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

I was born and raised in Detroit and lived here until I went off to college, then moved back after transferring to Wayne State University. I then worked for several more years before eventually leaving again, to accept a job offer out of state. Over the years I have lived in three different neighborhoods between where I was born and raised in Northwest Detroit and off E. Jefferson in the Rivertown Warehouse District. I currently reside, once again on the west side of Detroit in the Berg-Lahser community. One thing that makes this community unique is that it pretty much borders or is within a mile or two from townships and cities such as Redford, Southfield and Farmington Hills. I’m also just a mile from the Old Redford District and a couple of miles from the Brightmoor community. Living in this part of Detroit provides an interesting contrast of perspectives depending on your proximity to one of these areas or towns, as each, in their own right, showcase an array of varying socioeconomic levels. One thing I always appreciated about growing up in this area, was there were a lot of blue-collar and working professionals who set examples for me as a kid and bought homes and grew families in these neighborhoods. For the most part, there were always examples of a strong work ethic all around me, from teachers to electricians, plumbers, police officers and carpenters. Through the years, within this community, I have witnessed the apex, the decline and now what I consider to be a community resurgence taking place, which I am inspired to be a part of.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

Thus far, I have to say that being a Challenge Detroit fellow has exceeded my expectations! What excites me most is the various opportunities for leadership development and expanding my network with other innovative minds, young and mid-career professionals alike. I feel that I have made so much headway into new relationships already, and am consistently presented with potential opportunities for collaborating with other brilliant minded Detroiters who want to see the city thrive. One thing I have learned so far from my experience is that for as long as I have lived in Detroit, there is always a new perspective, new story, or new lesson learned by simply listening to what’s on the hearts and minds of other Detroiters. It continues to amaze me how much I don’t know, and there’s still so much to learn; I’m learning something new every day.

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

I work for one of the most well-respected and prestigious law firms in the city, Clark Hill, PLC. Clark Hill prides itself on being a full-service, entrepreneurial legal and business solutions provider. That is one thing in particular that attracted me to this organization, being entrepreneurial minded myself, I wanted to lend my talents to empowering other entrepreneurs and business owners. Furthermore, we are promoting our Thrive 125 Challenge, essentially celebrating 125 years of professional legal service to the community by actively encouraging and promoting impactful volunteer work amongst colleagues across the organization. In my role, I serve as a Facilities Specialist for firm operations, so I essentially support the operations team with delivering optimum performance across the organization in regards to day-to- day operations and help evaluate where we can create more efficiency so that our attorneys can do what they do best and deliver the best service possible to our clients.

We asked Demond’s co-worker Mari about how Demond has helped further Clark Hill’s connection to the city of Detroit and she shared:

“Demond is actively giving and leading in Detroit and the good that he is doing for the City further encourages our Firm’s team members to get involved.  We are proud and honored to have Demond on our team and are looking forward to continued opportunities to be involved in the regrowth of Detroit and to deepen our connections, new and existing, to the City through opportunities presented by the Challenge Detroit program.”

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

Hopefully, I can bring value. That is my goal, first and foremost. If I can bring value, and perhaps, perspective on some of our processes that result in more efficiency or improvement, then I will feel very accomplished. Furthermore, I feel empowered being a Challenge Detroit fellow working here, in conjunction with the Thrive 125 Challenge we are promoting, I see an opportunity to serve as a unique ambassador to the city and surrounding community. Both are established brands that I am proud to lend my talents to and it helps me, I think to reach people and places where I otherwise might not have had the opportunity.

What are you most looking forward to as you begin your fellowship year?

I am looking forward to establishing a broader network and gaining new friends, real relationships that will last, even after the year is up. I see so much leadership potential around me and I wake up inspired every single day. So far this year, I have tried to bridge gaps between friends and family who are curious or perhaps not sure what type of work I do with Challenge Detroit or my host company, let alone know what a fellowship is. Thus far, this opportunity has been nothing short of amazing and I look forward to creating memories that will last a life time!

To learn more about Demond and his time as a fellow check out his spotlight video!