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Detroit Regional Chamber Sends 10 to Harvard’s Young American Leaders Program

July 25, 2024

The Detroit Regional Chamber is committed to creating opportunities for emerging leaders to collaborate with their peers to tackle key regional issues and create positive change. Each year, the Chamber liaises between these leaders and the Harvard Business School’s Detroit’s Young American Leaders Program (YALP). As a founding member, the Chamber works with local executives to select and recruit a diverse cohort, fundraises to cover the stipend for participants’ costs, and helps prepare participants for their experience. 

By bringing programs like this to the Detroit Region, the Chamber empowers the next generation of leaders by encouraging them to connect across sectors and communities to increase collaboration and create innovative solutions to regional challenges. These experiences help foster a network of talented individuals committed to moving the Detroit Region forward today and in the decades to come. 

What is YALP?

Started in 2015, YALP brings together 10 leaders annually, each from 14 cities across the country, immersing them in a Harvard Business School experience. This includes case studies, speaker presentations, and whiteboard sessions that challenge participants to work together to target an issue their city faces.  

The program is designed to inspire collaborative innovation in cities across the U.S. and jump-start the conversation about how business, civic, and nonprofit leaders can work together to bring shared prosperity to America’s communities. It is part of the Harvard Business School’s U.S. Competitiveness Project, on which Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Sandy K. Baruah participates. 

Drew Coleman Headshot

Drew Coleman, Senior Director, MichAuto 

“Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program is an incredible opportunity to engage with leaders from across Detroit as well as 14 other cities across the nation – all focusing on creating better and more vibrant communities back home. During the weeklong program in Boston, we dug into real-life case studies and evaluated how we might solve similar challenges in our communities. This experience creates a unique opportunity for a cohort of Detroit leaders to learn from others and bring back new skills to create change. It was also refreshing to learn that the challenges that Detroit faces are not unique and that we can learn from other cities across the country. The case studies investigated the complex challenges that every community in America faces and the need for diverse coalitions of stakeholders to overcome these challenges. This is core to the work of MichAuto in our approach to community building and reflects the ‘big tent’ approach of our investor base.”

MarKeith Poteat Headshot Wide

MarKeith Poteat, Director, Regional Customer Operations, DTE Energy

“This program will help me become a better person and leader because it showed me that many of the issues we face in the city of Detroit are similar to the issues that other cities across the U.S. face. We are not in this alone. But if we don’t invest in the things that matter, like the youth, climate, and divides in our communities, nothing else will matter. As a person who loves giving back and leading people, this experience taught me that I can always do more. And meeting other great people and leaders from the city has strengthened my outlook on the future! I really appreciate the Chamber for their support and Harvard for putting on such an amazing event each year.” 

Madeline Wyatt Headshot

Madeline Wyatt, Director, Client Relations and Consultant, The Remington Group

“My experience at Harvard Business School through the YALP Program was an exceptional journey of learning and growth. The HBS case studies and classroom discussions touched on population growth data, meta-racism, industry clusters, annual employment growth, education, and graduation rates, overall leadership implementation, AI integration, and much more. The rigorous curriculum and engaging discussions have equipped me with the tools to drive meaningful change.” 

Nathaniel Wallace Headshot

Nathaniel C. Wallace, Head of Civic Partnerships, Michigan Central

“Rolling up my sleeves with a cohort of talented individuals representing Detroit in learning, defending, brainstorming, and adding to the intellectual mix of bright minds from all over the country at one of the most prestigious universities in the world was surreal. I left feeling energized and deeply inspired by the heft of the program and Detroit’s progress among cities.”

Abdul Bazzi Headshot

Abdul Bazzi, Vice President, Software and Services Quality, General Motors

“Attending the Harvard YALP program was a transformative experience for me. It provided a unique opportunity to engage with like-minded peers and learn from experts in the field of law and public policy. The program’s intensive curriculum and hands-on approach deepened my understanding of legal principles and their real-world applications. Additionally, the supportive and collaborative environment fostered both personal and professional growth, equipping me with the skills and confidence to make a meaningful impact in my community. “