Question:  Tell us about your company and what you do.

Answer: I work at Focus: HOPE, a non-profit civil and human rights organization that unites a multicultural community in common efforts to overcome injustice and build racial harmony. We do this in a variety of ways, most simply stated by providing education, food, careers, and career training to a largely underserved and disenfranchised population.

At Focus: HOPE, I am a Business Development Specialist on the Community Development team; I work on tasks centered on increasing economic sustainability in individuals and businesses. My projects are largely focused on entrepreneurship, product development and, of course, business development.

Question: Describe an accomplishment or contribution you’ve made at your company.

Answer: Focus: HOPE partnered with an organization called ProsperUS Detroit, which provides 11-week entrepreneurship training sessions in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. In my role as Business Development Specialist, I manage the ProsperUS program implementation at Focus: HOPE. This includes recruiting and interviewing entrepreneur candidates for the training program. I was able to recruit enough strong candidates to host two training sessions simultaneously, when we had originally planned to only host one at a time. This was such an accomplishment because we are helping more entrepreneurs, both aspiring and existing, realize their dreams and enhance their quality of life.

Question: What makes working for your company unique?

Answer: Focus: HOPE was started shortly after the Detroit riots in 1967, a time when the city was sharply divided on economic and racial lines. We were officially founded in 1968 with a mission that, in part, states we will use “…intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, poverty and injustice…” Our backstory, approach and mission is what makes working for Focus: HOPE unique;  working as an organization to overcome such issues every day is so complex, awesome, difficult and beautiful.

Question: Why do you enjoy working in the Detroit community?

Answer: This city is tough yet vibrant, saddening yet hopeful, and gritty yet gorgeous. This is an intricate, stunning contrast that gives Detroit a character like no other city. I love working here and working to make it more vibrant, more hopeful and more gorgeous!

Question: What’s the biggest highlight of working at your company?

Answer: The biggest highlight of working at my company is doing work every single day that directly aligns with my personal mission and reason for moving back home – to help revitalize the city that raised me.

Click here to check out Brittany’s spotlight video!

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Contributed by fellow Brittany Sanders

When Deirdre sent out an e-mail letting the Fellows know that the Eight Mile Boulevard Association (8MBA) needed volunteers for their 14th Annual Leadership Luncheon, I, Brittany Sanders, was super excited. I grew up off 8 Mile (cue Eminem reference) and Livernois in the Green Acres area and have many fond memories. I remember riding my bike all through the neighborhood, frolicking across 8 Mile with my best friend to grab a slice of pizza from a now-closed Little Caesar’s and walking with a group of at least 7 gal pals to the State Fair every year. With 8MBA being an integral player in the new development plans for the State Fairgrounds, I really wanted to attend the Luncheon and get the inside scoop on what was going on with 8 Mile, that long stretch of road that spans Macomb County, Oakland County and Wayne County.

The luncheon was held at the Detroit Marriott inside of the Renaissance Center. Upon arrival, Maryann and I met the energetic and friendly Jordan Twardy, Director of Programs for 8MBA, and were assigned to the registration table. I scanned over the name tags and saw there would be a lot of heavy hitters attending this luncheon – mayors, executives, and Governor Rick Snyder was going to give the closing remarks. Detroit Mayor Dave Bing as well as County Executives Robert Ficano and L. Brooks Patterson were the scheduled panelists.

 After registration concluded, we scooted into the dining hall for the panel and luncheon. We had the standard – yet tasty! – Marriott meal: salad with bread, chicken with vegetables and a dessert, while listening to Mayor Bing, L. Brooks Patterson and Robert Ficano discuss (in a quite politically-charged fashion!) everything from education to transportation to whether Mayor Bing would run for re-election (mum was the word then, but now we know differently!)

The moderator Charlie Langton, Attorney and TV/Radio Legal Analyst for WJBK Fox 2 and WWJ News Radio 950, asked his questions of the panelists, then he hopped around the audience and took some of our questions. There wasn’t much talk about the State Fairgrounds, which I was really hoping to hear more about, but I enjoyed the conversation and Charlie Langton was quite an entertaining moderator. With 8 Mile being the region’s divider between the city and the suburbs, the conversations that took place in this Luncheon were of great importance and I’m excited to see the action that is and will continue to take place.

Contributed by fellows Maryann Palazzolo and Brittany Sanders

Question: Tell us about your company and what you do.

Answer: My host company is Team Detroit, an ad agency in Dearborn responsible for any advertising you see with Ford’s name on it. Specifically, I work for Human Resources as a Talent Coordinator. I deal with various internal transitions, organizational shifts, and processes.

