EXPLORATIONS

Most products start off the same way: someone sees a problem and decides to do something about it. In their head, the solution might be clear and obvious. But is the problem they've noticed the real problem, or just the most visible symptom? And is their solution actually the one people will use - or just the one that makes the most sense to them?

As agentic coding makes building the thing easier than ever, the hard part of product development isn't writing the code - it's figuring out what to build in the first place. What is it? How will people actually use it? Is it solving the problem it was intended to solve? And, the big one: do people even want or need it? The instinct to build is real, but instinct alone can't tell you if you're solving the right problem, in the right way, for the right people.

This month, the West Michigan Product Community is teaming up with GRWebDev for a panel discussion on validation: the ongoing work of testing your assumptions. We’ll investigate how to frame the right questions, challenge one’s own suppositions, and keep learning throughout the product development process. We’ll also tackle a hands-on exercise to explore how to gain real insight through interviewing.

Whether you're building a product, a feature, or a business, this event is about the work that happens before - and alongside - the building.

OUR PANELISTS

Christy Ennis-Kloote is a strategic leader with over 20 years of consulting experience. She has built high-performing teams to deliver multi-modal product experiences across the consumer, B2B, medical, and automotive markets. A dedicated community builder, she leverages AI to optimize product development processes and eliminate bottlenecks. Christy is motivated by aligning teams with innovative possibilities to drive meaningful outcomes and strategic impact.

Bonnie Van Volkinburg is an experienced strategy and product leader with more than 20 years of work across consultancies, enterprise technology services and her own studio, Volkin Design. She helps organizations, from startups and nonprofits to larger Fortune 500 brands turn ambiguous problems into research-grounded strategy, and today she advises enterprise clients on where AI changes what's worth building. She partners with senior leaders to build design and product thinking into their organizations and push them toward bold, customer-focused innovation.

Carla Melara is a Product Owner and Principal Consultant at CM Launch Lab who helps software leaders translate complex business operations into high-performing digital products. Grounded in over 10 years of operational and agile delivery experience across MedTech, SaaS, and insurance, her approach is strictly practical: real user feedback, structural clarity, and execution that delivers.

Joelle Henry is a Senior Experience and Change Designer at Crowe’s xDesign Lab, where she helps organizations navigate major transitions and technology updates with confidence. She focuses on creating human-centered learning experiences that make complex changes feel manageable, positive, and genuinely supportive for everyday users. By partnering closely with teams to uncover their biggest workplace challenges, Joelle helps turn potential disruptions into clear, practical paths forward.

OUR MODERATOR

Mike Meyers is a product leader who brings over a decade of experience building and scaling digital products across startups, enterprises, and agencies. Grounded in a Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction, he excels at blending strategic vision with hands-on problem solving to craft natural, user-centered experiences. Mike is particularly focused on leveraging AI to shape modern product strategy and drive meaningful, intuitive technology adoption.

SCHEDULE

• 6:00pm … Refreshments and Networking
• 6:30pm … Opening Announcements + Panel Discussion
• 7:20pm ... Q&A
• 7:30pm ... Hands-On Exercise
• 7:45pm … Closing Announcements
• 8:00pm … Event Ends