For my bog this week I had the privilege of interviewing Shamil Khedgikar, who is currently studying Regional Planning at Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning. Ashka and I have worked closely with him this summer.
 
Q: Where are you from?

A: I was born in this really small village called Ambajogai, which is located in Maharashtra. It’s a really small village but at that time it was the cultural capital of my state. I was raised in the largest city nearby, which is called Aurangabad. After 10th grade I moved to Pune, which is sort of the new cultural capital with lots of software jobs and service industries coming into the city. Then I spent a year in Mumbai, which is the capital city of my state, and I went for my undergraduate degree at Delhi, the capital of India. So I sort of moved up the settlement hierarchy.
 
Q: How did you get to where you are in the context of your field, starting from a small village and India and making your way to New York and now Detroit?

A: For my junior college, which is like junior and senior year in America, I went to Pune and attended one of the most prestigious schools, Fergusson College. At the same time, I was attending an academy that selects 40 students from all over India, and trains them in physics, chemistry, and math. Our tutor, who coached India to two gold medals in the the 2002 international Olympiad, had this rigorous regime, where you dedicated 12 hours a day to studying and the remaining 12 hours attending classes and doing your day to day activities. Following that for two years became extremely monotonous. I was in my mid teens, and somehow I lost my temperament somewhere down the road, and when I appeared for my IIT-JEE (Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination) I didn’t do that well.

That was the first major failure I faced in my life, because everyone expected me to do really well and I was not part from the 20-odd people from these 40 who made it to the IITs. I couldn’t make it to the engineering colleges but I could make it to the design colleges, because that was the next-best thing and it’s still in the top tier of public institutions, which take only the best students in the country. So I went to the school of architecture and planning in Delhi, and that was a conscious choice. I could have done pharmaceuticals or paper and pulp engineering, but I chose to study this emerging field in India, because rapid urbanization was supposed to happen and is still supposed to happen, and I was able to predict that something huge is going to happen in this field.

My four years of college were excellent, and I worked with local government to get a feel of what it was like to have a normal job in planning. It was monotonous but I was able to draft the first framework for highway road amenities in India and that has now been accepted as a government resolution. I did the first zoning ordinances, designed the first templates of how these government-owned rest stops would look. This all really allowed me to fit into Cornell for my master’s program.
 
Q: What’s been the biggest surprise to you since coming to America?
 
A: The picture I had of America before arriving was one that ranged from the early 60s all the way up to the late 90s. When I actually got here, the kind of choice people have, the attitude and behavior, the change in the demographics, the music was all surprising to me.
 
Another major fact that I noticed, with Cornell being the first place I landed, is that you can be surrounded by people that are liberal and well-educated, but as soon as you step off island it looks very different. It creates an elitist mentality in a lot of people’s minds, because you always end up going to these enclaves of liberal thought and well-educated people.

​I think the best experience I had was due to the Telluride Association, which conducts summer seminars where unprivileged high school students are given the chance to visit a university for a summer. Students are sent out to conduct interviews with these kids, and I was lucky enough to be chosen by two other fellows to accompany them. We went all the way over to Iowa from Ithaca, interviewing 12 students on the way. That was my first experience out of the campus an into America, and the harsh realities these kids face seem unheard of on the liberal island.

I was surprised to see how America is still divided under many different nuances, economic class overlapping with social and racial structures with a deep historical origin. Many people in America end up forgetting that they themselves are immigrants, and when people stop thinking about themselves this way this is where problems arise.
 
Q: What do you enjoy doing in Detroit?
 
A: I enjoy walking around the cultural district where I’m living; there area number of museums and art galleries. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people, and other than that I read, watch soccer, and do my work.
 
Q: What type of music do you like?
 
A: I would say something like progressive metal is my favorite, but I also like classic rock and I’ve started listening to some Blues and Motown since coming here. Some favorite bands are… well I’ll list some names in chronological order: The Doors, Dire Straits, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Rage Against the Machine, Run DMC, Creed, Bowling for Soup, Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth… it’s hard. Oh and Queen, The Eagles, Bob Marley, Black Sabbath… but Pink Floyd has to be my #1. The electronic movement started here but it killed the art of it, to me. 

​Thanks Shamil!

It’s not very often that you meet someone truly passionate about their work. And it’s definitely not very often that you get to work with them.

