Diallo Smith spoke to the club as COO of Life Remodeled. Life Remodeled is a non-profit that was formed in 2010 to help rebuild Detroit neighborhoods. Its current budget is $2.5 million and operates with 11 very dedicated full-time employees.
The organization has two main components right now. First, is the Durfee Innovation Society, that opened in 2018, at the former Durfee Elementary School. It’s at 100% capacity with 39 organizations/businesses (“tenants”) operating out of the building. Life Remodeled provides a dynamic environment for the tenants by operating at cost with very low rental fees. A list can be found at www.liferemodeled.org. Second, is the Six Day Project, which annually brings in thousands of volunteers to clean-up and remove blight in a neighborhood. This year, the project will take place from 10/3 to 10/8 in the community surrounding Cooley High School. (Life Remodeled is in the process of purchasing the Cooley High School building, to start another innovation center).
Life Remodeled’s core values are (1) Community First, where it seeks ideas and input from the community to align with its values; (2) Always Find a Way, to create a future that doesn’t yet exist through innovation and creativity; (3) Bold Humility, where it tries to be servant leaders that value the needs of others with confidence and determination.