Kim Boudreau Smith was making her way – slowly – up the corporate ladder when she decided to stop the climb and start her own business 25 years ago.
She was in the company leadership, but she was the only woman in the room and her voice “was not heard,” she recalled. She believed she’d been hired to “check a box” because the company hadn’t had a woman in its C-Suite before.
She decided back then she wanted her voice – and the voices of all women – heard. So she launched her own company, Her Bold Voice, and now, as an executive leadership coach working primarily with women – “Though there’s space for a few good men, too,” she said with a smile – she’s accomplishing just that.
“I help people … enhance their leadership skills all via through communication so that when they’re walking into rooms, leading teams’ sales, giving presentations that they can call their audience to action,” Boudreau Smith said. “And then I work with the female business owners and help their businesses become more viable through speaking communication.”
Her success is being noticed. Boudreau Smith was named among the Most Valuable Professional at last week’s ceremony recognizing Corp! Magazine’s Most Valuable Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals for 2025.
Every year, the awards honor business leaders who have made Michigan a better place to live and work through their careers, their community involvement and their passion.
MVP honorees are deserving members of the community who are creating job opportunities, driving economic growth, nurturing community advancements or leading successful companies.
Jennifer Kluge, the publisher and CEO of Corp! Magazine, said the organization believes “it’s important to celebrate” the people who are moving Michigan forward.
“It’s important to recognize their new ideas, products and services, all of which make our state’s communities stronger,” Kluge said. “That is the focus of these awards … to truly recognize achievements among a diverse group of professionals in a variety of areas.”
This year, Corp! honored nearly 60 winners, including:
MOST VALUABLE PROFESSIONALS
- Kim Boudreau Smith, President, Her Bold Voice
- Shawn Burch, Director, Health Management Systems of America
- Melissa Demorest LeDuc, Business Attorney, Demorest Law Firm
- Karney Derderian, President, Crown Contracting Inc.
- Ashley Diersch, Chief Advancement Officer, PAWS With A Cause
- Shawntay Dixon, Sr. Director, Education & Program Operations, Great Lakes Women’s Business Council
- Amanda Farley, CMO, AIMCLEAR
- Nicole Geib, Deputy General Counsel, AM GENERAL LLC
- Anu Gopalakrishnan, President, Mai Family Services
- Lesley Harding, Executive Producer, Creative Day Technologies
- Matt Kidney, Business Process Analyst, Greenleaf Trust
- Angela Kujava, Managing Director, Desai Accelerator
- Laura L’Esperance, Senior Vice President, PR, VVK PR + Creative
- Sean Lowry, President, Lowry Solutions
- Paula Macpherson, Executive Director,Velocity
- Andrew Mitchell, Vice President Human Resources & Organizational Development, KLA Laboratories, Inc.
- Daniell R. Patterson, CPA, Partner, Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling, PLC – FMD
- Kelley Rays, President, HIA Financial
- Andrew Robeson, Director of Business Development, Matrix Consulting Company, Inc.
- Nancy Thompson, Divisional Vice President, One10
- Jason VanBuren, Senior VP, Carrier Relations & Strategic Development, Kapnick Insurance
- Jacob Zuppke, CEO, Whisker
MOST VALUABLE ENTREPRENEURS
- Marc Alexander, Founder and CEO, Lite Raise
- Ovell Barbee, Founder, Ask Ovell
- Lisa Bee, Founder, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
- Carly Cassleman, CEO, St. Clair Tooth Co.
- Cornell Fairley, Owner, C-Care Lawn Services, LLC
- JR Harper, President, Envision Advertising
- Aparajita Jeedigunta, Owner, AJ Rao, LLC
- Sarah Kinsler-Holloway, Founder, Kin Aesthetics
- Catherine Koch, Founder, K-Tec Systems
- Mahesh Lunani, Founder, Aquasight
- Sarah Maiga, Owner, Maiga Homes Luxury Real Estate
- De’Andrea Matthews, Founder/CEO, Claire Aldin Publications
- Jennifer Maxson, Owner, Jennifer Maxson & Associates
- Steven Mazur, Co-Founder, Ash and Erie
- Hussein Mokahal, CEO/President, The Led Lion Inc.
- Versala Parish, Founder, Rhythm Wellness Center LLC
- Jennifer Posten, Owner, Tecumseh Gymnastics Academy
- Carrie Schochet, Founder, Purple Squirrel Advisors
- Scott Schoeneberger, Managing Partner, Bluewater
- Michael Woon, Founder, RetroSpect
MOST VALUABLE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
- Laura Acorn, Executive Assistant Office Manager, Young Entrepreneurs Across America
- Simran Ahmed Rushing, Talent Acquistion Consultant, Comerica Bank
- Abhishek Bagare, Supplier Quality Engineer, General Motors
- Alissa Cho, Account Manager, Branex Group
- Victoria Donovan, Resident Engineer, Aptiv
- Carolyn Elliott, Director of HR Advisory Solutions, HRPro
- Jamie Eymer, Sturges-Young Event Coordinator, City of Sturgis
- Mackenzie Fraim, HR Generalist, Goyette Mechanical
- Cristina Kelleher, Young Leader Program Manager, Detroit Economic Club
- Kennedy King, Search Specialist, Apex Staffing
- Trevor Medema, Agent, Compo & Medema Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Home
- Zion Miller, Young Talent Program, Grow Detroit
- Ellie Van Farowe, Residential Business Development, Grand Home Automation
- Paige Winneroski, Chair, Jackson Young Professionals
Kelly Rays, the president of HIA Financial, took over from her father in the family business – a health insurance administration company focused on keeping employers’ costs sustainable, keeping employees healthy and productive and keeping satisfaction high – was also named a Most Valuable Professional.
She called the MVP recognition “very nice.”
“We’re really proud to represent our employers and work with our employers,” Rays said. “So just having the recognition is nice. We’ll always be very proud to represent our clients and the organizations that we do today. It’s honestly a privilege.”
