13 Brilliant Team Player This fall, Meredith transitioned from an anchor/reporter at WZZM to a management role in addition to her anchor responsibilities. The job was created just for her and her unique abilities to manage a team....
Raquel Guzman
Co-Founder and Managing Member Avanti Law Group Brilliant Tenacity Raquel immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. When she enrolled in law school, she could not speak English and would record her classes and translate them every night. She went on to work...
Karen Tracey
Principal & Creative Director The Image Shoppe Brilliant Mentor Karen has been instrumental in The Image Shoppe’s path to be more inclusive and its support of women’s professional growth. She generously used her wisdom and professional experiences to mentor five...
Jennifer Hunt
Director of Public Policy Alzheimer’s Association Brilliant Champion of Service Among Jen’s service achievements is serving as a critical member of the team of advocates responsible for the successful passage of Michigan’s smoke free air law, which has protected...
Beca Velazquez-Publes
Director Urban Core Collective Brilliant Social Change Agent As the leader of the Urban Core Collective, Beca works tirelessly to unify communities of color and improve outcomes. Under her leadership, UCC strives to empower people and neighborhoods to overcome the...
Bill Jack
Shareholder Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge Brilliant Best Supporting Man In a field where it takes intentional efforts to extinguish institutional barriers to women advancing in the ranks, Bill has been that standout champion for the achievement of women lawyers....