Recent Profile Articles
Anyone can run a business, but only few are successful. Over 10 years ago Amy Ritsema and Mary Kline joined and founded OnSite Wellness, a workplace wellness company in Grand Rapids. At a time when employers became more conscientious about their employees health, Amy...
Just days before Karen's second birthday, her parents died in a plane crash. Karen and her brother moved into an unsteady childhood, living with various family members for nearly a decade until settling in with their aunt and uncle. The uncle began sexually abusing...
Valencia Agnew, Ph.D., always loved psychology, but she was so sensitive to the feelings and needs of others, her mother often joked with her to "take it down a notch." Agnew decided she was good at math, so she pursued a business degree and majored in accounting....
Two years ago, Josie Richardson was volunteering at the Kent County Animal Shelter (KCAS), training animals for rehoming and rewarding them with treats. Like many shelters, however, KCAS is government-run, government-funded and relies on donated items to maintain...
Mireya Correa moved to the United States when she was 17, with dreams of pursuing an education that would be nearly impossible to obtain with her family's lack of money and resources in Mexico. Correa, however, was the oldest child. She needed to work. "I had the...
When Shandra Steininger was 18, couch surfing felt safer than home. And then she met Audrey. "I, at a young age, realized the power that someone has to change your life," Steininger said. Growing up in an unstable home environment in a small Indiana town,...
The first painting Michele Gort and her husband of 31 years bought as a couple was a signed Tulip Time poster. When it happened, she never thought that one day, her signature might be branded on the festival's poster. Yet it is. Gort is the winning artist of the 2017...
Stacy Stout began her career in higher education and moved into community-based nonprofit work, public schools and philanthropy. Today, she serves as Assistant to the Grand Rapids City Manager, working to address structural racism and advising on authentic...
Zoe Bruyn's younger cousin Wyatt has Down syndrome. As a child, he's fun, engaging and likes to bake, saying, "stir it up, stir it up." As an adult, research shows he'll be an important asset to a business or company by being one of the most loyal employees an...
If all entrepreneurial success stories share certain similarities, Maggie Feil's story has them in spades. Bravery, risk-taking, making a dream come true? Check. A tough first year followed by exponential growth and eventual success? Check. Incredibly supportive...