As an agency comprised of 75% women, women’s empowerment is something we actively practice and celebrate 365 days a year. Throughout March, Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day both serve as an opportunity to recognize, commemorate and uplift the contributions women have made throughout history and are currently making as you’re reading this post.
As a Detroit-based integrated communications agency founded in 1964, this city and its people are what keep us going. In 2015, we launched our Detroit Inspires Me (DIM) initiative to uncover the multitude of reasons Detroit is absolutely awesome. As part of our DIM campaign, we recently connected with five influential women rooted in Detroit to learn more about their work, connection to the city and main motivators. We asked them each three questions:
What inspires you about the work you do?
What about Detroit inspires you?
Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
Click the names below to explore each of their responses:
Danielle North
Danielle North
Executive Director, Degree Forward
What inspires you about the work you do?
Honestly, I’m genuinely humbled and amazed by the number of people I’ve had the opportunity to impact by simply following my dreams. Each day, I wake up and try to make the world a better place for children, my children, women, Black folks and people with limited access and opportunity. The beauty in this daily mission is I’m no longer dreaming about what’s possible, I’m actually making a difference. Seeing the change and witnessing the impact is what inspires me to keep going!
What about Detroit inspires you?
Detroit’s rich history, culture, unique qualities and its people are so strong – it has literally personified the city! Yes, I refer to and connect to Detroit beyond its geographical location. Detroit breathes, Detroit lives, Detroit has never stopped and Detroit is still rising. I represent Detroit as a badge of honor, and I’m committed to giving, building and growing my businesses and legacy in my birthplace.
“Detroit breathes, Detroit lives, Detroit has never stopped, and Detroit is still rising.”
Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
If I have to pick just one, it would have to be my mother, Lareatha Johnson. When I was a child, I admired my mother so much that I would actually practice having the exact same handwriting as her, and it worked! I’ve never seen any woman work as hard as my mother. I will never forget the long list of wants I had for my senior prom – my mother worked double shifts to ensure I had everything on the list. When I had my children, my mother made life-altering adjustments in order to assist me during their first months. I’m inspired by my mother because we all know a mother’s/woman’s work is never done, and she gives of herself endlessly to ensure everyone around her feels loved and supported.
Amy Peterson
Amy Peterson
Co-Founder & CEO, Rebel Nell
What inspires you about the work you do?
I feel so fortunate to serve the incredible women we work with at Rebel Nell. I, along with my business partners, started the company for the sole reason of building a company that is dedicated to employing, educating and empowering women with barriers to employment. We hire directly from local shelters and provide not only employment but all the wraparound support they need to assist them in transitioning to a life of independence. To date, we have hired 34 women out of the shelter and graduated 26 into the traditional workforce, and that is just the tip of the iceberg for us.
I am inspired to make Rebel Nell a nationally recognized brand that sells a great product and has a tremendous generational impact. Not to mention, the jewelry that our women make is phenomenal. Each item is completely one of a kind due to the nature of the repurposed material and the vision of the woman who made it.
What about Detroit inspires you?
The people. There is unmatched resilience in this city. It is filled with so much history, people and ideas that make it so beautiful. That is reflected in our jewelry that is made from layers of fallen street art.
“There is unmatched resilience in this city.”
Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
There are two Cindys in my life who inspire me. The first is my mom. She was an incredible career woman, raising three kids and becoming one of the first female attorneys in our small hometown. The other is Cindy Pasky, the founder, CEO and president of Strategic Staffing Solutions. In my opinion, she is the true definition of a community leader. She has built an incredibly successful company from the ground up and is constantly giving back to this community.
Amanda Roraff
Amanda Roraff
Co-Founder & Head of Engagement, AV Mobility Corridor Team at Ford Motor Company
What inspires you about the work you do?
My career choices have led me down several interesting paths, but none have been as fulfilling as the work I’ve done in mobility. How we live and move in 20+ years will look very different than it does today. I believe transportation will continue to become more accessible, equitable and sustainable. Still, to achieve that and do it well, it’s going to take a great deal more collaboration than anyone ever imagined. This collaboration with incredibly talented and passionate individuals and the impact the future of mobility will have on our friends, family, citizens and broader society inspires me most about this work.
