Recent Profile Articles
Ask Peggy Keiper to name the most influential person in her life, and she doesn’t hesitate: It’s her mom. She taught Peggy about the power of education, working hard, and following your heart—lessons that brought Peggy to the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) as...
Pam Zinn, owner of Holland's Holistic Nutrition Center, knows you are what you eat—or at least your health conditions are. Where many are quick to diagnose illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular trouble, difficulty sleeping, or even depression as medical...
Julie Cech is helping West Michigan relax, one massage at a time. And the best part? She'll come to you. As owner of Mobile Massage, Julie specializes in working out the stress of day-to-day life and getting women and men on the right track to healthfulness, via...
Some people love bar crawls. Some people love bicycling. Laurie Ryan loves both. She also loves Grand Rapids—and from the combination of the three came the Great Lakes Pub Cruiser, in April 2012. Laurie got the idea for this party on wheels during a trip to...
How do you spell passion? In Grand Rapids, it's S-H-A-N-N-O-N-W-I-L-S-O-N. As executive director of the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, Shannon is working to bridge the gaps in available health care and the knowledge base of healthy lifestyles among...
The road of life Lori Baker travels has not always been smooth, but it has always led her to interesting places. When she was a teenager, newly married, and recently a mother, she and her husband sold everything they had, removed the backseat of their 1969 Dodge...
What do you get when you mix small business know-how with a sweet tooth—and sprinkle in a little family love? Rita Girl's Boutique Bakery, in downtown Grand Rapids. Founder Micki Ackerman and pastry chef Maria Tornga (aka Micki's niece) are whipping up treats...
When they had their first child, Christy Malone and her husband diapered their newborn the same way hundreds of thousands of parents do (multiple times) everyday—with a disposable. And like many parents, Christy didn't do any research on the substances that are used...
When they had their first child, Christy Malone and her husband diapered their newborn the same way hundreds of thousands of parents do (multiple times) everyday—with a disposable. And like many parents, Christy didn't do any research on the substances that are used...
What was originally a school project turned into an opportunity of a lifetime for Kelly LeCoy. Kelly went to study business marketing at Calvin College, where a business plan she came up with for local business turned into one of her best ideas. After turning in her...