Liz Kirkwood is a passionate protector of water and the environment. Inspired by the complex interaction between water, health, community, and conservation, she is an international water law expert and is executive director of FLOW (For Love of Water) – a Great Lakes water law and policy center based here in Traverse City. “Water runs through it all. Water defines us and everything we do on … [Read more...]
Jeremy Reisig, brotha James
brotha James, a Michigander, is a marketing and sales entrepreneur turned musician who left the business world to pursue his destiny of creating inspirational music. Armed with a passion for making music and connecting people through his live performances, Jeremy (brotha James) Reisig brings non-stop enthusiasm and endless energy that leaves his audiences asking for more. Combining clever, … [Read more...]
ANDREA LOGAN DEIBLER, Raduno
Andrea grew up in Kansas City. She wasn’t interested in cooking as a child, she fell in love with it after college and made it into her career. It took her first to Chicago and then up to northern Michigan. Currently she is butcher, charcutière, and co-owner at Raduno, a small delicatessen establishing itself in Traverse City. A stint as a vegetarian in her teens awakened her to the ethical … [Read more...]
Lindy Bishop, Artist
Lindy is an artist at heart with a head for writing and business. She ran her own art gallery, Seed Studio in Elk Rapids and was the town’s Economic Development Director at the same time. She went on to expand into non-profit management, community development, marketing consulting and graphic recording. Today, driven with a passion for the arts as well as entrepreneurs, Lindy is a professional … [Read more...]
FRED SITKINS, INLAND SEAS
Fred Sitkins grew up in Wyandotte, MI but moved to Traverse City at the age of 21 to attend college at NMC. It was at that time he began working on the schooner Malabar and was first introduced to Inland Seas. After being inspired by Inland Seas to enter a career in teaching Fred received his bachelors degree in education from Western Michigan University. After several years of teaching in Manton, … [Read more...]
Ben Davila, The Rock Stop
Ben Davila is a co-founder of the Rock Stop and serves as the lead teacher. Prior to moving to Traverse City in 2014, he spent nearly a decade teaching at the Bird School of Music in San Francisco. Ben is a prolific song-writer and multi-instrumentalist, having written and recorded a song every week for five years. His music has been used in plays, movies, ads, and video games. When he isn’t … [Read more...]
CHRISTAL FROST ANDERSON, WTCM
Christal grew up in Benzie County and began her career locally at Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Traverse, after completing a year of service with Americorps National Service. She started in radio in 2007, and feels as though she has finally found her broadcasting home with WTCM NewsTalk 580. Christal is involved with many community groups, co-founding the CherryT Ball Drop in 2009. She is a … [Read more...]
Fernando Meza, OneUpWeb CEO
FERNANDO MEZA is a first generation Mexican-American born in East Los Angeles, an advertising whiz who cut his teeth in Manhattan, Meza purchased the innovative digital marketing agency OneUpWeb in 2014 and moved it to a revitalized warehouse in the Grand Traverse Commons. Meza says he feels more proud of his Latino heritage here than he would in LA or New York. I’m privileged to live in a … [Read more...]
Anne Hoyt, Leelanau Cheese founder
ANNE HOYT is the cheesemaker and co-owner of Leelanau Cheese. Anne was born in the north of France and moved to the Roquefort region to work in agriculture as a chicken and turkey farmer, vegetable grower and also worked with goats and goat cheese. After that Anne was a Shepard in Switzerland. After years of training and hands-on experience finally led her and her husband back to Michigan. I … [Read more...]
Diana Ladio, fiddler, violinist, teacher
DIANA LADIO is a studied Americana fiddler, 5-string violinist, and classical violist. After receiving degrees in music performance and music education from the University of Michigan, she co-founded the instrumental fusion trio and educational ensemble, The Moxie Strings, which she also manages and promotes. In 2015 she joined the ranks of Irish super-group, The Elders, and now tours … [Read more...]
