Mary Culler’s Post

As we say at Ford, be curious! As we celebrate Black History Month, everyone knows Detroit has a rich heritage of Black prosperity being the home to the auto industry. Did you know that years ago, segregation forced Blacks to certain parts of the city (Paradise Valley the Black business district, and Black Bottom, called this by the early French settlers, due to the rich black farming soil)? Both communities were downtown close to the Detroit River, generational wealth was created and these neighborhoods thrived. The national highway system I-375, displaced these types of neighborhoods in Detroit and other cities, erasing Black generational wealth for so many. Though still in the planning stages to help right some past wrongs, let's look at what the city and the state are doing to acknowledge this and work to drive inclusion in this new downtown development district being built where these neighborhoods once were. Go Positively Speaking Up, Go Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, Go Always Deliver, Go Outpace the Competition, Go, Ford, Go Engineering, Go EV Revolution, Go Customer Experience, Go Design and Software Teams, Go UAW, Go Strategy Team, Go Auto, Go All Industries! #innovationliveshere #aheadofthecurve #diversityandinclusion #careabouteachother #opportunities #strategy #manufacturing #EVs #Blueovalcity #professionalism #deliver #innovationneversleeps #changingthegame #relentleespursuitofperfection #newageautomotivehistory

Here's a quick report from our founder about the most recent end of course graduation at HMP Wandsworth.

Ford has done a phenomenal job bringing the old Michigan Central Station back to life with a massive capital investment in the community. Detroit’s turnaround still has a long road ahead but the investment in the heart of the city by key corporations (and key families) have supported this turn in what continues to be a positive direction. We can’t forget another key part of this turnaround has been driven by individual investors, a lesson in economics - one I fear will be missed through the reemergence of Detroit as a player once again in this country. Long before a few large corporations started pumping money into the greater infrastructure, a resurgence was happening on a smaller, but perhaps, more impactful scale. Young entrepreneurs, artists, and investors were changing the landscape of the city for years ahead of the curve. These individuals were buying houses and rehabbing them one brick at a time. Many young and ubertalented chefs bought old buildings and started restaurants. People started visiting the city once again to see cutting edge art in less then perfect gallery spaces established by artist collectives where studio space were obtainable/affordale. They came to eat in restaurants so good Detroit would eventually start buzzing in The New York Times. This happened because people had a fighting chance at success with affordable housing and rent prices. A beautiful transformation has happened in small pockets all over the city and as the turnaround continues history would foreshadow those who invested early or were here all along, will be pushed out as pricing continues to climb. Detroit is a small window on what we’ve all but lost in so many other parts of the state and country: “The American Dream.” Both scenarios need to happen for Detroit to be successful. We need Ford Motor Comapny, The Gilbert Family and all the other investors with deep pockets. We also need places in this country where our kids can create meaningful lives for themselves. Where individuals can start their own version of the American Dream because doing so is affordable. As a society we need to place value of the opportunities afforded by places like Detroit so we don’t homogenize every corner of America and call that success. We need to support the sums of individuals who never left Detroit and neighborhoods still on the brink of survival. It’s a puzzle that I hope continues to take shape and it’s imperative not walk away from the racial disparity that continues to exist in Detroit. We can recognize both things: there is beauty that eventually arose from the ashes and we must not walk away from the responsibility of our history. I don’t know what the answer is to all of the looming questions surrounding the direction of the city but I do know those fortunate enough to live in this beautiful area are all responsible for continuing to take part in the direction of rebuilding process.

To achieve sustained success, organizations should adopt agile leadership, prioritize diversity and inclusion for improved business outcomes, and establish comprehensive plans that align strategic objectives with operational efficiencies. Furthermore, forming cross-functional sales teams and implementing co-leadership models can enhance collaboration and adaptability, which are essential for navigating the dynamic business environment.

Bucket list item

Get yourself a CEO that can do this… 👏🏻 Culture change comes from concrete and noticeable changes in leadership behavior: what they do; who they hire; who they listen to and emulate; where they spend their time; what they talk about in their meetings… we’re not perfect but we’re on an exciting journey of change and growth ↗️ …it’s refreshing that this is the authenticity that you get on or off camera 🎥 #ServantLeadership #StrengthenCulture #YourFutureRidesWithAmtrak 🚄💨

Here’s some insight into my journey with The Modern Artisan with YOOX NET-A-PORTER and The Kings Foundation and my approach to design.

To a certain extent, I don't agree with this. The creative team was hired to do a job; there are always some parameters that are put in place. A creative team would need to trust parameters as long as they are reasonable. However, a good leader/business owner would trust the creative team to think outside the box and think differently from the business owner/client to help that business reach new heights.

Here’s 5 things you should know about DC! 1️⃣ For starters most people don’t live in DC. I live here with about 700K other folks, but the metro area has a population of over 6M people and most everybody lives in Maryland or Virginia. 2️⃣ We love our traffic circles and hidden routes like Beach Drive that cuts through Rock Creek Park to get to places uptown. We know if someone doesn’t know the unwritten rules of DC driving, they probably have Maryland or Virginia plates. 3️⃣ This is a football town. Yes, the Capitals and Nationals have both won championships recently and they with the Wizards all have red, white and blue uniforms but this is still home of the Washington Football Team. There are even pockets of Steelers and Cowboy fans here but when Washington loses on Sunday this town is no fun. But when they win you can feel it in the air. 4️⃣ We have a ton of free museums and national parks. The Smithsonian has nineteen museums and a zoo that are free. Most of them are located here along the National Mall. 5️⃣ Some call it DC, the cocktail crowd will say Washington, others call it The National Capital Region but locals call the area “The DMV”. And it doesn’t stand for the motor vehicle department or Delaware it stands for DC, Maryland, and Virginia. #washingtondc #thingstoknowaboutdc #washingtondcliving #washingtondcfunfacts #movingtowashingtondc #washingtondcrealestate #dcrealtor #cheneyandco #dmv