Tami VandenBerg, 38
Joseph Voss, 37
Title: Co-owner/Executive Director Company: The Meanwhile and The Pyramid Scheme/Well House When opening a music venue with her brother and with Grand Rapids bar mogul Mark Sellers presented itself in 2011, Tami VandenBerg jumped at the opportunity. The Pyramid Scheme has since taken off and hosted some of the region’s best bands, as well as hosting one of the best pinball selections in Michigan. The VandenBerg’s other bar, The Meanwhile, was already a thriving neighborhood bar located on Wealthy Street since 2007. But her life is about more than owning bars. She’s worked organizing events for the Eastown Community Association and Division Avenue Arts Cooperative, and was one of the first skaters for the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls. Following the opening of The Meanwhile, VandenBerg went back to her roots of helping the homeless and began to serve on the board at Well House Communities. In 2010, she began her work on the board of the Grand Rapids Red Project.
Late last year, with Well House at risk of closing, she raised more than $330,000, enough to keep the organization open and purchase four additional houses. The board of directors chose her to be executive director. VandenBerg also has served on the Host Committee for the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks Green Gala, and cofounded LadyFestGR and T Rex Fest, an outdoor musical festival. She was selected to the Grand Rapids Business Journal 40 under 40 in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and to GRBJ’s 50 Most Influential Women in 2010 and 2012.
32 Grand Rapids Business Journal | 40 UNDER FORTY 2013
Title: Senior Counsel Company: Clark Hill PLC
Andy Van Solkema, 34 Title: Founder/Design Officer Company: Visualhero
Taking a leap of faith and starting his own creative firm was a rewarding and fruitful career break for Andy Van Solkema. He has turned Visualhero from a one-person graphic design firm into a full-blown studio specializing in graphic recording, data visualization, brand identity and interface design. “We have grown this startup to 15 employees and worked across the country (with clients) including Apple, Sony, IDEO and Amway,” Van Solkema said. “I also take an active role in the design and business community to advocate for the power of design and creativity.” Van Solkema leads seminars and design workshops at various universities, such as Ferris State, Grand Valley State and Yale. His work has been featured in design books and publications across the nation and he has received local ADDY Awards for brand and web design. “It is incredibly rewarding that something I am so passionate about is an integral part of business and (the) community today,” he said. “I truly believe design done right is a vehicle for micro and macro change today.” Van Solkema serves on the Design West Michigan Advisory Board and previously worked on committees for AIGA West Michigan and TEDx Grand Rapids. Volunteer projects include the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Kids’ Food Basket and St. Cecilia Music Center. “He dreams in pictures and colors where most people might only see words,” said Adrienne Wallace, project and digital director for 834 Design and Marketing. “While so many people say they are doing things, Andy actually is making things happen in Grand Rapids.”
Working with activists and artists in New York City and Haiti and his early law career in Chicago has helped Joseph Voss stay driven in his journey to continue collaboration on projects across the country. In his professional life, Voss leads Clark Hill’s entertainment industry team, representing film and television projects in legal work and helping procure government incentives for film. “Joe is a very accomplished person. Not only does he run the Entertainment Practice Group, but he is very active in the industry throughout Michigan,” said Maureen Conway, Clark Hill’s marketing manager. “He has been an advocate and proponent of bringing film and music business to the state.”
Voss was recognized by the Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival and West Michigan Film Video Alliance for his service to the Michigan film industry. Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Voss to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council. He also serves on the State Bar of Michigan’s Communications, Entertainment and Sports Section Council and on the advisory board of the Media Arts Coalition of West Michigan. He runs Clark Hill’s “E2” program, allowing small companies access to legal services. But Voss is most proud of the part he played in the formation of the Hospice of Michigan Collaborative. The group is charged with bringing the successful parts of West Michigan’s philanthropy to end-oflife care in ways that might not otherwise have been implemented.