Building a Sustainable Tech Talent Pipeline in Detroit

I worked as both a project manager and UX consultant on a team partnered with UMCI to support the vision for a new innovation center in Detroit.

While the initial goal was to explore how the center itself could drive engagement, our team reframed the problem—focusing instead on how to prepare Detroit residents to fully utilize the center.

This shift led us to design programmatic, system-level solutions aimed at building a long-term talent pipeline, rather than short-term fixes to the center itself.

The Challenge

UMCI aims to become a hub for innovation and economic growth—but faced a critical risk: the local talent pipeline was not yet equipped to fully engage with the center’s offerings.

Key question:

How might we prepare Detroit public high school students to access and benefit from UMCI’s programs and the broader tech economy?

My Role

  • Led project planning, timelines, and task coordination

  • Facilitated weekly team meetings and partner check-ins

  • Acted as a UX consultant, guiding research framing and synthesis

  • Conducted and supported stakeholder interviews

  • Led affinity mapping and insight development

  • Helped reframe the problem toward a systems-level solution

Research and Discovery

We used a combination of qualitative and secondary research methods to understand the ecosystem:

  • Primary Research

    • Semi-structured stakeholder interviews, including:

      • Detroit high school alumni

      • Industry professionals (e.g., Accenture)

      • Program facilitators (e.g., Saturdays in the D)

  • Secondary Research

    • Census and workforce data (education attainment, employment trends)

    • Analysis of Detroit public school offerings

    • Case studies (e.g., Chicago STEM pathways programs)

  • Synthesis

    • Conducted bottom-up affinity mapping to cluster insights

    • Identified patterns across access, perception, and opportunity gaps

Key Insights

1. Talent Exists—but Is Underdeveloped:

  • Detroit has an untapped talent pool, but lacks structured pathways for development.

2. Access Barriers Limit Participation

  • Students face multiple barriers:

    • Transportation challenges

    • Limited access to technology

    • Lack of awareness of opportunities

3. Perception & Trust Are Critical

  • Some Detroit residents perceive large institutions as disconnected or extractive, reducing engagement and trust.

4. Early Exposure Drives Long-Term Outcomes

  • Early access to tech education significantly increases:

    • Career interest

    • Academic performance

    • Likelihood of pursuing higher education

Strategic Reframe

Instead of focusing on improving the innovation center itself, we reframed the problem:

From:

“How do we design a better innovation center?”

To:

“How do we build a sustainable pipeline of people who can benefit from it?”

This allowed us to focus on root causes rather than surface-level solutions—a “cure, not bandaid” approach.

Solution: Programmatic Ecosystem Design

We proposed a system of programs designed to prepare students before they ever enter the innovation center:

1. Two-Year High School Program

  • Hands-on, project-based curriculum

  • Focus on real-world tech skills + soft skills

  • Certificate upon completion

2. Accessibility Infrastructure

  • Dedicated transportation (e.g., bus routes to UMCI)

  • Loaned technology for students without access

  • Consideration of financial and digital barriers

3. Industry Partnerships

  • Collaborations with Detroit-based companies

  • Internship pathways for program participants

  • Mentorship from industry professionals

4. Community Integration

  • Programs designed to build trust and local engagement

  • Collaboration with schools and community organizations

  • Emphasis on inclusion and accessibility

Key Takeaways

  • The most impactful solutions come from reframing the problem

  • UX thinking extends beyond interfaces into systems and strategy

  • Community trust is as important as accessibility in adoption

  • Solving root causes creates more sustainable impact than optimizing surface-level experiences

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