Detroit Veteran Returns Home to Build a Future for Youth Through Outside the Box

With seconds left on the clock, Damon Williams watched the opposing team drain a last-minute shot, snatching victory from the basketball game he had organized and nearly won himself. As the buzzer echoed through the gym and the crowd flooded the court in celebration, Williams stood there, smiling: he couldn’t have been happier.

The game, at East English Village Preparatory Academy, was set up as a fun way to introduce his new venture, Outside the Box (OTB), to the community. OTB is a “one-stop-shop,” that acts as a youth hub for the resources that the city has to offer.

The name itself, Outside the Box, has a double meaning. The first, is obvious: Williams wants to increase and nurture creative thinking. However, he also wants to get kids thinking beyond what they already see in the neighborhood to what could be there. “[OTB is] a place where fun draws them in, and growth sends them out,” said Williams.

Think of OTB as an assembly plant; with all the organizations acting like the doors, transmissions and other parts to support the youth who are coming in, and they leave out as well-prepared young adults, like cars.

Williams spent 21 years in the United States Air Force, now, retired, he and his wife Jasmine decided for the next chapter of their lives they would return to their native Detroit and give back to the neighborhood where they grew up. So, two years ago, they packed up and left sunny Florida with one mission in mind: community.

OTB is centered around teaching Detroit’s youth skillbuilding, fine-tuning and adaptation as their goals as they progress and face challenges.

“Don’t be afraid to fail and go back to the drawing board,” says Williams, as he, and likely all entrepreneurs have had to do so. But the key is remembering your purpose. While away in the Air Force, and while living in Florida, Williams said that his roots – his neighborhood – never left his mind. Now he is back to help it be all it can be. Judging by the help he has gotten, and the loaded bleachers at the game, the community shares the love.

Beyond raising awareness for the organization, the basketball game also served a larger purpose: creating opportunities for local youth. Through donations and t-shirt sales, the event raised enough money to send 30 children to Cedar Point. Students who played on the two teams will attend, while the remaining spots will be awarded by the school to students selected based on academic achievement, community engagement and other merits determined by school leaders. The event’s community-centered mission extended beyond the court. T-shirts sold during the fundraiser were provided by The Taylor Made Brand, a business located on East Warren just up the street from OTB’s location – reinforcing the effort’s larger goal of bringing the community together by supporting and uplifting one another.

“Community is the real foundation of growth,” said Joe Taylor, CEO of The Taylor Made Brand. “Partnering with organizations and brands like OTB that genuinely care about people creates lasting change, not just moments. The Taylor Made Brand has consistently shown a commitment to uplifting Detroit through culture, opportunity, and service.”

The basketball game, Williams said, was a representation of his community; with teams made up of police officers, firefighters, local entrepreneurs and neighborhood teenagers. Originally planned as a softball game, due in part to Michigan’s unpredictable weather, it was switched to a basketball game at his alma mater, Finney High School, now East English Village Preparatory Academy. This change was suggested by his childhood friend, Ebony Cochran, who served as the opposing team’s coach; and her organization will also function as the first to partner with OTB.

“Being asked [to be] a celebrity basketball coach for Outside the Box Youth Center’s basketball fundraiser supporting youth was not only a privilege but an honor to be a part of,” said Cochran. “Having the location be at the location where my old high school once stood made the day much more memorable, [and] I’m looking forward to continuing to support their mission centered around serving the youth in District 4.”

Cochran is the owner of Detroit Wealth Club, a financial advisory company that typically works with adults; with OTB, the organization will give access to free services to teach teenagers about managing credit, debt and overall wealth – with the goal that they will retain the information in their adult years.

And financial literacy is only the beginning. Williams hopes to expand the potential careers to expose youth to – one of the reasons entrepreneurs were included on the OTB team.

He hopes that exposure to varied careers will encourage participants to acquire the skills needed to pour into their neighborhoods by exploring a wide variety of occupations from store owners to accountants, non-profit leaders and lawyers. While most of OTB’s immediate plans are related to finance and businesses, Williams says this is only the start. He encourages local non-profits and community organizations “looking to help the neighborhood reach its full potential,” are encouraged to contact OTB to discuss partnership opportunities. 

OTB is slated to open to the community at 15725 East Warren at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.