Randy Thelen

Built World

Leads The Right Place, which a Reddit post says brokered three data center projects. In June 2026 he said the group does not respond to unsigned emails.

Solon Township residents learned in January 2026 about a data center planned for their rural community, according to a Reddit post. FOIA documents reported by MLive show the township had been communicating with The Right Place, the Kent County economic development nonprofit, since May 2025, and its supervisor signed an NDA in June 2025.

Updated Nov 2

Built World

Regional economic development advocate for the Blue Dot Lab

Grand Valley State University started construction Oct. 27 on the Blue Dot Innovation Lab, a $166 million technology hub in downtown Grand Rapids. The 224,000-square-foot building is set to open in summer 2029 and will house the College of Computing. Planned spaces include a cyber range for security training, a driving simulator, a public technology showcase and a prototyping studio.

Updated Oct 30