As Principal at Ounce, I help companies organize teams around new ideas, leveraging Ounce’s Story-based approach to drive innovation and create products, services, and experiences that exceed customer expectations. My approach is highly collaborative, leading cross-functional teams to foster synergy between departments and solve complex challenges that often hinder the achievement of organizational goals.

During my tenure with Spectrum Health (recently rebranded as Corewell Health), I had the privilege of assuming a range of pivotal roles. These roles varied from establishing discovery and delivery practices to identifying and operationalizing team topologies, along with their roles and responsibilities. My journey began with a focus on Corporate Innovation, transitioned to the Transformation Team, and eventually led to direct engagement with Executive Teams.A cornerstone of my contributions involved developing and implementing programs aimed at fostering agility and customer-centricity among over 30,000 team members throughout the Health Care system.

Field Guide - A published booklet (PDF / Print) that outlines Spectrum Health's approach to Design Thinking. Providing employees with just enough information to get started and begin applying.Start Strong Framework - Our second booklet (PDF/Print) that outlines a phased approach for using design thinking on projects within the organization. Interactive Playbook - Introducing the practice and approach of Enterprise Design Thinking built on our intranet. The playbook includes our key design tools and methods, an explanation for each, and examples that show how to use them in practice. All methods were also setup to be remotely enabled via Miro.Community of Practice - established and helped grow a Design Thinking CoP that is FREE and open to ALL those engaged in exploring design thinking solutions within the organization. Talent Enablement - Worked cross-departmentally to help setup, pilot and begin rolling out official design thinking roles (Practitioners, Co-Creators, Coaches), immersive courses and a Workday (ERP) self-pace course.

Corporate Innovation Framework - Lead a team through a series of research activities to explore, define and socialize a corporate innovation framework for Spectrum Health, allowing the transition from IP transfer to one that empowers 32,000 employees to align and bring new value to our strategic portfolio.Innovation Intake Model - mapped out, published and implemented the Spectrum Health Innovation process of how we capture new ideas and how we organize, research and work as a team to select ones to move forward on.

(ACQUIRED in 2020) coLearning builds project-based learning communities around technology, design, and business innovation. Our 12-week courses move learning out of individual isolation into collective communities where participants are challenged by area professionals and peers. Beyond formal instruction, coLearners support each other in being better communicators, collaborators and experience more diverse perspectives.

(ACQUIRED in 2020) We are a coworking space located in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. We’ve come to realize that people work better together, than apart. So we put together a modern open office for community leaders, entrepreneurs and business professionals to come and get awesome work done.

(ACQUIRED in 2019) Elevator Up was a company I founded and nurtured over 15 years, with a focus on design and innovation. We dedicated ourselves to helping companies create better products, services, and overall experiences. In 2019, the company was successfully acquired, allowing me to step back from day-to-day operations. Following the acquisition, it has been rebranded as Spark Business Works and continues to flourish and expand to this day.

We Manage the Cloud - Canvas is a team of talented people that manage all the tools you love. We’re a group that realizes managing an infrastructure is best done when not using pre-packaged solutions and that our customers get better support, flexability and performance when done as a craft.

In just 54 hours, you will experience the highs, lows, fun, and pressure that make up life at a startup. As you learn how to create a real company, you'll meet the very best mentors, investors, cofounders, and sponsors who are ready to help you get started. Your community is here to help you — find an event today!

Downstream solves the problem of retention and aggregation of cloud data by providing a simple way to backup, deliver and trend data for individuals, companies and groups.

Provided guidance on various aspects of future growth models.

Web Strategiest and Team Leader

A local Holland, MI newspaper since 1896. www.hollandsentinel.com

My first company out of high school. Started with an office in downtown Holland, MI