Kaitlyn Califf is a front-end developer in Grand Rapids working to ensure other women and people of color have access to the technology industry.

As the tech industry grows in Grand Rapids, the tech talent pool needs to grow too. Adding more talent to the pool means getting educational opportunities to new communities and creating more diverse tech culture.

Nearly the entirety of the Grand Rapids area is either developed with housing, commercial, industrial, infrastructure, or was cleared in the early-mid 1800s for crops and pasture, but the plants that remain and surround our city tell a different story.

Despite shifting with technology and the economy, construction is a sector that remains constant in one vital area: the need for professional, skilled workers. Here in West Michigan, various programs offer training, either traditional or extraordinary, that equips those interested in construction with the skills necessary to enter the industry.

"How do I distinguish myself in a saturated market?" Unfortunately, there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution to this ever- evolving writing dilemma. Of course, there are ways you can set yourself up for success none the less. Junior Copywriter at The Image Shoppe, Natalie Topalian speaks to some of ways she has been able to cut through the clutter and assert herself as a cheeky young writer.

Recently we learned of another list that includes Grand Rapids’ Mayor Bliss as the only one from Michigan and just one of the 40 mayors from around the U.S. to be invited to be a part of an ambitious new program called the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.