Working outside the box!
We’re stepping beyond the walls of Kintsugi Village and into the heart of Detroit to find the incredible talent that makes this city shine.
For everything we’re dreaming up inside the Village — from classrooms to kitchens to creative spaces — we’re looking outward, not inward. Because the real magic isn’t just what happens within our walls. It’s who we invite in.
There is so much power in our community, and we’re leaning into it wholeheartedly — building partnerships that feel aligned and thoughtful.
One of those people is Jen Giroux — strategist, anthropologist, and co-founder of Brightside Collective. With a background spanning anthropology, international policy, and years of deep community-centered work, Jen has been helping us think big and build smart. Together, we’re shaping the next chapter of Kintsugi Village — from arts and culinary programming to public space activation and the thoughtful roles that will help carry it all forward. Strategy may not always be flashy, but it’s the steady heartbeat behind sustainable growth.
On the design front, we’re partnering with Pophouse — a Detroit-based design studio known for creating purposeful, people-centered spaces in hospitality, retail, and workplace environments. Their interdisciplinary approach is helping us imagine environmental graphics and design details that make the Village feel cohesive, welcoming, and unmistakably us. We can’t wait to share more of that design magic soon.
And then there’s the land — our garden, our gathering place, our outdoor classroom.
We’re honored to collaborate with Annie Hakim of Featherstone Garden, rooted right here in Waawiyatanong (Detroit). Featherstone is a femme- and minority-owned urban farm dedicated to thoughtful land stewardship and year-round growing. Annie is bringing fresh energy to our community garden through hands-on care, a new volunteer program, and garden-based learning for our children and neighbors. Together, we’re nurturing more than produce — we’re nurturing connection to the earth and to each other.
Partnering with other educational institutions is another meaningful way to expand our impact. Through our partnership with Detroit Cristo Rey High School’s Corporate Work Study Program, we’re not only able to mentor young leaders as they gain real-world experience — we’re also strengthened by their energy, curiosity, and fresh perspective.
Recently, we welcomed Arantxa R., a bright freshman interning in Early Childhood Education and Administration. As she explores her interests and learns alongside our educators, we’re reminded that partnership isn’t a one-way gift. It’s an exchange. Our students gain role models. Young leaders gain hands-on experience. And together, we build a stronger educational ecosystem for Detroit.
So yes — there’s a pattern here. Partnership is how we work. It’s how we grow. And it’s how Kintsugi Village becomes exactly what it was always meant to be — a Village.
