Chamber Blog

Once upon a time, women didn’t have the right to vote or drive… Today, after years of fiercely fighting for their rights, they are challenging, re-inventing, and innovating their communities and are a strong force for economic change. Join us in celebrating some of these women at the ATHENA Awards Celebration! Congratulations to Jennifer Maxson, […]

The Center for Community Leadership (CCL) has been a valued resource of the Chamber since 1985. Its goal is to educate, engage, and challenge current and emerging leaders in the community through various leadership and skill-building programs, such as Leadership Grand Rapids, Emerging Leaders, and Leadership Advantage. Participants in these programs are given a more […]

Now in its 10th year, Leadership Advantage is the Grand Rapids Chamber’s intensive leadership coaching program designed to enhance the knowledge and critical thinking skills of emerging and established leaders. The unique aspect of this eight-session program is its focus on peer coaching and meaningful introspection. The fact that guest presenters are of national caliber doesn’t hurt […]

Why would a talented young artist leave San Francisco to move to Grand Rapids? The short answer: ArtPrize. The long answer? Well, we’ll get to that. Jeffrey Augustine Songco was born and raised in New Jersey by his Filipino immigrant parents. Despite his devout Catholic upbringing, he is best known in the West Michigan art scene for […]

Once upon a time, women weren’t accepted in the workplace, let alone in the boardroom. Today, after years of fiercely fighting for equality, women are challenging, re-inventing, and innovating businesses and their communities – and are a strong force for economic change On September 14, 2017, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce awarded the prestigious ATHENA […]

The society we live, work and do business in is a rich tapestry of diversity – and it’s only growing more diverse by the year. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, our nation will no longer have any single ethnic or racial majorities by the year 2065! Despite this, many companies don’t make it a […]