Chris Andrus is the recipient of the 2023 BBB Trust Award.

Andrus is the co-owner and co-founder of Mitten Brewing Company and the founder of The Mitten Foundation. He and his organizations are known for their dedication to community involvement and giving back. Chris is also a keynote speaker who has instructed on Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility at Grand Valley State University, Alma College, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He is also the author of “Dough Nation: How Pizza (And Small Businesses) Can Change The World.”

Karen Smoots is the recipient of the 2022 BBB Trust Award

Smoots is the President of KMS Designs Inc., a design company known for the Michigan made Green Glove Dryer. The non-electric dryer uses the heating vents in your home to dry the insides of gloves, boots, hats and more. The company partners with Consumers Energy to provide glove dryers in K-5 schools in 68 Michigan counties. Smoots also started a nonprofit called Glove Me Please, to provide elementary school children in need with gloves or mittens for recess. 

Leslie King-Friday was the recipient of the 2021 BBB Trust Award.

King-Friday is the Founder and President of Sacred Beginnings, a mentor program for women who have been sexually exploited and/or trafficked. It is the first survivor-led peer mentored program in the state of Michigan. As a survivor herself, King-Friday uses her experience to provide a safe haven and offer hope to trafficked women. She also works with law enforcement and human service professionals to help them better understand how to help victims of human trafficking.

Janay Brower was the recipient of the 2020 BBB Trust Award.

Brower is the founder of Public Thread, a community-based upcycling company that takes scrap and surplus textiles and turns them into clothing and other products. Along with sustainability, the Public Thread focuses on providing living wage jobs for people in the community. Janay is also deeply involved in the community, serving in positions in the public, private and nonprofit sector. With a passion for social justice, Janay is known as a force for change.

Daniel Williams was the recipient of the 2019 BBB Trust Award.

Williams is the President and CEO of the West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT). Williams is a leader in urban education and facilitator in design thinking, working to advance equity in education and workforce development. He served as co-founder and principal of Grand Rapids University Prep Academy and was named “Principal of the Year” by Grand Rapids Public Schools for 2014-15. He leads community work around racial equity and opportunity as a member of several organizations in Michigan and has received awards and honors for his work.

Diana Sieger was the inaugural winner of the BBB Trust Award.

Sieger is the President of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Her leadership at a local, state and national level exemplifies the qualities of a trustworthy leader. Sieger has been at the helm of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation since 1987. Since her time at the foundation, donor assets have increased from $35 million to more than $330 million. The impact she had made on the GRCF and the community they serve is clear - tangible in more ways than dollar amount. Said to approach the community with passion and pragmatism, Sieger is a more than worthy recipient of the 2018 BBB Trust Award.