BL²END Celebrates Five Years of Passion. Leadership. Legacy.

BL²END, Business Leaders Linked to Encourage New Directions, is heading in a new direction of its own next month with a gala celebration of its fifth anniversary on Monday, August 15 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. The innovative networking group was created to meet the needs of 21 to 35 year old young professionals of color in Greater Grand Rapids, but it quickly became a magnet for professionals of all ages, races and backgrounds. The theme for the anniversary celebration is Passion. Leadership. Legacy. The anniversary committee selected the theme because BL²END started with the passion of its founders, grew with the diverse leadership of its volunteer board, community advisors and event participants, and is committed to creating a lasting legacy for future generations in Grand Rapids.

The anniversary event will feature a keynote address from Ingrid Jacobs, diversity and inclusion manager at Whirlpool Corporation. Ms. Jacobs is an experienced leader with excellent communication skills and a proven track record of managing and executing key strategic diversity initiatives. At Whirlpool, she is charged with implementing a corporate-wide inclusion initiative for 67,000 employees. Ms. Jacobs will speak under the theme “To be a leader of the future, mediocrity simply won’t cut it.” Highlights of Ingrid’s address will include insights on the role of diversity and inclusion in advancing workplace and business strategies domestically and abroad concept of diversity and inclusion, social media and young professionals, business resource groups, and proven ways to engage in networking with impact. Jacobs will also discuss importance of recruiting and retaining young, diverse talent to advance business strategies in the global marketplace, especially in geographic areas like Greater Grand Rapids and West Michigan. Ms. Jacobs will also comment on how grassroots, nonprofit organizations like BL²END positively impact commerce and business, while helping us build better communities for all to live, work and play.

The anniversary celebration is presented by three event partners under the theme of Passion. Leadership. Legacy. As the Leadership partner for the event, Warner, Norcross & Judd, LLP will introduce Ms. Jacobs. As the Legacy partner, Varnum, LLP representatives will present awards based on the event theme. The Passion partner, Priority Health, will host the VIP reception before the event. Each event partner has generously committed financial support to the event at the $7,500 level.

Table Partnerships are available and uniquely designed to facilitate a unique mixture of table partner guests and BL²END participants, to create an intentional atmosphere of networking. Three levels of Table Partnerships are available; Access ($750), Success ($1,000) and Excellence ($1,250). Each Table Partnership includes event tickets and at least one ticket to the VIP reception. Businesses, organizations and individuals interested in Table Partnerships, should visit www.grblend.org/five or call Maxine Gray at (616) 520-7298 for details.