Announcing the 2025 Skillman Visionary Awards

Category Archives: Blog

Leading for the Future

by: Tonya Allen | Feb. 11th, 2019 Originally posted in Crain’s Detroit Business here. Lately I’ve been inspired by Nelson Mandela’s quote: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Michigan must adopt this spirit of action. I encourage our new governor and legislative leaders to apply it courageously, first and foremost, to our education system. […]

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Holding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Forefront

by: The Skillman Foundation | Feb. 7th, 2019 It wasn’t long ago that telling an out-of-towner you were from Detroit would raise eyebrows, prompting sympathy or even repugnance. Now, Detroit is all the rage. News about a city on the rise has reached around the country and world. Burgeoning signs of economic opportunity have attracted […]

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Keep Moving Forward: What I Learned from Detroit Youth Rising

by: Tyler Patterson | Feb. 4th, 2019 I recently had one of the most motivating and empowering experiences of my life. I was invited to attend the Detroit Youth Rising event in downtown Detroit. The evening featured a fireside chat between Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert and Vista Equities founder Robert Smith, reportedly the richest African-American. […]

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Launch Michigan Statewide Educator Survey Seeks Solutions From Frontlines

by: Launch Michigan | Feb. 4th, 2019 A statewide educator survey is kicking off today, gathering insights from the frontline experts in our schools about what’s needed to ensure every Michigan student succeeds. The survey is being fielded by Launch Michigan, a diverse alliance of education, labor, business and philanthropic organizations committed to establishing a […]

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How Design Thinking is Helping Transform Ideas Into Reality

by: William Sexton | Jan. 24th, 2019 What would the world be without big ideas? They play a crucial role in creating change and developing solutions to our communities’ largest problems. But equally important to a big idea is a clear plan to transform it into reality. Making this transition is a key component of […]

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21 Teams Compete for Seed Funding at MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge Expo

by: Natalie Fotias | Jan. 21st, 2019 Twenty-one new ideas to support youth of color in Detroit will be presented through the My Brother’s Keeper Detroit Innovation Challenge on Tuesday, February 12th at the Detroit Science Center. Teams will showcase their ideas through an interactive expo, followed by a pitch competition where six teams will […]

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The Skillman Foundation Names David R. McGhee Associate Vice President of Organizational Excellence & Impact

by: Natalie Fotias | Jan. 18th, 2019 The Skillman Foundation has named David R. McGhee as associate vice president of organizational excellence & impact, a new role created to support the Foundation’s president & CEO and provide leadership across the organization. McGhee will help to shape and support key initiatives and projects, manage external relationships, […]

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Celebrating the Career of Robert Thornon

by: The Skillman Foundation | Jan. 17th, 2019 After 17 years with The Skillman Foundation, Robert Thornton has retired leaving a legacy defined by service and a relentless commitment to the youth of Detroit. Since joining The Skillman Foundation in 2001, Robert has been an essential part of the organization’s work on behalf of Detroit […]

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What Teach 313 Means to Me: Reflections from A Detroit Educator

by: Shawness Woods-Zende | Jan. 15th, 2019 The blog was originally published by Teach313. When I became a teacher, I knew that I loved kids and I wanted to be connected to them in an impactful way. What I did not know was the powerful effect the children and their families would have on me. Every […]

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Michigan’s 49th Governor: Building a Playbook for Success

by: The Skillman Foundation | Jan. 7th, 2019 In December 2018, Deloitte Michigan Managing Partner Mark Davidoff and Crain Communications President KC Crain gathered a group of diverse business and community leaders for a roundtable discussion immediately following Michigan’s gubernatorial election. The discussion focused on how the group could help support newly-elected governor Gretchen Whitmer and her administration in […]

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Who Will Lead Detroit (with 2017 annual reporting)

who will lead detroit - Skillman Foundation Annual Report 2017

by: | Dec. 14th, 2018 This publication, produced in 2018, features stories and artwork by inspiring Detroit youth. ‘Who Will Lead Detroit” also highlights community members who live day in and day out for Detroit kids and provides information about the Foundation’s 2017 grantmaking and changemaking efforts. 50 People Who Represent the Heart of Detroit […]

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Who Will Lead Detroit

by: The Skillman Foundation | Dec. 14th, 2018 Renowned Detroit artist Sydney G. James created the cover art for our latest annual report, Who Will Lead Detroit. The artwork highlights four talented Detroit youth making an impact in the city they call home. Curtis Roach – graduate, Cass Technical High School Kennedy Smith – 10th […]

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Our 2017 Grantmaking

by: Natalie Fotias | Dec. 13th, 2018 2017 was a year of transition for The Skillman Foundation. On the heels of our Good Neighborhoods Initiative, which spanned from 2006–2016, we were embarking on our next chapter—the Opportunity Agenda for Detroit Children. The Opportunity Agenda continues our efforts to improve and expand opportunities for Detroit youth […]

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The Greatest Story Never Told

Greatest Story Never Told

by: Xavier Cuevas | Dec. 13th, 2018 I’ve read enough Greek myths and livedthrough enough Devil’s Night arsonsto know that fire purifies as much as itdestroys. Kills as much as it rebirths. And I’ve seen that same fire in enoughof my friends to know thatashes aren’t the end. Or the beginning. We are not beginning. […]

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Meet Five Young Detroiters Getting Their Start in Philanthropy

by: William Sexton | Dec. 13th, 2018 When you visit The Skillman Foundation’s office, chances are you will be greeted by one of five young Detroiters who help work our front desk. These talented young people are all participants in The Skillman Foundation high school internship program, an initiative the Foundation has proudly supported in […]

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Detroit among first 10 US cities to be awarded grants from Obama Foundation

REAL Brothers Program

by: City of Detroit | Dec. 12th, 2018 • Detroit-based, City partner Black Family Development awarded $500,000 to improve quality of life among young men of color• Matching grant from The Skillman Foundation brings total award to $1 Million• Grants support intervention efforts like Project Ceasefire, Detroit’s crime reduction initiative, Restorative Practices and Joven-Noble training […]

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Cody Rouge: A Community with Heart and Impact

by: Kenyetta Campbell | Dec. 12th, 2018 Cody Rouge is home to 36,849 residents, 12,183 of whom are 18 and under. My fondest memories growing up on Detroit’s west side in Cody Rouge are sitting on the porch talking to the older adults who lived on the block and playing with my friends until the […]

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An Opportunity Agenda for Detroit Children

by: Natalie Fotias | Dec. 12th, 2018 Melissa Butler (Cass Technical High School graduate) worked on Wall Street before moving home to focus on her lipstick line, The Lip Bar. She struck out with investors on the reality TV show Shark Tank, but kept grinding and created her own lane. Now, you can pop into […]

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