George Roberts

George Roberts is a downtown Detroit resident, committed urbanist, public space lover, and dedicated-but-inexperienced cyclist. George is the co-founder and managing principal of Civic Companies, a place-based real estate development company that strives to create beautiful, sustainable, and equitable communities that make people happier, healthier, and more connected. George grew up in Birmingham and attended Wylie E. Groves High School before heading to the University of Michigan for an undergraduate degree in Urban and Metropolitan Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development. George is usually outside, typically in the city of Detroit, always carrying a book or paper, and is generally overdressed.

Danielle Newman (DePriest)

Danielle grew up in West Bloomfield, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan where she graduated from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She went on to attend Wayne State University Law School and currently practices as a commercial litigation attorney. She currently resides in Berkley with her husband, Matt and their puppy, Leo. Danielle also serves on the Executive Committee for Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit.

Joshua Goldberg

Joshua attended Wayne State University and University of Michigan, studying Political Science, Speech Communication, Near Eastern Studies, and Judaic Studies. He’s all about connection and loves building community.

Lauren Mondry Blanck

Lauren grew up in Birmingham, MI and graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy. After traveling the country on the Obama campaign (where she met her now husband, former NextGen-er, Adam), followed by four years working for Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago, Lauren found her way back to Detroit where she has worked for Mayor Mike Duggan for the past five years. Lauren lives in Birmingham with Adam, her one year old baby boy Jesse, and their puppy Winnie.

Sam Dubin

Sam grew up in West Bloomfield and currently resides in Royal Oak. Sam attended Central Michigan University where he double majored in broadcasting and political science. He is the 4th generation in his family’s dry cleaning company, Dubin Cleaners & Laundry, where he enjoys connecting with the community and helping to keep people looking their best.

Samantha Foon

Samantha grew up in West Bloomfield and attended Michigan State University where she studied hospitality business. After starting her career in hotels and restaurants, she changed paths and moved into the world of social media advertising. She is now a paid social media marketing contractor. Samantha currently resides in Bloomfield Hills with her husband, Mikey, and twins, Riley and Easton.

Roman Golshteyn

Roman Golshteyn was born in Sibiria region, Russia. He attended Baker College of Auburn Hills where he studied Business Marketing and Administration. He is a president and founder of a local IT company called The Computer Guy, LLC, where they provide IT support to small businesses. In his spare time he enjoys dancing Salsa, eating ethnic foods, and hiking on new and exciting trails.

Judy Margolin Landau

Judy grew up in Orchard Lake and attended WashU in St. Louis, where she studied Political Science and Education. After teaching for a few years in NYC, Judy moved back to Michigan to get her Master’s in Public Policy from UofM. Judy was a consultant for State and Local Government with PwC for a couple of years, and now works at Ford managing data strategy for the customer experience teams. Judy currently lives in Birmingham with her husband, Andrew and her almost 2-year-old daughter, Emma.

Shimon G. Levy

Captain (Res.) Shimon G. Levy has been calling Detroit home since 2015. In addition to being an enthusiastic entrepreneur and investor, he has been acting as the Chief Operating Officer of major organizations since 2019. Before coming to MI, he founded the Student Led Trips Initiative, empowering Law School and Public Policy students to take their peers on a life changing journey through their lens to Israel. In 2015, the initiative merged into IsCo (now iTrek). Shimon’s previous venture- Northend Capital, focusing on ancillary businesses to the real estate market, was acquired in Dec. of 2018. He is an avid community advocate, working and volunteering locally and globally to support Jewish community, fight anti- Semitism and change the discourse around Israel. Shimon is a proud graduate of the University of Haifa, IDC Herzliya and Harvard Kennedy School where he was fortunate to represent his class as the 2014 commencement speaker. He loves renovating (while complaining) his 1925 German Tudor, people, traveling, and big ideas that impact. He resides Detroit with his wife Jennie and son Eli.

Spencer Lucker

Spencer grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and moved to Detroit in 2018 from Washington, DC. He works in workforce development strategy for the City of Detroit and is passionate about community development. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in the Boston-Edison neighborhood of Detroit with their neurotic dog, Cosmo.

Jennie Maxbauer

Jennie grew up in West Bloomfield, MI. She attended the University of Michigan where she studied secondary education. She then attended Teachers College at Columbia University where she received a Masters of Arts in Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Jennie works as a middle school teacher for children with Autism. She currently resides in West Bloomfield with her husband, Sam, and their two children, Betsy (3) and Carl (1 in October).

