GROW's CEO named one of 50 most influential women in West Michigan | Business

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Bonnie Nawara, CEO of Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW), has been selected as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal (GRBJ). GRBJ surveyed hundreds of deserving women throughout Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon Counties for this prestigious recognition. They will be honoring all 50 recipients on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, MI.
 
Nawara has been with GROW since September of 2010. She brings a unique set of skills to this Women's Business Center, having been the Director of Estate and Asset Services with the American Cancer Society for 6 years and previous to that owned and operated Sir Speedy Printing Center for 15 years. In 1991, Nawara worked with 4 other local business women cultivating a $40,000 government grant to create a small business training center known as EXCEL (EXCELlence in Entrepreneurship). EXCEL later became the regional Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Nawara later served as President for the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) from 1996 to 1998.
 
Since her start at GROW, Nawara has been instrumental in strengthening its recent merger with the AWE as well as in continuing collaborations to further GROW's mission: to provide education, connections, and resources that create and strengthen women-owned businesses.
 
"I am blessed to be involved in growing a 22-year-old organization that furthers our community's economic impact made by women-owned businesses," says Nawara.
 
Over the years, Nawara has held positions on other nonprofit boards including organizations such as QUOTA International, Golden K Kiwanis Club, West Michigan Planned Giving Group, and Kent County Silent Observer. She facilitated the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce CEO Roundtable Program for 10 years and served as chairperson for 2 years. She is a current member of Grand Rapids Economic Club and a graduate of Leadership Grand Rapids.
 
Founded in 1989 as a non-profit economic development organization, Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW) provides all promising entrepreneurs, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, gender, age or education, with opportunities to develop the skills and acquire the knowledge they need to achieve economic independence through self-employment, primarily in the form of small business startups and expansion of small business. GROW is one of 103 designated Women Business Centers in the United States and one of three in Michigan.