The Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation are dedicated to developing best practices in entrepreneurship education and community engagement that enhance and impact the creation of new ventures and opportunities.

Shorouq Almallah

Director

Shorouq is the Director for the Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CEI) at Grand Valley State University. She joined Grand Valley State University in 2001, and has been working with CEI for the past 15 years in different roles and capacities. In her current role, she is responsible for providing leadership, vision, strategic direction, tactical execution and operational oversight of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation with a focus on talent development, expanding and growing entrepreneurship education, and innovative curriculum for the university and the community at large. She provides the necessary leadership and strategic direction for the center’s management, talent development, program development, curriculum development, fundraising, grant solicitation, public relations and community outreach. 

Shorouq has over 15 years of experience in launching, designing and coordinating unique and transformational entrepreneurial education programs in West Michigan such as the Teen Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TESA), the MWest Challenge, JumpStart, SproutLab, MVE-Lab, the 77IdeaLab, and LendGr. These programs have been instrumental in creating an entrepreneurial pipeline as well as fostering new venture creation in the region.  Under her leadership, CEI was awarded the Entrepreneurial Spotlight Challenge in 2017 by the (AACSB) Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for creating and incubating cutting-edge business innovations and fostering entrepreneurship in the next generation of entrepreneurs. In 2015, she was recognized with the Women’s Community Impact Award by the Grand Valley State University Women’s Commission. She was also recognized with the Practitioner of the Year Award for Women and Minority Entrepreneurship by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in recognition for her efforts in promoting women entrepreneurs and serving underserved communities through entrepreneurial training and education. Most recently, Almallah was recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan in 2020 by the Grand Rapids Business Journal.

Shorouq is very active in the entrepreneurial and business community both on a local and national levels. She serves on a number of advisory boards and steering committees including the West Michigan Colleges and Universities Group (WMCUG), Michigan Women Forward, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE)-Minority & Women Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group, and the West Michigan Association for Women In Science (AWIS). Shorouq is fluent in both Arabic and English. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in English and Linguistics, with a minor in Middle East Studies, and a Masters of Information Science from Indiana University. She completed her Master of Business Administration from Grand Valley State University in June of 2020.

Valerie Palmer

Office Coordinator

Valerie is the Office Coordinator for the Seidman College of Business Outreach Centers. While supporting the directors for the Richard M. Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, the Family-Owned Business Institute, and the Koeze Ethics Business Initiative, she provides support to the daily operations of CEI, including working closely with student employees, scheduling, event planning, and handling financial and budget-related matters.

She has been employed with GVSU for 10+ years. Formerly, Valerie was the Student Life Assistant in the Office of Student Life where she assisted the director, provided support to the daily operations of the OSL, which included working closely with student organizations on their events, supervising student employees, supporting large student events, and handling financial and budget transactions. Prior to the OSL, she served as the Officer Coordinator in the Seidman College of Business Dean’s Office where her work included event planning, graphic design, social media management, website development, and a variety of other tasks.

Valerie received her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations with a business minor in 2008 followed by a master’s degree in communications in 2015 from GVSU. In her spare time, Valerie loves reading, writing reviews, and managing social media outlets for her book-related blog and podcast. She also enjoys gardening, crafting, baking, cooking, and spending time with her husband and three sons.

Jade Mallett

Graduate Assistant 

 Jade Mallett is a graduate student from Atlanta, Georgia, currently pursuing a Master of Science in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations at Grand Valley State University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications, specializing in Multimedia and Digital Communications, from Savannah State University in 2023.

Jade’s entrepreneurial journey began in high school, where she self-taught makeup and piercing techniques. While at Savannah State, she turned her passion into a business, launching her makeup artistry brand, Enhancing Hands, and working as a makeup artist for fashion shows, photoshoots, parties, and events. Recognizing the transformative power of her God-given gift, she also took on the role of mentor, teaching other young women the art of makeup.

Although she has since stepped away from practicing makeup artistry, Jade’s commitment to entrepreneurship remains strong. Her experiences have illuminated various challenges faced by small business owners, particularly those without access to adequate resources and solutions. With her graduate education, Jade aims to establish a firm dedicated to supporting small business owners, offering the crucial information, services, and solutions she once sought at the start of her entrepreneurial journey.

