Sara Knoester is the founder and president of Mixed Staffing and Recruiting in Grand Rapids, MI. Sara started Mixed Staffing after graduating from Grand Valley State University over eleven years ago. A born leader and advocate for all people and backgrounds, she wanted to make finding employment easier for women, minorities, military veterans, and returning citizens. Sara has deep seated roots in Grand Rapids, and she wanted to give back to the community she loves and cares for so much. So with one hundred dollars in her pocket, she moved back from Chicago to Grand Rapids, and Mixed Staffing was born.
Along the way, Sara had to overcome many hurdles and hardships, but because of her desire to help and her passion for people, she overcame each and every one of these obstacles; Fast forward eleven years, and Mixed Staffing has seen its biggest growth yet in the past three years, despite a pandemic and surging unemployment rates.
Along with owning and operating her own business, Sara continues giving back to the community she loves through philanthropy, sitting on boards, and donations to organizations and people with like-minded visions and missions. Sara Knoester is a woman of the year; her story of love, loss, sheer determination, and will is rivaled by very few.
Sara is a loving wife and mother of three beautiful girls (Emma 6, Arie 2, and Camila 21 months). Sara’s Christianity, stewardship, and natural leadership is on display daily, not only in her business but in her personal life as well. Anyone who has the pleasure of meeting Sara sees that her priority is never for herself, but instead for everyone else around her.