Enter Chad Rochkind — the founder of Human Scale Studios.
I was lucky to get the opportunity to chat with Chad last week. When brainstorming questions to ask, my mind flashed back to one of the first team meetings Joe and I attended at Human Scale Studios. Donning his signature look —an open button-down shirt with a plain tee underneath and classic denim jeans— Chad drew out a 3’’ x 5’’book out of his pocket. It was the Tao Te Ching. He then paraphrased his favorite quote to start the meeting:

This quote represents Chad’s perspective on leadership —one of the biggest takeaways I got from both the interview and from working with him for the past six weeks. When I asked him to elaborate on the quote, he said that the Tao Te Ching "taught (him) about the world, leadership, and the nature of change.”He said this is where he derives his style when it comes to leading —setting a vision and no micromanagement, or in Chad’s words, “clear but broad.”

Chad’s work on the parklet in front of Astro Coffee perfectly sums up not only his leadership style but also his passion for building human-centered cities. His goal: “to create a place where people can hang out and just be kind to each other.”From the way Chad detailed how the park was created, I could tell he lived up to the quote that inspired him so much. “There was one situation where people were disagreeing about the color scheme. There were two different ones.”In the end, it was Chad who impartially decided which was selected. This scenario was unique because most “smaller” logistics, such as color scheme, lighting and furniture are usually left to various members of the community, Chad pointed to the situation as an example of the leadership style he wants to represent —one where the leader is apparent and called for when needed, but referred to sparingly when not.

In the end, what Chad found most rewarding about the project was the process of creation, the public’s repose throughout, and how the parklet was received. Although the parklet was removed, the idea of what could have been and just the short-term benefit that the community experienced was enough for Chad. The feeling of a people-centered community had been revitalized on Michigan Avenue through one event.

​Besides his leadership style, another important theme that came to define interviewing Chad was his self-awareness. When I asked him what he was most proud of, without missing a beat he responded that it was his relationship with his wife —“the most real thing ever” (cue the awes). Cultivating his relationship forced him to stay balanced and maintain a solid outlook despite life’s ups and downs.

Overall, I’d describe Chad as a leader, visionary and idealist. I was lucky to get the chance to interview such an inspirational and creative futurist, and I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone like it. To sum up the interview, I asked Chad whether he ended up where he imagined he would be. To this, he responded:

“I’d say, I’m happy with myself… I’m happy with what I’ve brought to the table”

Shane Levine was one of the first friends I made through TechTown’s DTX Launch Detroit program, an intensive 10-week summer accelerator to help aspiring college entrepreneurs validate their startup ideas. Shane is a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Along with his co-founder Spenser Simon, a rising junior at Indiana University, Shane came up with the mobile platform UpSeated. UpSeated is a customer loyalty program for sports fans in which fans can earn points for purchasing stadium goods. These points can eventually be redeemed for stadium seat upgrades and other exclusive benefits.
​
Casually over lunch, Shane told me that Spenser and him have actually been entrepreneurial partners for a long time, and that UpSeated was only one of the many entrepreneurial ideas the two have taken into action. I then asked them, what about entrepreneurship was so attractive? Both of them answered along the lines of: “Entrepreneurship allows you to change the world.” And it is both Shane and Spenser’s mentality to revolutionize the world as well as to pursue something they are genuinely passionate about that inspires me so much to pursue my own interest in entrepreneurship. Here are two college students who are literally the same age as me already actively creating enterprises to change the world. And it isn’t simply saying that UpSeated is something people will want that is enough for the idea to become a successful venture. Shane and Spencer have already conducted countless customer discovery interviews in order to learn what sports fans and stadiums really need and want, and have even pivoted their business idea as a result of their findings. After asking Shane a couple of questions, I was able to learn more in depth about his current experience through the DTX Launch Detroit program as well as his entrepreneurial background. ​

I had the opportunity to interview Wayne Ramocan, the Alumni Manager for Build Institute. Growing up as the son of two immigrant parents that hailed from Jamaica and the Bahamas, Wayne's life has thus far been centered around economic development and music. 

What initially drew you to Detroit and what made you choose to stay?
Coming to Detroit at the tender age of 10, Wayne had originally thought that Detroit was a state. In quickly getting settled into the Detroit-specific brand of jazz, Wayne recounts that "learning music was my attachment to the city" because as a kid "all I had to pay for was a set of drum sticks." Even after all these years, Wayne still states that "I'm not going anywhere." However, this time, it's for different reasons. Working in the Osborn neighborhood as a program manager, he states that "this is when I became awoke" because this was the first opportunity to be home in the sense of sustainably contributing to his community.
 
