Amy Nederlander
Co-Founder, President
As an expert in strategic business development working with world leading executives, corporations, non-profits and social impact initiatives, Amy launched L!FE’s experience-based programming teaching the skills and confidence to achieve goals, independence, education and career success in Detroit to serve her hometown’s revitalization.
Dr. Bertie Greer
Board Member
Dr. Bertie M. Greer is an Associate Dean for Strategic planning and accreditation in the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University. Her responsibilities include strategic planning, AACSB Re-accreditation, General Operations, administrative direction on School facilities, leadership and guidance on financial plans and schools budget. Dr. Greer is also faculty director of the Business Start Program for students in the Irvin D. Reid Honors College at Wayne State.
Leslie Andrews
Board Member
After a successful tenure as the Director of Community Relations and Corporate Partnerships for Rock Ventures, LLC since 2012, Leslie Andrews launched Daisy Ventures LLC which is the parent company for three businesses: Leslie Andrews Consulting (nonprofit development and training), Leslie Speaks! (motivational and corporate speeches), and the lifestyle blog “Grown Woman Chronicles,” targeting subjects important to women over 40.
Lauren Mondry Blanck
Board Member
Lauren works for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s political fundraising office, Duggan for Detroit. Prior to moving back to Detroit, Lauren worked for President Obama’s 2012 Reelection campaign on the National Advance Team, and also worked for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as the Deputy Director of Advance, serving as an aide to the Mayor and overseeing press events.
Josh Thompson
Board Member
Josh leads the Onward Labs team’s efforts across company building, partnerships, and community and is Venture Partner at the Onward Lab’s Co-Founder, Human Ventures. Josh has spent his career at the intersection of public/private partnerships, working with former Mayor Cory Booker to reimagine the possibilities for education and economic development alongside the $100 million investment by Mark Zuckerberg.
Michael Eidelman
Board Member
Mr. Eidelman concentrates his practice in bankruptcy and insolvency matters and has acted as lead counsel for debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, chapter 7 and 11 trustees, landlords, purchasers of assets, and creditors’ and bondholders’ committees. In addition, Mr. Eidelman represents companies, creditors, court-appointed receivers and assignees for the benefit of creditors in out-of-court restructurings and liquidations.
Howard Handler
Board Member
Howard is the President of 313 Presents, Detroit’s premiere live event company that annually promotes and produces more than 350 concerts, theatrical productions, sporting events and family shows at six venues across southeastern Michigan. Howard is an entertainment and sports industry innovator, and dedicated coach and mentor with a track record of success across some of the most noted companies in the world including Major League Soccer, Madison Square Garden, Virgin Mobile, The National Football League, MTV and Saturday Night Live.
Mitchel Krieger
Board Member
Mitchell is an educator, community builder, and designer that has dedicated his career to creating programs that have a positive impact on people’s lives through transformative experiences and progressive innovative pedagogy. He is currently an academic advisor at NYU, and has worked in schools, camps, theaters, dorms, after-school and summer programs with ages ranging from toddlers to college students.
Jeremiah Steen
Board Member
Jeremiah Steen is a student at the University of Detroit Mercy, pursuing a degree in communications. He is a Development Associate of Institutional Giving for the National Audubon Society. Jeremiah founded and serves as Executive Director of the Steen Foundation—the first youth-lead and founded operational foundation in Michigan, positively impacting the socialization of youth, promoting strong inquisitive thinking, and helping teens to advance their view of community through a creative perspective. He is a board member of TrashMob.eco and Detroit Audubon and serves as the youngest Trustee at The Skillman Foundation.
Jill Brack
Board Member
Jill Brack leads CSR initiatives, mission-driven strategic partnerships, and community and team engagement for Broder & Sachse Real Estate and Sachse Construction in downtown Detroit. An accomplished producer and community impact executive, Jill builds relationships across industries through innovative programming to cultivate and connect community, content, and culture.
Jane Goodman
Board Member
Jane Goodman is a brand builder and research innovator with almost 25 years of experience, mostly spent listening for ideas. She is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Doner, a full service advertising agency and content producer. She relocated to Detroit from New York City after several runs up and down Madison Avenue, first in big agencies and then as a brand development consultant.
Benjamin Bailey
Board Member
Benjamin Bailey uses his acumen cultivated over decades in design, e-commerce, experiential marketing and advertising to create salient brands that transform businesses and help change our planet. Bailey’s brand strategies and design have rebooted venerable brands — Martini, Tylenol, Jagermeister, American Express, Zyrtec — as well as startups — Chobani, LaColombe, OfColor, Ellis Isle, Raw Paw Life. He has helmed agencies and consultancies from NYC to Kingston to Detroit.
Camille Walker Banks
Board Member
Currently Executive Director of The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Detroit, Camille leads $15-$20 million in annual community investments to fuel affordable housing, economic development, health, education, safety & jobs. Camille was most recently Regional Executive Director for NPower,. As Executive Director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Wayne State University, Camille led the highest performing site in the country. As a senior manager at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Camille implemented key initiatives around economic development & community revitalization resulting in over $5.5B in new capital investment & over 5,000 new jobs created in underserved communities.
Linda Schlessinger
Board Member
A longtime advocate for women's and children's charities, Owner and Founder of skinnytees (TM) - named to Corp. Magazine's Economic Bright Spot Award in 2017, Inc. Magazine's 5000 Greatest Entrepreneurs of 2017, MichBusiness's Retail Sensations of 2018 - Linda Schlesinger-Wagner is a highly respected and accomplished human and business person.
Schlesinger-Wagner is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and the Edward Lowe Foundation, Co-Chair for Jewish Vocational Services: Women to Work Program since 2017, when she was honored, supporter of The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, Super Saturday, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Pictures of Hope’s recipient of the Salvation Army Angel Award, board member of the Detroit Garment Group since 2019, and 2021 Honoree of the Pillars of Birmingham.
Angelique Peterson-Mayberry
Founding Board Member, Emeritus
Board Vice President, Detroit Public Schools Community District
A native Detroiter born and raised in a place she’s still proud to call home, most people would say that as a 3rd generation United Auto Worker, activism runs through her blood. The value and importance of unions were instilled in Angelique at a very early age as she found herself involved in the social justice movement by attending protests, marches and union meetings with her mom it was just a normal way of life in her household.