Samaritas is delighted to announce the hiring of Kim Thompson as COO of Senior Living, and Kevin Van Den Bosch as COO of Child & Family Services. As skilled industry veterans, their expertise and leadership will help guide Samaritas as they positively transform communities throughout Michigan.
Ann Eisenberg, a professor of psychology with extensive experience in the oversight of honors colleges and associated programs, has been appointed dean of The Honors College at Eastern Michigan University. Eisenberg will start at the University on August 1.
Comcast has named Jill Johnson senior director of Customer Experience for the Heartland Region, which includes Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. Johnson oversees all projects and initiatives to improve customer service for business and residential customers across the three-state region.
This is not your father’s or grandfather’s old-fashioned opera.
To appeal to more people and bring younger generations into the arts, Michigan Opera Theatre has launched a new Young Patrons Circle to offer networking opportunities as well as discounted pricing for patrons ages 21 to 40.
The Young Patrons Circle (YPC) is part of MOT’s commitment to increasing accessibility to the arts while encouraging the next generation of arts lovers and supporters, officials said.
“Opera and dance are important parts of our culture, and our goal is to remove barriers that would prevent patrons from experiencing these incredible art forms,” said MOT Director of Development Angela Nelson-Heesch. “We are excited to support and create a community of liked-minded young professionals who can share their mutual passion for theater.”
Nelson-Heesch said the program is also aimed at encouraging younger generations to support the arts and a sustainable future for opera and dance. Proceeds from the program support MOT’s Department of Education and the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio resident artists program.
“By joining YPC, members support Michigan Opera Theatre’s commitment to nourishing future generations of arts lovers and artists,” she said. “It’s a great way to enjoy world-class theater while also giving back to the larger arts community.”
A bright new opera
Michigan Opera Theatre, one of the nation’s most vibrant nonprofit arts organizations, is committed to presenting opera and dance of the highest artistic caliber.
The theatre has gained many new fans through its unique programs, its connections to the community and its appeal to patrons of all ages through events such as BravoBRAVO!
The most recent BravoBRAVO! event drew positive media attention and lots of attendance in part because of an appeal to a younger audience through fun advertising, social-media posts showing millennial and Generation Z patrons having fun as well as diverse people of a variety of colors in its photographs.
Founded in 1971 by Dr. David DiChiera, the company’s mission is to serve as a major cultural resource to the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit. The organization is led by President and CEO Wayne S. Brown and Chairman of the Board Rick Williams.
Co.act Detroit celebrates the opening of its new collaborative space in New Center with a two-day experience designed to unite Southeast Michigan’s nonprofit community. Pre-registered “Co.activists” filled the room to preview programs and network with cross-sector leaders and regional changemakers.
As everyone gets out their grills this summer, there is more than one way to turn up the heat. That is where Executive Chef Emmele Herrold – a co-owner of Hazel, Ravines and Downtown in Birmingham – comes in.
Herrold has an unexpected dish to try that is both barbecued and spicy. It goes beyond burgers and brats and can elevate a backyard gathering in no time. She’s added Kalbi for Two to the menu at Hazel, Ravines and Downtown in Birmingham.
A personal favorite for Chef Emmele, the dish highlights Korean-marinated beef short rib with kimchi, green onions, butter lettuce and Gochujang sauce. It features a bone-in cut that is slowly marinated and is then grilled to perfection. It can be re-created at home as well.
Kalbi for Two
Recipe by Executive Chef Emmele Herrold, co-owner of
Hazel, Ravines and Downtown
Ingredients:
5 green onions
1 cup of Mirin
1 cup of orange juice
3/4 cup of soy sauce
3/4 cup of sesame oil
10 cloves of garlic
1 cup of sugar
1 medium onion
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Instructions:
Blend together in a blender or Vitamix
Marinade makes 1.5 quarts
Flanken cut short ribs can be found at most butcher shops, or cut for you by the butcher. Ribs should be flanken cut to 1/4 inch. Plan to serve 1/2 pound of ribs per person (about 2 pieces).
Marinate the short ribs for at least 2 and up to 24 hours in marinade noted above.
