Detroit Worldwide Podcast

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with renowned art curator,  Dr. Kelli Morgan about her experiences growing up in the city, the national recognition she's received for her work, and her commitment to authenticity. 

Kelli also discusses her career in art curation as well as her early recollections of the Detroit hip hop scene during the rise of the movement. 

About Kelli:

Originally from Detroit, MI., Dr. Kelli Morgan earned her doctorate in Afro-American Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Public History – Museum Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). A critical race cultural historian, Morgan specializes in American art and visual culture. Her interdisciplinary research and curatorial work examines, critiques, and theorizes the ways in which American artists, art objects, art history, and art institutions both challenge and reify the systematic mechanisms of anti-Black violence and oppression in the United States.

Currently, Dr. Morgan is Associate Curator of American Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at Newfields.

Connect with Kelli:

Facebook: Kelli Morgan

Instagram: @elli616

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with Dr. Katrina Byrd about path to medical school, journey of faith, and how her parents helped to cultivate her gift for science as a child growing up in Detroit.

Katrina also discusses her long term career aspirations while lending advice to aspiring physicians and medical care providers. 

About Katrina:

Katrina Byrd is currently a combined Adult and Pediatric Infectious Disease fellow at Lifespan/Brown University located in Providence, Rhode Island.  She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan to parents who were both educators. They taught her that preparation leads to excellence in any field.

Prior moving to Providence, she completed her Bachelors of Science in Microbiology at Xavier University of Louisiana. During the course of her studies, she developed an interest in public health and decided to pursue a Master’s of Science in Public Health Microbiology and Emerging infectious diseases at The George Washington University School of Public Health. Afterwards, she attended medical school, at Meharry Medical College, where she discovered her passion and recognized of the importance minority representation in medicine.

In 2014, she relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to care for patients at the Medical College of Wisconsin as an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics resident.  There, she spent her time working on the recruitment and retention of minority residents and fellows at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals through her work a co-chair of the Underrepresented in Medicine Housestaff Committee.

At Brown, in addition to serving as a faculty mentor through the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs(ODMA) Faculty Association at Brown, her current research interest includes improving HIV care for pregnant women in Rhode Island. After her fellowship, she would like to use the knowledge she has learned to improve the health of individuals nationwide.  

Therefore, she plans to work an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Connect with Katrina:

Instagram: @dr.kbyrd_id

Twitter: @iamkatrinamb

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with Detroit-based entrepreneur, Abdul Golden, who is the CEO and founder of Golden Grooming Company, an eCommerce company that specializes in all-natural skin and hair care products for Black men and other men of color. 

Abdul discusses his journey into business and entrepreneurship as well as the community he built as a student attending Eastern Michigan University. 

About Abdul:

Abdul Golden is an IT executive and entrepreneur. He grew up in Detroit, moving from the westside where he spent his younger years, to the eastside just in time to attend Osborn High School. He received his Bachelors of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University, his MBA from Wayne State University and his Master Of Science in Computer Science from Lawrence Technological University.

While enjoying a successful career in IT across several Fortune 500 companies in the metro Detroit area, Abdul started and exited one of the first online software companies serving education. Abdul sold the company after three years and moved to Dallas to continue his IT career. He relocated back to Detroit in 2011 where he currently resides and runs Golden Grooming Co. a successful eCommerce company started in December 2017 to produce and sell all-natural skin and hair care products designed specifically for black men and other men of color. 

Connect with Abdul:

Website: Golden Grooming Company

Instagram: @GoldenGroomingCo

Facebook: Golden Grooming Company

Twitter: @GoldenGroominCo

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with emerging scholar, thought leader, engineer, and STEM advocate , Matthew Nelson about the importance of goal setting and what it means to persevere over life challenges.

Matthew also discusses his lived experience attending the University of Michigan as an adult learner as well as his transition into leadership roles within the world of STEM. 

About Matthew:

Matthew Nelson is the National Chairperson Emeritus of the National Society of Black Engineers. As National Chair from 2018-2019, he led the efforts to increase the number of undergraduate engineering degrees earned by black students annually from roughly 3,500 to 10,000 by the year 2025. During his tenure, NSBE grew its membership base by 26%, significantly increased the number of NSBE Jr. chapters, improved its fiscal forecasting and management capabilities and successfully executed two of the highest attended Annual Conventions in the history of the Society.

