Today we’d like to introduce you to Deirdre Groves.
Hi Deirdre, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts in a rural community outside of Detroit. Despite my rural roots, Detroit is a place that has always been near and dear to my heart. My parents gave me a unique experience in the city, not of the typical trip in to see baseball games or plays at the theaters, but of an immersion in the built environment. We toured historic homes and explored the neighborhoods, and my interest in both Detroit and its architecture grew. It was no surprise that I decided to pursue a career in architecture and construction, but I didn’t anticipate that Detroit would not only inspire, but also fuel my passion and my career.
When I graduated from college with a degree in construction management, I joined a construction firm that built some of the Detroit area’s most sophisticated residential and commercial buildings. I was ready to put my degree into practice, or so I thought.
The firm’s founder, Doyle Mosher, and I quickly hit it off. Like so many of my friends, his daughter, who is about my age, was planning a move across the country. Doyle and I shared sob stories about the younger generation leaving Michigan for a better job and a better lifestyle.
Doyle had a vision to energize a corps of top talent to stay in and move to Detroit by providing them amazing living and employment experiences, and the ability to collaborate and socialize. My vision was to give those talented individuals an opportunity to make a community impact.
These two ideas would come together to form Challenge Detroit: a program that challenged leaders to learn by doing through a year of meaningful employment at top companies as well as intellectual work with area nonprofits designed to positively impact Detroit.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The more traditional routes tend to be more accepted, and our idea was far from traditional. We had the opportunity to take a non-traditional idea and make it reality… despite the naysayers (and there were a lot of them) thinking (and telling us!) the idea was “pie in the sky.” In fact, I remember my Masters professor using those exact words when I asked him if I could work on Challenge Detroit for my thesis. The words stung, but they only made me work harder, because maybe it was a little bit “pie in the sky,” but Doyle and I were dedicated to make it happen. So, in 2007 we set out with our idea and hopes to bring it to reality.
But the reality is never that easy. Or that quick. 2007 came and went, and so did several more years. During those years, Detroit (and our country) went through a tumultuous time – especially for those of us working in the built environment.
In the fall of 2011, Doyle and I sat in a conference room at his office. The idea of Challenge Detroit had given us something to believe in. Despite the mountains of objections and perhaps the worst job market in Detroit since the Depression, we believed that Challenge Detroit was a game-changing idea.
So, on good faith, a little wishful thinking, and the support of the community, we launched Challenge Detroit in January 2012. By the close of the application in March, hundreds of people had applied. That fall, we brought together our inaugural class of fellows who would spend one year with us living, working, playing, giving and leading in Detroit.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When we launched Challenge Detroit, our focus was addressing the exodus of talent from our state. At the time, Michigan and Detroit area researchers, leaders, businesses and foundations were looking for opportunities to keep local talent in our state and in our city. Challenge Detroit was formed in response to that need.
The program has since evolved. We are now in the midst of our thirteenth year. Thousands of people have applied from Detroit and across the country, hundreds of companies and nonprofits have participated, and millions of dollars have been reinvested back into the city through this small, but mighty, organization.
Regardless of where our applicants come from, they all share a passion to make an impact here. Each year, we bring approximately 30 new fellows together to work for top companies and give back through social impact challenge projects where they use their brainpower to help the city move forward.
What matters most to you? Why?
Taking an idea from concept to reality is never easy and can rarely be accomplished alone. I am so grateful to all of the individuals and organizations that have come together over the years to bring Challenge Detroit to life. From our leadership team and board of directors, to the candidates and fellows, host companies and nonprofit partners, donors and sponsors, and those who have simply believed in Challenge Detroit lifting us up along the way… that is what matters most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.challengedetroit.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/challengedetroit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/challengedetroit/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/challenge-detroit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChallengeDet
