Regional giants: Led by faculty-owned investment firm, WMU reps take home ‘Newsmaker of the Year’ awards
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western’s growing role in West Michigan’s economy has drawn major attention, most recently through multiple recognitions from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business honoring leaders connected to the University.
The outlet named Western’s newly minted 10th president, Russ Kavalhuna, and multiple faculty and alumni business leaders “Newsmakers of the Year” for shaping the region’s future.
While Kavalhuna was honored in the education category, Tim Rayman, BBA ’03, CEO of Greenleaf Hospitality Group, was recognized in the sports and recreation category for his role in the construction of the Kalamazoo Event Center. Fellow alumnus Thomas Cronkright II, BBA ’97, co-founder and executive chairman of CertifID, took home the prize in the technology category.
Drs. Doug Lepisto and Derrick McIver, co-directors of WMU’s Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy, received Crain’s top honor among 48 finalists across 16 categories for their leadership of Sleeping Giant Capital. They were also recognized in banking and finance.
Founded in 2020, Sleeping Giant Capital, now one of the largest investment firms in the region, offers an alternative to traditional private equity by training aspiring owner-operators to grow recently acquired West Michigan businesses.
One of those aspiring owner-operators was Mitch Brownell, a 2014 WMU graduate in mechanical engineering and former operations leader at Stryker, who is now president of Grand Rapids-based Process Engineering & Equipment Co., which Sleeping Giant recently acquired.
“Sleeping Giant’s approach—acquiring and growing existing businesses while preserving their legacy—really resonated with me,” Brownell says. “This path allowed me to step into business ownership and leadership in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”
Brownell now works with student project teams from WMU, creating a direct connection between classroom learning and business operations.
“It’s rare for undergraduate students to get direct exposure to acquiring and operating real businesses,” he says. “What WMU and Sleeping Giant are building together is differentiated—not just in Michigan, but nationally.”
Through Sleeping Giant’s connection to WMU’s leadership and business strategy program, students work directly on growth strategy for the investment firm’s portfolio of companies, contributing to real business decisions alongside executives.
“Sleeping Giant Capital aspires to be the place-based succession solution of choice for West Michigan business owners and aspiring CEOs,” Lepisto says. “We believe we can enhance the growth of our operating companies and supply them with exceptional talent while also providing an unrivaled learning experience for students at Western Michigan University.”
That model moves students beyond classroom theory and into professional environments where their work carries real stakes.
Maddy Khan, a senior pursuing dual degrees in leadership and business strategy and product design, advanced from analyst to lead analyst, overseeing a team conducting market research for company growth strategies.
“When we’re at Sleeping Giant, we’re not students—we’re consultants,” Khan says. “You move from learning fundamentals to delivering recommendations directly to CEOs.”
Miles Cramer, a December 2025 graduate in leadership and business strategy and sales and business marketing, completed the full program sequence and served as a lead analyst guiding a team tasked with identifying a $2 million growth opportunity. Now a services sales specialist with Dell Technologies, Cramer says his experience at Sleeping Giant Capital provided a clear advantage when he entered the workforce.
“By the time I graduated, I had already led a team, worked under pressure and presented to executives,” he says. “It gave me confidence walking into interviews and into my role.”
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