Detroit's Case for Immigrant-Inclusive Economic Development

Speaker A: We believe that immigrant inclusion is an economic development strategy that cities and regions and states could and should integrate into their larger economic development strategies, programs, policies, and practices. One of the more powerful statistics is that all of Michigan's net population growth in the last at that time, it may have been 20 years, but it's even extended into present day. Like 30 years was because of immigration. And for a state that had been declining in population, that was a really important finding. The early research also showed that Detroit could strengthen population growth, entrepreneurship, innovation, and workforce competitiveness by becoming more welcoming and including welcoming strategies as part of a larger economic development strategy. And we continue under that same premise today that inclusion can be a growth strategy. And it's already been such for Michigan.

Speaker B: Welcome to Talent wars, the podcast from dci where we go inside the global battle for talent and what cities, regions and countries are doing to attract and retain the workforce they need.

Speaker A: I'm Patience Fairbrother.

Speaker B: Detroit has long been a story of reinvention, and today one organization is making the case that immigrant inclusion isn't just

Speaker C: a social justice issue.

Speaker B: It's an economic development strategy. I'm joined today by Dr. Alaina Jackson, Managing Director of Global Detroit. Alaina is a Detroit native who left, saw the world, and came back with a mission to show that a more welcoming Michigan is a more prosperous Michigan. Founded in 2011, Global Detroit works to make Southeast Michigan a more welcoming region for immigrants, international professionals, and foreign investment. In this episode, we dig into the paradox facing highly qualified immigrant professionals, the powerful economic case for immigrant inclusion, and why retention, not just attraction, is where real ecosystems get built.

Speaker C: Let's get into it. Alaina, welcome to Talent Wars. Thank you so much for coming on.

Speaker A: Thank you for having me. This is an exciting first new experience,

Speaker C: so we'd like to start with your talent story. So tell us, where are you from originally and how did you end up where you are now?

Speaker A: Yeah, I am from Detroit, born and raised. And I like to tell people, since they seem to be surprised sometimes, that I was educated by the public school system. Detroit invested a lot in me and I didn't go to private school until Northwestern University. And I think it's important to note because part of what this journey, my talent journey, includes is life living abroad. I live in about eight different countries and what I tell people is that it never occurred to me that I wouldn't be welcome at a table or that I wouldn't be prepared to sit at a table because Detroit invested in me in such a way that I felt like I belonged Anywhere and everywhere. And so from the boardrooms of Germany to the favelas of Brazil, Amazon, and, um, the maquiladores in Mexico, I always felt like I could do and that I would do. And that was because of everything that Detroit instilled in me. Living abroad, though, I realized that I wasn't interested in money for the sake of money. I previously thought I would be going to business school. When I saw that in Germany there was such a thing as inclusive healthcare. When I saw in Costa Rica there was such a thing as inclusive education and inclusive homeownership programs in Mexico, I realized that the way we do things in the United States doesn't have to be a foregone conclusion, that there are other ways of building systems that are more inclusive. And I wanted to learn more about that. And so that's why I returned to the US to get my master's and my doctorate in urban planning, because I wanted to understand money as a system, as a part of a larger, uh, set of systems that could help people have a higher quality of life. And it began in Detroit. And so I tell people that Detroit prepared me to go into the rest of the world, and I was able to learn things out there and bring them back home to Detroit.

Speaker C: Very cool. I love the personal perspective that you bring to this work. I originally saw you speak on a panel at IEDC and found your story really inspiring and have been a fan of the work that Global Detroit does for a while. So I'd love for you to just tell the listeners, for those who aren't familiar, what is the organization and what inspired, uh, you to form it?

