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
Our Team
Images linked to individual LinkedIn pages when available
Maria Franklin
Executive Director
Tanesha McGhee
Lead Instructor
Student Associates
Angelica Williams
Associate Director, Events, Operations, and Logistics
Markuis Cartwright
Associate Director, Community Relations and Partnerships
Logan Newman
Associate Director of Media & Communications
Our Board
Amy Nederlander
Co-Founder, Board Secretary
Leslie Andrews
Co-Chair
Michael Eidelman - Shareholder Vedder Price
Fundraising Committee & Legal Counsel
Jane Goodman Freelance Chief Strategy Officer- Marketing/Branding Committee
Howard Handler -President 313 Presents
Board Member
Mitchell Krieger - Data Scientist - Middesk
Treasurer - Board Member
Linda Schlessinger- Owner & Founder Skinnytees
Fundraising Committee
Josh Thompson Co-Founder & CEO Civics Unplugged
Fundraising Committee
Mary Messena Vice President, Communications & Community Strategic Staffing Solutions
Board Member
Paul Jones Development Analyst at Century Partners Development Company
Board Member
Lisa Phillips Principal Cass Technical High School
Board Member
Camille Walker Banks Community & technology -Driven economic development
Fundraising Committee
KENYATTA ANTOINETTE STEPHENS
Chief Executive Officer Black Family Development
Board Member
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 Liason, 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
Shamere Duncan - Youth Affairs Engagement Coordinator, City of Detroit
Detroit Youth Council President
Monica Tysell Executive Vice President at Doner
Advisory Board Member
Regina Ann Campbell-CEO of BUILD Institute
Advisory Board Member
