When I joined Knight Foundation just under two years ago, I was awed by the foundation’s values and how they might manifest in Detroit. Above all else, I was struck by a national foundation anchored in the notion that informed and engaged people are in and of themselves crucial to any community’s enduring strength. And […]
Article · October 17, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
Recently at Knight Foundation, we partnered with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement to host a TED-style learning event that gave Detroit – and the country’s – leading thinkers on civic engagement a chance to share their insights. During the “Civic Showcase and Learning: New Approaches to Community Engagement,” the participants shared ways they using social media and digital […]
Article · September 17, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
TurboVote helps young people register to vote on the Miami Dade College campus When my colleague John Bracken, director of journalism and media innovation at Knight Foundation, told me about TurboVote in January, I knew immediately that this exciting, new platform would resonate in Detroit. What better way to advance Detroit’s civic entrepreneurial momentum than to […]
Article · August 15, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
In recent years, we’ve seen how sites like Kiva.org and Kickstarter have allowed people around the globe to give life to creative and personal pursuits, fueling our ability to support one another. In Detroit, we’ve been making the global truly local – by using the web to engage local supporters in the success of our […]
Article · May 15, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
How do you describe the role you play in community? Are you a community organizer or a network builder? Are you a content provider or a new media platform? Are you a grassroots operator or a strategic convener? Wherever you sit, and however you describe yourself, we invite you and your firm to consider joining […]
Article · April 13, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
Mt. Elliott Makerspace, one of the nine projects receiving support from Knight in partnership with CEOs for Cities for accelerating citizen participation across the city of Detroit When was the last time you visited your town square? While many of us in the engagement field often wax poetically about the “public square,” and the importance […]
Article · March 27, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
There’s something in the air in Detroit. It seems all of us, especially young Millennials, are leading an initiative, a project or a company that aspires to strengthen our city. There are countless examples, including many anchored in Knight grants, that showcase our city’s “do-er” spirit. This spirit of urban innovation is advancing economic opportunity, quality of life […]
Article · March 6, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
Partners and supporters of the BME Challenge gathered Wednesday night to celebrate the 10 winners of the BME Detroit Leadership Award, honoring exemplary black men who step up to lead and engage others in our community. Detroit City Council Member James Tate greeted the crowd and former NBA star and charter school founder Jalen Rose […]
Article · March 2, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
When I first starting falling for Michigan years ago (a courtship that eventually led to starting Michigan Corps in 2010), my affection for this place was always rooted in people. I had never been somewhere where everyone was so self-aware of place and eager to participate in place. I had to join in and wondered, […]
Article · February 1, 2012 by Rishi Jaitly
Hatch Detroit’s co-founders Nick Gorga and Ted Balowski If we Detroiters are passionate about our city and eager to engage in our community, how do we go about simply – and fully – unlocking our collective energy? It’s a question we at Knight Foundation ponder and work on everyday as we pursue our mission of […]
Article · November 30, 2011 by Rishi Jaitly
Wedding anniversaries and work events aren’t supposed to mix, right? Well, think again. This past Tuesday evening, on our third wedding anniversary, my wife Anuja and I happily joined hundreds of other Detroiters at Ford Field to celebrate the inaugural class of BME. BME (pronounced “Be Me”) is a city-wide initiative we at Knight Foundation […]
Article · October 21, 2011 by Rishi Jaitly