Tell us about living in Detroit. What neighborhood do you live in and what things make it unique and exciting?

I live in Lafayette Park which is a wonderful place to live because it’s an extremely diverse neighborhood right on the side of downtown and across from Eastern Market. I can easily walk to Comerica Park to see a Tigers game, or do some grocery shopping in Eastern Market, or I can bike to Midtown to meet up with friends. It’s a great location. I love living in Detroit because there is always so much happening all the time, I’m never bored! Plus, I have easy access to many of the unique and diverse neighborhoods of Detroit.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

Being a Challenge Detroit Fellow has taught me a lot about myself as a professional worker; it’s helped me narrow down what I find important when in a working environment, and how I work best. All the fellows come from diverse backgrounds and educational experiences, and it has been an incredible experience learning how to best communicate, activate, and engage all different types of thinkers. I’ve learned so much from my fellow fellows about perspective and what it means to be creative. I’ve also been exposed to many of the challenges Detroit faces as a city that is unique to our area. It’s been enlightening to hear and experience the rich history of Detroit and get to be apart of its evolving and diverse narrative first hand. Everyday I learn something new about Detroit and about myself!

Tell us about your host company and your role in the organization.

I work for the Center for Financial Planning, which is a small financial planning firm located in Southfield. Before starting at my host company, as a Women’s Studies and Spanish grad with a background in nonprofit work and international development, I didn’t even know what a 401(k) was, let alone have any knowledge of the complex financial industry! The Center was then an amazing opportunity to learn something completely new while finding ways to incorporate my own passions and background to their company culture.

My role in the company is diverse: I work in the Client Services department serving our clients on a daily basis, I run all the social media accounts and work on innovative practices with the creative team to communicate our brand, and I organize the staff volunteering and philanthropic giving. Everyday provides a new opportunity to learn and to grow as a professional and a creative thinker.

What kind of impact do you hope to have with your host company and within the city?

The real impact I hope to have in my host company is creating a sustainable and meaningful framework for which we give back to the community. We have so much talent and so much heart within our organization that I would love to channel that into impactful giving that is consistent with our brand and who we are as individuals and as a caring company. For me, this relates back to Detroit, because I’m always look for ways for our company in Southfield to give back to and connect with Detroit, especially since we are only five minutes away from the 8 Mile border!

How do you plan to use what you’ve learned as a fellow once your year comes to a close?

One of the most rewarding experiences has been learning how to incorporate the Design Thinking mentality and framework into my daily life. As I continue to live in Detroit and work in the metro area after the fellowship, I look forward continuing to incorporate the human centered design framework and using empathy and prototyping into my professional work and personal experience.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while in Challenge Detroit is that everyone and every place has a history and a story that is deeply personal. As someone who wants to make a difference, the biggest impact I can have is by listening to those who came before me. By using empathy to guide innovation and by never distancing myself completely from the humans – the families and the stories – we focus on in human centered design.

To learn even more about Clare’s time as a Challenge Detroit fellow check out her spotlight video!