A graduate of Frank Cody High School, Matthew's collegiate journey began at the University of Michigan in 2002, where he struggled just to maintain a below-average GPA. After falling out of the engineering pipeline, Matthew spent several years working to return to higher academia. Matthew returned to Lansing Community College in 2011, where he made the President's List with a 3.91 GPA and received induction to Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society. At that point, Matthew decided to return to Michigan to finish his journey and to share his testimony. Matthew earned University Honors, made the Dean’s List, earned the College of Engineering Distinguished Leadership Award, and was awarded the first-ever Center for Engineering and Outreach (CEDO) Legacy Award for his work in Engineering Diversity.

Matthew earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Operations Engineering with a minor in Multidisciplinary Design and a Master of Science in Design Science, and is currently pursuing a PhD in the latter. As a Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow and Rackham Merit Fellow, Matthew researches the integration of design heuristics and data analytics into human capital management practices. Matthew currently works as a consultant for the Michigan Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation as well as the Center for Socially Engaged Design and the Center for Education Design, Evaluation and Research.

Matthew continues to advocate for increased resources for non-traditional and minority students, as well as inspire those considering returning to college. Matthew frequently engages in public speaking, encouraging both young and old to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math professions. Matthew also works with a number of Fortune 500 organizations to improve their diversity recruitment and retention outcomes.

Matthew is a proud native Detroiter, and credits his success to early exposure to science and technology he received through Detroit Public Schools, as well as programs such as DAPCEP (Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program) and Generation of Promise. Matthew founded Orisa Design, a consulting firm that uses design principles to address organizational climate and culture issues. Matthew attends Northwest Unity Missionary Baptist Church, where he also serves as Trustee. Matthew and his beautiful wife Breanna, also a native Detroiter, have been married for eight years.

Connect with Matthew:

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STEMLifestyle   

Instagram: @TheSTEMLifestyle           

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/STEM

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis makes his return to the world of podcasting after two- month hiatus. In this episode he explains the reason behind his absence and how venturing into podcasting helped him to rediscover a long lost passion.

He also discusses three lessons he's learned from his podcast guests and how he plans to utilize their years throughout 2020 and beyond. 

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with artist, playwright, content creator, and educator, Nicole M. Young about her upbringing in Detroit, her transition to the New England area, and the community she's built in the last decade.

Nicole also discusses her career in the non-profit sector as well as her lived experience attending the University of Michigan during the height of affirmative action. 

About Nicole:

Nicole M. Young is a performer, poet, playwright, director, producer, musician, nonprofit manager and educator with over 25 years of experience as a practicing artist.  Nicole’s writing seeks to fill and complete the gaps for those whose presence is absent or misrepresented in mainstream media, especially women of color.  Autobiographical in nature, Nicole’s poetry and plays reflect on personal experiences and how they’ve influenced the way she sees herself within the world around her.  Nicole also teaches theatre and creative writing along with being invited to facilitate writing workshops for conferences and youth groups in New England.

Her play, get (t)his!, received a 2009 James Baldwin Memorial Playwriting Award from the Five Colleges Multicultural Theater Committee and has since been produced in Michigan and New York City.  Her debut, self-produced spoken word album, In/Put:  Live from the Valley, was released this past February.  Recorded live in March of 2018 at CLICK Workspace in Northampton, Massachusetts the performance poetry of In/Put explores the challenges of being a Single, Black, Plus Size woman while dating in the monochromatic Pioneer Valley.  Proceeds from album sales were used to establish a fellowship program for emerging women and nonbinary writers of color hosted through Straw Dog Writers Guild (where Nicole is also a member) with the program starting in January of 2020.

Nicole is also an experienced fundraiser, event planner and program developer with over 10 years of working in the nonprofit sector. Nicole serves as the Manager of Community Investments for United Way of Pioneer Valley where she administers their grantmaking program, manages their youth volunteerism initiative and community engagement projects including monthly convenings of colleges and universities throughout the region seeking to tackle food and housing insecurity suffered by their students.

