Mission: "To inspire a nation of creative builders- transforming spaces for the inspiration of children."
414-219-9007
info@grgplayscapes.com
MEET THE TEAM
John LaPointe
Founder, Natural-Play Specialist, CEO
Once described by a client as "Peter Pan" for his genuine enthusiasm, John is a natural play specialist driven to change how the industry builds outdoor spaces for children. Growing up in rural Wisconsin with the land as his playground, he founded GRG Playscapes to bring that same sense of wonder to modern youth. This lifelong connection to nature, paired with decades of direct observation, gives him an instinctive understanding of what truly inspires and engages children.
John holds a degree in Community Development and pursued graduate studies in Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison, specializing in sustainable design and water management. His professional know-how centers on strategic, forward-thinking material and product development. By pioneering innovative design and sustainable, durable materials, he has pushed GRG to the forefront of the natural playground market. As a CPSI-trained builder with over two decades of hands-on experience, John combines elite industry credibility with a deep commitment to serving children and their communities.
He is driven to collaborate with the industry to inspire a nation of builders, transforming spaces to ignite engagement, community connection, and innovative thinking.
Leah LaPointe, RN
Co-owner, Chief Operating Officer
As Co-owner, Leah brings a rare combination to GRG Playscapes: an operational leader whose clinical and educational background brings a unique read on where safety and play meet. Her path began in early childhood education and trauma informed care, then led to over a decade as a pediatric RN at Children's Wisconsin - experience that shapes how she reads risk, judges safety, and sees child development. This unique knowledge set helps guide decision making in GRG's innovation.
After witnessing the profound impact John's direction was having on children at home and in the community, Leah joined GRG in 2017 and has since developed into the role of Chief Operating Officer, overseeing operations, team development, and safety standards while driving business growth alongside John. Her clinical instincts show up, in the questions she asks about how a space is built for safety and accesibilty and how the team executing it is trained.
Combining safety while also acknowledging the need for kids to learn how to take healthy risks, helps guide the direction of the company- combined with understanding the importance of caregivers well being helps in the creation of spaces that provide a stronger sense of community.
Aaron Holder
Lead Playscape Designer & Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI)
A seasoned playscape designer, with a BFA in Industrial Design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design; Aaron brings playfulness and technical savvy to every creative project. Having joined the team in 2012; Aaron’s creative thinking and innovative spirit have been pivotal to the evolution of GRG Playscapes.
Aaron has been described as having always been a creator and tinkerer; an observer of all design and its interaction with people. As a child he built treehouses which led to a love of woodworking. This activity helped to shape the imagination he now uses to design unique structures and much more for the children we inspire with our outdoor natural play environments.
His certification as Playground Safety Inspector ensures that our team focuses on the safety of the children in addition to the beauty and fun of our unique creations. In addition to overseeing GRG’s design process, Aaron is often found on the road, providing technical expertise to our sales and construction teams and working closely with our clients to ensure their vision becomes a reality.
Susie Taylor
Director of Sales & Client Communication
As a Montessori mom of two; Susie found herself actively searching out play areas that offer natural structures, often wondering why there was not more creativity involved with the majority of public and private play sets they came across in their day to day lives. Determined to make a positive impact on today’s youth; and inspired by the mission of GRG Playscapes, in 2019 Susie joined the team as Director of Sales & Client Communication.
An East coast native with a BA in Peace and Justice from Wellesley College and an MBA in sustainable Enterprise from the Dominican University of California. Susie brings with her a plethora of experience from over a decade of sales, management and operational development positions.
As a team member Susie works intimately with clients to ensure their project and product goals are met. Internally Susie’s background is a huge asset on GRG’s leadership team; driving innovative thinking and strategic development. Whether on the road or at the home office, Susie is GRG’s point person for sales strategy and communication.
Philip Cox
Director of Operations OSHA 10 Certified
Having travelled widely during his undergraduate studies; Philip has a unique understanding of the world and it’s built environments.
With over ten years experience in operations leadership, a BA in English from the University of WI Stevens Point and a Masters in organizational leadership from Wisconsin Lutheran College; Philip joined the GRG team in 2018 as Director of Operations.
Not only is Philip responsible for coordinating the day-to-day functions of project delivery in purchasing, production, and construction, he is also a valuable asset on our GRG leadership team helping to strategize forward thinking and organizational development. Philip is often at the forefront of communication both internally and externally creating solid client and vendor relationships. While much of his work goes on behind the scenes, Philip is the primary client contact for project management and maintenance.