Char ribs on a hot flame grill until charred and cooked through. While ribs are cooking on the grill, toss whole green onions in olive oil until wilted and char them on the grill until they are slightly crispy at the ends.
Serve with:
• Your favorite kimchi (Note: Kimchi by The Brinery is local and delicious)
• Bib lettuce
• Gochujang
• A sauce consisting of equal parts mirin and sesame oil and a dash of salt.
Ben Maibach III, who spent 30 years at the helm of Barton Malow Corporation as president and CEO, and now serves as its Chief Community Officer, has been awarded the Engineering Society of Detroit’s highest honor — the Horace H. Rackham Humanitarian Award.
There should be an adage in meeting spaces: If you build it, they will come.
Apologies to “Field of Dreams,” but having enough room to check in with co-workers, to hang out with vendors or hold a board of review is essential to every business. And that is the lesson that the Birmingham Athletic Club recently learned about its huge renovation, which has added more and flexible meeting spaces to this private club.
The Club, which is located on West Maple off of Telegraph in Bloomfield Hills, recently went through a huge renovation. General Manager Paul Spencer showed us around the renovation to highlight the changes, which he believes has boosted Club membership, increased usage and, most importantly, increased revenue.
The Club tore down a building, added a new building, reconfigured its member dining room and other food and event spaces as well as added new meeting spaces throughout the facilities. The resulting renovation, which had impressive member input, has been dramatic for everyone who works out, hangs out or visits, Spencer said.
For example, the Club’s previous member dining room was up front and the view was of the Club’s parking lot. After talking to members and meeting with a consulting firm, the Club reconfigured its space, moved it to the back of the main building for a view of the pool and tennis courts and eliminated its “white tablecloths,” making the space more casual in look and spirit, Spencer said.
How It’s Used
For members and their visitors, having more space to stretch out meant adding new meeting rooms that are flexible as well, Spencer said. Another example is a room off of the new building that can be used for Club employee training, birthday parties, special events or for casual get-togethers, he said. It is located right next to a commercial-style kitchen with a new pizza oven, so it is an attractive location for any event that needs fresh food as well.
Rooms that previously were closed off are now open to one another, another important suggestion from members as well as the consulting firm the Club used to determine which renovations were worth the time and money, Spencer added. The new spaces are easy to change, easy to use and close to amenities, making the Club not only attractive to current members, but impressive to anyone considering a membership.
As a result, membership is up year over year, Spencer said. The Club, which typically has about 500 or so members, is up about 35 members since the renovations began in earnest last year. Everything is almost done, and Spencer said the Club is feeling optimistic.
“We’re excited for what’s to come,” Spencer said.
Some background: The Birmingham Athletic Club was established in 1955 by a group of local residents interested in developing a family club centered around athletics and social events for the membership.
During the late 1950s, squash facilities existed in Detroit, but none near the Birmingham-Bloomfield area where Fred Matthaei and other founding BAC members resided. Many of the founders were members of the downtown athletic clubs, but they wanted a place to play during the weekends and evenings that was closer to home and accessible to their families.
In 1956, Matthaei purchased property on Maple Road and spearheaded the effort to recruit friends and families in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area to help develop his concept of what the Birmingham Athletic Club should be. While the clubhouse was originally built in 1960, the BAC has greatly evolved from its early days when it consisted of a cabana, pool and two tennis and squash courts. The BAC is now host to several thriving racquet programs including squash, tennis, paddle, a top-tier MICSA swimming program, fitness center, and dining and banquet facilities.
Maria Fracassa Dwyer, Member in Clark Hill’s Labor & Employment group, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Maria will utilize her role to assist the United Way in improving the lives of Detroit residents.
Comcast has named Melissa Bahoora vice president of sales for the Heartland Region, which includes Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. In her new role, Bahoora leads the three-state region’s residential field sales team. She is responsible for developing sales strategies and tactical execution plans.
Jamie Headley has been appointed Director of Sales at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center). This is a newly created position as a result of organizational growth combined with long-range strategic plans. The announcement was made by Mike Coast, President of The Center.