Norm Wheeler, teacher, poet, trumpet player
NORM WHEELER is the co-creator and host of Beach Bards Bonfire (by heart storytelling around a bonfire), a retired Astronomy and English teacher at the Leelanau School after 32 years, and a trumpet/flugelhorn player for Jazz North, The Wild Sullys, Goodboy!, and Luunappi around the area for 20 years. While hitchhiking around Europe in the 1970s, he met Mimi (founder of Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate) … [Read more...]
Jackie Kaschel, Peace Ranch
JACKIE KASCHEL, Founder and ED of PEACE Ranch, serving horses and humans suffering the effects of abuse, neglect, conflict grief and pain. The ranch serves a broad population with EAGALA Model equine assisted activities and specializes with at risk youth, trauma based issues for children and Veterans and difficult to treat issues like addiction and autism. Jackie has led the way pioneering … [Read more...]
BEN WHITING, Magician & Entertainer
Ben Whiting is an award winning Professional Speaker and Corporate Entertainer. He co-founded MagicMouth Theatre, a company that combined Magic and theatre while educating communities in both art forms. As a speaker, actor and entertainer, Ben performs at sales conferences, award banquets, and private events across the country for clients such as American Express, GE, and Oprah’s HARPO Studios. He … [Read more...]
Jetty Rae, singer/songwriter
Jetty Rae is a singer and songwriter originally from Northern Michigan. She has been singing, touring, and recording since 2004. Jetty garnered the attention of JetBlue when she played at the opening of their new Terminal at JFK International Airport. MTV.com featured Jetty on their up-and-coming artist blog, and she has shared the stage with Sarah McLachlan and Miranda Lambert at Lilith Fair in … [Read more...]
JULIE GREEN, Hospice RN
Julie Green was born in Metro Detroit. After nursing school, she worked on a cardiac unit in an urban hospital as a RN. From there, she volunteered in Kenya for six months at a refugee camp working to empower women affected by HIV. Upon coming home, she moved to Traverse city with her friends and found love. Julie worked on organic farms and with herbal medicine and then began working with Munson … [Read more...]
CHRIS HINDBAUGH, Addiction Treatment Services
Chris Hindbaugh has worked in the behavioral health field for over 20 years. He has worked in a variety of hospital based programs, and has also ran a youth crisis center and shelter. In 2009, Hindbaugh moved to Traverse City where he is the current CEO of Addiction Treatment Services, an organization that has completely recreated itself while doubling its size, adding innovative programs … [Read more...]
RICH BRAUER, Filmmaker
Rich Brauer is president of Brauer Productions, Inc., an independent film and video production company he founded in 1977. After many years of making films for a wide variety of clients, Brauer received the Michigan Filmmaker of the Year award at the 2009 Traverse City Film Festival, presented by filmmaker Michael Moore. Brauer has directed 10 feature films and hundreds of corporate, non-profit, … [Read more...]
Troy DeShano, Illustrator and Designer
Troy is an artist and designer based out of Traverse City, Michigan. After spending much of his twenties battling cancer, Troy found himself sharing stories of his personal trials through art and design via his blog Strong Odors. As a result Troy launched his freelance design and illustration business Ten Point Studio in 2009, has exhibited fine art in galleries around Michigan as well as Chicago … [Read more...]
LEAH BAGDON MCCALLUM, U.S. SENATOR REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Leah is a waitress, turned grant writer, turned proud government employee. She charted her career path based on her mission to improve the quality of life for all around her. –A goal that may sound a little vanilla, but that is absolutely her truth. Leah has channeled her entrepreneurial spirit into whatever makes people and places around her thrive. Whether building Chicago’s Prentice Women’s … [Read more...]
Erin Anderson Whiting, Parallel 45 Theatre
Erin grew up surrounded by cherry farms near Elk Rapids, but left to pursue an adventure at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she majored in Creative Writing and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Her journey continued in New York City, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree focused in Middle Eastern History from Sarah Lawrence College and later stayed to work in the publishing … [Read more...]