ABOUT GREGORY | Gregory Gronbacher

ABOUT GREGORY

GREGORY’S PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

Gregory’s business practice is rooted in three interrelated principles:

People First – placing people’s needs and wants at the center of the business relationship – treating every person kindly and with respect, truly listening to their concerns, and practicing honesty and integrity in every situation. Gregory is committed to doing business by putting people first.

Human Centered Design – a way of thinking about and doing business from the perspective of the client. Human Centered Design has us adopt the customer’s view of things and create solutions and services that meet their actual needs, rather than we imposing our priorities. In fact, Gregory holds multiple certifications in Human Centered Design and also studied and taught its underlying philosophy on the university graduate level.

Simplicity – is a mindset that seeks the essential and the necessary and eliminates and ignores the things that don’t really matter. Applying simplicity to business means focusing on the shared goals and desired outcomes of a sale or project, avoiding complications, maximizing efficiencies, minimizing delays and distractions, and often lowering costs.

People First, Human Centered Design, and Simplicity shape and color everything Gregory does – his real estate sales, teaching, marketing writing, community engagement – he places his client’s needs at the center of every decision, process, and conversation.

GREGORY’S PRIORITIES

COMMUNITY BUILDING
For 25 years, Gregory has been actively engaged in a variety of groups, networks, and organizations committed to bringing people together and fostering economic vibrancy, environmental sustainability, social justice, and authentic community in the greater Grand Rapids area.
INCLUSIVITY & PARTICIPATION
Dedicated to affirming the dignity of all persons, Gregory works towards an inclusive community where all may participate fully in every aspect of social, cultural, and economic life. Gregory served on the board of directors of the Grand Rapids LGBT Network throughout the late 1990s, and was a co-founder and board member of Hinges, an LGBT professional networking organization, through the early 2000s. From 2010-2015, he was actively involved with Michigan for Marriage and Equality Michigan to help bring about same-sex marriage in Michigan and across the United States. Today, Gregory remains engaged in Fair Housing issues.
IDEA EXCHANGE
Motivated by a desire for organic, authentic community, and convinced that people working together can bring about lasting, positive social change, Gregory fosters vibrant, sustained conversations on local issues and creates social opportunities across various communities and organizations. An educator, speaker, author, blogger – he’s the co-founder of The Sunday Afternoon Dinner Club, an experiment connecting people over food and ideas.
GREEN REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENTALISM, SUSTAINABILITY
Gregory is involved in several organizations promoting Green Real Estate and Eco-friendly development practices. He applies insights from sustainable business practices, permaculture, ecology, and systems philosophy to his teaching and professional and community engagements. He is currently completing his NAR designation in Green Real Estate and partners with several, local environmental groups.
ANIMAL WELFARE
Gregory has a passion for animal welfare. How humans treat animals reflects deeply on the health of our culture and our souls. He is a pet owner and volunteers at some of the area shelters and rescues. He also advocates for improving the conditions and well-being of animals in factory farming operations.

GREGORY’S BACKGROUND

Personal Bio

Originally from New York City, Gregory has called the Grand Rapids area home since 1995. Prior to Grand Rapids, Gregory studied for his undergraduate degree in Ohio, followed by five and half years of graduate school in Europe. He has also lived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Gregory volunteers at Kid’s Food Basket, ICCF, and at various animal shelters and rescues.

An educator, writer, author – he’s a board member and featured writer for the Spiritual Naturalist Society.

Career Experience

Amway Corporation – 2004 to 2014
Gregory served as a Digital Marketing Specialist/Web Editor engaged in all aspects of promoting various multi-million dollar product lines. He served on the UI/UX core team.
amway.com

Summit Training Source – 1999 to 2004
Summit produces online environmental, health, and safety employee training programs to Fortune 500 companies. As Communications Director, Gregory developed marketing strategy and sales content. He also wrote proposals, trade articles, and white papers on industry issues.
summit.hsi.org

University Teaching

Assistant Professor of Philosophy 1994 to 1996
Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, Pennsylvania

Taught ethics, critical reasoning, and introduction to philosophy courses for undergraduates.

Instructor of Philosophy
1992 to 1999
Milltown Institute of Theology & Philosophy, Dublin, Ireland

Taught ethics, logic, social philosophy, and philosophy of the human person to undergraduate and graduate students.

Education

Gregory earned his B.A. in philosophy, theology, and politics at Franciscan University in Ohio (1990), his M.Phil. in philosophy and political economy at the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein (1992), and completed his doctoral work in social and economic philosophy (Ph.D.) at the Loyola Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (1995).

His research and reading interests include spirituality and ecology, social and economic philosophy, personalism and philosophy of the human person, natural law ethics, cultural criticism and theory, and political economy.

Certifications

USABILITY UI / UX

Usability Analyst, Human Factors International 2014
Digital Copywriter, Mediabistro, New York 2013

HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN

Fundamentals of Human Centered Design, IDEO.org 2016
Human Centered Design I, Michigan State University 2012

RESUME WRITING

Professional Resume Writing (MRW), Career Thought Leaders, 2018

SUSTAINABILITY & ECOLOGICAL THINKING

Sustainability Apprentice, Green Education Foundation 2017
Principles of Permaculture, Oregon State University 2018

Real Estate Licenses & Designations

Real Estate Sales Agent – State of Michigan, 2014

Instructor of Real Estate Licensing & Education – State of Michigan, 2015

Green Real Estate Professional – NAR Green Designation, expected 2020

Green Builders Coalition – Member, 2019

616-710-0641
gregory@gregorygronbacher.com

Embracing one’s wholeness makes life more demanding – because once you do that, you must live that integrity. We must let our life speak, informing us of who we are, and gladly telling others the same. Our power is in being fully ourselves.

– Parker Palmer, Let your Life Speak