To the staff at Proven Recruiting, diversity and inclusion isn’t just a “nice to have” aspect of their work. It is the basis upon which the firm has built its business, officials say.
“Our company’s whole existence hinges on the idea that a strong, mutually-beneficial culture will contribute equally to our workers’ well-being and our company’s bottom line,” said Michelle Pencer, Lead Marketing Strategist and Content Creator.
The data agrees. Nearly half (49 percent) of employers surveyed for LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2018 said they focus on diversity to better represent their customers. Other key reasons cited by respondents included “to improve company culture” (78 percent) and “to improve company performance” (62 percent).
Pencer said Proven Recruiting was founded as the answer to a growing problem – the fact that recruiting firms were grueling, unpleasant places to work. Proven Recruiting is a placement agency headquartered in San Diego, Calif., that helps companies of all sizes hire professionals in technology, finance and accounting.
As a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Proven Recruiting understands that diversity and inclusion are essential ingredients to recruiting the best and brightest talent, Pencer said. Its focus is proactively hiring and placing employees of all backgrounds, creating positive awareness of diversity issues and embedding accountability for diversity throughout its organization as well as those of its clients.
Q: What is your diversity and inclusion program?
A: Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is less of a program and more of an approach – an approach that shapes everything from how we hire and how we treat our employees to what we value. We are minority-owned, majority women, and combined we speak over 20 languages. The cultural, ethnic, gender, and religious backgrounds of our workers inform our approaches in a number of ways. We celebrate all cultural holidays in the office, from Kwanzaa and Eid al-Fitr to Passover and Easter.
We list all languages spoken by our employees on our company website, so that people feel empowered to message us in their native tongue. As of this year, we are including Martin Luther King Day as one of our official paid holidays. We also strongly encourage our people to take any days off that are important to them culturally or religiously. We host large- and small-scale D&I events, bringing together decision-makers in our community in an effort to establish specific action items. This includes everything from a 200+ person event with Sony Electronics to intimate roundtables with 8-10 attendees. We publish our most popular articles in various languages – Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin – to increase accessibility.
Q: How did you develop your D&I program?
A: It started with an awareness of our own workforce and a desire to better support them, as well as to provide information to our partner companies and job seekers. As a recruiting agency, we understand the growing need for diverse candidates as well as diverse interviewers on each interview panel. We wanted to make sure the companies with whom we worked understood the importance of this, too. To this end, we hosted our first D&I Breakfast in 2017. This brought together representatives from a number of San Diego companies to form breakout groups, discuss approaches to D&I in the workplace, and develop accountability items. The success of this first event led us to host a number of summits, each time honing in on a specific topic and bringing together a dynamic panel of presenters. On the home front, we sought to complement our public endeavors with internal changes. That’s when we added the languages to our website, began translating articles, and put together our ‘Culture Club,’ which serves the purpose of planning and executing all of our cultural celebrations.
Q: What have been the results so far?
A: Beyond a marked increase in morale and general feeling of excitement, we’ve seen a number of concrete gains in the past few years. More than ever, we are hiring people who represent different kinds of diversity. For example, we’ve never had trouble hiring women, but we’ve struggled to engage mothers looking to re-enter the workforce. This year we hired our first such mom, and we’ve built more robust programs to better support our current working moms as well. We’ve had similar results in terms of hiring people from different cultural and educational backgrounds.
Q: What would you like other companies/vendors to know about your corporate culture when it comes to diversity and inclusion?
A: When you have no D&I program, the prospect of starting one may seem daunting. Especially if you currently have very little diverse representation at your company. But D&I is nothing to fear – even small efforts are rewarded by increased enthusiasm and a sense of belonging. Since we started celebrating every holiday, for example, our people are more informed, sensitive, and bonded than ever before. There is no manual to getting started with a D&I program and if you do find one, it probably isn’t particularly useful to your specific company or industry. These kinds of programs get moving in fits and starts. Trial and error. We attempted to host a Black Recruiters Meetup and only three people came – an error on our part. Next time, we’ll invite more people and do better marketing. The key is just starting somewhere and not stopping. People aren’t stupid. If you aren’t mentioning diversity and inclusion – and making it real in your actions – they will notice, and they’ll choose to work elsewhere. And they’ll be right to.
