Adrian Tonon is an example of what happens when people believe anything is possible. The first-generation son of Italian immigrants, Adrian is now Director of Customer Service and the first 24-hour Economy Ambassador for the City of Detroit.
Lionel Bradford is president and executive director of The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit devoted to creating sustainable growth for a healthy, urban community through trees, green spaces, food, education, training and job opportunities. Lionel has a bachelor’s degree in urban forestry from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and began his career as a forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico.
Rev. Faith Fowler is both the pastor of Cass Community United Methodist Church and the Executive Director of Cass Community Social Services, a nonprofit agency that provides food, housing, medical/mental health and employment programs for people living in areas of concentrated poverty. She has held these positions since 1994. In addition to her work at Cass, Rev. Fowler has served as a board member of the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation, an advisory board member of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging and a board member and trustee on the General Board of Church and Society. In 2014, Rev. Fowler founded Cass Community Publishing […]
Jarret Alan Schlaff is cultivator, engineer, and organizer (CEO) of Pingree Detroit, a worker-owned, community-based manufacturing company co-founded in January 2015. In Pingree’s Detroit workshop, Detroiters and U.S. veterans are paid a living wage to handcraft bags, urban utility boots, and accessories using luxury-grade leather upcycled from the American auto industry. Listen to Jarret Schlaff on the Make Meaning podcast with Lynne Golodner About Jarret, CEO Pingree Detroit Jarret Schlaff lives on Detroit’s eastside in the Charlevoix Villages community and is committed to fostering neighborhood resilience and developing opportunities for sustainable, community driven job creation accessible to all. Since 2007, he has launched four separate nonprofit projects and […]
LaTonia Walker is a lifelong resident of Detroit, MI. She is a Social Worker and Life Coach to women living in poverty and experiencing homelessness at a Detroit Shelter. She is also the founder and CEO of The Ladies League of Detroit, a women’s group for middle ground women that focuses on professional and personal development, empowerment, and networking. LaTonia joins Lynne on the Make Meaning podcast to tell us about the women she serves, what inspired her to create this organization, and why it is important to connect people in both her personal life and professional sphere. Learn more […]
Partner and Founder of Detroit City Distillery Mike Forsyth meets Lynne at Podcast Detroit and jumps in for a deep dive on his career as a small business owner in the spirits industry, including how his upbringing lead him to become an entrepreneur. Mike tells Lynne why many distilleries don’t make their own spirits, and shares how he takes a lot of pride in making products using locally sourced ingredients. He wants to celebrate Detroit, its history, and carry on the legacy and standards of American craftsmanship that Detroit has set. Detroit City Distillery creates small batch artisanal whiskey, gin […]
