How Grand Rapids Champions Women in Tech

In Michigan, approximately 44% of businesses are women-owned. With that number in mind, The Right Place, the economic development agency for the Greater Grand Rapids region, knew it was important to have tools and resources specifically for female entrepreneurs.

If half of entrepreneurs are women, providing growth opportunities is critical, says Jennifer Wangler, Vice President of Technology at The Right Place.

That belief sparked the annual Go Beyond event which addresses the unique challenges women in the tech industry face. Attendees loved the half-day Go Beyond event but wanted an opportunity to engage and network further, Jennifer says.

Last year, in response, The Right Place brought the event back as a full-day program with education opportunities, speakers who shared their experiences, and the space for small group conversations. The 2024 event included a speaker talking about leadership and how to draw on experiences to grow both personally and professionally; how to understand your role in leadership; and how to deal with failure and continue your work. The next Go Beyond event will be held on February 27, 2025.

“It’s a group of very successful women,” Jennifer says. “You can develop a trusted circle that keeps you on task with growing.”

But female entrepreneurs wanted even more.

“They said ‘We want more in-person time to meet in smaller subgroups to discuss issues and challenges we’ve identified,’” Jennifer says. “What we found was a human desire to get back and connect with others to build that trusted circle. That has been the consistent theme.”

Building a Trusted Circle

To foster these connections year-round The Right Place created monthly Coffee Circles, where the women meet at a local business for networking, conversation, and learning.

“It creates an opportunity to come together but also gives a takeaway that might help you,” Jennifer says.

Conversations typically revolve around tactical day-to-day issues as well as what skills might be helpful or current industry trends.

“Entrepreneurs have so few hours so they have to be strategic,” Jennifer says.

Danche Gjorgjievski, Chief Technology Officer at ADAC, is part of the Technology Council of West Michigan and regularly attends events like Go Beyond and Coffee Circles.

“It has been inspiring to connect with other female leaders in West Michigan through the Technology Council of West Michigan,” Danche says. “The encouragement, support, and business collaboration I have experienced from the women at Coffee Circle, Go Beyond, and other events have been excellent examples of women uplifting and cheering for one another.”

Another major aspect of the events is to find mentors and build relationships. If more seasoned leaders are present and authentic with what they bring to the table, they can help budding entrepreneurs. Many business owners have had mentors in the past, so it’s important to give back and pull that forward, Jennifer says.

Mentorship also allows for more diversity — the more people who are able to build businesses and bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the table, the better.

“Every woman brings a unique story and passion for what they do, making a meaningful impact on diversity within their innovation journeys,” Danche says. “I firmly believe we must intentionally seek diversity and develop a pipeline of diverse talent to ensure a variety of perspectives in our innovation efforts.”

But, for this to happen, entrepreneurs and women in tech need to commit to showing up.

“I’ve committed to putting the right women in the room for one hour a month,” Jennifer says. “So I would say to any entrepreneur: Just show up. You’d be surprised at the connections you can make.”

While The Right Place facilitates these connections, the women of Grand Rapids bring them to life and fuel the growing community.

“If we want to think bigger, here in West Michigan, then we need to show up.”

This post originally appeared on Purpose Jobs.