West Michigan's cultural diversity supports a thriving arts scene.
From an economic history rooted in design-driven furniture and manufacturing industries to a thriving contemporary arts scene, West Michigan's economy and culture is inextricably linked to the arts. West Michigan boasts the world's largest art prize, vibrant local music, numerous public art and music festivals, innovative museums, and nationally-renowned performing arts troupes. You'll find culture for every taste in West Michigan.
West Michigan Is a National Leader in Giving Back
The vitality West Michigan exhibits is a tribute to the generousity of its citizens, major philanthropists and regular citizens alike. Recognized repeatedly as one of the most generous regions per capita in the United States, West Michigan philanthropists have pioneered ground-breaking private-public partnerships, a billion dollar public school scholarship program, a multi-billion dollar medical research institute, cutting edge museums, and top-flight arts institutions. In West Michigan, philanthropy is more than a legacy; it's a way of life.
Whether you choose the vibrancy of urban living in a downtown condominium, the youthful energy of one of the region's college towns like Kalamazoo, or the quiet of a big country house with a garden, you're just a quick drive, maybe even a short walk, away from work, schools, volunteer opportunities and cultural events. With one of the lowest cost of living in the United States, diverse entertainment options, top schools, and rich economic opportunity, West Michigan is consistently recognized as one of the top places to live in the United States.
West Michigan has set environmental trends for decades.
West Michigan is wonderfully, beautifully green. But "green" doesn't refer to the color of the landscape; it's the simple term that sums up what is perhaps the region's most acclaimed accomplishments: being a global leader in the design and construction of some of the world's first, and best, environmentally-savvy built environments.
New Businesses Thrive in West Michigan
From innovative bio-medical or information technology startups to world-beating manufacturers and suppliers, West Michigan is a launchpad for entrepreneurial success. With well-developed angel-investing networks, a business-friendly culture, top-notch colleges and university, and deep talent pool from which to hire, West Michigan is a nurturing environment where startups and other innovative ventures can grow.
Trailing Significant Others/New in Town
Hello West Michigan serves as an advocate for talent and provides downstream support to them, and their families, as they settle into their new lives in West Michigan. As a trailing spouse/significant other or someone who is new in town,
Hello West Michigan offers support to showcase all that West Michigan has to offer as you make your decision to relocate or to stay in West Michigan.
PROFILE
I grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, and after college, I moved to Chicago for five years where I worked at an ad agency. I think being away for five years and living in a really big city gives you a different perspective on where you grew up. I saw Grand Rapids and West Michigan in a different light.
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NEWS
The Internship Movie and Mixer
The Internship Movie and Mixer
With Hello West Michigan and HR Collaborative
Sponsored by Steelcase
June 12
Tickets are $25 and include appetizers, one drink ticket, and a small soda and popcorn for the show.
Click here to register.
Join Hello West Michigan and HR Collaborative for a night of networking and entertainment as we screen the new movie The Internship, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.
NEWS
Hello West Michigan works to attract top talent to area
In 2007, a group of chief information officers began a series of conversations regarding the disconnect they were witnessing between talent and job availability in West Michigan. The CIOs worried there wasn’t a large enough pipeline, particularly of information technology students and graduates, to fill the current and future job needs within their growing companies.
As a result, in January 2010, Hello West Michigan was launched. The membership-driven nonprofit organization was developed to service three purposes: to promote West Michigan as a place where business thrives and people want to live and work; to increase the rate of success member companies have in their efforts to recruit top talent; and to collaborate with organizations across the region to help new residents find their fit in West Michigan.
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NEWS
Grand Rapids lands on national list of sustainable cities
Grand Rapids has landed on a national list of cities "Leading the Way in Sustainability.”
The list is by BillMoyers.com. The website provides access to broadcast journalist Bill Moyer’s continued work in journalism, including his TV show, Moyers & Company, which is broadcast nationally on public TV affiliates.
The city's write up in the list cites two of the sustainability efforts that Mayor George Heartwell pointed out in his letter to Tina Brown, The Daily Beast editor, after her outlet included Grand Rapids on its 2011 list of "America’s Dying Cities" — in refute of the city’s inclusion on the list.
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NEWS
Gordon Food Service internship: How to increase your odds of getting one
Land an internship at Gordon Food Service, and chances are a job offer won’t be far behind.
For the last two years, the Wyoming-based food distributor has hired 60 percent of its interns for full-time positions.
Most of the company’s 35 to 40 interns work during the summer.
The majority work at the company’s Wyoming headquarters, primarily in the departments of marketing, information systems and finance or accounting.
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