Theme: Fresh

Living in West Michigan, we know fresh. Fresh water, fresh air, and fresh ideas worth spreading. TEDxMacatawa 2019 will return to Holland, this time for a half-day conference at the freshly renovated Civic Center, followed by an on-site Afterglow Party.

Michigan’s West Coast and the world are filled with a growing spirit of anticipation. Our hardest questions and biggest challenges continue to grow in complexity. But so also grows our innovative vitality. How do we wrestle with the uncertainty of tomorrow? At the convergence of technology, entertainment and design, TEDxMacatawa presents our community’s intellectual and imaginative contributions toward shaping the world of tomorrow.

Holland Civic Center Place
50 W 8th St
Holland, Michigan, 49423
United States

Bob VandePol

Mental Health Leader

Bob VandePol serves as Executive Director of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ Employee Assistance Program. Prior to joining the Pine Rest team, he was President of Crisis Care Network, helping to lead it from a startup to the world’s largest provider of Critical Incident Response services to the workplace. He managed CCN’s Command Center in Manhattan after the 2001 terrorist attacks and led teams in response to high-profile tragedies including the Boston Marathon bombing; Aurora, Sandy Hook, and Las Vegas shootings; natural disasters, and our nation’s prominent university-based tragedies. Active as a keynote speaker, Mr. VandePol has published and been quoted in business and clinical journals, co-authored book chapters addressing workplace response to tragedy, and has been featured as subject matter expert in numerous video training series.

Cameron Versluis

Entrepreneur

Cameron is an entrepreneur from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He currently owns a UX-based web development company called Emberly Digital, and spends most of his time trying to figure out how human psychology melds with the digital. Having been keenly aware of mental health issues from a young age, Cameron is passionate about the deeper questions in life. What makes human beings do the things they do? What do we really want? What really makes a fulfilled life? These questions drive the way he speaks.

Jeff Stout

Executive Director at Yanfeng Automotive Interiors

coming soon!

Jordan Vanhemert

Jazz Musician

Quickly gaining recognition as a diversely-skilled emerging artist, Dr. Jordan VanHemert is a woodwind specialist, composer, and educator. VanHemert’s performing career has taken him to venues around the United States. He has also been invited to perform his compositions at North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial and Regional Conferences. An in-demand educator and clinician, VanHemert has presented masterclasses and clinics at high schools and colleges around the country. Currently, Dr. VanHemert is the Artistic Director of the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University.

Madi Hammond

Student

Madi Hammond is a ninth grade student at NorthPointe Christian. Her academic pursuits have included the summer program at the Van Andel Education Institute Science Academy. She received the GATE award from MSU. Hammond also began a nonprofit with her friends in 5th grade, raising over $1,000. A few years later, she started a summer-time business selling cakes called Cakeberries. Hammond is part of the varsity cheer team and spends her free time at practice, painting, and hanging out with friends.

Saleem Usmani

Leader of Inclusiveness & Diversity

Saleem Usmani is an enthusiastic servant leader who focuses on continuous improvement, utilizing his people and analytical skills to empower others. He has over 30 years of experience working in diverse organizations and environments including Sales, Purchasing, Health Care, Finance, Real Estate, Small Business investments, Operations, Marketing and Information Technology. Saleem currently works as an IT Professional and leads the Asian Inclusiveness Resource Team (IRT) at Herman Miller, an innovative furniture company with a legacy of Inclusiveness and Diversity. Saleem spent his childhood in India, moving to the U.S. in 1984. Having lived in California for 18 years, he currently resides in West Michigan with his wife and three children and enjoys Cooking, Traveling, listening to music and Volunteering his time in area non-profits.

Tom Guarr

Scientist & Researcher

Tom is a native of Kansas, but headed east for graduate school, earning a PhD in chemistry from the University of Rochester. After a postdoctoral stint at the California Institute of Technology, he accepted a faculty position at the University of Kentuck yand was later promoted to Associate Professor. A small company in Michigan called Gentex Corporation managed to lure him into the industrial world, where he served in various roles for the rapidly growing company, eventually becoming their Vice President for Chemical Research and Aerospace Technology. In 2012, Tom became the Director of R & D at the Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute, and in 2015, he co-founded a tech startup, Jolt Energy Storage Technologies, LLC.

Veronica Kirin

Anthropologist, Entrepreneur & Author

Veronica Kirin is a Forbes notable graduate of Grand Valley State University and a 40 Under 40 Business Leader. An Anthropologist turned Serial Entrepreneur, her career has taken her from Disaster Relief through the Startup world. She is the founder of the award-winning GreenCup Website Services and Entrepreneur Coach to Audacious business owners looking to scale their businesses. Kirin is also the author of Amazon best seller, Stories Of Elders: What the Greatest Generation Knows About Technology that You Don’t. She interviewed 100 elders, all born before 1945, to glean their thoughts and memories on technology. Readers of her book will have a fuller picture of modern technology’s positive and negative affects and begin to become more intentionally minded with regard to their use of modern tech.