In this week’s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Jessy Wang. She fills us in on what she enjoys most about Detroit, her host company, Mango Languages, and what she’s looking forward to as a Challenge Detroit Fellow. 

Tell us about your neighborhood in the city. What are some of your favorite things about it?
I am fortunate to live in Woodbridge, a beautiful historic neighborhood in Detroit. Its tree-lined streets hold large, centuries-old houses and are home to families, dogs, cats, gardens, bicycles, murals and people of all ages.

I love Woodbridge because it is a true community – neighbors greet each other in the street and look out for one another. We have community events, block clubs and an active Facebook group where we keep each other informed about missing pets, crime prevention, etc. I love all of the street art around the neighborhood, too – even the back alleys are vibrantly painted! Finally, Woodbridge Pub, one of my favorite spots in Detroit, is conveniently located just two blocks from my house 🙂

Tell us about your host company and your role with them.
My host company is Mango Languages. Guided by our core purpose to enrich lives with language and culture, Mango is an industry leader in providing lovable language-learning experiences (in over 60 languages!) for millions of users around the world.

I work in HR as an HR Coordinator. When I’m not learning Arabic or practicing my French and Mandarin, I primarily help out with recruitment and culture initiatives. The best part of my job is the people I get to work with. Not only are they down-to-earth and generally hilarious, I feel like they are also invested in my personal and professional development, and for that I am so grateful!

What have you learned with Challenge Detroit so far?
Challenge Detroit has given me the opportunity to listen to and learn from community leaders, activists, artists, executives and entrepreneurs. Each week I am exposed to ideas and insights that deepen my understanding of Detroit: its illustrious past, complex present, and promising future. I have learned that the term “revitalization” should be used carefully, that neighborhoods (other than Downtown and Midtown) often don’t get the attention and resources they deserve, and that race and equity ought be included in every conversation about community development.

I have also learnt a great deal from my peers. The 34 other Fellows are some of the most thoughtful and driven people I know, and inspire me on the daily to be a better person.

Finally, two months in and I have already learnt a lot about myself – how I work with others, what motivates me, and the aspects of myself I want to work on.

What kind of impact do you hope to make with your host company? With the city?
I have big plans for my time at Mango! Beyond recruiting passionate, qualified candidates to join our team, I hope to establish a recycling program in our office building, amp up our philanthropic efforts, and ensure our hiring process is as accessible and inclusive as possible to people of all identities. I also hope to be a positive presence in the workplace, supporting my coworkers and strengthening our (awesome) company culture.

While I feel it’d be a bit self-righteous of me to assume I can make a substantive impact on Detroit this year, I will say that I am eager to do all that I can to help out my neighbors, support local food systems, businesses and community events, and work hard on our Challenges with our non-profit partners.

By sharing my experiences on social media, I also hope to broaden people’s perceptions of Detroit and help showcase all that this amazing city has to offer. Please come visit!!

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?

EVERYTHING! I have had two exciting months exploring the city, meeting new people, hanging out with the other Fellows, honing my design thinking skills, volunteering, networking, attending cultural events, trying new restaurants and bars… I can’t wait to experience all that this year has in store for me!

Feel free to follow my Detroit journey on Instagram and Twitter: @jessyindet

Also, be sure to check out Jessy’s video to hear more about her time in Detroit, so far.