"Be confident enough to accept your faults. No one is good at everything," reflects co-owner of the popular lash lounge and brow bar, Siren & Proper, Christina Lynn Perez. As someone who fears failure, but also finds joy in doing things that aren't expected of her, Christina made the bold choice of going into business for herself in 2015. She knew she would be letting the grass grow under her feet, otherwise.

This op-ed is part of Rapid Growth's Rapid Blog series, which highlights the voices of leaders making positive change in Grand Rapids. This week's post from Attorney Liz Balck Monsma is a response to President Trump's removal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

According to US News and World Report, young families are choosing Grand Rapids as the place to live: “Families make up a big chunk of the region's population. Nearly a third of Grand Rapids' households have children under the age of 18.” With organizations like the Grand Rapids Children's Museum and the John Ball Zoo geared toward little ones, and Spectrum Butterworth Hospital's baby-friendly designation, GR is increasingly becoming a great place to raise a family.

The 2015 Forbes article listing Grand Rapids as the second worst city in the nation where African-Americans were struggling sparked many conversations. Looking beyond the African-American community and observing the minority-owned business climate as a whole, one can find both challenges and opportunities. Organizations such as Local First, One World Diversity, and Start Garden are rising to the challenge and providing resources and programming to help promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the small business community.

In the absence of universal policy for early childhood education, some of Michigan's smallest communities are taking it upon themselves to foster kindergarten-ready children.

Breastfeeding support groups can be found all over West Michigan, but new mothers are using a number of other tools to help them nourish their young babies.