Question: Describe an accomplishment or contribution you’ve made at your company.

Answer: Team Detroit plans to host another Challenge Detroit Fellow next fall, so probably the highlight would be solidifying what that role means to the department and integrating it into the day-to-day functions of the office.

Question: What makes working for your company unique?

Answer: Probably the environment. Team Detroit is a very open workplace. Today I had a great Reuben sandwich, played a game of pool, and, of course, worked, all under one roof.

Question: Why do you enjoy working in the Detroit community? 

Answer: I enjoy just being in Detroit. I really like the city, and getting the chance to live and contribute here is very worthwhile.

Question: What’s the biggest highlight of working at your company? 

Answer: The people. The folks I work with at Team Detroit are very supportive of both my role as a Fellow and of me as a person.

Click here to check out Jason’s spotlight video!

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Contributed by fellow Jason Rose

For the month of April the Challenge Detroit Fellows had the pleasure of collaborating with Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice in laying the groundwork for their Clean Air Campaign targeting small businesses in Detroit. To gain more understanding of the issues surrounding clean air, our challenge began with a Toxic Tour of the city, which allowed the fellows to learn about some of the greatest environmental injustices within the city, as well as efforts being led to create a greener city. On the bus tour we were able to see how different neighborhoods were each facing different challenges, from the constant truck traffic in Southwest Detroit to the incinerator in Midtown/Downtown. The tour gave us a sense of how it would be essential to address each neighborhood in a manner specific to the problems it is facing. From our tour it was clear that while access to clean air free of dust, chemicals, odors, and other pollutants is something that every person deserves, in our city it is disproportionately denied to citizens in some of our most ignored neighborhoods. As a result these neighborhoods have much higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.

To address the issues specific to each neighborhood we split into 5 teams: Southwest, 48217, Northeast, Lower East, and Midtown/Downtown. Each team was given contacts within their communities to help connect them with the small businesses that the Clean Air Campaign would be targeting. Following the Toxic Tour, the next two Fridays were spent connecting with our community contacts, developing campaign ideas/materials, as well as gathering some initial feedback from businesses. On our final Friday, April 26, teams spent the day implementing their pilot campaigns. The Midtown/Downtown team had a plethora of materials to allow businesses to interact with their customers about clean air and created an approach for businesses to set monthly clean air goals that they would meet.  Team 48217 spent the day at Save-a-Lot, where the business owner offered them space to set up a table during the pilot campaign. The fellows were then able to distribute information, test campaign materials, and provide an interactive demonstration about Clean Air in Detroit to the shoppers during the afternoon. Not only did the fellows test out different campaigns with the businesses, the teams were also able to provide recommendations for approaching/messaging businesses for DWEJ to use in the future.

As the teams returned from the day for a discussion with DWEJ, it was clear the day had been a success. The majority of businesses the fellows interacted with were interested in participating in a future campaign and wanted to know what else they could do to help. Going forward it seems that small businesses will play an important role in helping achieve access to clean air for all of Detroit’s citizens. We cannot wait to see DWEJ’s next steps in this campaign!

Contributed by fellows Sam Brennan and Caroline Gersch

Question: Tell us about your company and what you do.

Answer: My host company is Valassis Communications, a proud leader in intelligent media delivery. Valassis provides over 15,000 advertisers from around the globe with proven and innovative media solutions to influence consumers wherever they plan, shop, buy and share.

At Valassis, I get to split my time between several different projects and teams. Between presenting on social media strategies with the Talent Acquisition and Recruitment team, designing Diversity & Inclusion initiatives with Human Resources, drawing up digital web-drafts with the Creative team, and planning wellness events with Benefits, there is never ever a dull day at work!

Question: Describe an accomplishment or contribution you’ve made at your company.

Answer: In the very beginning of my time at Valassis, I was asked to help put together a short video that would highlight and explain a new health policy reward for associates. Because I had just started work, I had not yet been given access to the equipment or software I wanted to use to make the video. So, instead, I used what equipment I did have access to—my two hands. I drew and colored in many, many sheets of paper and created my very first hand-drawn animated video that was eventually sent out to all associates world-wide. And even though none of my colleagues ever admitted this, I could tell they were all obviously jealous of my very fun project. I mean, I had a very serious number of Crayolas spread out all over my desk. Let’s be honest.

Question: What makes working for your company unique?