Adam Zimman has more than 20 years of experience working in software engineering to technical sales to his current role as VP of Product and Platform for LaunchDarkly. In that time, he’s learned one thing for sure: Your product, service or app can never be too current.
To that end, Zimman has come up with five tips for companies who have apps and are looking to launch new features. App users are always looking for what’s new and fresh, so businesses are smart to try to keep their technology on point.
As the Chief People Officer of Saba Software, Debbie Shotwell is responsible for human resources, learning and development, employee communications and community relations. That means helping people in 23 different countries feel like they are part of the larger team.
So how do you organize events, foster diversity and cultivate an inclusive culture? Shotwell says it takes a lot of planning, a bevy of online resources, plenty of events and an overall commitment to making people feel welcome, included and involved in Saba at every level of the business.
“We’re focused on the employee experience from the moment we meet someone,” Shotwell said. “We’re putting our employees in the driver’s seat in investing in their own career and we’re allowing them to develop. Our whole company is about talent development.”
Connecting employees across the globe
To that end, the company created Saba Life and related programs, all of which help connect employees across the globe. This internal website and related programming offer a way for workers worldwide to collaborate and have conversations anywhere they’re working, Shotwell said.
Saba also has groups Shotwell calls Culture Clubs, groups that make sure offerings at each office – whether it is in Japan, London, India, the United States or anywhere in between – are being thoughtful about the culture of that community and the culture of the overall business. For example, the Saba@Work page lets a club in Ireland share what they’re doing for a particular month, such as Pride Month, with the rest of the team.
“What we’re doing is allowing our Culture Clubs in geographical locations to be involved in how we bring people on board in the company and how they’re focused on the culture of the company in their geographic areas plus global programs – and that includes diversity and inclusion,” Shotwell said.
Culture Clubs started about two years ago, Shotwell explained. Each Culture Club drives their own initiatives, she said. Saba has found that these clubs are a big help in bringing the company’s mission/vision/values together across its 23 locations.
“I try to help people as much as I can in terms of funding and that it’s consistent so everyone gets a great experience,” Shotwell said. “It’s run by employees – typically through an individual leader at that office who is appointed by the group. They have their own agendas and meetings.”
For example, there are outdoor picnics during the summer and yoga classes across each site. There is a cookbook recipe contest online where all employees can submit ideas for their favorite dishes. Saba also has ongoing classes on site and online that let workers talk about diversity, learn about one another and take training on a variety of subjects, including harassment awareness.
Everyone brings something to the table
“Everybody brings their own flavor to the table, and that helps us pick programs and initiatives globally to focus on,” Shotwell said
Other programs that foster a culture of diversity and inclusion is Saba Reads, an online global book club. Every quarter, the online book club selects a book through a vote and then has regular chats about what they’re read. Sometimes, people love the book, Shotwell said. Other times, it can have a lukewarm response. But everyone is heard and has a good time with it.
Another program Saba Cares, gives employees a chance to donate to common causes, give back to the local communities where they work and volunteer at organizations they care about. Saba does a matching program of $100,000 annually to boost employee efforts at these same groups, Shotwell said.
It’s hard work organizing and promoting all of these unique programs, but finding ways to bring people together has its own rewards, Shotwell said.
“We’re culturally diverse and we respect each other’s cultures,” Shotwell said. “We’re a stronger company for it.”
The 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Gender politics. Gun control. These are topics most workplaces might shy away from – but not Digitas.
At this global digital advertising company, employees are having open and topic-driven conversations about some of these hot-button issues, said Caitlyn Cone, Vice President and Group Director of Talent for the Boston-based business. Digitas employs a staff of 6,000 with offices spanning 25 countries and six continents.
Having a “Brave Space,” which includes dialogue, action and conversation has been an important way to express diversity and inclusion in the office, Cone said. This community-building platform came about as a way to have productive talks about the controversial 2016 Presidential election, and the conversations have continued about a bevy of topics since then, she said.
