A Summer of Learning, Growing and Coworking

Micah Womack is a 17-year-old rising senior at Detroit Collegiate Preparatory at Northwestern High School. Next summer she graduates, but this summer she spent six weeks as an intern at SpaceLab through the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) program. As a Motor City Match (MCM) business, SpaceLab was excited to participate through GDYT and MCM’s partnership. Micah wrote the post below at the end of her internship with us. We’ll be posting more of her work – interviews that she conducted with SpaceLab’s Bobby Burton and some of our coworking member companies – and we hope to work with her again.

Today I’m here to tell you about my summer. This summer was amazing; I couldn’t ask for a better one. While kids my age were staying up late I had to go to bed at 10. While the kids my age were out late, I was in the house getting ready for the next day.

Micah was encouraged to read about professionals who are excelling.

My favorite part of my summer was the first day I walked into SpaceLab. I was welcomed, and I felt like this where I belong in the future. Working at SpaceLab is something I love doing. I met new people and learned new things. I can honestly can say I learned a lot from this wonderful experience. Before this job I couldn’t tell you one thing about architecture, now I can give you a thousand and one facts about it.

I have learned about new websites that I never heard of: Eventbrite, Hootsuite, Doodle and many more. Everyone who knows me knows I love to work on Canva, but I actually didn’t use Canva that much. I learned to use different websites such as the ones I just named. I also learned how to set up Lunch and Learns and to set up calendars for sharing and coordinating events. This workplace has shown me a lot, and not just all on the computer. I learned about different companies and what they do, when they first became a company, and about the people.

The people who I was surrounded with this summer, who work in SpaceLab, were amazing. Every morning I was greeted with a “Hello” or “Good morning.” When I first started out, I felt like I was just going to work and wanted to get it over with. But as I really got used to it, I actually loved waking up in the morning, taking a 30-minute bus ride and a 5-minute walk just to get here.

Micah with SDG Associates VP Wesley Sims after she completed The Wright Museum building block set.

There are a lot of wonderful people walking about in SpaceLab. They’re always smiling and working. I didn’t think that I would gain so much information, but before I left I learned different things from Berardi+ (architecture firm), from WolfVR (virtual reality company), and from SDG (architecture firm). I wish I could have interviewed everyone, but I kind of read everyone from the way they dressed, walked, or smiled. If I could go down the list and name everybody in this building I would, but here are the ones I’ll remember most: Louis, Michal, Mark, Bryan, Naomi, Valentina, Melvin, Andrew, and Ms. Doreen. For the most part, I’m going to really miss Mrs. Karen and Mr. Bobby. Since I’ve been here, they have made this job experience amazing – they taught me so much.

Mrs. Karen taught me always follow your heart and your dreams, and everything will fall in place. Mr. Bobby taught me to believe in yourself even when nobody does, and never let anybody’s opinion change your thought or opinion on something. I just want to thank them for this experience that they gave me. They really showed me a lot. They took me on a wonderful college tour and showed me different aspects of the school and business life.

Thank y’all for having me around for these amazing six weeks. I’m going to truly miss y’all and being here.

Grow Detroit’s Young Talent Intern Starts at SpaceLab

Micah-01   We’re proud to participate with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and Motor City Match in the City of Detroit’s Grow Detroit’s Young Talent summer internship program. Our intern, Micah, is self-motivated and creative. She has experience developing graphic design and marketing materials at her high school, and she’ll be assisting us with social media and in creating our first year economic impact report.

Our coworking atmosphere exposes Micah to an entrepreneurial career path and provide an opportunity for her to interact with several business owners all in one location who can act as strong role models.

Micah is ambitious and has set many goals beyond high school, including being an entrepreneur and attending medical school to become a pediatrician or OBGYN.

 

SpaceLab Awarded Detroit Motor City Match Grant

Imagine our excitement when we got the call! SpaceLab Detroit was one of 13 business awarded a cash grant through Round 7 of the Motor City Match program, a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

We’re proud to be part of the “new culture of entrepreneurism,” described by Mayor Mike Duggan, “where Detroiters are realizing their dream of opening their own businesses to provide residents access to more goods and services…” Read more in the Motor City Match press release.

WXYZ the Ch. 7 Video

Ten of the 13 businesses awarded a total of $500,000 in Motor City Match grants are women-owned – including SpaceLab Detroit – as reported in Crain’s Detroit Business. Last July, we were a Round 4 Space Award winner through the program. The Space Award connects “new or existing businesses with top available Detroit real estate and financial planning assistance.”

See more on this quarterly awards  program, the presentations, and the award winners on mLive and Deadline Detroit.

Clockwise from top left: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks about the impact of Motor City Match; Mike Rafferty, DEGC vice president of small business development, presents the awardees; Karen and Bobby Burton show off the award; Karen with Felicia Maxwell, owner of Fit4Life; Bobby with Ederique Gouda, owner of Gabriel Hall; the recognition ceremony took place at Lil Brilliant Mindz, a Round 4 award winner.