Some of the top young professionals in the region put their imprint on the 2008 Mackinac Policy Conference (MPC). The state of Michigan has declared that one of its top priorities is to attract and retain young professionals. By deciding to make this demographic apart of the most powerful conference in the state, a major step was taken. Detroit Fusion, a diverse group of young thinkers and leaders comprised of the Gen ‘X’ and Millennial generations, was not only present, but on the agenda and welcomed by everyone.
If the state of Michigan is committed to changing the dead manufacturing model that built the middle class, a transition to a knowledge-based economy is required. The economic obstacles that we face provide a great platform to redefine the new economy. The same way Ford, GM, and Chrysler built the middle class and the economy of our region with manufacturing, new industries and infused thinking will build the new economy in Michigan.
Michigan’s top-leaders realize the talent they are attempting to attract and retain has to be part of the conversation. The seat of innovation has always come from the entrepreneurial mindset of great thinkers that were not weighed down with the weights of tradition but challenged and uplifted with the idea that human capital is the currency that drives any economy.
The inaugural class of young professionals from Detroit Fusion realized that the conference was only the beginning. I believe that every person has to take ownership to be change agents and brand evangelists of ‘The New Michigan’. Young professionals must be fully engaged in the process with input and resources to help infuse life into a stronger Michigan. The 2008 Mackinac Policy Conference and Detroit Fusion, through the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, was the first step in that process.
Mackinac Policy Conference + Detroit Fusion, originally uploaded by Hajj Flemings.
