H. Luke Shaefer, PhD is the City of Detroit’s first Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, and Poverty Solutions, overseeing the City’s Health Department, Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion, new Department of Human, Homeless and Family Services, and leading the city-wide childhood poverty reduction strategy. He is on academic leave from the University of Michigan, Ford School of Public Policy, where he is the Hermann & Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Policy. From 2016 – 2026, Shaefer served as the founding director of U-M Poverty Solutions, a presidential initiative that partners with policymakers and communities to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty.

Shaefer has presented at the White House and has testified before Congress on multiple occasions. His research has been published in top academic journals, has been featured in media outlets such as the Washington Post, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has appeared on programs such as PBS NewsHour. Shaefer’s co-authored book, $2.00 a Day, was named one of 100 Notable Books of 2015 by the New York Times. His co-authored book, The Injustice of Place, received the Lester Award in labor economics given by Princeton University’s Industrial Relations Section. The New York Times and Time have credited Shaefer’s co-authored research as one of the driving forces behind the expanded Child Tax Credit of 2021 that led to a historic decline in child poverty.

Shaefer is the co-founder of Rx Kids, the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program launched in Flint, Michigan in 2024 and now active in more than 40 rural and urban communities across Michigan including Detroit. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration and is a recipient of an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.

Trae Allman is Principal and Co-Founder of Innovo Development Group, where he leads the

firm’s development strategy and execution. With over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate, Trae has overseen the development of projects totaling nearly $1 billion in value, more than 20 million square feet, and over 2,000 for-rent housing units across diverse asset classes including industrial, multifamily, and mixed-use.

Trae is a results-driven leader known for bringing complex projects online expediently and under budget. He guides Innovo’s efforts from initial site evaluation through zoning, entitlement, and construction, ensuring alignment with both municipal priorities and community needs. His focus on execution and efficiency has helped position Innovo as a trusted partner in urban transformation, particularly throughout Michigan.

In his role, Trae also directs day-to-day operations, manages multidisciplinary teams, and builds strong relationships with municipalities and local governments—advancing projects that

strengthen neighborhoods and create lasting economic impact.

Sarah has overseen the procurement or provision of public support to leverage over $2.5 billion of private investment in mid-western cities. In her most recent role, she directed the team at the DEGC responsible for attracting and facilitating development in Detroit. As a Detroit resident herself, Sarah is personally invested in the city’s revitalization. She has completed several historic renovations in the city’s North End and serves on the board of Central Detroit Christian CDC. She earned a BA from Wheaton College in International Relations; a Masters in Urban Planning and a Real Estate Development Certificate from the University of Michigan

With over $100M in construction management project experience, Yash Chaudhary is a 2nd generation builder who has grown up visiting jobsites as far back as he remembers. Upon graduating from Wayne State University with his degree in Civil Engineering, Yash relocated to Los Angeles, and began his career working on mission critical (data center) and retail redevelopment projects at The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. Most of these projects often required integrated project deliveries with tight deadlines and complex logistical challenges. While at WT, Yash earned his MS Construction Management at the University of Southern California. After a few years gaining experience and education on the west coast, Yash decided to shift his focus back to his hometown of Detroit, and join the family company, DMC Group.

At DMC, Yash’s primary efforts revolved around expanding the commercial construction division and building a dynamic team focused on a blend of projects within the Metro Detroit community. In the past few years, he has managed a variety of public and privately-funded projects in the commercial, residential, historical rehab, and site infrastructure sectors. With an emphasis on community, care, and innovation, the DMC has been the recipient of numerous awards for their performance on unique adaptive reuse projects, including the Historical Hamtramck Stadium Rehabilitation, 70 Clairmont, Aside from his professional career, Yash is also a musician and enjoys traveling, reading, and playing sports.

Gorette Yung is the Metro Region Engineer at Michigan Department of Transportation, in Metro Detroit where Gorette oversees and orchestrates daily operations of the design and construction, maintenance, traffic, utilities and permit programs of the federal-aid transportation system. She also partners with over 130 communities and various agencies to deliver transportation services to businesses and residents in Metro Detroit.

Gorette worked as a transportation engineer in private consultant firms and in public agencies, such as DOT and regional planning commission, for over 30 years after graduating from University of California at Berkeley with a Master of Engineering degree in Transportation. She has been a project manager for major projects, including reconstruction on freeways and boulevards in Wayne County. She is a licensed civil engineer in State of Michigan.

Michael Poris, AIA, is founding principal of McIntosh Poris Architects, a full-service architecture, interior and urban design practice in Birmingham, MI. Since returning to Detroit in 1994, Michael has been working to implement change in his hometown preserving many of Detroit’s 20th-century landmark buildings, historic districts, and iconic neighborhoods. Michaels design leadership has helped transform Detroit with projects such as the Foundation Hotel, and the East Riverfront framework plan. His work has won over 160 design awards including 30 AIA Honor awards, over 80 Detroit Design Awards and been published in over 100 publications worldwide including Dwell, Urban Land, Architectural Record, and Interior Design. Michael is currently working on an adaptive reuse of the 600,000sf Fisher Body plant in Detroit, and a 600 prefabricated home community in Colorado.

Michael was recently awarded the AIA Detroit Charles Blessing Award recognizing an individual who shows leadership in planning and civic issues and exemplifies the vision, commitment and the accomplishments of Charles A. Blessing, the visionary Detroit city planner, who committed himself to the pursuit of a higher quality of life for all. McIntosh Poris Architects has recently earned the prestigious title of Firm of the Year for 2024 from the American Institute of Architects, Michigan.

Kate Bond is a Senior Project Manager and Detroit Market Lead at Spalding DeDecker with 34 years of experience guiding complex land development projects from vision through implementation. She provides strategic leadership to clients and multidisciplinary teams, navigating site planning, entitlement, and regulatory processes while delivering successful healthcare, higher education, residential, and community development projects throughout Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Her expertise in adaptive reuse, urban infill, and community-based development enables her to align diverse stakeholder interests, resolve complex challenges, and deliver thoughtful solutions that strengthen projects and communities. Kate has led major medical campus feasibility studies, Wayne State University's $200 million Health Sciences Research Building, and transformative redevelopment initiatives, including affordable housing projects in Detroit's historic Corktown neighborhood.