Speaker A: Sure. So Global Detroit is an economic development organization that helps regions grow by better attracting, retaining, and integrating global talent. We believe that immigrant inclusion is an economic development strategy that cities and regions and states could and should integrate into their larger economic development strategies, programs, policies and practices. And so we work at a few different scales. We work at the policy scale, um, trying to inform state and local policy. We work with institutions like universities. We work with some, um, unlikely partners such as, uh, chambers of commerce. And at the end of the day, we're hoping to connect employers with international talent to fill any existing pipeline gaps. We're hoping to retain talent in the state, and we're hoping to help people start and grow their businesses. So we work with a lot of Main street business owners, for example. And, um, I wasn't the one who started Global Detroit. I've only been a part of this family for about three years. Our, uh, founding director is Steve Tobockman, and he was asked by the Detroit Chamber of Commerce to do a study to learn more about the impact and the presence of immigrant business owners in metro Detroit. And the organization grew out of the findings from that study.

Speaker C: That's fantastic. And what were some of the things that came out of that initial study that really made it clear that this was a need in Detroit?

Speaker A: Sure. One of the more powerful statistics that we still quote until this day is that all of Michigan's net population growth in the last, at that time, it may have been 20 years, but it's even extended into present day. Like 30 years was because of immigration. And for a state that had been declining in population, that was a really, really important finding that Steve Tobachman and the partners around the table felt like it couldn't be ignored, and it shouldn't be ignored because obviously there's something happening here. There's some sort of attraction and retention that is already present that we need to better understand. Um, the early research also showed that Detroit could strengthen population growth, entrepreneurship, innovation, and workforce competitiveness by becoming more welcoming and including welcoming strategies as part of a larger economic development strategy so that we could attract and retain local talent. And so from the very beginning, this work was framed as an economic development strategy based on the learnings from that study. And that's why most of our early partners included business groups and chambers of commerce, regional stakeholders who work within the economic development space. And we continue under that same premise today that inclusion can be a, ah, growth strategy. And it's already been such for Michigan.

Speaker C: Michigan, Seeing that the immigrant population is such a core part of Michigan's growth story and talent pipeline. What are some of the things that Global Detroit is trying to solve for or improve for people who are coming into Detroit? What are some of those barriers that professionals are facing and how are you helping them navigate those?

Speaker A: So language access is a very common barrier. And convincing local government, state government, employers to have a more inclusive language strategy that language access opens the door for access to many other resources and systems that people miss out on simply because they may not speak English at all or speak English at a literacy level that would help them understand the resources that they qualify for. In addition to language access, another barrier has to do with access to capital. I've lived in eight different countries, and everybody doesn't do money the way we do money here. I don't know any other country that I've lived in, at least where you can pretty much live on credit. And so these things aren't intuitive. For people, when you come to the U.S. you don't get here with a credit score already in your back pocket. And so then how does one become a part of the larger financial and banking system? How does one integrate or even just learn about it and learn about what's there, the products and services available to them, let alone learn how to qualify and what it means to be eligible for access to these services. And so getting people banked in the traditional way that works in this society is another big challenge. I think sometimes too there's this idea that we have to either be supportive of local talent or global talent. And we don't like to think of this as, um, you know, some sort of co modification or objectifying people. We want to become a more diverse, welcoming, inclusive society. And we know that the societies that have employed such strategies are also stronger in terms of population growth and retention and in terms of the local and regional economics. So those types of barriers can get in the way of not just attracting people, but retaining people as well. If people can't figure out how to make life work here and do so successfully, then they don't stay.

Speaker C: I think it's such a key point that you touch on. I know that can be a hot button issue, especially if you're looking at, you know, places where you do have challenges with placing people in jobs, jobs who are local. So I imagine that that's something that you have to do some messaging on to make sure that, that people understand that. But what are some of the programs or services that you are offering to individuals to help them better integrate?

