10 | JULY 29 • 2021 

OUR COMMUNITY

E

very year, up to 300 Detroit youth 
ages 14-24 gather to discuss the state 
of Detroit and what the future of the 
city might hold.
At the Detroit Youth Summit 
Conference, held by the youth leadership 
and career development program L!FE 
Leaders Inc., and various Detroit-based 
partners, young people meet and learn 
from experts, business professionals 
and community leaders about career 
opportunities in the city.
“The overall objective of our program 
is to empower youth to empower the 
future,
” explains L!FE Leaders founder 
and president Amy Nederlander. “The 
conference updates youth on Detroit’s 
growth and its resulting opportunities 
while providing access to those 
opportunities.
”
Over the course of two days, youth 
attend roundtable discussions, fireside 
chats and actively engage in breakout 
sessions to develop their interpersonal and 
professional skills. They even play an active 
role in planning the conference, hosting 
panel discussions with guest speakers and 
channeling the overall creative direction of 
the event.
“Confidence is a very important skill that 
youth come out with,
” Nederlander says 
of the summit. “They learn professional 
etiquette, collaboration, public presentation 
and leadership skills.
”

PLANNING FOR FUTURE
Now, Detroit youth are also learning 
remote work skills. As Detroit Youth 
Summit Conference prepares for its third-
annual event Aug. 3-4 — and second-
annual virtual edition — all programming 
is taking place online to accommodate the 

ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s also one of the topics at the forefront 
of the summit conference, which aims to 
update Detroit youth on how the pandemic 
continues to impact the city’s workforce 
and job opportunities. There’s a focus on 
destigmatizing access to mental healthcare 
as well, with a roundtable discussion and 
fireside chat exclusively dedicated to raising 
awareness on workplace wellness.
“The conference is told through the lens 
of current events,
” Nederlander says. The 
theme of this year’s event, for example, is 
“Detroit Defining the New Normal.
” At 
the upcoming summit, participants will 
learn about the growth of the health and 
technology industries, among others, both 
of which have grown significantly in light 
of COVID-19 as many industries turn 
virtual.
This year’s programming will also 
focus on the city’s growth plans for 
2021, equity in education, neighborhood 
redevelopment, citywide internet access, 

and more. Special guests will include 
Detroit Public Schools Community District 
Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti; the city 
of Detroit’s Director of Digital Inclusion 
Joshua Edmonds; and Chief CEO of 
Detroit Future City Anika Goss.

CHANCE TO NETWORK
While the first day of the summit will 
highlight understanding Detroit’s current 
state of affairs, the second day leans into 
the future as youth participate in a job fair 
to learn about possible career paths they 
can go into.
“The objective is to really network,
” 
Nederlander explains of the summit. 
“The future workforce can connect with 
opportunities, make plans, get internships 
and get appropriate access to jobs and 
mentorship.
”
It’s an area Nederlander, 60, has always 
had a passion for. Now based in New York 
City, she grew up in Huntington Woods 
and Franklin. Since she was a teenager, 

Detroit Youth Summit 
Conference connects 
local youth with work 
opportunities.

Building Leaders of Tomorrow

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF AMY NEDERLANDER

Donnell White, senior vice president at TCF Bank, chief dversity officer and director of strate-
gic partnerships with L!FE Leaders, and Curtis Bates, Mario Lemons and Charvae Jackson of 
the Detroit Achievement Academy at a previous summit.

