ACG Detroit Celebrates Women Leaving An Impact on the Middle Market at Inspire & Ignite Luncheon

ACG Detroit, a 400-member association of middle-market M&A professionals, has announced the recipients of its 2026 Igniting Inspiration and Inspiring Impact awards, honoring women driving positive growth in their communities, companies and industries. Adrianna Touma and Amy Whipple, both representing BDO USA, will be presented with their awards at the Inspire & Ignite Luncheon on March 6.

“ACG Detroit is committed to recognizing the achievements and contributions of women making an impact on the middle market M&A community and beyond,” said Mark Winter, president of ACG Detroit. “Adrianna and Amy have both demonstrated leadership in the M&A industry, ACG Detroit and their organization. We are proud to honor them at our Inspire & Ignite Luncheon alongside our members, sponsors and guests. The celebration will feature a special keynote by Alaina Money-Garman, inspiring attendees with a message that authenticity, compassion and bold leadership can ignite meaningful change in both business and the community.”

2026 Igniting Inspiration Award: Recognizing the Next Generation

The Igniting Inspiration Award celebrates the achievements of women in Michigan's middle-market community, early in their careers. The award honors individuals who have displayed remarkable determination, progress and professionalism—particularly within the past year—while actively propelling their companies and industries forward.

Adrianna Touma, business development associate at BDO, is the 2026 recipient of the Igniting Inspiration Award. In her role, Touma supports privately held, family‑owned, PE‑backed, and publicly traded organizations at every stage of growth—aligning them with the firm’s full breadth of tax, audit and advisory services to deliver impactful outcomes. Beyond her professional work, she is deeply committed to the community and actively supports various nonprofit causes, including as a longtime fundraiser for Blood Cancer United and a supporter of 100 Businesses Who Care of Southeast Michigan.

2026 Inspiring Impact Award: Honoring Visionary Leadership

The Inspiring Impact Award pays tribute to women who have dedicated their careers to making remarkable contributions to the Detroit middle-market community. These trailblazing leaders have not only achieved outstanding success in their careers but have also shown a genuine commitment to fostering growth and mentorship within their companies and across the industry.

Amy Whipple, business development market leader for BDO’s Midwest market, including Michigan, Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh, is the 2026 recipient of the Inspiring Impact Award. With more than 25 years of business development and marketing expertise, Whipple is a natural connector delivering tailored solutions for organizations across industries and ownership structures. Her leadership extends beyond the workplace through a longstanding commitment to philanthropy and community building, including co-founding 100 Women Who Care Greater Rochester Area and 100 Businesses Who Care, serving as a founding supporter of the ALS Therapy Development Institute, and contributing as a longtime ACG Detroit board member and leader of the chapter’s Women’s Forum.

The 2026 award recipients will be recognized at the Inspire & Ignite Luncheon, presented by ACG Detroit’s Women’s Forum, on March 6 from 11 a.m. to 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 Alaina Money-Garman, founder and former CEO of Garman Homes. Known for her award-winning blog, “Build Like a Girl,” Money-Garman will share deeply personal stories of struggle and triumph to empower and inspire attendees.

For more information or to purchase tickets for the Inspire & Ignite Luncheon, presented by the Women’s Forum, visit https://www.acg.org/detroit/events/acg-detroit-2026-inspire-ignite-luncheon.

About ACG Detroit

Founded in 1954, ACG is the premier M&A dealmaking community with 59 chapters worldwide. ACG’s global network comprises more than 100,000 middle-market professionals who invest, own and advise growing companies. ACG’s mission is to drive middle-market growth. ACG reaches its audience through its content-rich media channels, including its award-winning flagship publication Middle Market Growth®, which dives into emerging trends, GrowthTV which brings those stories to life and its podcasts which provide in-depth conversations with industry thought leaders. ACG’s content reaches an average daily audience of 30,000 and receives 1 million impressions monthly. ACG’s 13,000 members leverage an array of exclusive benefits rich in dealmaking and networking opportunities and extend to its partnerships with Insperity, Cambridge FX, Grata, Founders Card, CLEAR and more. Learn more about ACG membership at www.acg.org.

Established in 1984, ACG Detroit facilitates a variety of business meetings and networking events for members across the metro Detroit area to drive middle-market growth. ACG Detroit was named Chapter of the Year in 2015 and 2016. To learn more, visit www.acg.org/detroit.