Speaker A: So we have a program called Global Entrepreneur in Residence Program. This is a really cool program and it's not being adopted or implemented in many places across the country. We um, bring founders who have an idea for a startup and are already, you know, so far along in their startup journey. And we connect them with the university because universities have unlimited H1B visas. So we connect them with the university where they can, for eight to ten hours a week, support research or classes or mentoring students, something related to their field, and then use the rest of their time launching their startup or growing their startup or getting venture capital for their startup. And the great thing about it is that it launches businesses in parts of Michigan that might otherwise not attract such talent as well as brings money, venture capital money and therefore jobs into a community. We have the second largest global entrepreneur and residence program in the country and we're uh, really proud of it and proud that we're able to attract talent to the upper Peninsula and to other parts of the state that otherwise might not do so. So that's one of the programs and we're really proud of that. We also have a talent attraction and retention program where we are working with international students who are interested in staying in the United States, hopefully interested in staying in Michigan and introducing them to work culture, um, and work life here, and introducing them to the resources and opportunities that are here. And helping them understand that this can be home. This can be home. This can be a welcoming place to settle. And helping employers understand that there are highly qualified but often underutilized folks that are here that in some way our communities have already been investing in and supporting. And why would we want them to lead?

Speaker C: I'm glad you touched on that student audience, because I recall it was either you or Steve gave some stat at one of the panels that I've seen you on that talked about the, the very large percentage of STEM graduates, especially at a higher level, who are foreign born. And so to think about that, that's an area where employers need that talent. And to really connect those dots and help them see a future in staying, I think is a really key part of what you do.

Speaker A: Yeah, and that's how we see our role. We see our role as one of, uh, connecting systems that don't naturally connect on our own. So through talent initiatives, we help international students and globally trained professionals build relationships with employers. We help them understand what some of the local career pathways are. Through the Global Entrepreneur in Residence program that I mentioned earlier, we help immigrant founders grow companies while creating jobs and bringing innovation into our local economy. And then, you know, we have statewide efforts like the Michigan Global Talent Initiative, where we work through and with partners to strategically promote more attraction programs, retention programs and placement programs as well as,

Speaker C: uh, you think about that work, maybe focusing on the Entrepreneur in Residence program. Are there any success stories or examples that come to mind of individuals who've found success because of your program?

Speaker A: Absolutely. We have a young man named David Alvarez from Mexico who created this Electrico atv. And he's been able to attract a lot of resources and venture capital resources and is ready to take his business to the next level. We, um, recently released an impact report, Global Entrepreneur and Residents Impact Report, that has many of these stories and statistics. I'm not in a position to name all of them, but there's so many there that people could learn from and be inspired by because these are not one shot wonders. This is a pattern and a trend that we really want to promote. And uh, we would like to be able to grow, grow that program and create more opportunities for people to start businesses here, grow their businesses here, employ Michiganders, and above all, stay global.

Speaker C: Detroit seems to have a pretty key focus on retention, which you've touched on a couple of times. A lot of the programs that we look at more so prioritize attraction. So I'm curious, why is retention such a key part of this program in your perspective?

Speaker A: Retention matters because recruiting talent is really only the first step. If someone comes to your city, earns a degree, starts a network or begins a career and then leaves, they don't see the long term opportunity. And it's also a missed investment for the region. Think about what that does in terms of breaking up social networks and professional networks. It destabilizes things not just for people, but for communities as well. So while attraction gets attention because it feels exciting and it's incredibly visible and there's always a lot of really cool programs to go along with it, retention is where ecosystems are actually built. Right. It's where those ecosystems and reinforcements and networks are strengthened and fortified. It's where future entrepreneurs stay. It's where alumni become community leaders and where families put down roots and become homeowners and support the next generation. And it's where employers build continuity and invest in community. So if people arrive but don't build careers here, they don't connect with community here, they don't plant roots here, they leave. A retention strategy is a part of how we help them decide to stay.

Speaker C: Yeah, we do some research with our partner C Studios in Europe that looks uh, at cross border relocation specifically, and especially when somebody's moving to another country, we see just, I mean, an enormous amount of challenges in the integration side of things. And that typically within that first, you know, six months to a year, if they don't feel rooted in that place, then, then they're likely to leave. And to your point, that's a huge lost investment for a community.

