Global Detroit

1. Global Detroit Steve Tobocman New Solutions Group, LLC (313) 516-9681 steve.tobocman@gmail.com

2. Origins and Structure • Funded by the New Economy Initiative, Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Skillman Foundation. • Economic Development, Job Growth and Business Focus • Housed at the Detroit Regional Chamber. Advisory Board of 38 regional leaders. • Begun in March 2009. Final report release in May 2010.

3. Key Findings: Metro Detroit’s Foreign Born Are Key Drivers of New Economy • Possess New Economy Skills and Education • Michigan’s foreign born are highly educated • Predominate the STEM fields • Founders of Key Businesses • Public, venture-backed firms • High-tech startups • Key Innovators: Inventors of Patents

4. Key Findings: Metro Detroit’sForeign Born Are Economic Assets • Educated • Entrepreneurial • Hard-Working • Productive

5. Michigan Migration by Age: Outbound Loss of Young, Working Age Being Mitigated by International Immigration

6. Key Findings: Foreign Born Are Key Drivers of Urban Revitalization • Key to population growth and stability • Help deter crime – immigrants have incarceration rates one-fifth of non-immigrants • Help raise property values • Ethnic retail districts give urban neighborhoods like East Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Southwest Detroit life

8. Percent Foreign Born by Metro

9. Total Number of Foreign Born by Metro Area

10. Foreign Students in Michigan, National Rank and Economic Impact Percent of Michigan’s Foreign Student’s in STEM Fields of Study: 38.4% Percent of U.S. Undergraduate Student’s in STEM Fields of Study: 13.7% Michigan Institutions with the Highest Number of Foreign Students

12. 4 Strategic Outcomes • Make the region welcoming to the international community and immigrants. • Attract international investment and businesses that create jobs. • Strengthen, grow, and revitalize neighborhoods in the city of Detroit and in the region’s core communities. • Attract and retain international talent in the region.

13. Strategy #1: Welcoming Michigan – Developing a Local Communications Strategy and Building a “Region of Neighbors” Welcoming Michigan Campaign • Community Organizing • Communications • Public Engagement

15. Strategy #2: Creating an EB-5Investor Visa Regional Center • Partner with State and Local Economic Development Agencies • Work with Investor Intermediaries • Be Regional • Utilize and Combine with Other Regional Economic Assets

16. Strategy #3: Nearshoring • Organize Regional Economic Development Agencies • Develop Partnerships with Windsor-Essex • Canadian Consulate • Mayor’s Office • Windsor-Essex EDC • Joint Marketing Materials • Pro-Active Recruitment of IT and Other Industries

17. Strategy #4: Foreign Student Retention • Sell the Region from the Moment of First Contact until Graduation • Connect International Students to Local Employers • Develop Pathways to Legal Immigration • Curricular Practical Training • Optional Practical Training • Build on Intern in Michigan Program

18. Strategy #5: Regional Cultural Ambassadors Program • Increase the Number of Cultural “Teams” • Insure the Program is Regional • Expand the Level of Activity • Broaden the Program’s Web Presence • Integrate with Other Existing Assets and Programs • Connect with Other Global Detroit Initiatives

19. Strategy #6: Connect Foreign Born Communities with Regional Leaders • Create Annual New Detroiters Day • Develop Leadership Detroit Scholarships and Slots • Insure Ethnic Communities Invited to Important Events • Purchase Tickets (or Ask for Set-Asides) to Attend Regional Events • Scholarships to Mackinac Island Policy Conference

20. Strategy #7: Revitalize Detroit Neighborhoods • Focus on Retention First • Conduct “Listening” Session Tour • Use Vacant Land, Housing, and Commercial Space • Develop Acquisition Guidebook and TA • Partner with CDCs, Business Associations, and Neighborhood Groups • Address the Issues of Race, Class, Religion, and Ethnicity • Develop Employment and Entrepreneurial Programs • Maximize Contributions of Refugees and Asylees

21. Strategy #8: Make Detroit aSecond Landing Destination • Work with Existing Groups: Retention become Attraction • Unique Opportunities with Low-Cost Housing and Commercial Retail Space, as well as Under-Served Urban Retail Market • Connect with Neighborhood Revitalization Efforts and “Listening” Sessions for Unique Opportunities (e.g. Schenectady, NY’s Guyanese Strategy)

22. Strategy #9: Mayor’s Office ofGlobal Affairs • Act as Liaison to Global Detroit • Serve as City Ambassador to Existing Ethnic and Foreign Born Communities • Insure Access to City Services • Work as City Ambassador to Foreign Businesses, Consulates, Dignitaries, Sister Cities, etc.

23. Strategy #10: Support and Enhance a Welcome Mat for New Arrivals • Develop a Welcome Mat Website • Create/Designate Central Organization • Improve the Services Offered • Job Training/Placement/Credential and Small Business Training and Support • Immigration Law Services • English Language Classes • Build Capacity of Individual Groups • Shared Space • Nonprofit Management Training • Intergroup Dialogue and Exchange • Utilize Ethnic Media

24. Strategy #11: Developing aGlobal Detroit • Strategy that is coherent and strategic, rather than episodic and tactical • Appeal to non-immigrants: an “add-to” plan without being an “instead of” strategy • Broad civic, political, philanthropic, corporate, labor, and advocacy support • Welcoming • Institutionalized—committed, broad-based group of advocates to sustain efforts, including allocation of responsibilities, development of resources, continuous process improvements and mid-course corrections • Strategic measurable outcomes

25. Discussion • Questions • Comments • Ideas • Next Steps • Steve Tobocman • New Solutions Group, LLC • (313) 516-9681 • steve.tobocman@gmail.com