How would you describe your musical taste and style?
Wayne's musical taste is a mixture of "R&B, hip-hop fusion, with some jazz." It's derived from two major influences: a crush when he was 8 years old and a music instructor when he was 12 years old. With this University of Miami college girl taking Wayne out with her, whether it be to meet up with her friends or for a car wash, 8 year old Wayne naturally took a liking to her. It just so happened to be that her favorite tunes were 90's hip hop. The other major factor was his percussions teacher Gayelynn Mckinney. With Wayne's mother working at the restaurant Ms. Mckinney and her band Straight Ahead played at, his mother got Wayne drum lessons for his 12th birthday. From then on, Ms. Mckinney and Wayne cultivated a collaborative relationship where not only did Mckinney employ Wayne since the age of 16, but Wayne's musical technique and sound also became more akin to that of Mckinney's.
 
Music is such a huge part of your identity. Who is Wayne beyond music and Build?
As Wayne briefly describes it "I'm a person of wisdom and an OG in training" What Wayne means by this is that he  values older people who are skilled at their craft.
 
What is the biggest hurdle you have overcome?
Death. Having almost died twice, both from major allergic reactions to peanuts, these experiences have given Wayne a whole different outlook on life. For example, having not realized that a chicken dish was crusted with pecans at his friend's wedding, he decided to dig in. After going into anaphylactic shock and what Wayne described as "breathing through a coffeestir straw," he reached the tipping point in which he reflects, "Do I do everything in my power to keep living or do I let go and hope it work out?" In fighting through these near-death experiences, Wayne has learned not just how precious each day is, but that when things aren't going his way, he keeps in mind that "things could be worse."
 
What is an accomplishment you are most proud of?
Wayne is most proud of having the chance to travel to Turkmenistan as part of a State Department program. He is extremely proud of this accomplishment not only because their band--Mahogany Jones Live--was personally requested by the U.S. State Department, but it was also a matter of who accompanied him on the trip. MC Mahogany Jones had been a long-time acquaintance of Wayne's; it was through this trip that they were able to fully collaborate and understand each other on a musical level. The final reason why he takes such pride in this accomplishment is the fact that this trip was to a more reclusive part of central Asia. With this being Wayne's first international tour, he had an amazing cultural experience. This can be summed up in the statement, "The people left a mark on me."
 
How do you describe social entrepreneurship?
Initially, Wayne described social entrepreneurship as "something that has been trending recently." Upon further reflection, Wayne concluded that most entrepreneurs have a social component. Wayne does point out, however, that social entrepreneurs not only put an emphasis on triple bottom line, they are also more cognizant of the fact that "small businesses have potential to make a large difference." Therefore, Wayne believes that the collaborative culture in Detroit has bred this type of non-profit organization that is looking to for some form of reliable earned income.

This summer at TechTown, I’ve had the opportunity to work with TechTown’s director of entrepreneurship, Betsy Creedon. Raymond and I had briefly emailed her over the month before coming to Detroit, but we never had the chance to video chat. The first time I spoke face-to-face with Betsy was at Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship mixer at TechTown the night before our first day at work. Betsy immediately struck me as extraordinarily vibrant, compassionate, and dedicated to TechTown and to social entrepreneurship. Betsy’s journey is interesting, diverse, and unique; her life has taken her from New York to Detroit through a career at GM’s Global Public Policy Center to creating a film on human trafficking and finally to TechTown in 2012. In 2015, she battled cancer and won, and I am constantly amazed by the energy and spirit she brings to work every day. I had the chance to get to learn more about her by asking her some questions about her background, interests, and career at TechTown.
​
Q: How do you define social entrepreneurship? Can you give one specific example of social entrepreneurship that you have been directly involved with? What was your role in it?
 
“For me, social entrepreneurship is using sound business practices and innovative approaches to address social, cultural and/or environmental ills. They can be for-profit or not-for-profit, or a combination. Often a for-profit entity will fund its not-for-profit “parent.” I would say that most (if not all) social enterprises are driven by a strong sense of mission, which elicits a passionate drive for success. Success is measured differently, transformational social change. Wealth promotion is not the end, but the means.”
 
“For example, Paul Neuman’s “Neuman’s Own” where all profits go to various charities. A different model would be Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. Their six Goodwill Stores have created several jobs and the profit is returned to support their mission “putting people with employment challenges to work.” Goodwill’s Green Works, Inc. is a “cost-saving, labor-intensive asset recovery and industrial recycling services to socially conscious municipalities, utilities, automotive suppliers and manufacturers, as well as construction and demolition companies.” Job creation and recycling with the revenue funding education and placement programs and skills training – programs supporting its mission.” It’s definitely interesting to think of Goodwill as a type of social entrepreneurship – this isn’t the type that we at DukeEngage have familiarized ourselves with, but thinking about it, this definitely is a form of social entrepreneurship as well.
 