Answer: My experience at Valassis is certainly unique, due in large part, to my lack of a set job title. My title is not undefined because there is nothing for me to do, but because there is everything that I can do. My supervisors encouraged me to make this year a learning experience as much as it was a year of giving. They wanted me to be able to try different kinds of work in different departments with different teams. I am the type of individual who is energized by change, and the excitement and creativity that comes with my very broad role at Valassis has allowed me to touch so many aspects of the company that I otherwise would not have access to. I guess I don’t have a proper job title because if I came up with one, it’d be too long. And I’m sure there are rules about that.

Question: Why do you enjoy working in the Detroit community? 

Answer: There is something so raw and organic about the Detroit community. Everywhere I turn, I am hit in the face with the buzz of a very real energy and excitement—one that I have come to cherish very much. I am so thankful to be able to work in a community that cries out for creativity, innovation, and passion in its every day. Plus, Detroit offers an unbelievably cool plethora of spirit wear and “I Love Detroit” paraphernalia, which I always award mad points for.

Question: What’s the biggest highlight of working at your company? 

Answer: The biggest highlight of working at my company is its forever-ready supply of food.

Oh, and the people are pretty cool, too, I guess.

I have really enjoyed getting to know my incredible new co-workers (and now friends!) during my time here at Valassis. They really help keep things fun, and everyone that I have gotten to work with truly demonstrates a genuine care for one another in their speech, actions, and their generous sharing of food.

Click here to check out Bithiah’s spotlight video!

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Contributed by fellow Bithiah Lee

Question: Tell us about your company and what you do.

Answer: I work for ePrize, an interactive marketing agency that specializes in engaging brands with its consumers. I am a project coordinator on the West Division and I support three producers on various promotions.

Question: Describe an accomplishment or contribution you’ve made at your company.

Answer: I was one half of a pilot team formerly known in the office as the PL team and the success of that team resulted in it expanding.

 Question: What makes working for your company unique?

Answer: Working for my company is unique because the projects that I work on during the day I can then see again at night in a commercial during my favorite show.

Question: Why do you enjoy working in the Detroit community? 

Answer: I enjoy working in the Detroit community because I’m actually doing work that matters, that is highly visible and engages people from all over the world. The best part about it is that it all happens in Detroit.

Question: What’s the biggest highlight of working at your company? 

Answer: The biggest highlight of working at my company is all the promotions I get to work on for various brands regarding new release products that no one else knows about.

Click here to check out Asia’s spotlight video!

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Contributed by fellow Asia Gholston

Question: Tell us about your company and what you do.    

Answer: I work for the Edward C. Levy Co. in both their Performance Improvement and Human Resources departments. My company’s tagline is “Solutions for your Environment” and this tagline ultimately describes what we do. We provide a wide range of environmental products and services, ranging from providing materials for building roads  to recycling “waste” products for steel mills.

Splitting time between two departments allows me to take on many different roles. With Performance Improvement I have been able to take on projects that are as general as helping put together a company-wide newsletter to more targeted tasks such as participating in process improvement for a customer service branch of our company. Within HR I have been learning immense amounts about what goes into managing the day-to-day for employees ranging from health insurance to retirement benefits.

Question: What makes working for your company unique? 

Answer: I think the aspect of Levy that makes it most unique, for me, is the blend between the industrial side of the business and what many would consider the normal “desk job” side of business. The majority of Levy employees work at plants providing a variety of services and materials. The work I do in the office is all based around helping their work become safer/better/faster. Being able to see the real world connection behind what you do on the computer and how it affects our sites (and vice versa) is a really unique experience that Levy provides.

Question: Why do you enjoy working in the Detroit community?

Answer: I have really enjoyed working in the Detroit community for a couple reasons. The first is that going to high school in the suburbs and getting to know the city better through college and City Year I have really come to appreciate all the opportunities the city has offered me, and it is very gratifying to give back to that city. The second reason is that while Levy is technically in Dearborn it really places a large emphasis on giving back to the city of Detroit and engaging employees in that giving back. Working for a company that both supports your own individual community efforts and then also provides you with other company opportunities to engage with the community has been a wonderful experience.

Question: What’s the biggest highlight of working at your company?

Answer: The food!!! Okay, just kidding, but our cafeteria is fantastic (for just $3,  you get as much great food as you desire). I think the biggest highlight for me has been the diversity of experiences I have received here at Levy. Levy has really allowed me to explore my interests within the business, which has allowed me to gain a much better understanding of where I can contribute in the future.

Click here to check out Sam’s spotlight video!

