July 30, 2024 — The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) has elected Bill Kolb, Global Business Leader and Retired Chairman/CEO of McCann Worldgroup (MW), as the Chair of its volunteer Board of Directors. NKFM also added three new Board members: Larry Bell, Founder of Bell’s Brewery; Rom LaPointe, Founder of Capricorn Leadership; and Robi Mitra, Managing Director at Sturbridge Capital.
Bill Kolb
Bill Kolb joined the Board in 2018 and most recently served as Vice Chair. Among many of Kolb’s contributions to the Foundation, he co-chaired the Michigan Kidney Walk at the Detroit Zoo in 2017 and 2018; and hosted World Kidney Day Galas at MW Birmingham from 2017 to 2019 to drive fundraising for the NKFM. Under his leadership, MW Birmingham increased awareness and support for the Foundation through its Golf Outing and other fundraising events. In 2017, under Bill’s leadership, McCann, NKFM, and Greenfield Health Systems began its Adopt-a-Family program by providing holiday gifts for 101 metro Detroit families affected economically by 
kidney disease.
“We are so pleased to have Bill as our new Board Chair,” states NKFM President and CEO Linda Smith-Wheelock. “Bill was the originator of our Healthy Futures Campaign, which includes our Endowment that will allow us to provide critical programs in perpetuity. Our Healthy Futures Campaign has reached $22M of a $25M goal to be completed in the coming year. Bill cares deeply about our program efforts throughout Michigan, especially our Adopt-a-Family program. His vision and leadership is greatly appreciated.”
One of the industry’s most experienced multiplatform and global marketing executives, Kolb spent his career building brands and businesses from the ground up. Appointed Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldgroup in 2021, Bill oversaw business operations across the global network, including all agencies and markets, where he fostered overall growth and strengthened key practice areas and disciplines, including creativity, technology, innovation, DEI and sustainability. He has worked with both large and entrepreneurial companies, including multinational clients such as General Motors, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Merck and Anheuser-Busch.
Prior to McCann, Kolb spent time in publishing, finance, and real estate. Now retired, he is passionate about the four Board positions he holds and enjoys teaching several classes at different universities. He loves life, and never hesitates to dive into new projects with relentless enthusiasm, passion and grit. A resident of Birmingham, Kolb succeeds attorney Mark Wilson, Practice Chair of Dickinson Wright’s national Health Care Group. Wilson has been on the Board since 2013 and served as Chair since September 2022.
Larry J. Bell
In 1985, after majoring in political science at Kalamazoo College, Larry J. Bell founded Bell’s Brewery, Inc. — one of the earliest craft breweries in the Midwest. Offering popular and award-winning beers, Bell’s Brewery grew into one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S., distributing to 43 states. In 2010, Bell was honored with The Brewers Association Recognition Award for his innovative brewing and dedication to the industry. That same year, he was recognized with Kalamazoo College’s 
Distinguished Achievement Award, which honors those alumni who have achieved distinction in their professions. In 2014, Bell opened Upper Hand Brewery, a sister company based in Escanaba, Michigan.
In 2020, Bell lost a kidney from kidney cancer and became an active supporter of the NKFM. In 2021, Bell retired after selling Bell’s to Japanese brewer Kirin. That year, the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter named him its Environmentalist of the Year for his years of advocacy work, which included helping found the non-partisan business group Great Lakes Business Network. Since retirement, Bell has remained active philanthropically by donating to Michigan organizations.
A longtime supporter of Kalamazoo College, Bell has helped to fund food justice and sustainability programming, including support for The Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center in 2022. He also established a distinguished chair in American history, and in 2016, he endowed a scholarship fund for students needing financial assistance. The College also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
Bell has also been a strong supporter of the arts in Kalamazoo, serving as Past Board President for the Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival; in 2022, he made a gift to The Gilmore to establish two awards for exceptional jazz pianists. He has also established the Larry J. Bell Library Foundation, which is developing a research library in downtown Kalamazoo to host Bell’s extensive collection of historical books and art collections. Bell lives in Kalamazoo with his wife Shannon and their dog Tessie.
