Karen Dybis

Jason HallSlow Roll

Jason Hall Quits Slow Roll, Talks About What's Next

Jason Hall is retiring – sort of. The co-founder of Detroit’s beloved Slow Roll is stepping down from his role as the public personality behind the city’s now-famous neighborhood bicycle ride. Slow Roll isn’t going away – and Jason isn’t going anywhere. He’s definitely staying in Detroit. But his role will change and his commitment to the city is going to grow in terms of what he can do for bicyclists and his hometown. For example, Jason is relaunching (RI)Detroit, Detroit’s weekend celeb...

DetroitRachel LutzYama

Detroit's Queen Of Fashion Retail Expands Her Domain With Yama

When you mention Detroit and retail, one name quickly comes to mind: Rachel Lutz, the proprietress of two of the city’s most influential stores: The Peacock Room and Frida. Lutz stole the show (again) this week at the Mackinac Policy Conference when she made news in announcing the opening of her third retail location. Lutz, who is attending the conference on Mackinac Island, is bringing her version of Modernism in terms of clothing, accessories and more with Yama. It will find a home in the...

DetroitHow to be awesomeMPC17

5 Secrets To Making Awesome Things Happen With Jason Hall Of Slow Roll

The first thing you need to know about Jason Hall is that he is a realistic optimist. He knows there is negativity in the world – he just chooses to grab it, flip it upside down and turn it into something he can use to improve himself, improve his work and, ultimately, improve the city that he loves. Hall is a pizza lover, a Detroiter, a bike rider and the creator of Slow Roll, which he describes as “a unique nonprofit that brings together thousands of people from all over the region during 25...

DetroitDowntown Boxing Gymeducation

When Fighting Back Against Detroit's Poverty, You Need An Education To Survive

As Khali Sweeney travels to represent his beloved Downtown Boxing Gym, one thing always remains on his mind: That education is a keystone to moving Detroit forward. Actually, it’s the only thing Sweeney thinks about as he and Downtown Boxing Gym Executive Director Jessica Hauser move through the crowds on Mackinac Island. They’re here to listen to the conversations about Detroit schools, to meet new Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti and to spread the work about their non-profit boxing gym. If...

DetroitFort Waynehistoric sites

For every step forward, Detroit has to be wary of taking multiple steps back

There is so much good going on in Detroit right now. The M1 Rail is on the tracks as we speak, being tested for operation. The Detroit Pistons are slated to move downtown, creating huge synergy among the city’s sports teams. Businesses are opening with such regularity that it’s becoming difficult to keep track. Housing is starting to show improvement with new developments like the one in Brush Park and major lenders moving into Detroit with budgets for rehab and more. This is where you start t...

DetroitDetroit Flower WeekFloral

New Detroit Flower Week Blooms Out Of The Success Of Flower House Experiment

Ideas, like people, evolve and change. What you’ve done in the past should be remembered. But it is what you do today that truly matters. So Lisa Waud and her friends could have sat back, popped open an adult beverage and talked endlessly about an October 2015 event they created called Flower House. It was an amazing experiment, creating a short-term art installation made completely of flowers, plants and imagination within a Hamtramck home. Instead, Waud’s crew are back with their floral in...

Henry FordHenry Ford Health System

Henry Ford QuickCare Brings "Healthcare Boutique" Urgent Care Clinic To Downtown Detroit

People used to say (in the good old days of Detroit 1.0) that the city was a food desert – you couldn’t buy groceries easily or residents didn’t have access to “chain” grocers. You also could say the same of the city’s urgent-care options. Yes, there are great hospitals with emergency rooms, terrific staff and lots of services. But what about when you have a simple ear infection, a busy schedule and don’t want to clog up a downtown ER? There are few if any walk-in clinics in downtown or even n...

City of DetroitFord FireworksGuide to Fireworks

Ford Fireworks To Be Longer And More Colorful This Year

While Fourth of July fireworks may be one of oldest American traditions, Detroit’s Parade Company always has something new up its proverbial sleeve. This year, the theme of “Colors of Love” has a special meaning because the fireworks will have a new hue added to the mix, said Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Company. He refused to reveal the color ahead of time, saying the surprise had to wait until the night of June 22. For Michaels and the rest of The Parade Company team, the...

Mackinac policy conferenceMPC15Peacock Room

Small Pop Up Shops From Detroit Make A Big Entrance At Mackinac

To use the parlance of today’s teens, Detroit’s small businesses knew how to bring it to the Mackinac Policy Conference. They brought pins. They brought literature. They brought pin-up girls dressed in patriotic garb who passed out the pins and literature. It was a greeting like no other. The brains behind it all? The marketing maverick known as Rachel Lutz, who is bringing her Peacock Room and its friends to Mackinac Island. Want to know how to get noticed in the best possible way among all...

Buy MichiganLisa DiggsMichigan Positivity Project

Meet The Michigan Positivity Project

Lisa Diggs, in case you don’t know this Michigan dynamo, is a glass-half-full kind of woman. She’s got big ideas and big ideals. Best part, she never sits still. That is why her latest project caught our collective eye. Michigan Positivity (#MIpositivity for you hashtaggers out there) is what she describes as the “long overdue offshoot of the Buy Michigan Now campaign.” It’s the kind of campaign that takes stuff we’re already doing – Tweeting, updating our Facebook status or posting heavily ti...

Citizen YogaKacee Mustnew business

Citizen Yoga Is Looking To Not Just Serve The City, But Also Connect With It

Kacee Must is a natural for Detroit – she’s the kind of business person who knows her customers by name. Well, it’s more than that. The owner of Citizen Yoga, which opened today inside “The Z,” calls them her students. These are the people who come to her classes to share, learn and experience the practice of yoga together. And she respects them equally. Citizen Yoga is one of the many new businesses that have set up shop in the city in recent months. There are many new eateries, such as Sel...

Noel NightNoel Night 2014Noel Night Detroit

Noel Night Is Back: Bolder, Bigger And More Brilliant Than Ever Before

Here’s the first rule of Noel Night: There’s no way you can see it all. There is just too much to this annual Detroit tradition for an individual to take in during this singular night. And that’s OK, says Annmarie Borucki, Special Projects Manager for Midtown Detroit, Inc. It just means that to have a great Noel Night experience you must 1) Arrive early, 2) Plan ahead and 3) Just come on over to Midtown and have too much free fun. The 42nd annual Noel Night will take place from 5-10 p.m. Sat...