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Contributed by fellow Sam Brennan

There’s a musical on Broadway called Memphis. It caught my eye because it seemed like it really represented the music from inside a great city. So I thought to myself – that’s the way to make a show named after a city… last week I saw the play Detroit, which does no such thing.

Don’t get me wrong – some parts of the play were good. The set was well done, the lights were well done, the acting was pretty good, the Hilberry Theater is beautiful… But the story – which has been nominated for numerous awards – just didn’t do it for me. I don’t claim to be a theater critic, or even a regular theater-goer. But I do claim to be one to enjoy a solid plot and to be a recent Detroit citizen. These two things really hampered my experience.

The story is set in a “first ring suburb outside a mid-sized American city,” say the press notes. The audience sees the adjoining backyards of two suburban houses – one couple who were once the status symbol of success and are now on a downward spiral (the husband loses his job, tries to start up a business, and their romance is faltering); the other are recovering drug addicts from the city who are trying to lead a better life in spite of close calls with drugs and alcohol and their lack of employment.

The play shows the two couples getting closer to each other (emotionally and weirdly romantically) and focused on the buildup of their relationships, which culminated in an awkward drunkfest ending with the addicts setting a house on fire.

Prior to the play I did some research on this “critically acclaimed dark comedy” that, according to a review by The Examiner, “truly pays homage to our hometown.” The review went on to quote the director as saying “the play is a Detroit story,” and “we’re a city bereft of revenue, neighborhoods, and opportunity.” The playwright herself said she “titled it Detroit in part because that name and that city evoke a particular type of anxiety in Americans” and that she “could have called it Flint [or] Cleveland,” but that it’s “about any Midwestern city that has gone through the troubles that Detroit has.”

The play didn’t seem bereft to me at all. It was set in suburbia with a family that could live off one income for 7 months and not dip into their savings. And to name a play because it evokes a particular negative emotion seems like it’s prostituting the very anxiety that the city is trying to overcome, which certainly doesn’t do the city any justice.

I walked out of the theater feeling like the suburban couple did after the drug addicts set fire to their home: a little empty, unsure of what was happening, and wondering where Detroit was in the story (the characters may not have asked that, but I did). The play may have mentioned one local highway in the metro Detroit area. And featured drug addiction. And arson. And houses. But there was really no homage paid, no real mention of the city at all. 80% of the actors were white (and got 90% of the stagetime). The setting was outside the city. Call it Suburbia and you’d have something – maybe.

To me, this play was about perception. The playwright herself hadn’t stepped foot in the city until fall of 2012, long after the play was written. And this is nothing against her – she was simply writing from what most of the country knows of Detroit. But it is perceptions like these that we as a fellowship (and we as a city) are trying to change – to acknowledge the actual issues of the city, to acknowledge potential solutions, and to make things happen. Perhaps we can convince Ms. D’Amour to write a sequel someday with these things in mind.

I’m not saying don’t see the play. Go for it. It was almost entertaining. But don’t go with any “Detroit” expectations in mind – after all, they could have been talking about Memphis.

**End note: many thanks go to the Detroit Passport to the Arts for giving us access to this and other shows. The Passport is a great way to culturally expose yourself to this city – check it out at http://dp2a.org/.

Contributed by fellow Jason Rose

Question: Tell us about your company and what you do.

Answer: I work for Mango Languages in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Mango is a conversationally based language learning software tool that empower those that use it to speak a new language in minutes; it’s really cool stuff! This streaming service is available at public libraries across the nation and is completely free to the end user (that’s you). It’s also available in a free mobile version on your smart phone. Offering over 40 languages, Mango also teaches English in over a dozen languages. Needless to say, this is an awesome product and I am happy to work for a company that offers such an incredible gift, the gift of language. As Charlemagne said, “To have another language is to possess a second soul.”

I work in the finance team at Mango Languages. Since there are only four of us in the Finance and Accounting department, we all work very hard. I deal with the cash inflow side of accounting; I focus on accounts receivables, invoicing, payment processing and taxes payable. I also get to go over financial reports; this is cool because I can catch a snapshot of the company’s financial situation and really learn about how a small business system functions.

Question: Describe an accomplishment or contribution you’ve made at your company.

Answer: Over the past seven months of working here at Mango Languages, I helped streamline the accounts receivable processes to make our data more relevant and accurate. I have also made our invoicing process more efficient by using a single system to control the communication of our sales. Currently, I am learning the tax side of accounting. This is great because I can do my own research and bring something new to the table.

Question: What makes working for your company unique?