Speaker A: Exactly, exactly. Which is why it's really important to get some of those unlikely actors around the table to discuss these issues, to care about these issues. You know, chambers of commerce and industrial trade associations, I don't know if they always realize that immigration is not just a social justice issue, it's also an economic development issue. And so to that point, when Global Detroit was working on the study initially, before it actually became Global Detroit, There were nearly 40 stakeholder organizations involved, including business groups and ethnic chambers. And that early framing really mattered because it helped people to see that immigration is not a separate issue, but it's connected to entrepreneurship, population growth, innovation, labor force needs. And so we continue that work today with that same framework in mind, that through talent retention, entrepreneurship, having a statewide strategy that includes, um, economic inclusion and community development, we can create a more prosperous Michigan for everybody.

Speaker C: Yeah, I think it's important that you touch on this concept that immigration isn't a. It's not a social justice issue necessarily, it's an economic issue. Obviously, we've seen that called into question. And in the current environment where we're seeing a, uh, decline in immigration, essentially,

Speaker B: how has that shifted your focus and

Speaker C: where have you put your priorities given the changes in the talent landscape that you've seen since the program launched?

Speaker A: Yeah, that's a good question. I would say the best framing I can provide is that the demand is actually pretty constant. The competition has changed and the pathways have narrowed somewhat, but the demand is pretty constant. So, you know, throughout history, there's always been a demand for skilled talent, especially in the STEM space. Like, that's not new to this year or this century even. Um, it's pretty widespread and it's never really gone away. But what has changed over time is how urgent and widespread the talent shortages are. Um, particularly in the post pandemic years. You know, right now you're not just recruiting from a local community. Your recruitment is global. Right. Workers are global in terms of their ability to go here and there and decide what's going to be best for them and where the best opportunities are. So to that point, we've also seen workers become more selective and more competitive. So people weigh flexibility, quality of life, belonging, and career mobility more heavily. This isn't just about who's going to pay me the most money, where can I get the best title. It's about many more things that directly affect quality of life. So our, uh, work has had to evolve alongside with that. It's no longer enough to just simply say, there's a job here and it pays well. Regions also have to show people that they can thrive here, that they can settle here and have a family and have health and have happiness and have connectivity. So we've had to incorporate that into our work as well. Economic development is not separate from community development and making sure that, you know, we're promoting space for both.

Speaker C: So we typically like to close with a bit of advice. I'm curious first. Have you seen other models like Global Detroit pop up around the country, or have you heard interest from other locations that would like to have a similar type of organization?

