| I’ve never been the type of person that is sharply on time. But on the second day of work, as I casually strolled down to the University Towers lobby 6 minutes late to meet my partner Mabel, I was greeted with a very disappointed face to say the least. Mabel made it very clear that if we agreed on something together, then we both have a responsibility to uphold that agreement. And it is this form of mutual agreement, cooperation, compromise, and teamwork that has defined my partnership with Mabel through each day at work. |  |
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.
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