ACG Detroit, an organization of middle-market M&A professionals, announced the award recipients of its 2025 Igniting Inspiration and Inspiring Impact Awards — Alison Todak of Plymouth Growth and Carrie Schochet of Purple Squirrel Advisors.
Both accolades recognize and celebrate women making inspirational moves and driving positive growth in their communities, companies and industries.
“This year’s winners are influential trailblazers in the community, driving change and inspiring those around them to reach new heights in their careers”, says Danielle Bass, president of ACG Detroit. “We look forward to recognizing Alison and Carrie’s extraordinary achievements at our upcoming luncheon.
“The event promises to be inspirational with a special address from our keynote speaker, Stephanie Bickel who will leverage her decades-long career in communications and training to share strategies that help dealmakers and investors command rooms, inspire trust and drive decisions.”
The winners will be honored at the Inspire & Ignite Luncheon, presented by ACG Detroit’s Women’s Forum, on March 7, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Book Tower in downtown Detroit.
Open to both men and women, the event will honor the contributions and achievements of women in the M&A community with a champagne lunch and special remarks from keynote speaker, Stephanie Bickel, founder and CEO of Speak by Design. With more than 20 years of experience coaching companies, brands and leaders across the globe, Bickel will speak on the art of influential communication, educating on the skills and techniques necessary to build confidence, develop vocal presence and create actionable outcomes in the workplace.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the Inspire & Ignite Luncheon, presented by the Women’s Forum, visit here.
Todak, director of platform at Plymouth Growth is the 2025 recipient of the Igniting Inspiration Award. In her role, Todak specializes in providing essential support and critical resources to Plymouth’s portfolio companies, with a focus on talent development and community building within growth-stage tech businesses. Her work is critical in nurturing companies, enhancing their value and driving revenue growth.
Schochet, founder and CEO of boutique executive search firm Purple Squirrel Advisors, is the 2025 recipient of the Inspiring Impact Award. With two decades of experience identifying top senior-level talent for small to mid-sized businesses —particularly private equity-backed companies — Schochet has helped build high-performing leadership teams across industries, placing executives in key functions such as finance, accounting, human resources, operations, sales, and marketing.