Abby Rubin

Abby grew up in Cleveland, OH and graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in Organizational Studies. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University. Abby also sits on the Advisory Boards for Brilliant Detroit and Repair the World. She lives in Lafayette Park and additionally works at Pages Bookshop in northwest Detroit. In her spare time she sells friendship bracelets and custom phone cords on Etsy.

Keith Schonberger

Keith grew up in West Bloomfield and attended Michigan State University for undergrad and law school. His family (including his wife, Tara; sons, Eli and Adam; daughter, Leah; and dog, Kedzie) recently moved to Rochester Hills and can often be found running around and playing at local parks.

Stephanie Belsky

Stephanie was born in Longmeadow, MA and moved to West Hartford, CT in fourth grade. She studied at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College and participated in various independent studies. She was lucky enough to get a job in her industry out of college and moved to Manhattan, NY where she lived for 5 years. She got moved across the country to work in Los Angeles, CA where she met her husband, Jeff, in his last year of rabbinical school. After 8 years in LA, Stephanie moved to Chicago to join Jeff at his fellowship at Mishkan Chicago. When the fellowship ended, Jeff happily accepted the executive director position at The Well in Detroit, MI and here we are 🙂 Stephanie is excited to be joining the NEXTGen board and grateful to be a part of the Metro Detroit Jewish community.

Josh Borson

Josh grew up in West Bloomfield and attended the University of Michigan where he studied psychology and economics and Wayne State University where he studied law. He currently resides in Huntington Woods with his wife, Jenna, and kids, Ava and Levi.

Marc Crane

Marc grew up in Farmington Hills and attended Michigan State University. He currently lives in Bloomfield Hills with his wife Hannah, daughter Claire and dog Addy!

Erica Dovitz

Erica grew up in West Bloomfield and attended Western Michigan University where she studied Communications. She currently resides in Royal Oak.

Abigail Epstein

Abigail grew up in West Bloomfield, went to Andover High School and then MSU. She currently lives in Bloomfield Hills with her husband Jon, baby Penelope and dog Kobe.

Warren Frenkel

Laura Gottlieb

Laura was born and raised in Metro-Detroit. She received her BA in Social Science from Michigan State University and Masters of Library Information Science and Archival Administration from Wayne State University. Laura works at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills as the Director of Cultural Resources where she oversees the archives and library. Laura lives in Southfield with her husband, Jacob, and their puggle, Rashi (yes, like rabbi).

Dima Gutin

Dima was born in St. Petersburg, Russian and grew up in Farmington Hills, MI. He attended the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, where he studied business, concentrating in finance and strategy. He currently resides in Orchard Lake with his wife, Tracy, and their two young kids: son, Eli and daughter, Charlie; and their furry son Boo Radley!

Nicole Hertzberg

Nicole grew up in West Bloomfield, MI and attended the University of Michigan. She lived in Israel and participated in Masa’s Israel Teaching Fellows program before starting law school at Cardozo School of Law in NYC. Nicole currently resides in downtown Royal Oak with her fiancee, Hunter.

Jessica Katz

Jessica is an experienced network weaver, educator, and community builder. She has a B.A. in Sociology from Michigan State University and an M.Ed in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago. An adventurer at heart, Jessica has held positions in HR, programming, and has experience working in and out of the Jewish community as both a professional and lay leader, and spent 2019 exploring global Jewish communities with a fellowship with JDC. She loves the outdoors, travel, reading and has a moderately healthy obsession with ice cream and Sorels.

Meredith Kay

Meredith grew up in West Bloomfield, MI went into a career in Childcare and Customer Service where she grew in the field from there. She currently resides in Farmington Hills wit her boyfriend, Brett.

Josh Ketai

Josh Ketai grew up in Franklin, MI and attended University of Colorado at Boulder for 2 years then finished his last 2 years at Eastern Michigan. He lives in Birmingham is single and is either working, eating, or training for triathlon.

Jared Kohlenberg

Jared grew up in West Bloomfield and attended the University of Michigan where he received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Sports Management. He currently resides in Oak Park with his dog, Hazel.

Marni Lieberman

Marni grew up in West Bloomfield and attended Michigan State University for her undergraduate and master’s degree. She currently resides in Oak Park and is a special education teacher. Her most exciting covid purchase is her new puppy Tucker who loves to play!!

