JACK DETROIT

In step with time’s march, the positive portrayals of Detroit have eroded. National media paints a picture of economic depression, cultural irrelevance and societal ignorance. Although an indifferent observer could visualize some truth in this image, the leading men in this story are crafting their own – one of financial upswing, cultural resurgence and communal awareness. Each man isn’t out to completely eradicate all the city’s problems, aptly deeming that an impossibility. Rather, these creatives, entrepreneurs and professionals are each making waves in their own industries; collectively, this representative mosaic is building a tidal wave of change. After all this time, it’s out with the old, and in with the New Spirit of Detroit.

After graduating with his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Blake Almstead had two job offers: one teaching in Dubai, and one at Compuware. He was living in Berkley, teaching at Lawrence Technological University, recognizing an outside ignorance about Detroit, and realizing he needed a change. In March 2010, he decided to switch it up and move downtown.

Fast-forward a year, and Almstead’s world is seemingly tiny: he lives on Woodward, above Studio Couture Detroit, the combination arts space he started with Peter Beaugard. The space is a few blocks from work, as Compuware’s creative director. Despite this radius, Almstead admits he “never realized how large” the metro area was until he moved downtown.

“To fully get the potential of what the city is,” Almstead suggests, “you have to talk to someone.” He explains, “I don’t want to say I’m blissfully ignorant,” but he moved here after college – he wasn’t raised on stereotypes and patterns that have been ingrained in suburban communities for decades, all focusing on the blight plaguing the city. Because he didn’t know historical sites before their downtrodden days, “the train station is no different than the Coliseum,” and he doesn’t have an attachment to days gone by, notions to which many native Metro Detroiters fiercely cling.

In his artistic career, Almstead has explored many facets of design, since he “never wanted a concept to be held back because of a lack of knowledge of a particular medium.” With Studio Couture, multi-tasking continues. The space has a gallery showing about once a month, along with community installments. The studio component offers design work for local businesses, utilizing Lawrence Tech, CCS and Wayne State interns, “providing them experience they’d otherwise have to leave the state for.”

Almstead explains the importance of his field, through a duality: “art has the ability to highlight as well as educate.” Studio Couture promotes both concepts, hoping to perpetuate conversation about the arts. As a new dynamic entity, Studio Couture is making its mark.

Jacob Smith and his business partner Adam Duke are lonely. The recent college grads decided to fight the trend, stay in Michigan, and start a company. Most of their friends left after graduation in an Exodus to find jobs elsewhere. Going against the grain, “Adam and I are so excited as entrepreneurs to be doing our part in revitalizing Michigan.”

The pair’s company, Go Green Energy Consulting, provides in-home energy audits to families in Southeastern Michigan. Smith and Duke quickly realized that green energy is unique, beyond the “opportunity to stimulate the economy,” since benefits for the planet are a wonderful side effect of this business. From an economics-driven model, the duo hires Michigan workers, recommends Michigan-made products, and reduces homeowners’ energy bills (that go toward imported energy) so they have more money to spend here. Smith notes that their for-profit business gives them an incentive to maintain a positive social and environmental process – that’s what fires them up.

Go Green Energy Consulting’s challenge rests with consumer education. People don’t yet understand that in-home energy efficiency fits into the equation for living a greener life. He compares their residential solutions to “making your home a hybrid vehicle, and getting more miles per gallon.” Smith compares an average American home – which can reduce its energy use by 20 percent – to a Hummer that’s constantly running. With that in mind, homeowners can make simple changes that have a lasting impact, all more cost-effective than buying a Prius. Optimistic, Smith asserts that it doesn’t matter that only some people want to help the environment, since everyone wants to save money. “I really think we can get to the point to bring all our friends back.”

Late in 2007, lifelong Detroiter Oliver Baer realized that in 2010, fuel emissions regulations would be changing, which meant there would be a business opportunity as a distributorship of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (which keeps trucks regulated to this mandated NOx standard). With this in mind, he went to NextEnergy, explaining that some biofuels give off more emissions than traditional diesel, which would change the face of this fluid dispensation.

Three years later, Baer’s company has solved a major engineering conundrum, and has the capacity to make the entire trucking industry “green.” The Clean Emission Fluids FAST system either integrates with traditional in-ground diesel fueling infrastructure for bio blending and clean diesel capability, or operates as a stand-alone and turnkey fueling station. Baer engineered a large system that uses diesel from the existing pump and allows truck drivers to choose a custom blend, from 0-100% biofuel in the mix, based on a database-calculated recommendation; a separate pump in the same system dispenses Diesel Exhaust Fluid, to make sure drivers stay regulated.

