Building a foundation for lasting change through
collaboration and support
Building a foundation for lasting change through
collaboration and support
YWP is a movement to create meaningful change for students and families in Kent County. Rather than operating as a single entity, this coalition functions through targeted programs designed to address and remove systemic barriers while promoting positive youth engagement. Our goal is to foster an environment where all students and families have the support necessary to succeed. Youth with Potential evolved from the A Path Forward Initiative after recognizing that mentorship — combined with coordinated community support — is the key to lasting change. We understand that creating meaningful change requires more than individual efforts; it demands a unified ecosystem of support that addresses the holistic needs of youth and their families.
Join us in creating pathways to success for youth in our community.
Olive Branch Strategies, LLC, Founder & Principal
Kim Krause brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across media, nonprofits, and community partnerships to her work with Youth with Potential.
Throughout her career, Kim has focused on one core belief: when you align the right people around a shared purpose and give them a clear strategy, real change happens. As former Vice President and General Manager of FOX 17, she led teams through growth and transformation while deepening the station’s connection to the community it served.
Today, through Olive Branch Strategies, Kim works alongside nonprofits, civic leaders, and community partners to turn ideas into action. She has a proven ability to bring diverse groups together, build trust across sectors, and create momentum around complex challenges.
Her work with YWP reflects her passion for collaboration and her belief that when communities come together across sectors and perspectives, we can create meaningful opportunities for youth and lasting impact for the future.
Meaning in Colors, Founder & CEO
Iryonna Hogan-Davis brings lived experience and a deep commitment to equity to her work with Youth with Potential. As founder and CEO of Meaning in Colors, a West Michigan nonprofit and managing partner of YWP, she leads initiatives in mentoring, transitional housing, life coaching, and youth development, all designed to uplift underserved individuals and families on their path to independence.
Having experienced housing instability firsthand, Iryonna understands the systemic barriers that stand between people and stability. That experience drives her work every day. Her areas of expertise include minority empowerment, career development, and financial literacy, and she is especially passionate about helping youth and young adults discover and pursue their own vision for the future.
Iryonna is also the founder of 2 Teach and Reach LLC, where she provides coaching, career mentorship, and motivational speaking as “Iryonna The Legacy Leader.” Her impact has earned her recognition from Fox 17, Crain’s Business, the Grand Rapids Area Black Business community, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Grand Rapids, and the LincUp Community Spirit Award, among others. She also serves on the City of Grand Rapids’ Grow 1000 Employers of Community Practice committee, working to bridge gaps between employers and those seeking opportunity.
Her work with YWP reflects a belief at the center of everything she does: when young people are equipped with the right tools and connected to the right people, there is no limit to what they can achieve.
The Village99, Founder and President, Board of Directors
Jeremy Burgin is driven by faith, purpose, and a genuine belief that every person he encounters deserves his best, and he brings that same conviction to his work with Youth with Potential. As an entrepreneur with an ownership portfolio spanning more than 15 companies, Jeremy has built a career on his ability to connect with people from all walks of life and turn vision into action. His strategic mindset and commitment to sustainable, collaborative solutions have defined everything he has built, in business and in community. In 2019, Jeremy co-founded Swish Athletic Club, a youth AAU basketball organization, alongside his friend and former NBA prospect Kei Madison. It was through those relationships with student-athletes and families that he came face to face with the real challenges facing young people in the community, and felt compelled to do something about it. That experience became the seed of The Village 99, which Jeremy helped pioneer from mission and vision into reality. His work with YWP reflects a life built on servant leadership and the deep conviction that real impact happens when communities show up for one another. Jeremy doesn’t just believe in the mission. He helped build it.