Nicole earned a Bachelor of Theatre Arts from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management from Wayne State University and a Master of Arts in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  She is also proud to have attended Detroit Public Schools, being an alumna of Mackenzie High School’s Class of 1997. Originally from Detroit, Nicole has lived in Western Massachusetts for over 12 years.

Connect with Nicole:

Website:  https://www.nicolemyoung.com

Facebook: Nicole M. Young 

Instagram: @coco_penexplore

Twitter: @coco_penexplore

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with two-time Eastern Michigan graduate, Courtney B. Morris about her upbringing in the city and the decisions that prompted her to pursue her doctoral degree at Central Michigan University. 

Courtney also discusses her commitment to Black academic excellence as well as her deep appreciation for hip hop music and culture. 

About Courtney:

Courtney B. Morris is a Detroit native and a  2010 graduate of Cass Technical High School. She attended Schoolcraft College and completed an Associate of Arts degree. She later transferred to Eastern Michigan University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Adminstration and minor in Social Work.

In 2018, she completed her graduate degree in Higher Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs from Eastern Michigan University.

She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University. Her research interests includes Black Male College Students and their connection to Hip Hop culture as a Sense of Belonging at Predominately White Institutions. 

Courtney holds positions with secondary transition and college access, Wayne State University and non-profit organizations across the metro Detroit area.

Courtney's other research interests includes: Diversity & Inclusion Work (Cultural Competency), Social Justice & Student Activism, Study Abroad Experiences, and Leadership Development all for students of color. Courtney currently serves as the Research Assistant for The Center for Applied Research at CMU and Post-secondary Coordinator at River Rouge High School.

During her spare time, traveling and experiencing new spaces, foods and culture immersion is a priority. Courtney is a lover of books, gym-shoes and all this BLACK culture. 

Connect with Courtney:

Twitter: @MsCourtneyBrie

Instagram: @mscourtneybrieann

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with content creator, podcast host, and model, Destiny Turnboe about her experience growing up in the D and why representation matters in the modeling industry.

Destiny also discusses the inspiration behind her non-profit organization, Flyy Girl Fly and what it means to live life purposefully with no stone unturned. 

About Destiny:

Destiny Turnboe is a motivational speaker, content creator, mentor, and model. Her travel brand, Flyy Girl Adventures  seeks to empower women on their journey through life and share their story along the way. 

Destiny is also the host of the Boss Bar Podcast and the founder of Flyy Girl Fly, a non-profit organization that seeks to equip girls with the tools they need to fly confidently toward their dreams.

She is the reigning Miss Fashion Global Curvy Queen. 

Connect with Destiny:

Website:  https://www.flyygirladventures.com/

Instagram: @flyygirlmodel

Facebook:  Flyy Girl Adventures 

Podcast: Boss Bar Podcast 

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with acclaimed playwright, actress, and writer, Dominique Morisseau  about her deep appreciation for the arts and the importance of Detroit Black History.

Dominique also discusses the inspiration behind her works including her Broadway hit, "Ain't Too Proud" based on the life of The Temptations as well as her development as a writer attending the University of Michigan. 

About Dominique:

DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). She is also the TONY nominated book writer on the new Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre).

Dominique is alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Conference. She most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless” (3 seasons).

Additional awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, OBIE Award (2), Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, Variety’s Women of Impact for 2017-18, and a recent MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow.

Connect with Dominique:

Instagram: @domorisseau

Twitter: @domorisseau

Facebook: Dominique Morisseau 

Official website : http://dominiquemorisseau.com/

In this installment of the Detroit Worldwide Podcast, Marquis connects with fellow podcast and Detroit native, Cynthia Turner about her commitment to STEM equity and the creation of her podcast, the Eastside Engineer.

Cynthia also discusses the importance of community work and how safe spaces helped her to thrive as an engineering student at Lawerence Tech University.

About Cynthia:

Cynthia Turner is a graduate of Lawerence Tech University she completed her bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. She is the host of the East$ide Engineer podcast which highlights Detroit area STEM students and professionals. She is an active member in her community and currently works with the Eastside Community Network where she teaches  Detroit residents how to code and use technology.

Connect with Cynthia:

Twitter: @EastsidEngineer

Instagram: @TheEastsideEngineer

LinkedIn: Cynthia Turner 

E-mail: [email protected]