Answer: Mango is a really unique place to work. Each employee has a language-learning requirement of studying a foreign language 1.5 hours per week. We get to use the Mango software or we can learn from each other. Since we are also are tasked with teaching a language 4 hours per fiscal quarter, we hold various language clubs so everyone can achieve their required learning. I don’t know any other companies that make you learn a foreign language while you are on the clock.

Question: Why do you enjoy working in the Detroit community?

Answer: I work in the suburbs of Detroit, but Mango Languages is still very much a part of the Detroit community. By connecting with Detroit-based organizations and networking with inner city companies and foundations, Mango strives to make solid ties with the city and those who believe in it. It’s companies like Mango and its constituents that make me proud to work in the greater Detroit community.

Question: What’s the biggest highlight of working at your company?

Answer: The biggest highlight of working at Mango Languages, besides learning about how a small business operates, is getting to spend my workday interacting with all the incredible people that make up this vibrant
company!

Click here to check out Jared’s spotlight video!

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Contributed by fellow Jared Berman

In the month of March, we partnered with Beaumont Health System on a unique and fun challenge centered around the topic of health and wellbeing.  It was the first time we were tasked with a healthy living project that would directly impact children. In the past, we worked on food access, but we never focused directly on children. Childhood obesity is a major issue throughout the country, and especially in Michigan.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 33% of children between ages 10-17 were overweight or obese in 2012.  These health risks disproportionally affect lower income and poverty stricken homes, which are largely seen in the metro Detroit region.  Many youth in various communities pick up poor eating and physical activity habits throughout their childhood, and this carries on to their adolescent, young adult and adult years.  If youth are properly educated on eating healthy and being more physically active, they will greatly reduce their risk of disease later in life, helping them save money in the future because of the high cost of health care.

The challenge presented to the Fellows was to come up with two different 1-hour programs, one for a school assembly and the other for a community center workshop, focused on health and wellbeing with the goal of combatting obesity. We were split into teams and tasked with designing engaging, fun activities for schoolchildren that would motivate them to change the way they eat for a healthier lifestyle, increase their physical activity to ensure their bodies stay fit, and modify behavior towards healthy living.  We worked for four weeks in various settings.

We kicked off the challenge at Beaumont’s training facility in Troy.  Beaumont was gracious enough to provide us with a full day of educational panels, headed up by some of the leading healthcare professionals in the state! We were also asked to arrive in professional “fit-friendly” attire so we could participate in some light yet active physical exercises throughout our day.  In the morning we did some stretching, followed by power-walking after lunch and then an afternoon exercise break using fit-bands. Not only did we learn a ton about healthy living—from a nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral perspective—but Beaumont truly rolled out the red carpet for our team.  They provided us with many resources and fed us a truly healthy breakfast and lunch!

In the second week, we worked at Rutherford Winans Academy in Detroit.  Rutherford Winans currently partners with Beaumont; through this partnership, Rutherford Winans provides a great physical activity room for ANYONE in the neighborhood to use AND fully staffs a medical clinic for children, teachers, administrators and neighborhood residents for small medical issues.  The school trip afforded us the opportunity to interview students and parents in various grades about their healthy living habits.  We learned that kids did enjoy eating healthy and playing around, but a lot of the influence came from the parents.  We also had the opportunity to eat with some kids during their lunch period.

In our third week, we were back at another Beaumont-related facility in Grosse Pointe called the Neighborhood Club.  The objective for the third week was to compile all the information we learned as well as all ideas we brainstormed into more digestible activities for the school and community center programs we were developing.  We worked extremely hard that day, but we also had some fun.  Part of the reason we worked at the Neighborhood Club was to see how a community center operated.  We were again asked to wear “fit-friendly” attire and got a nice little afternoon sweat going from our mini boot-camp workout and basketball games. All the fellows loved taking a fun, active break from work!

Finally, our last week with Beaumont ended on a great note on an actual spring-like Friday! Fellows presented their interactive health programs, including a marketing strategy for outreach to both schools and community centers, to an audience of over 50 people from Beaumont and other guests.  Overall, it seemed everyone was very impressed with our Fit-Ready: Mind+Body+Plate school and community center programs.  Activities demoed included dancing to improve physical activity and learning how to read food labels by playing a board game with stickers.  After the final presentation finished, we ended the day celebrating with another healthy lunch meal and further dialogue about health and wellness. We look forward to seeing how Beaumont implements the programs we created into their work with children in the greater Detroit community!

 Contributed by fellows Isaac Gilman and Brittany Sanders