Stories

Feature Story Dirt Dogs

Riding into a love of the outdoors with GR Dirt Dawgs

Members of the GR Dirt Dawgs hit the trails to learn mountain biking, an appreciation for nature, and how to take care of local trails. From ages two to 15, the nonprofit is spreading the love of mountain biking to all ages.

Feature Story Tom Bulten

UIX: Grand Rapids’ first Bicycle Action Plan reflects the future of urban transportation

Public transit and dedicated lanes for non-motorized vehicles make it possible for more people to get to their jobs, homes, schools, and other destinations faster and more reliably than ever before, but they've also faced challenges in implementation, not just from city leaders, but from residents themselves. Here are the people who are finding out just how Grand Rapidians feel about bicycling in their city, and the plans they are implementing to increase bicycle access, adoption, and awareness.

Development News MLK QOL study

MLK Park Neighborhood Quality of Life Study: Celebration announces action steps

On May 23, residents of the Martin Luther King Jr. Park neighborhood gathered to celebrate their shared vision for improving their own hyper-local community via a quality of life study initiated by the City of Grand Rapids.

Innovation News canoemobile.JPG

$410,000 Thrive Outside grant supports outdoor recreation

The Thrive Outside Community Initiative recently granted Grand Rapids $410,000 to implement an outdoor recreational program focusing on youth.

Feature Story Josh and Elizabeth Sinclair

RapidChat: Josh and Elizabeth Sinclair tackle rental real estate in Grand Rapids

After purchasing their first home in Midtown in 2016, Josh and Elizabeth Sinclair took the plunge into entrepreneurship and established their own property management company — Sinclair Properties LLC. The two discuss the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly growing market.

Feature Story Calder

Seeking a quintessentially Grand Rapids summer? Check out these 9 events

Kick start your #puremichigan summer with these nine activities that make sticking around town worth it.

Feature Story list image

For GR’s self-care entrepreneurs, individualism and expertise are key in booming industry

As the wellness industry booms in West Michigan, self-care entrepreneurs strive to create a unique experience for their patrons, showcasing their values — and their personality — with each service.

Feature Story GRow

Para los emprendedores de self-care de GR, el amor a si mismo y la experiencia son la clave

A medida que crece la industria del bienestar (wellness) en el oeste de Michigan, los empresarios de self-care se esfuerzan por crear una experiencia única para sus clientes, mostrando sus valores y su personalidad con cada servicio.

Feature Story Diane Griffin

G-sync: Catching up with Diane Griffin of Griffin Properties

Rapid Growth's Publisher Tommy Allen sat down with Griffin Properties' Diane Griffin to hear first-hand from one of our area's top realtors who entered the marketplace in 2005 right as the property values were about to begin a long slide.

Feature Story LIST women construction

Women fill the gaps: Training and empowering the next generation of skilled trades professionals

Though for centuries overlooked in the skilled trades, women are making a comeback in a big way in construction. Equipped with ambition and seeking out educational and training programs tailored specifically for them, Michigan women are building the future—one brick, beam, or conquered stereotype at a time.

Feature Story Chef Blog

Rapid Blog: Jenn Fillenworth interviews 4 women chefs working to bridge the gender gap in local food

Jenn Fillenworth, MS, RD, is a chef and registered dietitian with a passion for sustainable food systems and culinary medicine. In her Rapid Blog, Fillenworth interviews four local female chefs working to bridge the gender gap in West Michigan restaurants.

Partner Content Amy Swift glazes a window.

Michigan women bust stereotypes, find success in Professional Trades

In Michigan, there will be an estimated 47,000 openings annually through 2026 in the Professional Trades. These are the stories of three Michigan women who have found rewarding careers in these sometimes-stigmatized jobs.


Feature Story Lou Sobleskey.

Many Michigan caregivers need care themselves – but they aren't getting it

The importance of a support network when caring for a loved one can't be understated. That's why a number of Michigan organizations are working to better understand what caregivers need and make it more accessible to them.

Feature Story A mother holds her baby's hand.

Here's how we can address rural Michigan's alarmingly high infant mortality and poor maternal health

Substance abuse, lack of access to healthy food, and dwindling birthing hospitals and OB-GYNs all contribute to poor health outcomes for mothers and infants. These organizations and individuals are working to change that.

Development News Haven Skincare & Massage

More than pampering, spa helps clients overcome trauma

Haven Skincare & Massage broadens the healing goals of massage and other self-care modalities to include sensitive care for trauma survivors. Because of her passion for domestic violence awareness and human trafficking victims, owner Reagan Reynolds enlisted a local counselor who focuses on trauma victims, Susan Powers, to help her develop a training curriculum for her staff.

Innovation News age-friendly

The Age-Friendly Grand Rapids initiative begins three-year action plan

The Age-Friendly Grand Rapids initiative moves into its phase of creating a three-year action plan to improve the quality of life for the older population.

Feature Story Brandon Buskey, ACLU Deputy Director for Smart Justice Litigation

The blueprint for criminal justice reform: The ACLU's Brandon Buskey visits Grand Rapids

Brandon Buskey, ACLU Deputy Director for Smart Justice Litigation and Criminal Law Reform Project team member, is the keynote speaker at the 2019 ACLU of Michigan Luncheon. Having devoted his entire career to criminal justice reform, Buskey explores systemic racism, police misconduct, and community activism in the U.S. carceral epidemic.

Feature Story Dan Brooks

Rapid Blog: Dan Brooks explores "process-based" drama and the Alternative Acts Theatre Company

Aquinas English Professor and actor Dan Brooks explores the new Alternative Acts Theatre Company, and the powerful effect of "process-based" theatre.

Feature Story Sade Richardson.

Why Michigan needs a more diverse healthcare workforce – and what we can do about it

The healthcare workforce doesn't represent the diversity of those it serves, and that results in poor health outcomes for patients of color. But several initiatives are working to develop more diverse health professionals.

Feature Story GR Symphony

Grand Rapids Symphony aims to step into the rhythm of the times

Finishing his third season in GR, Music Director Marcelo Lehninger hopes to bring new energy into the Grand Rapids Symphony, including changes to formats, blending genre, informal educational opportunities, and more community-focused events.