OPPORTUNITY DETROIT
Continued from page 71
pinch myself to be like 'is this real?'
"Through VFA, I have already made
some lifelong friends who all share this
same passion and drive. Many of us
turned down large offers from financial
institutions to embark on this mission
geared toward revitalizing American
cities. When you group all of these
hard-charging individuals together, you
get something really special. It's just an
amazing program and I couldn't be more
excited to be a part of it?'
He said that he was shocked to see
the Jewish presence in Detroit and is
"definitely excited" to get involved in the
community. In addition, he says that as a
young adult in Detroit, he "hopes Juda-
ism will serve as a means of branching
out and meeting new people:'
West Bloomfield and plans on becom-
ing more involved with the Jewish
community and looks forward to mak-
ing it even stronger.
4,1
Banza founder Brian Rudolph
VFA SUCCESS
EVAN BRANDOFF
2015-2016
Bar/Bat
Mitzvah
Dates Still
Available!
B'NTA I
)
MOSHE
a
vt3
With an offer like this you can't afford not to!
You set your first year dues level
Call Steve Fine at the synagogue office at 248-788-0600 for more information
f
Congregation B'nai Moshe
6800 Drake Road I West Bloomfield, MI 48322 I www.bnaimoshe.org
72 October 2014 I
RED MAD
Evan Brandoff grew up on Long Island
and went to school at the University
of Texas in Austin before moving to
Detroit for a VFA fellowship. He
works at the Southfield-based financial
technology company Benzinga, where
he focuses on business development.
Matt Fish and Evan Brandoff at a Detroit
Lion's game
He resides in Downtown Detroit at the
Detroit City Apartments.
"I definitely don't feel alone. I was
very surprised about the closeknit,
strong Jewish community in the area
and everyone's desire to make Detroit
a better place and a more comfortable
place for the young Jewish community,"
he said.
His main suggestion is more events
for young people so they can all get to
know each other. "It will make Detroit
a much less lonely place to be, espe-
cially in the winter!" he said.
While growing up on Long Island,
Brandoff says that almost everything
he participated in could have been
categorized as Jewish, yet he definitely
does not feel alone as a young Jew in
Detroit. Brandoff has already taught a
course at Frankel Jewish Academy in
Jason Raznick, founder and CEO of
Benzinga, said his company has been
pleased to offer Venture for America
fellows the opportunity to become
valuable members of the team.
"We feel it is mutually beneficial to
recruit talented fellows as their per-
spective and work complements our vi-
sion of being a company that thinks big
and executes well, right here in Detroit.
"In addition to Evan, Nathan Gilson
moved here from Boston two years
ago with his wife to join Benzinga. He
previously attended U of M where he
was instrumental in TAMID. We have
reaped divi-
dends over the
years by actively
searching for
top talent across
the country and
bringing them
here to Detroit."
Brian Ru-
dolph is one of
the early success
stories for the
Avery Hairston
Detroit cohort
of Venture for
America. Brian graduated from Emory
University in the Goizueta Business
School, where he studied finance and
international business.
After a fellowship with the startup
Quikly, he started a new company with
his brother called Banza, described as
the first pasta made from chickpeas.
Banza, based in Detroit, was featured
on a CNBC show this past summer and
already employs another VFA fellow,
Avery Hairston, a 2014 graduate of
Cornell University who now lives in
Downtown Detroit. Rudolph, a Down-
town resident, is getting ready to move
into the house that Max Nussenbaum
remodeled.
Rudolph hopes to follow in the foot-
steps of former VFA, Challenge Detroit
and Teach for America fellows who
continue to be happily employed in
Detroit years after their initial fellow-
ship ended.
Banza, quicker to make and more
nutritious than typical pasta, is off to
a solid start; it's already shipping to
Meijer locations nationwide. One more
example of what some people call Op-
portunity Detroit. RT
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