Grand Rapids Junior Chamber

08/12/2026

Remember to register for our August Leadership Exchange with guest speaker and workshop facilitator, Deavondre Jones!
Thu, August 13, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Are We AI-Native?

Artificial intelligence is changing the workplace - but becoming AI-native requires more than learning new tools.

Join innovation strategist Deavondre Jones for an interactive session exploring how organizations can redesign workflows, improve information flow, and identify meaningful opportunities for AI adoption.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, manager, nonprofit leader, or early-career professional, you'll leave with a practical framework you can immediately apply in your own work.

Grand Rapids Chamber, 250 Monroe Ave NW 150, Grand Rapids, MI, US, 49503
https://www.grjuniorchamber.com/event-details-registration/august-monthly-leadership-exchange-save-the-date

08/05/2026

GRJC August Leadership Exchange
Thu, August 13, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Grand Rapids Chamber, 250 Monroe Ave NW 150, Grand Rapids, MI, US, 49503
https://www.grjuniorchamber.com/event-details-registration/august-monthly-leadership-exchange-save-the-date

About:
Join us for our August Leadership Exchange with guest speaker and workshop facilitator, Deavondre Jones!
Are We AI-Native?

Artificial intelligence is changing the workplace - but becoming AI-native requires more than learning new tools.

Join innovation strategist Deavondre Jones for an interactive session exploring how organizations can redesign workflows, improve information flow, and identify meaningful opportunities for AI adoption.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, manager, nonprofit leader, or early-career professional, you'll leave with a practical framework you can immediately apply in your own work.

Key takeaway:

Workflow First. AI Second.

06/15/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who showed up for our June Leadership Exchange!

It was incredible to hear from Dr. Michael Fossel, chairman of the board at Telocyte, a pioneering biotech company working toward telomerase therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Fossel’s invited lecture at Harvard Business School, “How to Guarantee Failure,” provided a candid and insightful look at the realities of leadership.

Dr. Fossel challenged us to rethink success, sharing hard-won lessons about navigating setbacks, the importance of resilience, and the pitfalls – from ego and infighting to losing sight of your goals and ignoring compliance – that can derail even the most promising ventures.

Dr. Fossel’s experience infused our discussion with honesty and encouragement, reminding us that meaningful breakthroughs often demand grit, insight, and humility.

At the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber, we remain committed to fostering conversations that stretch our thinking and empower us to become resilient, discerning leaders!

Join us for our next LE in July: www.grjuniorchamber.com

06/11/2026

Today is the day! Join us for our June Leadership Exchange!

Join us for our June Leadership Exchange on June 11th, with guest speaker Michael Fossel, MD, PhD.

Dr. Fossel serves as chairman of the board of Telocyte, a biotech company developing telomerase therapy for Alzheimer's disease, with FDA-sponsored human trials planned to target the underlying disease process. His invited lecture at Harvard Business School discussed Telocyte, age-related disease, and biotechnology.

We hope to see you there!

Register here:https://www.grjuniorchamber.com/event-details-registration/june-monthly-leadership-exchange-save-the-date

06/10/2026

What a day! 🔥

The Grand Rapids Junior Chamber was proud to be part of today’s West Michigan Intern Connect hosted by Hello West Michigan and The Right Place!

A huge thank you to VP Kyle Perry and Director Noah Dockery for representing GRJC at our table throughout the event, connecting with interns and young professionals, sharing the value of membership, and showcasing the many ways to get involved in our organization.

We were also excited to have GRJC President Celeste Ross facilitate a Networking 101 session, helping attendees build confidence, make meaningful connections, and develop skills they can use throughout their careers.

To all of the interns we met today: We hope you’ll continue the journey with us!

🎉 Attended Intern Connect?
➡️ Use code INTERN26 for a discounted ticket to tomorrow’s Leadership Exchange.
➡️ Have your GRJC application fee waived when you join the organization.

The future of West Michigan is bright, and after spending today with so many talented, driven young professionals, we’re more energized than ever about the next generation of leaders. Thank you again to Karen George and Tarita Johnson for having us out to continue to build leaders in our great community.

We’ll see many of you tomorrow at Leadership Exchange! 🚀

06/09/2026

Join us this Thursday!

Join us for our June Leadership Exchange on June 11th, with guest speaker Michael Fossel, MD, PhD.

Dr. Fossel serves as chairman of the board of Telocyte, a biotech company developing telomerase therapy for Alzheimer's disease, with FDA-sponsored human trials planned to target the underlying disease process. His invited lecture at Harvard Business School discussed Telocyte, age-related disease, and biotechnology.

We hope to see you there!

Register here:https://www.grjuniorchamber.com/event-details-registration/june-monthly-leadership-exchange-save-the-date

06/02/2026

Join us for our June Leadership Exchange on June 11th, with guest speaker Michael Fossel, MD, PhD.

Dr. Fossel serves as chairman of the board of Telocyte, a biotech company developing telomerase therapy for Alzheimer's disease, with FDA-sponsored human trials planned to target the underlying disease process. His invited lecture at Harvard Business School discussed Telocyte, age-related disease, and biotechnology.

We hope to see you there!

Register here:https://www.grjuniorchamber.com/event-details-registration/june-monthly-leadership-exchange-save-the-date

05/26/2026

Tickets are still available for this event tomorrow! We hope to see you there!

Remember to join us on Wednesday, May 27th for a panel discussion on how to better attract, engage, and retain early-career professionals in the workplace!

Meet The Panelists! Our panel will consist of 4 early-career professionals from a variety of industries to share their diverse perspectives on workforce trends, engagement & retention strategies, and best-practices for employers who want to improve talent attraction and retention.

A'Mya Saffore, Talent Program Manager at The Right Place
https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-mya-s-7200a629b/

Jowei Yek, Project Manager at Williams Group
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joweiyek/

Lex Hall-Bacon, HR Generalist at Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-hall-bacon/

Nokomis Lavine, Advancement Manager at AYA Youth Collective
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nokomislavine/

Moderated by Kyle Perry, HR Assistant at Cooper People Group
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleperry650/?skipRedirect=true

Presented by the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber, Sponsored by AHRM - Association for Human Resource Management

Register and learn more about this event here ----> https://www.grjuniorchamber.com/event-details-registration/engaging-early-career-professionals-in-the-workforce

LinkedIn Event Page:https://www.linkedin.com/events/early-careerprofessionalspanel-7451010120324628480/

Are you a member of AHRM or the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber? Remember to get your discount codes for registration! Check your April newsletter or email announcements. For assistance, please reach out to [email protected] or [email protected]