Detroit Homecoming

So we're really excited about the Final Four.

We just had, um, a great, you know, Detroit homecoming here that we were proud to be able to participate in, um, for similar reasons.

And I think what we're doing is creating, you know, more and more ambassadors across our city, across the state, across the country who tell Detroit's story and, um, you know, speak about what a wonderful place it is.

You know, you were the nation's first chief growth officer for a state, for the state of Michigan under Gretchen Whitmer.

And this was also a scenario where I was introduced to larger scale development through my network.

I was actually snuck into a Detroit homecoming event where they sell these tickets for hundreds of dollars.

I just showed up in a suit like maybe 2017, 2016.

And there was an individual by the name of Cliff Brown presenting his development over in West Village.

20 years in, but I never really, once again, and that's a great point.

I never really looked at, at that time, real estate and development as kind of a full-time, you know career or Strategy for me, right? I always looked at it as a part-time hustle in a way because in 2008 You know a lot of the individuals that were doing real estate were doing it on the side And so, you know when I was introduced to it I you know looked at that and I said well if they were able to do it in that format Maybe I can too not to mention when when you first get into real estate for a number of reasons your uh your career your job is probably one of your best business partners to have because you know you got steady income you got insurance um you know you're able to potentially get a mortgage

What was your inspiration to jump into that? Now, you talked about the person you met at the Detroit Homecoming.

And for those who don't know what Homecoming is, is that this is an event that happens every year.

certainly quite a legacy.

And meanwhile, Dan Gilbert spoke at the Cranes Detroit Homecoming event last week, and he touched on something that we've been talking about for a very long time, and it's that we have a huge supply of well-educated students exiting college, going into the workforce, and instead of staying here in the state of Michigan, they're going elsewhere.

Yeah, Dan spoke with, along with his son Grant and Hillary Doe, who is running a population initiative with Gilbert's support in Detroit called Move Detroit.

He put it pretty bluntly and said the region's top priority should be holding on to our college graduates that we have who graduate from our top tier institutions like the University of Michigan, Michigan State, keeping them here instead of sending them to Silicon Valley or Seattle or Austin or other cities.

He's made population growth generally a signature cause.

He's pushed for mass transit and other amenities that younger people are attracted to.

At Detroit Homecoming, he was on stage along with his son, Grant, who now has a significant role in the family's businesses.

And, you know, Gilbert, Dan Gilbert noted, you know, in terms of market word of mouth marketing, he urged people to hold hold their family weddings in Detroit and invite all the out of state guests here.