His company now utilizes 3,200 square feet within the larger Focus: HOPE manufacturing center. Baer asserts, “We want to create an opportunity for Detroit and the surrounding areas to capitalize on its strengths, which are its excellent workforce and very strong industry.”

He explains there is a weed called pennycress that is grown in Michigan on arid/marginal land. For every acre cultivated during its quarterly harvests, 100 gallons of biodiesel can be produced. Baer’s company has partnered with Focus: HOPE and The Power Alternative to utilize their land to grow it; three acres in Detroit are being used to grow pennycress, generating 1,200 gallons of biodiesel annually. Because of this, Baer’s goal lies in self-sustaining biofuel, not just foreign oil independence. He notes, “We want to help Detroit lead the nation and lead the world in biofuel, by lowering fuel price at the pump and making local companies operate more competitively.”

Joe Faris credits his father as his mentor. “He’s been a huge inspiration to me – he works in a creative industry and works for himself.” As the innovative dynamo behind Motor City Denim Company, Faris now follows in his father’s footsteps.

In leading up to the line’s launch, his biggest challenge has been keeping prices competitive for consumers without outsourcing production. The denim products are manufactured here, and he asserts that Michigan could handle manufacturing most garments, with the infrastructure and workforce already in place. Ultimately he wants to be remembered as somebody who started bringing the garment industry not only back to the United States, but more specifically to Michigan.

He just wants to go back to the roots of it all – for fashion and for himself. Faris grew up in Lathrup Village, and finds inspiration in the metro Detroit area. “It’s my home. I’ve worked in New York, L.A; Texas – even though I worked in other states, I never officially moved. I always had a residence here.”

He suggests some easy things for a man to improve his wardrobe. First of all, throw away every free tee shirt you got in a contest. Then, key in on a fit of a jean that looks great. Stick with that. Add in a couple of great blazers they can combine with other items, and make sure to have a kick-ass leather jacket.

Men don’t like to shop because there’s a perception that it’s not for the alpha male. There’s a stigma if guys pay any attention to their appearance, but Faris thinks it could be changed, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with a “guy’s guy” caring about the way he looks. Out to do this – and improve our state’s economy – with his company, Faris says, “there’s no turning back now.”

“If I can get beat up or risk life and limb, I’m going to be in line for that ride,” says Rodney Carey, CEO of Woodward Asset Capital and a maverick not only on the slopes or riding his dirt bike, but also in the real estate industry. Carey, who moved around constantly as a kid, was thrilled to settle in Detroit.

“This is where I want to be,” says the former mortgage finance exec. “I like it here for everything that’s good and bad about it. There’s opportunity in Detroit. This place has to reinvent itself.”

That’s also the approach he brings to business. In 2007, Carey teamed up with realtor Ronald Jasgur and construction finance guru Gerald Kazakov to create Woodward Asset Capital. They bought bulk pools of foreclosed homes to rehab and sell. They soon realized why their approach was successful (and banks were not) and they began developing software to help banks improve their success rates.

WAC’s first product, OfferSubmission.com, streamlines REO (foreclosure) sales and eliminates fraud. It succeeded so well that they ran themselves out of their original business.

“Ron has great street knowledge and insight into the buyer’s psyche,” Carey says. “I have a history in banking. And Gerry is a visionary at reconditioning property. We have a great team.” This spring, they launched VerifiedShortSale.com.

“Nobody looks at distressed properties as a product yet,” Carey says. “Our systems expedite sales. Lay that over your internal operations, and you’ve got a successful collaboration. That’s what it takes to rebuild our housing industry.”

-Lynne Meredith Schreiber

Our interview with longtime Detroit musician Stephen Nawara was slated to occur over a beer. The night before, he sent an email requesting to conduct the interview electronically, as his jaw had been wired shut – we obliged.

Recently, he launched Detroit-based, Detroit-focused Beehive Recording Company, with a mission “to level the playing field.” The tagline exemplifies this simple goal: “Become a member by name, city, email, state. 100% no spam. Donate when you can.” For each artist, Beehive aims to “provide a ladder that an aspiring musician can climb from recording in their bedroom” toward self-sufficiency with their career. In a few months’ time, Beehive has counted over 900 members and nearly 5,000 downloads.

He believes that “the major genres of music have already been discovered and now the only true innovations can only come from individual style.” With this in mind, Nawara aims to utilize local music and art as innovation, in order to rebuild cultural identities. He notes, “I like the lady who comes into a bar once a week to sing her favorite karaoke tune, the grandpa who plays the banjo at family reunions, the band that dumpster dives just so they can play music for a living. This is where real music is found.” Like many musicians, Nawara laments musical globalization, which blends “beautiful genres of music into grey slop; it all ends up the same.”

