Today we’d like to introduce you to Diallo Smith.
Hi Diallo, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a native Detroiter, born and raised, and a proud graduate of Cass Tech. My journey started in the corporate world. I studied finance at Wilberforce University and earned a Master’s of Divinity from Southern Methodist University. That combination led me to careers at ExxonMobil, BP Amoco, and IBM Consulting.
But after years of building systems for others, I felt a pull to come home. I wanted to build something in Detroit. So I became a small business owner and founded Drive Ping Pong Bar & Grille. That experience taught me the power of creating a welcoming physical space. However, I realized my deeper passion wasn’t just running a business. It was about creating equity and opportunity on a neighborhood scale. That realization is what eventually led me to Life Remodeled, where I now serve as CEO.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’m grateful for what every part of the journey has taught me.
I grew up on the east side of Detroit in the 1980s and 1990s, during a time when the city was navigating tremendous social and economic challenges. As a kid, I saw firsthand what happens when neighborhoods experience disinvestment and families don’t always have access to the same opportunities, resources, and connections as people in other communities. Those experiences shaped the way I see Detroit, but they also shaped the way I see possibility. Even then, I knew there was incredible talent, resilience and potential in our neighborhoods.
Education opened doors for me, and eventually my career took me into Corporate America, where I had opportunities to work for companies like ExxonMobil, BP Amoco and IBM Consulting. I learned a tremendous amount, built a successful career, and had a path in front of me that was financially secure and professionally rewarding.
But at some point, success started to mean something different to me. I began asking myself whether I wanted to spend the rest of my career building value for large corporations or whether I could take what I had learned and use it to help create opportunity in the city that raised me. Walking away from a lucrative corporate career was not an easy decision. There was risk involved. We had two young children who were 5 and 2 years old, and there were certainly moments when I questioned whether I was making the right move.
Ultimately, I felt a responsibility to come home and be part of the solution. That decision led me into ministry, entrepreneurship, and eventually to Life Remodeled. And the work itself hasn’t always been easy either. Neighborhood revitalization is complicated. There are no quick fixes, and meaningful change requires trust, patience, collaboration and a willingness to listen to residents rather than assuming you already know the answers.
Looking back, I wouldn’t remove the struggles from my story. They gave me perspective. Growing up in Detroit taught me why this work matters. Corporate America taught me how organizations, strategy, and systems work. Entrepreneurship taught me how to take risks and build something from the ground up. And today, I get to bring all of those experiences together in service of Detroit neighborhoods and the people who call them home.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As CEO of Life Remodeled, I specialize in building sustainable neighborhood revitalization. I’m also known for bringing various partners to the same table and helping them find common ground to help residents thrive. My team and I focus on serving tens of thousands of community members and residents each year by creating environments where growth is possible, both for the organization and the people it serves.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One thing I’ve learned throughout my journey is that where you start does not have to determine where you finish. There is extraordinary talent in Detroit neighborhoods and in communities like ours all across the country. Too often, the issue isn’t a lack of ability, ambition or creativity. It’s a lack of access—to relationships, resources, opportunities and spaces where people can fully develop their potential.
That belief is a big part of what motivates me today. I also believe that lasting neighborhood revitalization cannot be something that is done to a community. It has to be done with the community. The people who live in a neighborhood already possess tremendous knowledge, ideas, relationships, and leadership. Our responsibility is to listen, build trust, bring resources and partners to the table, and help create an environment where residents and community organizations can thrive.
My own story has taken me from Detroit’s east side to Corporate America, ministry, entrepreneurship and now nonprofit leadership, but Detroit has always been the common thread. I’m incredibly optimistic about what is possible for this city. And if there is one idea I hope readers take away from my story, it’s this: you don’t have to choose between being successful and being useful. Some of the most meaningful success comes when you take everything you’ve learned, every relationship you’ve built, and every opportunity you’ve been given—and use it to create opportunities for someone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://liferemodeled.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liferemodeled
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/diallo-smith-38a07050
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/LifeRemodeled