Inside Brave Space, a platform for all employees, people can talk about real issues, Cone said. That includes everything from gun violence to discrimination to immigration to politics. It may seem risky to offer such a wide-ranging array of topics for general discussion, but it has proven hugely successful and powerful, she said.
“A lot of us had a profound reaction to the 2016 election and in the days and months after the election. We were all asking: What now? Brave Space was a way to channel that,” Cone said. “We’ve had sessions on how to be an ally, how to help marginalized groups, how to combat hatred, how to find unconscious bias, cultural appropriation.”
Diversity and inclusion is a key business topic. Catalyst, a global nonprofit, published an analysis of research in 2018 that showed strong diversity climates are linked to reduced instances of interpersonal aggression and discrimination. Additionally, the organization found that in 2016, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of employees felt that the respectful treatment of all employees was a very important factor in their job satisfaction.
Is it hard to be that vulnerable as individuals and co-workers? Sometimes, Cone said. But it has been helpful and educational at the same time.
“We want people to put themselves out there and be vulnerable and to do that you need to be brave,” Cone said. “People might not understand what they’re doing or how it affects people. They can come to (Brave Space) to ask questions, talk about how they’re feeling. In the end, it can help them feel not as alone in this world.”
The sessions are moderated by the staff so it is a safe space. People are expected to act respectfully both in their questions and comments, and moderators have found people are more than willing to do that and follow those rules, Cone said.
These sorts of exchanges have created new programs and training for Digitas as well. Employees identify areas where they want to have training or discussions, and the company can react to that. “That’s how you build community and understanding,” Cone said.
An example is its in-house training on how to be more than a bystander to issues you care about, Cone said.
“People told us they were feeling like they wanted to have an impact on what they’re seeing. They wanted to create a better world,” Cone said. “There were issues out there like when you see people being harassed on a train or when you overhear inappropriate comments. (Our employees) wanted to know how to stand up for people who are targeted.”
Cone and her fellow human-resource employees went to work and created training sessions that have received rave reviews internally and across their industry. Digitas has asked to share these across its industry, and Cone said they have been successful.
Inclusivity means taking a stand, and Digitas is here for it, Cone said.
“There could be people on either side” of a debate or issue and the conversations have been positive, she said. “We know we won’t get you to change your mind necessarily but we know we can help people be respectful.”
Five years ago, Videojet Technologies Inc. decided that focusing on a diverse workforce that practices inclusion needed to be a priority if the growing business wanted to both find ways to bond its employees, but also attract new talent.
Looking back, Videojet has a variety of takeaways from its experience. But the most important of them all is that highlighting your core values as a corporation requires short- and long-term goals, said Rich Wachter, Vice President of Human Resources at the Wood Dale, Ill.-based business.
“If your business wanted to make diversity and inclusion a business imperative, you need to recognize that it’s not a single event. It’s a journey and a process,” Wachter said. “As much as we’re doing now, we’re still learning every day. And you learn by doing a lot of listening.”
Videojet describes itself as a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-quality product identification equipment for coding and marking – including continuous ink jet printers, laser marking systems, thermal transfer overprinters, case coding, print and apply labeling, thermal inkjet printers, commercial graphics and addressing, CLARiSUITE and code assurance.
In 2002, Videojet became a subsidiary of Danaher, a global science and technology firm that includes a global network of more than 20 operating companies. It operates companies in five strategic platforms: life sciences, diagnostics, dental, water quality and product identification.
Leadership is a key ingredient
One key ingredient in creating a diversity-and-inclusion mindset at Videojet was creating a leadership team that valued this philosophy and understood that it was important to the company’s overall success, Wachter said.
“For us, it’s a business imperative starting from our president on down,” he said. “It sounds simple, but it is important to drive (that corporate value) throughout the organization.”
