In this week’s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Elizabeth Machesky. She fills us in on what he enjoys most about living in the city, and her role as a Project Coordinator at ePrize.

Elizabeth, growing up in region, attending college in Chicago and then working in San Francisco, what drew you back to Detroit?

It just felt like what was next on my list.  I had the privilege of living in two amazing cities for young people.  Both Chicago and San Francisco are booming with energy.  They are populated with movers and shakers.  They attract millennials who want to thrive.  They offer endless choices of everything from restaurants to running paths.  The fact of the matter, however, is that Chicago and San Francisco are already teeming with fans and supporters.  Detroit needs more recent college graduates to believe in it.  It needs their ideas and their entrepreneurial spirit, their hard work and their grit.  I was ready to come home and make MY city celebrated again, too.  Even while living in Chicago and San Francisco, I considered Detroit home.  When Challenge Detroit offered me the chance to help revitalize my home, I knew I had to accept.

Now that you are back, what are some of your favorite things to do in the city?

When it’s nice out, I love to run in the city!  The Riverfront is a great place to squeeze in a few miles.  I enjoy trying new restaurants (always open to recommendations!), as well as taking advantage of the sporting events that occur in beautiful venues walking distance from my apartment!  Additionally, I like to support the little guys, so shopping at Eastern Market, and going to shows put on by Wayne State at the Bonstalle theater are a must!  It’s also been a blast to checkout everything Campus Martius has to offer, from outdoor movies in the summer, to ice skating on the beautiful rink in the winter; fun fact: it’s bigger than the ice rink at Times Square in NYC!  Another favorite is to bring friends and family to Lafayette and American to let them pick their favorite Coney (Lafayette, obviously).

Tell us about your host-company and what you do?

I am a project coordinator at ePrize, and my favorite part about my job is that it is always changing!  My position is kind of like a catch-all, so I get to learn and do new things each day.  ePrize is a really fun working environment, and there is definitely a “work hard, play hard” mentality.  Sure, we wear jeans, and there is an on-going Nerf dart battle, but everyone seems to have the same drive to get things done, and to surpass expectations for every project with every client.  It’s very rewarding to watch a promotion grow from a simple idea to a beautifully intricate interactive marketing tool.

What is an interesting project you are involved in at ePrize?

There is a certain process each promotion follows from the kick off through the site launch, and I would definitely say my favorite part is when we go through the rough draft of a site with a fine tooth comb and fix all of the little mistakes that occurred during the build.  I think it is incredibly satisfying to start my day with a list of problems in my inbox, and then to end my day sending an email saying “these issues are all fixed and ready to be reviewed again!”  A lot of my job is problem solving.  Sometimes I can fix things on my own, sometimes I need to reach out to other people on my team for help.  Either way, when all is said and done, I know I’ve had a hand in creating a site that shatters a client’s expectations and goals.  I especially like working on the holiday promotions – they are really getting me in the holiday spirit!

How do you use these problem-solving skills on the team challenges?

I definitely think that I apply the problem solving skills I use at work to the team challenges as well.  As a group of fellows, we collectively posses an incredible skill-set.  Some of my peers are incredibly talented designers, while others excel at urban planning.  Some of the fellows are number crunchers, and others are brilliant when it comes to community building and making genuine human connections.  Honestly, the talent within our group in remarkable.  When I am working on a challenge and come across a task that I know I can accomplish satisfactorily, but that another fellow could excel at, I do not hesitate to communicate with him or her and ask for advice.  For instance, I am not much of an artist, especially not on the computer, so while I am in charge of coordinating the Community Conversation for our challenge with Modeshift, I reached out to another fellow to help create the invitation.  Sure, I could whip up something that would get the point across, but she can create something that “wows” our audience, and will get them in the door.  I work well under pressure, and I often go with my initial thought, or gut instinct when trying to solve a problem.  Our team challenges have really taught me to slow down and think more creatively.  It’s been fun to explore the design thinking process, and I’ve surprised even myself with the ideas I’ve generated through it.

What are you most looking forward to in Detroit?

I think what I’m most looking forward to as I continue to progress through my year with Challenge Detroit is watching Detroit continue to grow and prosper.  I am always so excited to tell people I meet that I am spending my year as Challenge Detroit fellow, and I love to answer their questions about the program and explain our five pillars (live, give, work, play, lead!), as well as my favorite parts of each.  I still maintain close relationships with friends and coworkers in Chicago and San Francisco, and I love bragging to them about Detroit’s improvements.  It’s so fun to see new restaurants opening, and I am eagerly anticipating the M1 rail, and the expansion of bike lanes and green space.  I feel like there are so many fun events to attend, shows to see, etc, and I love filling my schedule until my planner is nearly illegible! Detroit IS rising again, and I am so thrilled to be here to be a part of it!

Finally, I want to acknowledge another important component of my life in the D – teaching at the Horizons Upward Bound (HUB) program at Cranbrook, which is the largest Upward Bound program in the country.  I get to spend each Saturday educating brilliant young Detroiters, surrounded by an energizing, dedicated staff.  I teach ACT prep to the junior class, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see their scores improve.  It was also really cool to see one of my students at the barbecue get together during our first challenge, as it was held in his neighborhood!  None of my students really believed I lived in Detroit until I finally got my street cred that Friday!

Check out Elizabeth’s personal blog here, and her spotlight video.