Michael Hyacinthe

MVE‐Lab Lead Instructor and Ambassador

Michael Hyacinthe is an 8-year United States Navy Veteran who served as a U.S. Navy Seabee combat warfare specialist. His military service took him around the world to Iceland, Guam, Europe and the Middle East. Michael is a serial entrepreneur focusing on social enterprises. He is the co-founder of Has Heart an organization that provides creative outlets for veterans and. He is also the CEO and founder of Wimage, a children’s media company that produces educational and entertainment content to help kids learn  

Michael is the Executive producer of a children’s television show called Wimee’s Words. Wimee’s Words is currently seen on PBS stations in Michigan and soon to be launching in New York City and LA PBS stations. 

Michael truly believes that creativity is a very powerful tool that can help Veterans heal and children learn. His entrepreneurial Journey has gained him national recognition as a top 30 under 30 entrepreneur by INC magazine and most recently he was recognized as a Lakeshore innovator of the year honoree. He is originally from the Bronx New York but now resides in Grand Rapids with his family. Michael is also a proud GVSU graduate.

Tyler Way

Co. Facilitator and Communications Specialist

As a freshman at GVSU in 2005, Tyler started a custom sneaker and apparel brand from his dorm room. After graduating in 2009 with a B.S. in Advertising & Public Relations with a minor in Entrepreneurship, he continued his creative business with clients including LeBron James, Phil Knight, and others. In 2010, Tyler met fellow GVSU grad and U.S. Navy veteran Michael Hyacinthe for coffee and realized the need to connect their two worlds: military veterans and creatives. After more than a decade of pairing veterans with professional designers to share their stories through art and design, Tyler and Michael opened the HAS HEART Coffee Shop in downtown Grand Rapids at Veterans Memorial Park. From 2012-2017, Tyler was a Footwear Designer at Wolverine Worldwide before he and his wife launched a nomadic creative agency from their Airstream trailer, traveling across the country until they relocated to Grand Rapids in 2023.

Ken Miguel-Cipriano

LendGR Program Manager

Ken Miguel-Cipriano is an immigrant from Peru and a long time Southside resident. They attended the University of Michigan where they got their first taste of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ken serves as the Director of Public Agency at the West Michigan Center for Art and Technology (WMCAT). Previously, Ken has worked for the government, startups, and design agencies. They enjoy big data sets, process improvement, and all things art & design. 

In their free time, you can catch Ken on the road with their bike chasing after Strava KOM’s, taking loops on the Rapid busses, or catching a film at Studio Park. Ken’s greatest claim to fame is when, in the early 2010's, they pitched an idea to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian while in an Ann Arbor bar.

Zachary Skogheim

Entrepreneur in Residence

Zach has been an entrepreneur for the 8 years and has worked on a wide variety of businesses, including tech, apparel, and fitness. A CEO club alumni and current gym owner in downtown Grand Rapids, Zach loves solving problems and deciphering next steps for people on their entrepreneurial journey. Whether you’re looking for venture capital or want to make money from your business tomorrow, Zach is here to help! 

Dr. Tim Syfert

Clinical Faculty

Tim Syfert teaches entrepreneurship and small business management, international business, and organizational strategy at Grand Valley State University to both undergraduate and graduate students. Tim has over 25 years business experience in key strategic roles at Timex Watch Company, Haworth, Royal Consumer Business Products, Sherwin Williams, Roadway Express Trucking Company, and Johnson Controls. His work at these companies resulted in several domestic and international patents for many products that are currently in production around the world. As a designer and business consultant, Tim has helped inventors and start-up companies develop new products, expand product portfolios, and launch new business ventures. He is currently developing his own new venture blending alcohols for use in sangria. Tim has a bachelors degree in business from Oklahoma State University, a masters in business administration in strategic planning from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institutes Lally School of Management and Technology, and a doctorate in organization development from Capella University.

Matt Larson

Affiliate Faculty of Instruction

Matt Larson has an extensive background in banking, business consulting, project management, and higher education. Previously, Matt owned bookkeeping/payroll, vending, technology consulting, and crowdfunding businesses.  As a consultant, he has worked with multiple start-ups and businesses while coordinating a local inventor’s network and volunteers his time with Start-Up Weekends. Matt's entrepreneurship journey continues with his development of an open source mobile platform. In addition, Matt is Co-founder and COO of CampusStarter, a crowdfunding platform for college entrepreneurs. CampusStarter received outside investment and support from eMerge Xcelerate, a start-up accelerator in Grand Rapids, MI and was acquired by Hubbub a London based crowdfunding company in June of 2016. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University with degrees in Finance, Master of Arts in Career & Technical Education and a Master of Business Administration.