Research shows leadership in this area truly matters. A 2016 analysis of a global survey of 21,980 firms from 91 countries by nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics reveals the relative dearth of women in high leadership positions. The results suggest that gender diversity in corporate leadership positions may improve firm performance, stating that “a profitable firm at which 30 percent of leaders are women could expect to add more than 1 percentage point to its net margin compared with an otherwise similar firm with no female leaders.”
Here are some of the ways Videojet grew into its core value of “The Best Team Wins” through its commitment to diversity and inclusion:
• Focus on having a diverse group of people at the top. If you have a diversity of individuals leading the company, that shows potential hires there are opportunities for them within Videojet’s culture, Wachter said. “We want a culture of belonging so our employees feel they can bring authentic and true selves to work as a result,” he said. “That enables us to be a stronger collaborative organization – and that’s a competitive advantage.”
• Understanding that diversity helps your customers. By attracting and hiring a diverse workforce, Videojet has realized that this actually helps the company solve its customers’ problems and come up with innovative ideas. “Having diverse points of view helps us find better solutions to problems with advanced innovation,” he said.
• Having a diverse workforce reflects the communities where Videojet operates as a business. “This reflects the diversity of our customers, the very people that provide our livelihood by buying our products and services,” he said. “The way our business works is 35 to 40 percent of our employees work out in the field. They’re globally interfacing with our customers every day – and by having a diverse workforce, they can see we’re just like them.”
• Offer diversity training. By building inclusive leaders and inclusive teams, you bring fresh talent and ideas into the company. Videojet also works hard to offer mentors, especially to female managers, in hopes of helping them advance within the company’s ranks and become executives in the long run. Right now, Videojet has three female leaders in its global team: One in finance, one in product management and one as a general manager for North America.
• Making little changes means a lot. Inclusion can be achieved in even the smallest efforts, Wachter said. For example, Videojet recently started to offer flexible summer hours as well as floating holidays to its work schedule. This way, people can prioritize holidays that are meaningful in terms of ethnicity or religion. Flexible summer hours also allows people with families to enjoy those warmer days at school or other events.
• Prepare your staff for every outcome. Sometimes, being a company that has a diversity and inclusion focus can draw criticism. But Videojet has tried to handle this situation by thinking ahead. Company officials have reached out to other businesses who have done programs such as Pride Week to find out best practices and community reaction. Then, they prepare their leadership with words and guidance to make sure that Videojet’s overall message can be related in a positive manner to the public or its customers if needed, Wachter said. “If someone came forward who didn’t agree with it, we prepared (our executives) to say, ‘Thank you for speaking up; your beliefs are important, too. All beliefs are important.’”
Wachter said Videojet feels like there is much still to learn, but the company as a whole has the belief that the journey toward diversity and inclusion is well worth it.
“We know we will make mistakes,” He said. “But if you don’t take risk, you’re not going to improve… We’re still learning and we’re excited to be learning.”
When Atlanta’s top companies, from the perspective of the people who choose to work there, gathered for the “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” event, held Thursday, June 20 at JW Marriott’s Atlanta Buckhead, it was another amazing example of just how important it is for organizations to create an environment that stands out from a workplace standpoint.
With hundreds of organizations putting their best foot forward, having been nominated for this coveted distinction, the competition was extraordinary.
Even so, Atlanta’s community of top performers showed just how powerful their strategy is for attracting and retaining employees who continue to make a difference on a daily basis.
And now, we’re pleased to give a great big “shout out” to Atlanta’s “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.”
Once again, congratulations!
Three Five Two Inc.
3C Software
3Ci
Active Pest Control
Advanced Services for Pest Control Inc.
Agile
AGS LLC
AIS Media
ALDI
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
Apex Insurance
Aspirent Consulting
Associa
AssureSign
Astral Health & Beauty
Aventis Systems
AWD Management Services
Azularc
BDO USA LLP
BlueFletch
CATMEDIA
CBIZ
CHEP
CIRA InfoTech
City of Atlanta
Client Command
Clinical Resources LLC
Comprehensive Therapy Consultants
Conway MacKenzie
Cultura Technologies
Cvent
Daughterty Business Solutions
Digital Agent
Digitas
DMC Atlanta
EasyCare
Emerald Data Networks
Equity Prime Mortgage
EventSphere
FieldEdge
First Option Mortgage
First Pro 360
Force Marketing
Gables Residential
Get U Wired
GlobeCoRe Inc.