The Village99, Executive Director
TJ Meerman is a servant leader with 19 years of experience teaching, coaching, and mentoring students across West Michigan, and he brings that same commitment to his work with Youth with Potential. TJ’s passion for the next generation was shaped early. His mother, Diane, spent 35 years as a Special Education teacher, and his father, Jim, was a Hall-of-Fame high school football coach and administrator. Their example of leading with care set the foundation for everything TJ has pursued since. He earned his degree in Education from Central Michigan University in 2004 and his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University in 2011. That education was matched by experience on the court. As a Division I point guard, TJ competed on the single-season winningest team in Central Michigan basketball history, an experience that shaped his belief in teamwork, discipline, and rising to the moment. After college, he channeled those lessons into 12 years teaching at Catholic Central High School, supporting students with additional needs in English, history, and written expression, and earning Teacher of the Year honors in 2022. His 11 years coaching the boys basketball program there produced three Final Four appearances, the school’s first-ever Division II state championship, and 17 college scholarships for his players. He now serves as head boys basketball coach and District Access Coordinator at Shores High School in Muskegon County. His work with YWP is a natural extension of a life devoted to one belief: every young person deserves someone willing to go the extra mile. TJ’s background in education, athletics, and relationship-based leadership makes him uniquely equipped to connect students and families with the support and opportunities they deserve.
The Village99, Business Operations Manager
Jane Ashby brings a combination of analytical rigor, operational expertise, and deep community commitment to her work with Youth with Potential.
Armed with a degree in Package Engineering from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, Jane built a career defined by adaptability and a willingness to take on new challenges. From Quality Assurance and Research and Development to Project Management, she developed a process-oriented mindset that she has carried into every role since.
Outside of her professional career, Jane channeled that same drive into volunteer leadership with education and sports organizations, stepping up wherever she was needed and championing transparency and sound financial stewardship, often serving as Treasurer.
Her work with YWP reflects her belief that purposeful, well-structured action is how communities create real change. Jane brings both the discipline to build strong systems and the heart to ensure those systems serve young people and families who need them most.
SaVoix Communications, Founder & Principal
Michelle Dunaway is a community storyteller and connector who has spent more than 25 years using the power of media to elevate the stories that matter, and she brings that same purpose to her work with Youth with Potential.
As founder of SaVoix, A Communications Company, Michelle works at the intersection of communication, mentorship, and community engagement, helping individuals build confidence, find their voice, and access meaningful career pathways. In her role as Community Relationship Manager and Host of the Morning Mix at FOX 17, she collaborates with organizations across West Michigan to strengthen partnerships and connect communities to the support they need.
Throughout her career as a reporter, anchor, producer, host, and podcaster, Michelle has consistently shined a light on challenges while highlighting the solutions and people working to make a difference. Her service alongside organizations such as Special Olympics Michigan, OASIS Family Resource Center, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Grand Rapids Commonwealth reflects her deep commitment to removing barriers and creating opportunity for those who need it most. She also hosts the podcast “2 Michelles, 1 Question,” where she continues to foster honest conversations and genuine connection.
Her work with YWP is rooted in a belief she carries into everything she does: when young people are seen, supported, and connected to opportunity, their potential becomes limitless.
Ambassador Consultants LLC, Founder & CEO
Clarkston Morgan is a dedicated civic leader and strategic advisor with a deep passion for empowering communities and investing in the potential of people. With a career rooted in faith, family, and service, Clarkston has become a catalyst for sustainable change across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
As Founder & CEO of Ambassador Consultants LLC, he empowers communities and leaders by bridging vision to manifestation through strategic business development and collaborative relations. He aggregates and integrates diverse entities—municipalities, corporations, and organizations—into ecosystems that drive economic and community development. He also equips churches, nonprofits, and regional collaboratives with the tools and strategies needed to expand their impact in leadership development, community engagement, and operational alignment, to address the critical needs in housing, food security, and family support services.
Clarkston currently serves as a City Commissioner for Kentwood, Michigan, where he advocates for policies that enhance quality of life, promote equity, and strengthen local neighborhoods. He has previously served on the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Arts Commission, using his civic platforms to elevate the voices of families and small businesses.
Driven by his faith, Clarkston serves as Pastoral leader in his local church and a chaplain to local businesses, where he continues to provide spiritual leadership and mentorship to individuals and families. His personal commitment to community is further exemplified through his family’s role as foster and adoptive parents—having fostered nine children and adopted two—demonstrating their shared commitment to building safe, nurturing environments for youth.
Clarkston’s work is guided by a holistic vision of community transformation— addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people he serves. Whether through housing development, youth empowerment, or policy leadership, he remains steadfast in his mission to build communities that thrive with dignity, equity, and purpose.
