TEDxMacatawa

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Alison Major

  Alison Major is a writer, educator, and sailor who left a conventional life to live aboard her sailboat Fika, cruising over 9,000 nautical miles with her husband and two young children while working remotely and homeschooling. She’s the author of Remote Work Afloat and founder of Loop Life Academy, where she helps others navigate uncertainty and life transitions through the lens of long-distance cruising. Her talk explores how we find meaning and momentum when life goes off-script.

• Dan Broersma

  Dan, with over 25 years of experience in sustainability, leads the development and execution of community-focused environmental sustainability initiatives. As the City of Holland’s first Sustainability Manager, he helps individuals, organizations, and communities identify and develop sustainable opportunities and policies to benefit and serve the residents of Holland. A published author of the book ‘Practical Sustainability,’ Dan lives in Holland, with his wife and two children. He is passionate about faith, community, and sustainability and firmly believes that all three are interconnected and is passionate about bringing them all together.

• Har Ye Kan

  Har Ye Kan grew up in Singapore and is now a community planning and design consultant based in West Michigan. She is also a wife, a mother, a bridge builder, and a history buff. Har Ye loves learning about different communities and coming alongside them to discover possibilities for visionary and achievable outcomes.

• Jill Ver Steeg

  Jill Ver Steeg is the President and CEO of Evergreen Commons in Holland, Michigan, where she has led a community of over 5,300 members since 2022. Jill’s mission is simple but profound: to transform the way we experience aging, helping older adults live with purpose, vitality, and joy. She believes that flourishing in later life is not just possible—it is essential, and that thriving communities are built on healthy teams and a culture that inspires growth at every stage of life. Before joining Evergreen Commons, Jill served as Chief Operating Officer for the Reformed Church in America, guiding 1,200 congregations across North America. Jill is a graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, Western Theological Seminary in Holland, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

• Kelsey Simpson

  Kelsey Simpson is a dedicated student and volleyball athlete at West Ottawa High School. She is also a key member of I AM Academy, where she collaborates with other young leaders to drive positive change and build community among Black and multiracial youth.

• Luke Burgis

  Luke Burgis is a veteran entrepreneur, professor of business, and bestselling author of Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. He is Founding Director of The Cluny Institute.

• Robert Heath Sr.

  Robert Heath, Sr. is a nationally recognized Empowering Leadership strategist, executive coach, and keynote speaker. A former U.S. Marine Corps Officer who commanded one of the largest companies in the Corps, Robert now helps high-capacity leaders align with their purpose, master self-leadership, and lead with impact. With a background in law, education, and entrepreneurship, he’s coached thousands—from startups to Fortune 500s. His mission: help leaders get the best out of themselves and those they lead.

• Stephanie Wright

  Stephanie Wright is a practice management coach for private dentistry, known for turning insurance chaos into clear, repeatable systems. She trains teams to communicate benefits honestly, appeal denials effectively, and protect doctor autonomy. In 2023, after calling out insurer practices publicly, she received a cease-and-desist from Delta Dental of Michigan—an attempt to quiet a voice that refuses to be quieted. Stephanie blends front-line experience with patient-side advocacy, showing how “coverage” often fails the dictionary definition of insurance—and what clinicians and patients can do about it. Her work is practical, candid, and relentlessly pro-patient & doctor.

• Zach Tolan

  Zach Tolan is the author of the Kids Piano book series and inventor of a patented music notation system for kids. His discoveries in the musical symbolism of Bach and Beethoven are reshaping how we teach, interpret, and experience classical music.