Rapid Growth Media

Fresh News from Rapid Growth. Rapid Growth is excited to announce a new opportunity for our West Michigan partners. Our nationwide magazine, Common Ground, has officially launched—sharing locally produced stories of hope, creativity, and community impact with a broader audience. For sponsors, this means your story/series support now reaches even further. Through Common Ground, our award-winning solutions journalism—created right here in West Michigan—will resonate with readers nationwide who seek positive, actionable stories about people and organizations making a real difference. Partnering with Rapid Growth allows your sponsorship to amplify community voices and associate your brand with stories that highlight innovation, inclusion, and progress. Together, we are now able to create connections between local inspiration and deliver a wider national recognition. If you want to maximize the impact of your sponsorship dollars in the upcoming year, now is an ideal moment to join our expanding network of mission-driven partners who believe in the power of meaningful media. Need more info? DM Tommy Allen, Publisher, to start a conversation. Cheers...and thank you for standing with us. Mark your calendars: Rapid Growth turns 20 in April 2026! LINK: https://lnkd.in/eRcN5Kur #SolutionsJournalism #WestMichigan #SolutionsJournalismNetwork

Grand Rapids’ parks are more than green spaces — they’re places where community and curiosity thrive. From spotting birds at Huff Park to learning about native plants, every visit is a chance to connect with nature and neighbors alike. Discover how local groups and citizen scientists are transforming how we see — and care for — our city’s wild spaces. https://lnkd.in/g7XW4Vi5

From filmmaker to parks leader — Stacy Bare brings the art of storytelling and adventure to his work at Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. His past behind the camera, capturing stories of resilience and connection in wild places, now fuels his mission to help Grand Rapids’ green spaces inspire community and healing. 🌳✨ #GrandRapids #Storytelling #OutdoorAdventure #CommunityLeadership #FriendsOfGRParks https://lnkd.in/eHTnmra3

Access to Michigan’s great outdoors can change the trajectory for young people — but not every child gets the chance. Across West Michigan, programs that connect youth to nature face waitlists, cost barriers, and limited capacity. Still, organizations like Hudson’s Fishing Camp and partners like the Michigan DNR are working to close those gaps, turning lakes, rivers, and forests into classrooms that build confidence, connection, and stewardship. Read how Michigan is teaching the next generation — from the ground to the river, youth to the future. https://lnkd.in/gry9xWEc

“Stopping for a stopped school bus isn’t just the law; it will prevent a potential traffic fatality,” said Curt Macysyn, the association’s executive director. “We must continue to raise awareness of the laws governing motor vehicle navigation around school buses because any incident involving a stopped school bus is entirely preventable.” #busandmotorcoachnews #umaontheroad

Grand Rapids was recently named LinkedIn’s #1 rising city to grow your career — and next week, Tech Week Grand Rapids will showcase exactly why. With 115+ events highlighting innovation, collaboration, and the future of technology, Tech Week is where ideas turn into opportunity. While Steve Wozniak’s keynote is already sold out, the week offers so much more: AI workshops, hands-on showcases, thought-provoking panels, networking opportunities, and university-led programs that connect talent with industry. https://lnkd.in/g74R5fmX

🎶 Celebrating Local Talent, Building Community Kent District Library is redefining what it means to be a community hub. Through KDL Vibes, the library pays local artists, streams their music, and hosts Vibes Fest — a free annual festival that connects West Michigan residents with the region’s diverse musicians. 📅 This year’s Vibes Fest takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Cascade branch, featuring 11 live performances, food trucks, family activities, and even a classic car show. More than just a festival, KDL Vibes is: A platform for discovery — spotlighting West Michigan indie artists across genres. A resource for musicians — ensuring local artists are compensated for their work. A tool for access — from streaming music to circulating instruments, making creativity available to everyone. The latest feature in Rapid Growth Media’s Literacy Matters series showcases how KDL is advancing knowledge, culture, and community connections far beyond books. 👉 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gbeHxH4d

At this year’s West Side Reunion in Grand Rapids, memories weren’t just shared — they were preserved. With support from the Grand Rapids Media Initiative & Film Incubator (GR-MiFi), oral histories were filmed in Roberto Clemente Park, connecting generations through storytelling. Voices like longtime resident John Fernandez, his daughter and historian Dr. Delia Fernández-Jones, interviewer Kuzari Olushola, and 96-year-old community leader Rosie Springs reflected on migration, resilience, and the power of neighborhood ties. These stories reveal how Black, Latino, and white families built lives together on the West Side — through churches, schools, and front porches — and why so many still call it home. 📌 The project brought together volunteers, scholars, and cultural institutions to create a digital archive that will ensure this history is accessible for generations. Kuzari Olushola: “First thing, love. That’s what the West Side is built upon.” https://lnkd.in/gM9YxRk3

For the second year, a memorial for Grand Rapids’ unclaimed dead will be held at Oak Grove Cemetery, 2531 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Organizer Sarah Sun, a death care worker, began the memorial after learning that nearly 400 unclaimed people — many unhoused or without families able to afford burial — have been interred in an unmarked section of Oak Grove over the past decade. In her story, Estelle Slootmaker writes that the ceremony will include reading names from cemetery records, laying flowers on the graves, and tying written prayers or wishes to a newly planted fruit tree. A “wind phone” installation, modeled after one in Japan, will also provide visitors a space to speak with lost loved ones. https://lnkd.in/gwckgztF

Founded in 2016, Speciation Cellars has grown into a Grand Rapids hub for community and creativity. But like many small businesses, tough financial choices are part of daily life. That’s why founder Mitch Ermatinger calls the Comcast RISE grant a game-changer. The award provides: 💰 $5,000 grant 💻 New tech & cybersecurity 📺 A pro-produced commercial + airtime 🎓 Coaching & courses “This means more time connecting with our community and less time worrying about tech,” Mitch says. Speciation is one of 100 West Michigan small businesses selected this year — part of Comcast RISE’s $160M investment in 14,500 businesses nationwide. https://lnkd.in/egzH8UzG