Betsy sites one of TechTown’s incubation clients as well. “Another example is RecoveryPark Farms, the for-profit urban farming venture that supports the mission of its not-for-profit, RecoveryPark. RecoveryPark has created a family of businesses to help transform vacant land and revitalize communities. RecoveryPark Farms’ intent: “By growing vibrant, healthy foods in blighted Detroit neighborhoods we can create quality jobs, accessible for people with barriers to traditional employment.””
 
Q: What is one struggle that you have overcome? How were you able to get through it?
“There have been a number of challenges in my life, as most of us have. My most recent was a bout with the cursed C – cancer. One year ago, blissfully entering a wonderful Michigan summer I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Well, that certainly changes things for me for the rest of the year. I was lucky in that we got it early and I had amazing care. I got through it with a sense of humor, a great support system of family, friends and colleagues, and a deep faith. Not unique, but certainly powerful. This time out was a great time to reflect on that is really important and to reprioritize matters. People come first! As I write this, it sounds like a bunch of platitudes, but it is true.” It is such a simple perspective, but it’s so true – people really do come first. And ultimately, social entrepreneurship is about putting people first, too.
 
Q: What brought you to Detroit? What brought you to TechTown?
“My husband, who was raised in Marine City on the St. Clair River, got a job offer in Detroit in 1978. At the time we were living in a restored William Waldorf Astor apartment building on Broadway in Manhattan – paradise for a girl raised in Connecticut who always knew she was going to live in New York” (This part I definitely understand – one of the first things Betsy and I bonded over at the Mixer was our mutual love for New York.) “I think I cried for a year – especially when I learned our building went coop. Talk about a missed opportunity. But, I truly learned to love Detroit (it was harder to love then) and the great people working so hard to cause change. I was a film/videotape producer and free-lanced. General Motors was a great client. I went to work for the UAW-GM Quality Network and eventually was hired by GM to help create the GM Global Public Policy Center. I was privileged to create and manage GM’s global HIV/AIDS information and training program. It was based on “A Closer Walk,” a film by Worldwide Documentaries (WWD). I retired in 2009 and worked with WWD on a film about human trafficking, “Not My Life.” Fun subjects, right? (BTW, Worldwide Documentaries is another great example of social entrepreneurship.) Then I was told about a small grant by the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan to explore baby boomers who were starting “encore careers” called BOOM! The New Economy. Five different non-profits had come together and needed a person to put structure to their ideas. Techtown was one of those organizations and donated space and support for my work. When the grant was completed, TechTown asked me to stay and I did.”
 
Q: What is one cool hobby that you have?
“I think I am fairly boring in this department. I am on 3 boards and spend a lot of time volunteering for them.  I am also on the Vestry of my church and do a lot of work there as well, including a soup kitchen in Detroit. I love to design and knit. I have a vegetable garden - not very successful last year but hope springs eternal” (Betsy has told us about how she used to bring fresh tomatoes into the office every few weeks – talk about a nice office surprise!). And, I love to travel. Went to the Amazon last October and then Machu Picchu. Going to Portugal this fall. And, I LOVE being GramBee to my 2 1/2 year grandson Miller.”

​Thanks so much for being you, Betsy, and thanks for making this summer a wonderful experience!

The way Harrriet and I met is interesting. Harriet held a sustainability conversation with all interns in Green Garage on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I had a bad cold and missed the whole interesting conversation but we made deal that we could catch up later. On Thursday, we sat down and talked sustainability. Listening about her life experience, I know she got great stories to share. Then, a short catchup became an hour and half talk. Harriet is in her favorite black dress, sitting there with her melting smile. She does not at all like a lady at her 60ish, and she still gets ahead of the time by reminding me to find Pokemon in Green Garage.
 