Gray Television, Inc.
Hall Booth Smith, P.C. Attorneys at Law
Hancock Askew & Co., LLP
Hannon Hill Corporation
HireIQ
VidReach
Hull
Human Resource Dimensions
IDR, Inc.
Imagine Media Consulting
Incentive Solutions
InfoMart Inc.
ISG Partners
IST Management Services
IT Works Recruitment
IVision
JW Business Acquisitions
Jabian Consulting
JDC Group
Kingdom Fortunes Development Group
LGS Staffing
List Partners LLC
Medicus IT
Mobile Labs
Mondo
Morrison Healthcare
Tommy Nobis Center
NovaTech
OmegaFi
One Vision Productions
OneDigital Health and Benefits
Origami Risk
OxBlue Corporation
P. Marshall & Associates
Panasonic Automotive
Paramount Software Solutions
PBD Worldwide
Peak Enterprises Corp.
Pritchard & Jerden
Pro Roofing and Siding
Proliant
ProviDyn
Qiigo
Quest Group Search
Radix Health
Rapid IT
ReluTech
Resurgens Orthopaedics
Riskonnect
Rural Sourcing
Search Solution Group
Service Express
SignatureFD LLC
Southern Lighting Source
Strive Consulting
Sunsoft Solutions
Syncron Inc.
T-Mobile USA
TelPlus Communications
The Intersect Group
Thompson Technologies
ThoughtWorks Inc.
TJ Fact LLC
Total Quality Logistics
Trevelino/Keller
Turner Construction
VDart Inc.
Vector Choice Technology Solutions
Venza
Vert Digital
Virtue Group
WellStar Health System
WOW! Internet, Cable, Phone
Xinnix
Your Design Online
It worked so well the first time, organizers are bringing it back again.
The Detroit Fintech Challenge is returning for a second year after what officials deemed a “successful” inaugural event in 2018.
The challenge offers an opportunity for participants to “tap into the fintech ecosystem,” organizers said. Participants come largely from professionals, stakeholders, market leaders and “influencers in the finance, banking and insurance services” markets.
Kyyba Innovations, FinTech Consortium and Detroit FinTech Bay have partnered with Techtown Detroit and Detroit Fintech Association for this annual event series to identify game-changing innovations in the financial services industry.
DFC is also being supported by William Davidson Foundation, GM Financial, First Independence Bank, Varnum Law Firm, and Corp! Magazine is media sponsor.
According to officials at Kyyba, the Fintech Challenge is a “mix of a hackathon and pitch competition combined.” The challenge is announced four months prior to the competition day, and host meetups and pitch workshops leading up to the event.
“We are so delighted to host the Fintech Challenge in collaboration with FinTech Consortium,” said Tel K. Ganesan, Kyyba’s managing director. “We truly see this as a catalyst to drive a community in Detroit around fintech that will help in re-energizing the city and state with a diversified economy leading to economic prosperity for years to come.”
The challenge offers anyone with a financial technology solution or idea the opportunity to build out their idea by connecting them with mentors, talent, and other team members. They form teams and work together for 3-4 months leading up to the challenge day. The team must have an idea that relates or solves one of the noted challenge statements on the website.
The grand prize winner will be offered an equity investment from Kyyba Innovations, up to $50,000, and the top three winners will receive a combined total of $15,000 in cash prizes. FinTech Consortium is also offering the top three winners the opportunity to attend a one-week residency at Silicon FinTech Bay, the newest North American FinTech Consortium hub location.
Six finalists will receive $5,000 in legal services from Varnum Law Firm.
“Globally, fintech innovation and investment is taking place at an unprecedented pace,” said Maissan Almaskati, FinTech Consortium – USA’s CEO. “We’re pleased to be supporting entrepreneurs and innovators in Detroit and to bridge this ecosystem to key centers of fintech excellence around the world.”
