BIGGBY^® COFFEE, East Lansing, Mich.-based, was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY^® COFFEE’s cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself, and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear^® and Caramel Marvel^®, BIGGBY^® baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customer’s day and supporting them in building a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY^® COFFEE has more than 230 cafes across 9 states and counting including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, and Texas. In 2018, BIGGBY^® launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 8 area representatives in 6 states.

BIGGBY^® COFFEE, East Lansing, Mich.-based, was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY^® COFFEE’s cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself, and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear^® and Caramel Marvel^®, BIGGBY^® baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customer’s day and supporting them in building a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY^® COFFEE has more than 230 cafes across 9 states and counting including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, and Texas. In 2018, BIGGBY^® launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 8 area representatives in 6 states.

Rick has been an Insurance and Financial Services professional for more than 40 years and has a diverse background in all areas of the insurance industry. He is the author of the book, Delayed Gratification and is considered an expert on helping small businesses create plans to allow their lives to unfold as they picture it. His passion is found in assisting and developing financial professionals and distributors in their efforts to serve the marketplace as problem solvers and master connectors.

Next Door Photos is a growing network of local B Corp Certified real estate photography companies that empower realtors with industry-leading photography, videography, aerials, 3-Dmodels & floor plans.

As owner of The Anderson Group, Sue has been in the marketing and branding business for 23 years. Sue and her team are passionate about creating and delivering innovative solutions and consistent messaging for a variety of clients. The Anderson Group is a full-service agency that provides customized, attentive service to clients with the goal of creating strong brand and a true partnership.  

Sue and her team understand growing trends and utilize the latest digital breakthroughs to create a competitive advantage for the brands they represent. Their concepts are forward thinking, creatively expressed, and designed to give clients the edge they’re looking for.

Larry Gemmen is the recently retired 2^nd generation co-owner/operator of Gemmen’s  Home & Hardware. Gemmen’s has grown through the years with seven major expansions on its present location. This growth has come about due primarily to the efforts of the high caliber employee associates and the loyalty of the customer base. The company was recognized for three consecutive years as the largest single volume store in the 3700 member Do It Best Corp national co-op. During his 43 years of formal employment with the company he has also served 9 years on the advisory council with 13 leading dealers from around the nation for Do It Best Corp.

The best days for Joel are when he is presented a problem, and helps a client work creatively towards a resolution that makes sense.  His practice focuses on working with businesses on a variety of legal matters, including business formation, business sale and acquisition, contract negotiation, employment matters, business litigation and general business advise.  He also has developed a thriving real estate practice, and has been recognized for his work in the area of the Construction Lien Act and the Builders Trust Fund Act.  Joel is one of those attorneys who places an emphasis on the “Counsellor at Law” role.  He is a sought-after attorney in the area of non-profit law as well, and has worked with and served many well-known non-profit organizations.

Jim has spent his entire career in the transportation and logistics industry and for the last 25 years has led HSD Holding Co. as one of the area’s largest asset-based logistics services. With Holland Special Delivery, Inc. as the company’s flagship, he leads a group of over 400 employees throughout the Midwest. He has a passion for developing leaders, with focus on building a culture of leadership both inside and outside of the company. Jim passion for leadership extends past the business world and into numerous faith-based and charitable organizations, such as Sunset Communities and Davenport University.

Maggie McPhee joined The Employers Association (TEA) in 1989 after working in HR for the hospital and retail industries. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR). At TEA, she is responsible for conducting annual TEA member surveys in Compensation and Benefits, coordinating member data contributions to EAA national surveys, conducting special industry surveys, managing the TEA library resources, facilitating HR roundtable meetings, and consulting with members via the TEA “hotline.” Maggie also conducts training classes for TEA on HR compliance topics. She also conducts HR department audits, reviews member company handbooks for compliance, and is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the Human Resources Group (HRG).

Jason has been a Human Resources Professional for more than 18 years serving small and medium sized businesses in restaurant and cafe, financial, education, service, manufacturing, and not-for-profit healthcare industries and in all aspects of HR from compliance and recruiting to leadership and business strategy. His passion is found in bringing a strategic voice to small business along with practical and administrative support that is foundational to long term success and growth, translating the gray areas into black and white. He is gifted in taking your wildest dreams and ideas and shaping them into doable goals. His firm, Jay Consulting Group, is a full service Business Concierge providing Leadership Coaching, Strategy, HR Support, Payroll, and Benefits to small and medium businesses of every size.