Young professionals celebrate first anniversary
Monday, February 21, 2005 - MiBizWest
HOLLAND — The Holland Young Professionals celebrated its first anniversary last month.
The organization has nearly 400 members and started out as a small group of 40 individuals, according to Barry Rice, co-founder and president of HYP.
“We wanted to create an organization that was accessible to younger professionals between 21-35 years old,” Rice said. “Unless you have been in Holland for a while, it’s difficult to get plugged into the community. We want to be a connector and a resource.”
The most popular HYP event is the monthly UNWIND, a social and professional networking event that takes place the second Tuesday of each month. HYP has also organized events with the West Michigan Strategic Alliance, Holland Area Arts Council and Lakeshore Advantage. It was involved in Lakeshore Advantage’s popular Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur program that featured G.W. Haworth of Haworth Inc., Mike Lanser of Innotec Group and Brett Vanderkamp of New Holland Brewing Co. HYP’s most recent activity provided an opportunity for Hope College students to talk one-on-one with professionals in their field of interest.
In addition to organizing events, HYP has created a Young Leaders Scholarship that provides assistance to young professionals in Leadership Holland. Two scholarships were awarded last year.
Organizations similar to HYP have sprung up in other areas of West Michigan, including the Grand Rapids Young Professionals and Young Urban Professionals of Muskegon. Kalamazoo is in the process of starting its own organization.
“To stay competitive, we need to create and promote the amenities that attract and retain young professionals,” said Robyn Wennersten, HYP co-founder and chair of the welcoming committee. “Holland Young Professionals ties everything together and gives newcomers and Holland natives alike an environment to connect and get involved as much as they want.”
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This article appeared in the February 21, 2005 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who are employed in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz, visit www.mibiz.com.