Detroit’s musicality is individualized from that of other cities, due to its fertility for diversity, initially brought on by the blue-collar migration into the area for work at the car factories. Nawara exclaims, “We give the world a dose of reality, raw emotion, whether they like it or not. Most of the time, they do, because they need it.”

When asked how he ended up with his jaw wired shut, Nawara’s response was diplomatic, albeit vague: “A friend of mine once said, ‘I’m finding it harder to be a gentleman,’ and I couldn’t agree more.”

Chef Steven Grostick was born and raised in Michigan, and his food shows it. One quick look at the menu at Toasted Oak Grill & Market reveals a variety of locally-sourced items, house-made specialties and a melody of Michigan flavors. “Michigan is not a state that is known for its dining options, but it is known for agriculture and food, and the four seasons have so much to offer,” says Grostick, who studied under James Beard-nominated Chef Brian Polcyn at Schoolcraft College. “We always use locally-sourced produce when available. We even have a garden on the patio where we grow our own vegetables and herbs,” as Grostick gestures towards the front of the restaurant. Toasted Oak offers “homestyle cooking done right, looking elegant and remaining casual.” The restaurant’s market offers fresh cheeses, house-made charcuterie and retail-priced wines that are all available for dining in. The “old world”-style market is absolutely essential to Toasted Oak’s appeal. As Toasted Oak Grill & Market quickly becomes one of Metro-Detroit’s hottest new dining locales, it appears that “Chef Steve,” as his staff calls him, has struck a chord with the area’s foodies without recreating the pretentiousness—and expensiveness—of traditionally fine dining. In the future, expect Chef Grostick to incorporate even more local products and signature Michigan dishes, including a featured “farmer’s menu,” made up of ingredients sourced from within 100 miles of Toasted Oak.

-Eric Vrtis

Mahdi Choudhoury is a bona fide Michigan man. As a product of Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, and the University of Michigan, Choudhoury, along with fellow Wolverine Chuck Irvin, founded DSLMi, an Internet service provider, in 2009. 

With a distinctively warm energy, childlike enthusiasm, and love of innovation, Mahdi has successfully fused his own great personal traits into the very bean of his company.

It’s certainly not easy to nosedive into an industry controlled by a handful of corporate juggernauts. But with the mentorship of field leaders, including Compuware CTO Paul Czarnik, Choudhoury said that the unadulterated insight has made “all the difference.”

It also doesn’t hurt to have a distinctively groundbreaking business plan. In fact, the sheer innovative force behind DSLMi’s business plan earned the company recognition from Forbes magazine and MSNBC as one of the top 20 most promising rising new tech startups of 2010.

DSLMI caters toward corporate facilities, including apartment complexes. The unique operation model essentially gives apartment complexes their own Internet company – meaning that these units can derive profit for themselves, as well as provide to residents a cheaper, yet maximally reliable product. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved. As the company widens its scope, residential and manufacturing plants are the next targets for the rising corporation.

With young, proven leaders in Choudhoury, Irvin, and recent MSU economics graduate Etin Olomu, these young men are certainly on their way to becoming a technological force to be reckoned with in the Metro Area.

-Julian Toles

As a professor in Wayne State University’s College of Education, Nathan McCaughtry’s job has two components: preparing health and physical education teachers for their role in the classroom, and launching the new Center for School Health. This program allows Wayne faculty and graduate/undergraduate students to communicate, train and educate adults at K-12 schools across Michigan. They inform these educators about ways to create comprehensive healthy school environments, reshaping “it so kids are hearing and experiencing nothing but healthy messages.”

Brain research demonstrates that “unhealthy kids can’t learn,” with results pointing to low attention spans and alertness levels, along with poor self-management. When districts are strapped for cash, programs for healthy schools (including recess, school lunch, and PE) are the first to get cut. The theory is that it’s less detrimental than alternatives, because it’s not directly related to core subjects – McCaughtry asserts this is tremendously short sighted. Economically, unhealthy children become unhealthy adults, which are a burden to society. Academically, he quips, “name the variable – it improves with healthy kids.” Growing class size – reported as a catastrophe by the media – has a smaller correlation to academic achievement than health of the student body.

The Wisconsin native and travel hockey player started at Wayne in 2000, anticipating a two-year stint, but found out the opportunities at this university and in this community are amazing. With this center, McCaughtry’s plan is to ignite a spark of change. Asking, “What better way to spark social change than with the schools,” he understands this is an area with a long history and enormous challenges. It’s rewarding to go to work every day, having an “opportunity to make a difference where a difference is needed.”