RapidChat Archives – Page 12 of 13

RapidChat: George Eberhardt

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August 14, 2014

George Eberhardt works with young artists every day as a drawing, painting, illustration, and graphic design instructor at WMCAT. He’s passionate about nurturing creativity and his story comes full circle as he, too, had fantastic art educators early on. Rapid Growth chatted with George at the bright and energizing WMCAT facility about his art (including a giant west-side mural), his toe-tapping love for music, and his work with students that inspires and fuels his own creativity.

RapidChat: Diane Griffin

By Molly Crist

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Talent

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July 31, 2014

Surely you’ve seen the bright green Gerbera daisy in yards all over West Michigan. Today, Rapid Growth talks with the savvy, energized woman behind the flower: Diane Griffin. Griffin Properties recently relocated to Heritage Hill (“another bright green building on a corner”) and has a team expansion in the works. But for Diane, it’s not all work and no play. Read on as we talk about triathlons (she won her age group last weekend), fox hunting, and the reasons Diane has dug her roots into this town.

RapidChat: Kelly LeCoy

By Molly Crist

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Entrepreneurship

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July 10, 2014

For this week’s RapidChat, Molly Crist and Kelly LeCoy, friends and food-entrepreneurs, threw a blanket down in Wilcox Park to chat it up and reflect on Kelly’s experience starting, operating, and recently selling (as of last week) Uptown Kitchen, a shared-use incubator kitchen in Eastown. She’s moving on in life, leaving the keys with a pair of local bagel geniuses, and pursuing the next opportunity. Read on as Kelly talks about her work growing the local food culture, engaging with her beloved business districts, and learning hard lessons.

RapidChat: Ted Velie

By Molly Crist

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Entrepreneurship

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June 12, 2014

For this week's RapidChat, Molly Crist sits down with Ted Velie, furniture entrepreneur, on location in Austin, Texas. A group of Grand Rapidians (hosted by Dana Friis-Hansen and Mark Holzbach) headed to Austin for an early-June long weekend to form connections between the cities and enjoy the land of food trucks, art, and music. Read on as Ted chats about story-telling, tacos, and the mobile showroom he's driving around the midwest.

RapidChat: Jonathan & Johannah Jelks

By Molly Crist

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Talent

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May 22, 2014

For this week's RapidChat, Rapid Growth sits down with a brother-sister change-making duo who share a passion for community activism and a love for G-Rap. Jonathan and Johannah Jelks are in pursuit of a culturally competent community and are stirring up conversation and sharing their fresh and candid perspectives. Read on as we chat with these lifelong Grand Rapidians, self-proclaimed yin and yang, about everything from GR Soul Club to a global Grand Rapids.

RapidChat: Kelly O’Hara

By Molly Crist

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General

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May 8, 2014

Between TEDxGR and Design Week, Kelly O'Hara's in the middle of a pretty busy week, and if you've been to any downtown events in the last few days, you've likely experienced some of her designs. Kelly is a Senior Designer at Conduit Studio with a love for karaoke, a thing for Instagramming cat butts, and a soft spot for Detroit. Read on for her take on home decor, life as a hyper-local Eastowner, and the design work that gets her excited.

RapidChat: Bing Goei

By Molly Crist

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Entrepreneurship

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April 24, 2014

Bing Goei holds a new title, Director of the Office for New Americans, but he's still focused on his life's work of promoting and supporting small business and racial equity. When Bing immigrated to the United States at age 11, he expected to find the "cowboys and Indians" he'd enjoyed on TV, but instead found the American dream. Read on for his perspectives on minority-owned businesses, neighborhood investment, and the value of diversity.

RapidChat: Allison Lugo Knapp

By Molly Crist

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General

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April 3, 2014

Allison Lugo Knapp wasn't raised to stay in one place for very long, but she can't seem to leave the Mitten. With three passports, a professorship at GVSU, and a fondness for her neighborhood, she's rooted in West Michigan and digging into leadership development for the Latino community and Spanish language reading sessions for youngsters at KDL. Read on as we chat about new chapters, philanthropy, and dreamy Buenos Aires.

RapidChat: Mark Holzbach

By Molly Crist

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General

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March 20, 2014

At the top of one of Grand Rapids' most stunning buildings lives Mark Holzbach and his expansive creativity. In this week's RapidChat we enter Mark's world and chat about MIT, retirement, and community building. Mark lived in Boston, Toyko, and Austin before landing in Grand Rapids when his partner, Dana Friis-Hansen, was hired as the director at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Mark thinks big and in his short time in this city, he's become an important stakeholder. Read on to learn how and why.

RapidChat: Marlee Grace

By Molly Crist

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Arts & Culture

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March 6, 2014

RapidChat is a bi-weekly glimpse into the life and work of an interesting local. This week we highlight Marlee Grace, a maker and entrepreneur who encourages connections within her community through workshops, handmade products, and conversation at her shop on Division Ave., Have Company. Read on to learn more about Marlee's Eastown-living, shop-keeping, yoga-teaching lifestyle.