In this week’s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Ruth McLachlin. She fills us in on what she enjoys most about living in the city, and her host company, Urban Science!

Ruth, you had quite the journey before coming to Detroit. Talk to us about your path coming to the city. 

I was born in Toronto but at the age of six my family relocated to China through my father’s job and I spent the next eleven years of my life growing up in Hong Kong and Shanghai. After graduating from high school in Shanghai, I moved back to the western hemisphere and got my undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in Boston. Then I spent a year doing research in Windsor, Canada and finally moved across the border to Detroit when I was accepted as a Fellow this past year.

Why Detroit?

I had already been casually considering moving to Detroit before I was accepted into the program—I’d had so much fun the few times I visited and I knew there are tons of exciting development ventures in the city. Actually, when I lived in Windsor, I’d even go out of my way to drive by the border just so I could admire Detroit’s city lights. So while I quietly admired the city from afar, Challenge Detroit gave me the opportunity to take my subtle intrigue and turn it into something powerful, valuable, and actionable. It was a chance I couldn’t turn down.

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

I’m an Associate at Urban Science, a business-solutions company that combines expert people, intelligent data, innovative processes, and proven technology to support the sales and marketing functions of the automotive industry. I’m a member of our Audi Sales Operations team, so my particular role involves processing and presenting sales data, which assist our clients in making important decisions and empowers them to reach and exceed their objectives.

What is a unique project you are working on at Urban Science?

Currently, I’m creating a new report at the request of our client that will be published bimonthly and will help track information about what’s going on in the entire US. I get to come up with the formatting choices, implementation process, and I even engage in direct meetings with our client to ensure the final product is exactly to their specifications. Urban Science is also in the middle of an office-wide foosball tournament at the moment; my offense skills have definitely improved since I started working at the company.

What do you enjoy most about the challenges?

Working on the Challenges with my respective Fellows provides me with access to such diversely talented people. Each Challenge is very different, with a new focus, new deliverables, and new team members so I never know what new skill I’m going to get to learn. I love that I can turn to my peers and gain insight into fields I’ve never experienced before. Last Challenge a fellow Fellow introduced me to market projections and business planning and this Challenge my peers are educating me on the ins-and-outs of design and social media campaigns. There’s such a wealth of knowledge in this group and I get to be a part of it!

What are you looking forward to most in Detroit?

When I consider Detroit, I see so much value and opportunity. There are countless passionate, committed people living here—many who have been here for decades—who are determined to support each other and live in a way that is beneficial for everyone. I am excited for more and more people to be inspired by Detroit’s vibrancy and to catch the vision of a society built on mutual respect for all stakeholders.

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