Detroit Fintech Challenge is happening on August 3, 2019, at Techtown in Detroit. Startups can submit the applications until June 30, 2019.To register for DFC, visit www.detroitfintechchallenge.com.
The American Indian Health & Family Services (AIHFS) Board of Directors has selected Chasity Dial, enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer.
Starting Thursday, the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament will take over a part of Detroit few locals let alone visitors will know about, and it is highlighted by Palmer Woods subdivision, Palmer Park and the mysterious Hamilton Road.
When you ask people about Hamilton Road, you’ll hear words like private and stately along with phrases such as “the view was breathtaking” and “destinated to be great again.” Intriguing, yes?
Add that it is where Aretha Franklin’s much-debated Rose Estate is located along side a 130-year-old golf course, and these aspirational descriptions may make more sense. Former residents along Hamilton Road include the Queen of Soul, former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer along with a plethora of judges, political leaders and city council representatives.
“It’s a who’s who of Detroit,” said Christine Winans, the Realtor representing Aretha’s home.
But the private road – one of the few in Detroit – has seen its ups, downs and ups again. There are houses along its winding stretch from McNichols where it becomes Pontchartrain to New Center that need massive repair and renovations, including Franklin’s 5,623-square-foot estate.
Yet Hamilton Road continues to hold its value, its luxury aura and its endless potential. It has a strong neighborhood association. It has 24-hour security for the 30 homes along the block. Palmer Park is right across the street, giving you even more room to roam.
“It has one of the most breathtaking natural settings in the middle of the city,” said Austin Black II, founder of City Living Detroit; a full-service real estate brokerage that is headquartered in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood. “These are amenities typically found in a suburban setting – but they’re in Detroit.”
A Road with a View
What makes this area even more exciting is its alignment with the Detroit Golf Club, which is hosting the 2019 PGA Tournament in June. The Rocket Mortgage Classic, scheduled for June 27-30, is the first time the PGA Tour will be playing within the city limits. So far, players who are signed up to attend include Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was in Detroit at the golf club in early May and said he is excited to play and contribute to Detroit – especially because of the location.
“We don’t get to play many 120-year-old golf courses, that is truly unique,” Monahan told the crowd. “It’s the area and where it is in its life cycle and how it’s re-surging and how it wants to continue to push itself. … I think it’s creating an energy that is palpable…”
Real estate agents around Metro Detroit are enamored with the listings along Hamilton Road – and rightly so. Long-term owners are customary for Hamilton Road and its sister street, Fairway Drive. The homes back up onto the lush golf course – meaning you have no neighbors to your front or back other than the occasional duffer. Flora and fauna are plentiful. Homes hold their value, and people desperately wanted in when listings were rare.
Home sweet home
Homes along Hamilton Road boast incredible amenities. For example, a historic brick Tutor built by famed Detroit architects Donaldson & Meier at 17615 Hamilton Road sold recently for $480,000 and features an oak-paneled foyer, a third-floor artist’s studio and a slate roof.
Another at 17731 Hamilton Road was featured in the “House Envy” section of the Detroit Free Press. It features 88 windows, can easily entertain 100-plus people inside and out, has a 19-foot foyer with its own fireplace, a 28-foot living room, all on a half-acre lot.
Nowadays, there are a few more houses on Hamilton Road up for grabs, including the one that belonged to Aretha Franklin, who died in 2018. Her former home at 18261 Hamilton is selling for $750,000 – but it previously sold for about $300k in October 2018. The so-called Rose Estate is “filled with potential,” according to its realtor, Christine Winans.
The mansion, which backs up to the 7th hole of the Detroit Golf Club, has a 32-foot great room with a 30-foot arched ceiling and a rose-colored crystal chandelier. Black, who has showed the home multiple times during its various listings, said it has huge potential.
“That house, restored right, could be one of the most breathtaking properties in the city of Detroit,” he said.
The location is ideal – one more reason why Hamilton Road may have attracted so many movers and shakers over the past 100 years, Winans said.
“You’re on the northern edge of the city, just minutes from the freeways and suburbs. You’re anywhere you want to go,” Winans added.