Speaker A: Yeah, we are not the only player in the game, which we're really happy about. Our theory of change at Global Detroit is that if we want the ecosystem to be stronger, we can't be the only one doing the work that we do. And so everything we do, every lesson we learn, um, there's no such thing as failure, right? It's just another data point. It's something that we share and release into the ecosystem. So you have St. Louis mosaic that does similar work, Global Cleveland, for example. So we're definitely not the only entity that's in this space. Everybody doesn't maybe necessarily have the same collection of, uh, programs and services, but many of us are working with the same types of partners, these unlikely actors that don't typically get as deeply involved in the immigration space. We have a few national convenings where we talk about the work that we do and we invite others into those spaces so that they can learn about the work that we do, and we can even provide them with technical assistance to start similar initiatives where they are. We don't want this work to just be in Detroit. We know that it's needed pretty much everywhere. And so we're always open to helping others get the work started. Although there are no copy paste models, right, you have to build a strategy that fits your region. So we're, you know, always really careful about the type of advice that we give. You know, the first lesson is that, you know, you can't just copy another city's model. You have to be responsive to the climate that you're in and build a strategy that matches your economy, your institutions, your demographics, your assets. And, uh, Detroit's path is Detroit's path. And we wouldn't want anybody to just co op that. We would want to help them find a pathway that makes sense for them. And then with some of these other organizations that we partner with across the country, I think what we've learned from each other is that sustainability is, is key. And you have to think about sustainability really early on. So we've learned that, you know, good pilots still need long term ownership and funding and champions. It's another reason why we don't try to keep everything we learn at Global Detroit. Sometimes we figured out how to do something successfully and how to even successfully bring it to scale. But in the long run, we know that it's best sustained with another community partner or with a government institution. And so we very happily pilot things and learn from those experiences, share the learnings, and then look for the best home for those. And so for anybody else that's interested in doing this kind of work. You can't adopt a scarcity mindset. You have to have a, uh, more is always welcome mindset, I think, because I think that supports the sustainability of the work, I think to that sustainability factor. It's also important to know that cross sector partnerships are essential. Employers, university, philanthropy, government, and even, you know, community organizations. While this work isn't necessarily social justice work, once again, it's connected to community development. And people need those things to be working together and go hand in hand and, you know, connecting with, with the different community organizations that see different parts of this challenge from a different perspective and we can find alignment within the work we do is also really important. So I guess, you know, to sum that up is, you know, don't do this work in a vacuum. And if we're going to help you, we're going to ask you to think beyond the current space you're in and to think broader in terms of partnerships and cross sector partners and institutions that can be involved. And then, you know, once again, this isn't an either or situation. If you start with a talent that's already around you, you might be able to go further than you even realize. And it's like what we learned about the study that began, um, Global Detroit's journey. There may already be something happening there that you're just not aware of. How many Uber drivers are folks with engineers whose credentials just weren't welcomed or acknowledged or they didn't know how to transfer their licensing? How many international students are really looking for a job but just don't know the networks to tap into? And so if you start with the talent that's around you, the international students, the neighbor you've never really had a deep conversation with, you might be surprised at how many globally trained professionals and alumni and entrepreneurs are already in your backyard. And uh, many regions sometimes begin searching elsewhere.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: That attraction bit is really, really popular and really sexy. But when they do that, when you start there, when you stay there, you unfortunately could overlook the extraordinary talent that already exists right around you.

Speaker C: Fantastic advice.

Speaker B: I'm curious, you know, where would you

Speaker C: advise a city that wants to get into this work? Where would you advise that they start? I think you made a great point about, you know, you can't take a cookie cutter approach. There's no copy paste. What would be step one in your mind?

Speaker A: I think step one would be contacting us at Global Detroit. You can contact us at info@global detroit mi m as in michigan.org we are very well connected across the country. Given the work that we do through some of our national partners, we are in a position to be able to offer technical assistance, to consult and help people take that first step, and to imagine what the next steps could or should be. So I definitely would offer us up, uh, as a first step for conversation and advice, I would say you could also join one of our national convenings. We have the largest talent attraction and retention program of international students in the country. And so if you join one of our convenings, which is sort of a group learning space of national partners and organizations, and once again, quite a few of those folks are unlikely actors who you might not expect to see in that space. I mean, Wendy Chambers of Commerce, have, you know, conversations like this on the regular. Right. So if you join one of those convenings, you're going to meet a lot of other partners, resources and, uh, be introduced to a lot of ideas that you might not have otherwise considered. So those would be two good first steps.

Speaker C: Well, Elena, thank you so much for your time. I have a feeling you're going to get many more emails and phone calls after offering. So I appreciate you, um, putting that offer out and just fantastic work that you're doing at Global Detroit. Thank you again for coming on.

Speaker B: Talent work.

Speaker A: Thanks. Patience.

Speaker B: The Talent wars podcast is brought to you by dci, the leader in marketing places. If you like what you're hearing, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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Speaker B: at About DCI and Development Counselors International on LinkedIn for video clips and extras. You can learn more about us@about dci.com finally, if you have an idea for a future episode or guest, send me an email at Patients Fairbrother at about dci.

Speaker A: Com.

Speaker B: See you next time.