When Andria Romkema received an unexpected knock on her office door three years ago, she had no idea it would be the start of something big. The Right Place had just launched its regional tech strategy, and her boss, CEO Randy Thelen, had a bold idea: create a marquee tech event that would put West Michigan on the map.
“It was July, and with ArtPrize just around the corner, Randy walked in and asked if we could pull something together,” recalls Romkema, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the West Michigan economic development organization. “It was more of a pilot concept that first year, but we saw right away that the community was hungry for something like this.”
Now, three years later, Tech Week Grand Rapids has evolved into a major event, with over 100 local businesses, universities, and organizations participating in this year’s program, which runs Sept. 16-21. This year, there will be activities in Ottawa, Mason, Ionia and Mecosta counties.
What started as a scrappy four-day experiment in an unused office space above a pizza joint has blossomed into a citywide celebration of innovation, drawing thousands of attendees and featuring high-profile speakers like Malcolm Gladwell and this year’s keynote speaker, Stephen J. Dubner.
That first year, Romkema quickly went to work, reaching out to partners around the city and region to see if they could collaboratively pull something together.
That initial circle included Start Garden, Confluence, Spartan Innovations, the city of Grand Rapids, and SmartZone.
“We were able to pull something together,” says Romkema. “We didn’t have a full week; it was four days. We stretched the ‘week’ title a bit, but we found an unused office space above Big O’s Pizza, where we held a bunch of Tech Week events our first year.”
Building on early interest
The initial event, featuring the Confluence Festival and Start Garden Demo Day, attracted over 3,000 people, revealing a strong community interest. Building on that success, Romkema and her team refined the event the following year, incorporating best practices from major national tech events like South by Southwest.
“We found that a decentralized conference model made the most sense,” she says. “We run Tech Week in the background, but it’s truly built by over 100 local businesses, universities, and different organizations around the region, each hosting individual events. There’s no one ticket; it’s all over the community.”
Tech Week Grand Rapids 2024 will feature more than 70 events hosted by organizations across the community. This open and collaborative "unconference" will include panel discussions, hands-on tech exhibits, networking opportunities, and more. A full list of events can be viewed on
techweekgr.com.
Last year’s event saw significant growth, with over 13,000 attendees, highlighted by Gladwell’s keynote address.
“I was expecting growth, but I wasn’t expecting four times the turnout,” Romkema says. “It was very affirming. You realize there’s a lot of potential in the community that wants this. This year, we’ve professionalized it even more.”
For this year’s Tech Week, an advisory board of nearly 40 business and community leaders has been established, including co-chairs Mark Johnson, co-founder and partner of Michigan Software Labs; Jason Joseph, chief digital and information officer from Corewell Health; and Philly Mantella, president of Grand Valley State University. Romkema says their guidance has been crucial in shaping the event.
With more than 34 events planned, Tech Week will feature a new app to help attendees navigate the decentralized conference and a redesigned website that allows users to filter events based on their interests.
“We like to call it ‘choosing your adventure,’” Romkema said. “The week is full from Monday to Saturday, and attending everything would be very challenging. That’s the true power behind Tech Week—the community is building it, designing it, investing in it, and inviting people to it.”
Keynote sets the tone
The event will kick off Sept. 16 with the keynote by Dubner, co-author of the bestselling book "Freakonomics" and host of the "Freakonomics Radio" podcast. The Right Place will host the event at GLC Live at 20 Monroe.
Romkema emphasizes that selecting a keynote speaker who can communicate complex technical topics across industries engagingly is a priority.
“AI is at the top of everyone's mind now, but there are many unknowns and uncertainties surrounding it,” she said. “We want to talk about AI because the more you talk about and understand it, the less fear there is. Our keynote speakers are chosen to help demystify these complex issues.”
On Sept. 17, more than 500 middle school students will visit local employers and participate in hands-on tech exhibits. The event, intended to spark interest in technical skills, is a partnership with Kent Intermediate School District and will be held at the Kent Career Technical Center.
Further north along the Lakeshore, seventh-grade students in Mason County will have the opportunity to explore various technologies and their applications in different careers through a Sept. 18 event organized by the Chamber Alliance of Mason County in partnership with The Right Place. The initiative is designed to help students make informed decisions about their high school course selections.
"We wanted to provide a technology education experience for students that aligns with the excitement of Tech Week," says Kristi Lucas-Zimmerman, economic development director for the Chamber Alliance of Mason County.
The half-day event at West Shore Community College will include presentations on topics including internet safety and cybersecurity, robotics, drones, Esports, GIS, tech toys, and virtual reality.
Incorporating students into Tech Week began in the first year.
“It’s about planting the seeds for the next generation,” says Romkema. “When we think of our overall goal for the next 10 years – becoming a leading Midwest tech hub and creating 20,000 new tech jobs – a big part of that equation is developing tech talent.”
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Courtesy The Right PlaceIncorporating students into Tech Week began in the first year.
Stretching out to the Lakeshore
This year, Tech Week is expanding west to Holland thanks to collaboration with Lakeshore Advantage, an economic development organization for that region. Lakeshore Advantage will launch the
inaugural Surge Summit, a half-day event aimed at highlighting product and technology startups in the Lakeshore region.
Scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Warehouse 6, the Surge Summit is designed to ignite conversations about innovation for businesses at all stages. Enterprise leaders, R&D professionals, and tech founders are encouraged to attend.
“The Surge Summit represents a crucial milestone for our community,” says Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. “By bringing together visionary entrepreneurs and major corporations, we aim to showcase successful partnerships and foster new relationships.”
As Tech Week continues to grow, Romkema believes its success lies in the collaboration and dedication of the Grand Rapids community.
“Our secret weapon here in Grand Rapids is collaboration,” she says. “We’re able to come together and do big things. Tech Week is an example of that.”