What is opportunity?

It is a doorway to different, to possible, to yes.
It is the beautiful and tender risk of chance.

Opportunity should be open, knowable, piquing,
aching, felt. It should take only eyes to see opportunity.
Not means or names or ties.

Because if chance is confined to only some,
it has a different name.

To us, opportunity is the opposite of only.
It is all, us, they, we, now, yours, rife.

So, we built a stage with lights shining to reveal a world
that is not closed to most, but accessible to all
who want it, find it, work it, take it.

Front and center stage. Wide minds welcome.
L!fe Leaders

The Nederlander family has been synonymous with Detroit since 1912 when Amy Nederlander’s grandfather David T. Nederlander purchased a 99-year lease on the Detroit Opera House. Since then generations of Nederlander’s have embodied the spirit of Detroit — hard work, pioneering vision, & continued investment — as the family built one of the largest privately held live entertainment companies in the world.

Committed to her family’s vision for a thriving Detroit, the vision for L!FE Leaders 502(c)3 organization to build & amplify youth skills, their voice, & direct involvement in the city’s prosperity, began at an early age for Amy Nederlander. Fast forward to 2018, L!FE Leaders, Inc experience-based programming was launched utilizing Detroit as its classroom to network Detroit’s emerging adults (ages 14-24) into Detroit’s revitalization with training in interpersonal & professional skills through meetings with leaders, field trips, round table discussions, workshops & working in the community.

With a mission to empower youth to empower their future & the future of their Community. Co-founders, Amy Nederlander & Michaela Murphy, envisioned a flourishing Detroit where we invest in our youth by offering them career pathways training that fosters the next generation of professionals, entrepreneurs, & community leaders.

Amy & Michaela are honored to have passed the torch of leadership to Maria Franklin, L!FE’s Executive Director & founding friend.

Amy Nederlander
L!FE Leaders Founder

Team

Images linked to individual LinkedIn pages when available

Maria Franklin
Executive Director

Tanesha McGhee
Program Coordinator and Lead Facilitator

Student Associates

Markuis Cartwright
Associate Director, Community Relations and Partnerships

Faith Ramos
Social Media Marketing Coordinator

Board of Directors

Tanjida Kerina
Youth & Career Development Associate

Amy Nederlander, Co-Founder

Board Secretary, Development, Finance & Marketing Committee

Leslie Andrews, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, National Urban League

Board Co-Chair, Development Committee

Michael Eidelman. Shareholder Vedder Price

Board Member Development, Fundraising Committee & Legal Counsel

Jane Goodman. Chief Strategy Officer (Freelance)

Board Member, Marketing Committee

Howard Handler, President 313 Presents

Board Member, Special Projects

Mitchell Krieger, Data Scientist, Middesk

Board Treasurer, Finance Committee

Linda Schlessinger, Founder, Skinnytees

Boad Member, Development & Fundraising Committee

Josh Thompson. Co-Founder & CEO, Civics Unplugged

Board Member, Fundraising & Finance Committee

Mary Messena. Vice President, Communications & Community, Strategic Staffing Solutions

Emeritus

Paul Jones, Development Analyst, Century Partners Development Company

Board Member, Finance Committee

Jack Llewellyn-Karski, Founder, Jack Karski Design

Board Member, Marketing Committee

Lisa Phillip, Principal, Cass Technical High School

Board Member

Camille Walker Banks, Community & Technology, Driven Economic Development

Board Member, Development & Fundraising Committee

Kenyatta Antoinette Stephens,
Chief Executive Officer, Black Family Development

Board, Marketing Committee

Jeremiah Steen, Founder & Executive Director, Steen Foundation

Board Co-Chair, Development Committee

Angelique Peterson-Mayberry

Founding Board Member, Emeritus

Advisory Board

Benjamin Bailey, Brand Transformation, Brand Design Distillators, LLC

Advisory Board Member

Yuntian Han, Senior Consultant, Deloitte Consulting,

Advisory Board Member

Ridgeley Hudson Jr., Parent & Community Liaison, River Rouge School District

Advisory Board Member

Genevieve Hummer, MBA Candidate, Harvard Business School

Advisory Board Member

Justin Remington, Nonprofit Fundraising Strategist

Advisory Board Member

Monica Tysell, Executive Vice President, Doner

Advisory Board Member

Regina Ann Campbell, CEO, BUILD Institute

Advisory Board Member

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