Amway, Corewell Health, Meijer and Inforum are excited to host the 14th annual International Women’s Day celebration to help bring together and empower all members of our community.

Give To Gain is this year’s theme and encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration while emphasizing the power of reciprocity and support. Whether through donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, or time, contributing to women's advancement helps create a more supportive and interconnected world. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication.

West Michigan International Women’s Day celebration attendees will hear from an inspiring lineup of speakers covering themes of leadership, empowerment, generosity, and well‑being. Expect a powerful keynote from Collette Smith, the 1st African American female coach in the NFL and founder of Believe N You, Incorporated,  insights on how generosity drives professional growth with Tara Ondusky, and a dynamic mental‑health–focused panel featuring Lorissa MacAllister, Janee Beville, Dr. Diane Bitner, Dr. Zhiling Trowbridge, MD and additional leaders.

Collette V. Smith is the Founder and President of Believe N You, Inc. and the NFL’s 1st African American Female Coach in the History of the National Football League by way of being the 1st Female Coach in NY Jets Franchise History, Coaching the Defensive Backs in 2017 during Training Camp. She is a true Change Agent and has dedicated her life to empowering our youth, in particular girls and women to know that Any and Everything we desire IS Possible if we Believe In Ourselves. Her cultural and gender specific loyalty is very important to her. She emphasizes the importance of building positive self-esteem through team sports to at-risk teens and women in low-income, underserved and marginalized communities.

Workshop: Generosity as a Professional Superpower: How Giving Fuels Growth

Tara Ondusky
Chief Purpose Provoker and founder
Origin Coaching

As the Chief Purpose Provoker and founder of Origin Coaching, Tara helps individuals navigate change and lead with authenticity and intention. Tara believes that success happens when relationships are built on trust. After 30+ years of building trust as a program manager, process improvement leader, and coach in automotive and technology, she learned something that changed everything. We can embrace the journey that we must take to define and move through change and transform. We all lead, and Tara’s passion is for rising leaders and individual contributors to see and define the path that leads them to creative and successful outcomes in work, business and life. Doing so allows everyone to choose the path that is aligned to their gifts while creating the greatest opportunity for growth, alignment and joy! When you do this, you create a ripple that is intentional and inspired! Tara’s background includes automotive, IT and operations experience. With senior leadership and almost a decade of coaching, she has served a wide variety of leaders and their teams, focused on facilitating strategic outcomes and vision.

Panel Discussion: Health Habits for Productivity & Self-care: A Mental Health Perspective

Moderator
Lorissa MacAllister, PhD, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, EDAC
President
Enviah

Lorissa MacAllister, PhD, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, EDAC is a researcher, architect, and founder of Enviah, an evidence-based consulting firm focused on creating environments where people thrive. She has led nationally recognized research on patient room and unit design, including work at Emory University Hospital, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

With over 20 years of experience, Dr. MacAllister has advised executive teams at over 50 hospitals across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. Her peer-reviewed research, published in 10 journals and applied globally for research impact and is used directly in practice. Her forthcoming book, Designing Healthcare for All Persons: Lessons in Rehabilitation, extends this work.

Dr. MacAllister is frequently invited to address senior healthcare audiences at national and international forums, and her work has been featured in Psychology Today and leading healthcare publications. She is the creator of the inFORMed Approach™, an evidence-based methodology used to align wellness, staff well-being, and productivity with organizational performance.

Panelists

Janee' Beville
Licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Licensing Supervisor, and Founder
Beville Counseling

Janee’ Beville is a Grand Rapids, Michigan native and proud graduate of Ottawa Hills High School whose work and relationships reflect her personal ministry: helping people become the best version of themselves. Janee’ is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Licensing Supervisor, and founder of Beville Counseling, where she leads a team of 12 therapists serving Michigan residents. With 15 years of experience, she specializes in clinical care, culturally responsive services, and mentoring emerging therapists. Janee’ earned dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Interpersonal Communication and a master’s in Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy from Western Michigan University. An active community leader, she chairs the Physical and Mental Health Committee for the Grand Rapids Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a graduate of the Urban Core Collective’s Transformational Leadership Program. She has also served on multiple mental health boards. Grounded in compassion and a belief in healing, Janee’ creates spaces where people feel seen and valued. Outside of work, she enjoys music, traveling, time with loved ones, and relaxing at home with her dog, Londyn, and rabbit, Buddy.

Dr. Diane Bitner
OB/GYN
Co-Founder
true. Women's Health

Dr. Diana Bitner is a board-certified OB/GYN specializing in midlife, menopause, and sexual health. She co-founded true.Women’s Health, a concierge practice in West Michigan dedicated to helping women optimize their health and reduce chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dr. Bitner is the author of I Want to Age Like That! Healthy Aging through Midlife & Menopause, and has published multiple peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Bitner enjoys outreach through her regular morning tv spot on Fox17 WXMI and membership in the International Menopause Society, The Menopause Society, ISSWSH, and through social media, giving talks to medical professionals and community groups, teaching clinician learners, and researching novel ways to improve knowledge Outside of work, Dr. Bitner enjoys outdoor activities with family and friends, including skiing, boating, and race car driving.

Dr. Zhiling Trowbridge, MD
Practice Owner
Integrative Wellness Grand Rapids

Trowbridge is a family medicine physician that specializes in integrative medicine and acupuncture. Her particular passions are food as medicine, functional medicine, and mindfulness meditation. She develops a holistic care of approach with her patients for chronic conditions in including chronic pain, anxiety/depression, and women’s health concerns. She holds a medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College. She finished her Integrative Medicine Fellowship at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. She enjoys biking, going to concerts, reading sci-fi novels, and spending time with her family including husband, two young girls, and golden doodle.

Trowbridge is the medical director and owner of Integrative Wellness Grand Rapids and Uplift Health MD. She sees patients for one-on-one integrative medicine consults, food sensitivity and environmental allergy treatments, and medical acupuncture services.

THANK YOU TO OUR HOST SPONSORS