Hi there! We’re Kaitlin and Kenzie, a couple of gals from New York and Kentucky who were lucky enough to end up on this part of the map. Grand Rapids is our home, and the community members, artists, small business owners, and self-proclaimed Misfits have become our family. As small business owners (Kaitlin is a copywriter and Kenzie is a professional photographer), we have spent the last two years brainstorming what we can do to give back to our Grand Rapids family while also uplifting and supporting the marginalized communities, small business owners, and artists in our lives. That’s where UVGR was born.

Did you know there are roughly 20 THOUSAND small businesses in our big, little city?! From services to wares, food and beverage to the arts - Grand Rapids is a hub of creation and the small businesses that run throughout are vital to its well-being. So we asked ourselves, how to we bring people together while also supporting our local economy?

We started with what we know - celebrations, organized events, and book-themed balls - to hold space for local vendors, encourage networking, and to do it all while having fun! We both have been fortunate enough to meet some really incredible people and other fellow non-profits in our time living in Grand Rapids, and our goal now is to build a table where everyone can sit and mutually benefit from sharing space with one another.

If you came to our Starfall Ball event in September at the GRAM, thank you. We hope you’ll continue gathering with us. If you want to experience the types of celebrations that UVGR puts on, we’d love to have you at our next event.