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

My neighborhood is unique because it isn’t one of the places that is buzzed about. Downtown and Midtown get a lot of hype because that’s where a lot of development is, but it isn’t just new things in Detroit that are cool. Our house was built in the 1920’s which means there aren’t a lot of outlets but what it lacks in electricity it makes up for in character. Wood flooring and wood accents on the ceiling and in doorways add really cool style and warmth to our duplex.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

Challenge Detroit has taught me a lot about collaborative problem solving. Our first challenge we explored the city and met a lot of business owners and community stakeholders. This has helped in all of our other challenges by expanding our network. Introducing ourselves to different people and organizations opened up doors for later projects so we already knew people that might be working on the same issues.

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

I am in Talent Acquisition with Team Detroit. I coordinate all of our college visits and agency tours. I also work on scheduling interviews and drafting new hire paperwork. Team Detroit is an international company, but something that I really love is that they take time to work on local pro bono projects like Detroit PAL. Team Detroit also cares about social issues. We recently hosted an advertising boot camp with the Marcus Graham Project an organization dedicated to improving diversity in the advertising field.

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

At my host company I want to promote the laid back creative environment Team Detroit has to try and draw in talent that might be averse to living in Detroit compared to somewhere like New York or Chicago. In the city I would like to be working towards expanding the narrative of Detroit’s comeback into the neighborhoods in an effort to dispel the feeling of old and new Detroit.

What are you most looking forward to this spring in Detroit?

This spring in Detroit I am most looking forward to the warmer weather! I can’t wait to bike around and be able to play basketball outside on Belle Isle. This winter was mild but I am ready for sunshine and flowers rather than snow and gloom.

To learn more about how Eric is living, working, playing, giving and leading in Detroit check out his spotlight video!