What about Detroit inspires you?
I’m inspired by Detroiter’s grit and resiliency and its fervent leaders who never stop to tip the scale for Detroit. Throughout even the darkest of times, there has been light as Detroiters come together to do the seemingly impossible. This city was built on this type of determination, and it is alive and well today.
There are countless examples, but one that stands out for me was in 2018 when Bill Ford announced Ford Motor Company would restore the iconic Michigan Central Station that stood vacant for more than 30 years and had become a symbol of Detroit’s past. Revitalizing this structure and Corktown represents how this city continues to re-invent itself. This announcement was particularly special because of my work in mobility, as Ford works to create a 30-acre mobility innovation district designed to attract the world’s brightest to solve the complex challenges that will shape the future of mobility.
“I’m inspired by Detroiter’s grit and resiliency and its fervent leaders who never stop to tip the scale for Detroit.”
Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
I’m inspired by many women from our past who clawed their way into universities and board rooms and paved the way for women’s rights, to today’s incredible women who carry the torches to negotiate work-life balance and further equality. However, one woman continues to inspire me, and that’s my mother, Gerie Hughes.
Gerie, who left college after a year to raise my oldest sister and allow my father to finish college, made a brave decision to divorce in the ’70s. A woman divorcing a man was very controversial at the time. She went on to become a sporting goods representative for a global company as one of the only female sales representatives and was a top seller year after year.
After experiencing sexual harassment and watching her male colleagues be promoted around her, including the young men she trained, she sued the company for discrimination in the workplace and won, becoming the first case of its kind in Michigan. Because of her tenacity and pushing for recognition through the courts, the male-dominated business world she’d been part of shunned her. Without hesitation, she turned to her passion — designing and sewing clothes.
Over the past 40 years, Gerie has created some of the most extravagant and beautiful designs that have graced ballrooms to board rooms all over the country. And even as she approaches her 80th birthday, she continues to share this beautiful talent of helping women look and feel their best and embrace their strength and femininity. I’ve learned so much from this remarkable woman, but mostly that we as women shouldn’t try to change or hide what makes us unique, but rather work on changing the culture that encourages us to “be more like men.”
Margaret Trimer
Margaret Trimer
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana
What inspires you about the work you do?
My purpose in life is to open minds and open doors—to bring opportunity to people who need it. Every job I have held, especially my current position at Delta Dental, has allowed me to fulfill that purpose. That motivates and inspires me. I am very lucky.
What about Detroit inspires you?
Detroiters have grit, and I am obsessed with that quality. We’ve taken a lot of blows over the decades but nothing keeps us down. No matter what, this city rises.
“Detroiters have grit, and I am obsessed with that quality. We’ve taken a lot of blows over the decades…
but nothing keeps us down.”
Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
My mentor, Beth Konrad, inspires me. Her courage, integrity, leadership and advocacy have made an indelible mark on journalism in Michigan. She taught me to make a difference in everything I do.
My mentee at Delta Dental, Krystal Thompkins, also inspires me. In mid-life she chose to find a mentor to help her rise to the next level. She is motivated to live to her full potential, which isn’t as easy as we like to think it is.
Ber-Henda Williams
Ber-Henda Williams
Visionary + Empath Coach
What inspires you about the work you do?
I am inspired by my grandmother who always sought to care for others. I believe Detroit is alive and the city is a muse unto itself.
What about Detroit inspires you?
Detroit is a big little city and what inspires me are the people and their stories and creativity. This is the home of innovation and perseverance. Detroit is a city that requires so much of you and gives it right back to you.
“Detroit is a city that requires so much of you and gives it right back to you.”
Who is a woman who inspires you and why?
There are many for sure but my grandmother is ranked by herself. She inspires me because she moved through the boll weevil, the Jim Crow south, being the first in our family to graduate from college and lead a life on her terms. She inspires me to be my most authentic self and live a wondrous life.