Rom LaPointe
In August 2023, Rom LaPointe, who has polycystic kidney disease, was in end stage renal failure. His wife Kerry had posted his need for a kidney on Facebook. Rom’s former fraternity brother Joe saw the post and, coincidentally, his partner’s sister Cathy had just died suddenly while on vacation in the Virgin Islands. Cathy was a registered organ donor, so her family arranged for a directed donation of one of her kidneys to LaPointe with the cooperation of healthcare staff in the Virgin Islands and in Detroit.
LaPointe is a business coach and advisor to CEOs, Leadership Teams and Boards. His proven process of strategic thinking, execution planning, and leadership development 
helps CEOs get from vision to results.
A 1992 graduate of Michigan Technological University, LaPointe earned degrees in Electrical Engineering Technology and Scientific & Technical Communications. He is a past President of its Alumni Association Board of Directors, which serves more than 75,000 constituents. After a few years at his first “real” job at Ford Motor Company, LaPointe had an opportunity to take a leadership role with a mid-size service provider and support multiple OEMs and Tier 1s. That experience fueled his entrepreneurial engine.
Since 1996, LaPointe has served as CEO for ten privately held companies, six that he founded and four that were acquired. Each was a rewarding learning experience — some more painful than others. He has also been a member of and served in many leadership roles in the Entrepreneurs Organization, including the Detroit Chapter President, Global Leadership Chair, and starting in 2023, a Global Board Director.
In 2015, LaPointe founded Capricorn Leadership and has directly helped more than 70 companies in various industries with revenues ranging from $5M to $5B. His speaking engagements and workshops have helped more than 7,000 companies worldwide. LaPointe and his wife Kerry live in Wixom, have been married since 1994, and have four children.
Robi Mitra
In addition to joining the Board, Robi Mitra, whose father had kidney disease that resulted in a kidney transplant, recently joined the executive committee for the NKFM’s Kidney Golf Classic. Mitra grew up in Troy and now lives in Rochester. Since 2020, he has been Managing Director at Sturbridge Capital, where he is responsible for the firm’s fundraising and business development activities. Additionally, Mitra serves on the firm’s investment committee. Prior to Sturbridge Capital, Mitra was Finance Director for Bollinger Motors, working on corporate strategy, strategic partnerships, finance and raising capital. Before joining Bollinger, Mitra was Chairman and CEO of K&A Resource Group, a collection of human capital management solutions focused on Industry 4.0. In 2016, he had purchased the initial company, K&A Staffing, from his father. In 2017, he subsequently acquired LME Resource Group in 2017. Prior to his role as an entrepreneur, Robi advised on or participated in more than 75 transactions during his 22 years of family office, private equity, investment banking, and capital markets experience. 
Before K&A, Mitra was a Managing Director with Simon Group Holdings and responsible for all direct investment activity for the firm’s investments in direct private equity and real estate. In addition, Robi managed all M&A activity for the Simon Group’s core holding, Atlas Oil Company.
Prior to joining Simon Group Holdings, Mitra was a Vice President with Questor Management. Questor was an institutional private equity fund that was winding down and Mitra served as Secretary of the Board of Directors for its final portfolio company, Polar Corporation. In addition, Mitra performed the annual portfolio valuation and managed LP communications.
Before Questor, Mitra was a Managing Director and Co-Founder of Expedition Capital Partners LLC, an independent private equity sponsor group focused exclusively on investments in lower middle-market businesses. Robi established his financing and capital markets expertise as an investment banker and financial advisor.
In his spare time, Mitra serves as an advisory board member to the Tri-Community Coalition; and previously served on the boards of The Einstein Educational Ecosystem and Vehicles for Change. He received his MBA from Wayne State University and earned a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his three children and their very large dog.
