Denzel McCampbell is not shying away from the greys that have overtaken his beard he’s been wearing at full length for a few years now. Men that grow out their facial hair know how deceptive a salt-and-pepper beard can be; the greys do tend to age people prematurely, with people incorrectly assuming said beard wearers to be older than they are. McCampbell jokes that he can actually use that to his advantage. “They” – “they,” being constituents, voters, other Detroit residents, whatever applies in the moment – “are probably like, ‘instead of 34, oh, maybe you’re a little

Janae L. Wilson is the founder of JLW Professional Services and an economic justice organizer raised and nurtured in Detroit. For the past decade she has worked in community organizing and economic development spaces. She currently serves as Deputy Director at Dream of Detroit, a Black Muslim-led organization combining community organizing with housing and land development through a community land trust and long-term neighborhood stewardship programs. Wilson has worked closely with entrepreneurs, local changemakers, and community organizations to turn community priorities into practical economic opportunities. She leads through relationships and

Punches don’t sneak up on Lance “Boogie” Smith the way that memories do. Sometimes the memories are tucked inside a workout; sometimes they’re hidden in a decision that requires patience instead of emotion; and sometimes they arrive as a familiar phrase he heard so many times growing up that he stopped paying attention to it until life gave it meaning. His father, Stephan Smith, had a way of doing that. “I remember one time I had a conversation with my dad and I was like, ‘Man, Pops, you’re dropping a

Just weeks after stepping away from leadership of the Detroit Auto Show and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, Sam Klemet has landed in a new role that keeps him closely connected to the world of advocacy, communications and association leadership that has defined much of his career. Kelley Cawthorne announced Wednesday, May 20, that Klemet is joining the Lansing-based lobbying firm’s newly launched association management company Catalyst as vice president of operations. In addition to helping lead Catalyst, Klemet will also support Kelley Cawthorne’s continued growth efforts in

After having spent the past 22 years of his career at ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, the Southwestern High School and Wayne State University alum is retiring at the end of August 2026. The rhythm of Detroit has always sounded a little like a game clock. It never quite stops and it always demands something from whomever is bold enough to step onto its floor. For David Roberts, a kid growing up on the city’s southwest side, that rhythm stretched across five decades – a 50-year career that

A bank with a long history of serving communities too often locked out of mainstream financial opportunity is preparing to widen that work through a new foundation, and it is placing that effort in the hands of a leader whose career has centered philanthropy, inclusion, and community partnership. First Independence Bank announced the appointment of Caroline Chambers as Director of Community Investments, a new leadership role that puts her at the center of building the bank’s charitable foundation. That foundation, expected to officially launch later this year, is