Made in Mud City

/ By Jackie Brennan / Any time we travel to a major American city, almost all of us have cursory knowledge about some basic touchstones­—major attractions, staple fare, maybe even a few iconic historic figures associated with the city. Like any city, Chicago has plenty of those things. But it also has a lot of…

2018 NGen Award winner gives boost to two Grand Rapids community nonprofits

Transformative leadership was front and center during our inaugural Upswell LA in November, where we presented the 2018 American Express NGen Leadership Award to Stacy Stout, assistant to the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Stacy’s outstanding efforts on behalf of Grand Rapids’ communities embody the award’s purpose — to recognize one emerging changemaker who…

Upswell 101: Understanding the program

This post is one in a three-part introduction to the Upswell experience. Other installments focus on design and community. Following two years of planning, intentional outreach and listening to changemakers for design and programming ideas, Upswell LA sprang to life bigger than almost anyone could have anticipated. With more than 225 activities scheduled across three…