What’s happening: An innovative fellowship converging at the intersection of technology and mobility has officially launched in Corktown as the MI Mobility Fellows Program welcomed its inaugural cohort earlier this month. Five of the ten fellows have been stationed at Michigan Central’s tech hub Newlab Detroit, with the remaining five placed at various transit and economic development agencies throughout the state.
What it is: The MI Mobility Fellows Program (MMF) is a 15-month fellowship that runs from October 2024 through December 2025, welcoming 10 recent college graduates to a program that intends to foster innovation and address mobility challenges in Detroit and Michigan at large. The public-private partnership driving the fellowship includes Michigan Central, Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility Electrification, Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), and Wayne State University.
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Technology hub Newlab Detroit, pictured here to the left of Michigan Central in Corktown.
Why it’s important: “Michigan Central is home to some of the most leading edge innovators in the hard tech and mobility industries, and it is imperative that they have access to the best talent to help sustain and grow their businesses,” says Clarinda Barnett-Harrison, Skills Director at Michigan Central. “The MI Mobility Fellowship was born out of the understanding that, in order for Michigan Central to be the global epicenter of mobility technology, we must actively ensure that we’re creating exciting opportunities to attract and retain recent graduates to our campus.”
How it works: The 10 fellows consist of recent college graduates from a range of disciplines, and from both Michigan and elsewhere. Fellows will work full-time at their host companies and agencies while pursuing a fellowship curriculum of professional development, mentorship, and more.
Where they’re going: Those fellows assigned to Newlab have been paired with Energy Storage Safety Products International, LLC; Just Air; OptimizeEV; RoboWorkx d/b/a Snowbotix; and Strut Motors. Fellows focused on mobility and transportation planning have been assigned to full-time roles at the City of Detroit’s Office of Mobility and Innovation; Clinton Transit System; Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance; InvestUP; and Mass Transportation Authority–Flint.
Visit CEDAM online to learn more about the MI Mobility Fellows Program, including updates on its progress.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
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