As a year two Challenge Detroit Fellow a lot has likely happened since then, what are your highlights both personally and professionally over the past three years?

dsc_8948Goodness! So much has changed since the end of my Challenge Detroit year and yet so much is the same. All in all, I’ve still been working on my mission to empower individuals and communities to address challenges related to growth, attitude, perception, and humanitarianism. Only, instead of doing this during Friday challenges, I’ve been designing and facilitating innovative approaches to personal and community growth through my business, ExpandFully (Expånd). I also started Toast2U a monthly encouragement and accountability party, where women gather to practice intentional celebration in a fun, supportive and safe environment. The first Toast, hosted in summer 2015 was mostly CD fellows and has grown to a community event. Most recently (as of September) I joined my alma mater, College for Creative Studies (CCS), as an admissions counselor (who knew my dream job was right under my nose!?) I’ve also joined two boards: I’m a VP for the Alumni of Challenge Detroit group and I’m also a facilitator and board member for the SheHive a startup in Ferndale.

You recently started a new position at your alma mater, College for Creative Studies, tell us about your position, what your experience has been like and how you continue to carry what you learned during your fellowship in your work today?

Your purpose is a combination of 4 things: What you are good at, what you can get paid to do, what you love doing and what you feel the world needs. And that’s exactly what I wake up and do as an admissions counselor! As an admissions counselor at CCS, I live in my purpose daily; doing passionate, fun, necessary, financially-gratifying work; while using my specific skills to impact the future of hundreds of high schools students.

There is a ton of carry over from my experience as a Challenge Detroit fellow in this position. Similar to being a fellow, I have to be an advocate and ambassador for the city; oftentimes working to shift students’ and parents’ perspective about Detroit and what it has to offer. One huge similarity is that I work in a position that has a very similar goal to Challenge Detroit; I’m working to attract and retain young creative talent to the city! What I’ve learned about the city’s past, present and future during the fellowship has equipped me with an abundance of reasons to encourage students to live, work, play, give, lead and LEARN in Detroit!

What do you believe are Detroit’s top three opportunities for change and why? 

  • Shifting education to better equip our youth to take on the growth of opportunities – Improved education will impact the sustainability of the current growth we’re experiencing. We need to create spaces for our current youth and future generations to thrive in this burgeoning city.
  • Setting a precedent for how a city can grow without displacement – Gentrification doesn’t have to be the story of Detroit’s growth. We have an opportunity to do things differently here because we’re vastly different from any other city that has undergone such rapid development.
  • Impacting the future of design worldwide – Detroit is UNESCO’s First Official ‘City of Design’ because we’ve continually found innovative ways to ‘rise beyond the ashes’ and literally design a better future for ourselves. And with resources like CCS, the DIA and the growing creative community we have a unique opportunity to influence design globally.

What are a few of your favorite ways to play and explore in Detroit?

  • Toast2U!
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    Monthly, Toast2U event!

    Every month I celebrate with a group of amazing women! This event is hosted in Detroit and Ferndale 🙂

  • Brandi in action at aerial acrobatics.

    Brandi in action at aerial acrobatics.

    Detroit Flyhouse! I’ve been taking aerial acrobatics classes for a little over a year now and it’s the most fun thing I’ve done in my entire life! If you hate gyms but want to build muscle, check out aerial. If yoga isn’t quite your thing but you do want the strength training; I highly suggest checking out the acro yoga classes there.

  • Lafayette Park! I haven’t moved since Challenge Detroit and that’s because I’m addicted to the park near my home. I walk in the park just about everyday and LOVE the wildlife you can see right in the heart of downtown. The park has a large family of rabbits. And if you go often enough (like me) you may be lucky enough to spot a pheasant, shedding cicadas, rare birds or even a giant HAWK!

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    Brandi’s Bollywood dance class!

  • Dance classes! Since my year ended I’ve taken Bollywood, Afro Cuban and Conscious/Ecstatic dance classes. There are so many different ways to shake your groove thang in this city.
    Hanging with my fellow fellows!
  • shehive-board

    Brandi is a new board member at SheHive in Ferndale!

    Volunteering! The best way to explore Detroit is through service! And supporting all the amazing things that the amazing folks in the Challenge Detroit Network are doing has grown my perspective and connections in this city I love so much!