Born in the heyday in Detroit, Harriet went to the top 10 high school in Detroit among states and graduated with good grades. She then got into a liberal arts college in New England area. She said she loves the peaceful town: few visitors, nice weather, near the sea. At the time when she graduated as environmental science and education major, Detroit was at its hardest time. Like many young people at that period, she did not want to get back to Detroit. She wanted to stay away from the abandoned city. But it seemed that fate had played a trick when she could not find a full time paid job in environment industry in the town. “I need money, you know, even though I hated, I had to go back to live with my parents in Detroit for a while.” She said. Destiny took a hand. Harriet went back to Detroit, found a job in environmental solution department in Comerica Bank and stayed here since then.
“I didn't like the city very much at that time.” She laughed and took me back the old times.
 She first got into consulting department helping her clients analyze environmental impact of their companies. Even though she was in bank, she still focused on the area she is interested in. Then she moved to a consulting company, working for those high-end company to increase their sustainability during operation; However, things did not go as she predicted. “I really wanted to help the big companies to pay more attention to environmental impact but I realized that the ship is too big to direct” Harriet said to me. She is the person wants to do things while her clients only wanted good public image. The too-big-to-direct ship made her upset for a long time. Then, by a random chance, she knew the Thursday Sustainability Table in Green Garage organized by owner Tom and his wife. She participated several times and then decided to become a residence here and started her own sustainability consulting business.
“Starting your own business means more responsibility, but it also means that you can direct the ship” Harriet said. She thinks the prosperous startup culture in Detroit can attract population to move back and helped the city renew itself. Entrepreneurship to her is another different lifestyle from job in bank and big consulting groups. She meets many small businesses and helped them to grow their sustainability business. After seeing her clients grow larger, she feels more satisfied than ever.
 
When I asked what’s her suggestion to young entrepreneurs, she said “Have a balance in your life since it's harder now to separate your life from work as you start you own business, but it’s very important to keep your life in a sustainable way.”
 
Many women at her age would retire at home and enjoy the life after working, but Harriet is still eager to update herself to keep pace with this world. She holds Thursday Table in Green Garage, helps to organize roof garden in Green Garage, volunteer in the front desk and keep her business going at the same time.
 
When I closed the notebook and gave her a big hug after our talk, I felt the power and strength from her which is tiny but consistent as well, just like each small startup connecting together to assert huge impact to our society.

​Of course, after that second day I have never been late to our daily morning meet ups. I set my alarm for 9:20 AM every morning, 10 minutes before Mabel reaches my front door. For some reason I enjoy groggily stumbling out of bed every morning with the exhilaration of getting ready with as little time as possible. I quickly brush my teeth, run some gel through my hair, and pour myself a chocolate flavored protein shake (currently attempting to fulfill my summer goal of “getting big”). 10 minutes later I meet Mabel at the door, and begin our daily 20-minute walk to TechTown Detroit. Surprisingly, these morning walks have served as the most integral part of developing both our working partnership as well as our friendship. From talking about the day’s work schedule, future career aspirations, to our parent’s immigrant history, Mabel and I have learned almost everything there is about each other. 

​At 10 AM sharp, we walk into TechTown, say hello to our boss Betsy, and sit down at one of the empty tables in Junction440. Because Mabel and I are juggling multiple projects at the same time, each work day varies dramatically. Some days we focus on conducting market research for CityInsight, other days we gather data on past DTX Launch Detroit program graduates, and on lucky days we get to attend important entrepreneurial events and meetings outside of the office with TechTown's entrepreneur in residence, Francis. 

​My favorite time of the day is definitely lunchtime. Every Tuesday and Thursday, TechTown runs its DTX Launch Detroit accelerator program, where college students come in to work towards starting their own entrepreneurial ventures. Through these last 5 weeks, Mabel and I have developed meaningful relationships with a handful of students in the program, and will almost always get lunch together at different restaurants around Detroit. Whether its getting sketchy tacos in a local supermarket, a trip Downtown, or a quick walk to the Henry Ford cafeteria, we always end up laughing more than eating and having a good time. 

​After lunch Mabel and I work with high intensity for another 4 hours, with maybe a short 10-minute ping pong break somewhere in between. At around 5:30 pm, Mabel and I are exhausted and decide to call it a day. We quickly change into our exercise clothes and head to the gym.  After sweating out the work day’s stress, we walk back to UT. As a terrible cook, I had already lost hope in my ability to produce edible food within the first few days of DukeEngage. Fortunate enough for me, my friend Ben and I have developed a mutualistic agreement. Every night Ben cooks delicious pasta for the both of us, and I clean the dishes. 

​The evening is free-flowing and often spontaneous. Some nights Mabel, Ashka, me, and Ben will huddle together in fear as we watch an episode of American Horror Story. Other nights we venture onto the top of the UT parking structure, laying under the stars and chatting about life. And on even more adventurous nights, Ben and I secretly walk two blocks down to Treat Dreams, guiltily indulging on a sweet scoop of Kooky Monster flavored ice cream.