Alumni earn business award, make community impact

Two Grand Valley alumni earned the "New Business of the Year" award from the Grandville-Jenison Chamber of Commerce after only one year in business as chiropractors and owners of a wellness center.

Josh Konynenbelt and his partner, Lisa Peerbolt, built Novo Chiropractic Sports and Wellness Center with an emphasis on serving their community. Konynenbelt and Peerbolt both earned bachelor's degrees in biomedical sciences from Grand Valley in 2008.

In just one year, they have worked with the Metro Health Community Outreach Team, Spartan-Nash, Friends & Family of Cystic Fibrosis, and ended 2016 having raised $4,000 for the Kids’ Food Basket.

“While we love the work we get to do at the center, we’re not going to do great things by just sitting in the office,” Konynenbelt said. “We want to embrace the community around us.”

Konynenbelt first heard of the Kids’ Food Basket while attending Grand Valley. He and Peerbolt have a passion for helping children.

“There’s something about working with kids that just feels fantastic,” Konynenbelt said. “We love volunteering with them, and we love being able to make substantial donations one year into business.”

Konynenbelt said charity and community involvement will remain central to their business. Every week, they provide “Stress Free Lunch Breaks” to local businesses. Besides a free lunch, the event provides attendees the opportunity to participate in a spinal exam and learn how chiropractic care can fit into their personal and professional lives.

“There’s a lot of people who think it’s normal to live with back or neck pain,” Konynenbelt said. “The quicker we can educate our community, the more people will understand the benefits.”

— written by Lucas Escalada, student writer