>> ... Next Generation ...

Shmoozing
In Detroit

Young professionals mingle at
inaugural NEXTWork event.

MICHAEL HIGER I IN INTERN

D

etroit has faced its fair
share of loss the past
several years. Perhaps
no loss has been greater
than the youth of the city moving out
of state for more work opportunities.
JVS and the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit's NEXTGen
Business Hub teamed up to create an
initiative with the goal of retaining
Detroit's youngest professionals,
NEXTWork.
"It was a very natural thing to
bring the resources and the expertise
of JVS together with the NEXTGen
population, so the marriage was born,"
said Fran Victor, chief development
officer at JVS. "Both NEXTGen and JVS
were thinking we can do all the most
fabulous social activities in the world,
but unless people find jobs, our young
people are not going to be able to stay
in the Metro Detroit area."
On May 13, NEXTWork held its
first networking event at the Shinola
store in Downtown Detroit. The event
brought together more than 100 of
Detroit's young business professionals
and VIPs, who know firsthand the
opportunities that the city provides.
"We didn't just want it to feel like
the 'same old' networking event,"
said Amy Brody, the internship and
job coordinator at NEXTGen. "We
purposely invited individuals from
various professions to foster interesting
and engaging conversations."
One of the VIPs at the event
was Todd Sachse, the founder and
president of Sachse Construction and
the president of the United Jewish
Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.
"The greatest challenge facing
Detroit is local talent," Sachse said.
"This is a great example of trying to
attract and retain local talent and keep
them here. Hopefully the people that
are here and are part of NEXTGen will
communicate to their other friends
— who maybe don't live here — to
come to Detroit and bring their talent

40 May 29 • 2014

Co-chairs Sara Wohl and Benji Rosenzweig

and expertise because there's more
opportunity here than there are people
and talent to fill it."
The event included drinks and
hors d'oeuvres, and gave attendees
the chance to check out watches
and leather produced by Shinola, an
emerging business that got its start in
Detroit.
The two co-chairs of NEXTWork,
Benji Rosenzweig and Sara Wohl,
spearheaded the event. The event was
underwritten by Nancy and James
Grosfeld.
"We just want to make sure that
we're creating synergy," Wohl said.
"There are a lot of agencies, there
are a lot of businesses, a lot to learn
and coordinate within the Jewish
community, so we think it's a great
opportunity for multiple agencies to
come together for a common goal."
That common goal is to retain
local leaders and to show them that
there are many business opportunities
available in the city of Detroit, a
vision that is shared by both JVS and
NEXTGen.
"Our biggest challenge is the
perception that there's not a lot going
on," Rosenzweig added. "A lot of us

have friends who either have left or
are leaving or went away to school
and haven't come back. So one of the
biggest challenges is showing people
'Hey, this is what we have going on.
Do you want to come back?'"
One young business professional
at the event had just moved back to
Detroit with his wife.
"My wife just moved here to the
area about a year ago, and I'm just
looking for a way to get involved, meet
people and interact with a variety of
groups of people around Detroit,"said
Jeff Hohlfeldt, chief medallion officer at
Northeast Medallion LLC.
Hohlfeldt provided some interesting
insight for anyone who struggles to
network themselves. "I think Nike said
it best, 'Just do it.' Just take the plunge,
get out there, put yourself out in front
of other people and say hello," he said.
As for what is next for NEXTWork,
"We are already planning our next
event later in the summer," Brody
said. ❑

June
NEXTGen Events

Sunday, June 1
11 a.m. 2 p.m. It's a Mitzvah Volunteer Day at
Kadima.
Give back to our community with other NEXTGen
volunteer rock stars!

-

Tuesday, June 10
8-10 p.m. Torah on Tap (21+) at Valentine Vodka in
Ferndale.
Come enjoy some Torah and Tap on us, with us!

Wednesday, June 18
7 p.m. Do It For Detroit Fund Hunger Micro-
Grants Competition at Yad Ezra in Berkley.
Di4D will be awarding grants around the topic of
hunger. More information is available at doitfordetroit.
com . The event is free, but pre-registration is required.
Do It For Detroit is a partnership among NEXTGen
Detroit, Yad Ezra and Repair the World.

Friday, June 20
7 p.m. Good Shabbos Detroit at Isaac Agree
Downtown Synagogue.
Join NEXTGen for a unique Shabbat experience! Cost
is $10 in advance. RSVP is necessary!

For more information on NEXTWork,

For information about these events or to register, follow

contact Amy Brody at (248) 203-1486

on Facebook at www.facebook.com/communitynext or on

or at brody@jfmd.org.

Twitter @communityNEXT. You can also email Sarah Snider

at snider@jfmd.org or call her at (248) 502-2865.