Andrew Luckoff

Andrew lives in Royal Oak with his fiance, Maddi, and their dog, Griffin. They are getting married on October 16th!

Andrew Moss

Andrew grew up in West Bloomfield, MI and studied Urban Planning and Business at University of Michigan and Wayne State University, respectively. He still resides in West Bloomfield and lives with his wife, Molly, and their dog Ash. In his free time, Andrew enjoys skiing, reading, and spending time with his family.

Rachel Moss

Rachel grew up in West Bloomfield, MI and attended University of Michigan for undergraduate education and University of Detroit Mercy for her masters degree. She lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI with her husband, Justin, newborn son Jackson and bernedoodle Rufus.

Stephanie Parzen

Stephanie grew up in Bloomfield Hills, MI and attended the University of Michigan where she obtained her bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in health informatics. She currently resides in Royal Oak with her fiancé, Jacob

Mike Ran

Mike grew up around here. He moved to CO for college, and then to NY and Philly to be a chef. Mike moved home in 2018 with his wife and they now have a daughter named Harper.

Sarah Roberts

Sarah grew up in New York and attended Trinity College in Connecticut where she studied Political Science. After spending a decade working in the U.S. Congress in Washington, DC, she now lives with her husband George and their dog Shakshuka in Downtown Detroit. She is pursuing her MBA at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business part-time while working as head of external affairs for a locally headquartered medical supplies company.

Michael Rubyan

Michael grew up in Metro Detroit and attended the University of Michigan where he studied Public Health and is now a Professor in Health Management and Policy. He is a proud dog parent to Maisie.

Lauren Sallen

has always called Metro Detroit home, and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else! She went to Michigan State University, and got a job working for Atlas College Marketing after college. In 2019 she purchased the company and became a CEO at 23! She lives in Birmingham with her fiancé Dorin (who will become her husband in 2022) and their adorable corgi, Patches.

Brett Satovsky

Brett was born and raised in West Bloomfield, MI. He went to Andover High School and graduated from MSU with a degree in Hospitality Business. Brett moved to Maui for five years and then decided to move back to Bloomfield Hills in 2015 where he now lives. In Brett’s free time he enjoys waterskiing, paddle boarding, biking and playing with his Goldens.

Shelby Schostak

Shelby grew up in Franklin, MI and attended Michigan State University where she studied finance. She currently lives in Detroit with her husband Jake and their dog Graham. By the end of 2021, they’ll be living in Birmingham with a new baby boy.

Alana Silver

Alana grew up in Windsor, Ontario and moved to Michigan for law school. She currently resides in Birmingham.

Josh Sklar

Josh Sklar grew up in Franklin, MI and attended the University of Michigan for both his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and Master’s degree in Business Administration. Josh works at StockX, a startup in Detroit that he joined as an early team member, where he leads teams of software engineers building internal technologies. Before StockX, Josh worked at different startups around Detroit and has immersed himself in the entrepreneurial community. Josh currently resides in Birmingham, MI and you can find him most mornings running through the neighborhoods.

Emily Slabotsky

Emily grew up in Huntington Woods and became a Spartan alum after earning a degree in studio art and then attending PA school at Midwestern University outside of Chicago. She currently works as a physical medicine and rehabilitation PA at Troy Beaumont Hospital. Emily lives in Birmingham with her husband, Zack. When not working, they love to enjoy (and share!) the latest and greatest treats from Zack’s sister’s banana bread company.

Zack Slabotsky

After growing up in West Bloomfield, Zack spent nine years living in New York, Ann Arbor, and Austin, before returning to Metro Detroit in 2017. Since moving home, he has worked as a financial advisor in Troy and served as a dedicated advocate for Detroit’s young Jewish community. He lives in Birmingham with his and wife and fellow Board member, Emily.

Jacob Smith

Jacob grew up in West Bloomfield and studied Business at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He now lives in Detroit, on the River near Chene Park.

Josh Sternberg

Josh grew up in Bloomfield Hills, MI and attended Michigan State University for both undergrad and medical school. He currently resides in Birmingham and is completing his cardiology fellowship at Beaumont Farmington Hills. In his free time he enjoys staying active no matter the activity, time on the water, and exploring metro Detroit.

Erin Stiebel

Erin Stiebel is an educator in the Young Professionals division of Partners Detroit. A graduate of Yeshiva University, she holds an MBA and a Masters in Jewish Education and is a Wexner graduate fellow. Erin also serves as the Director of NCSY GIVE, an Israel summer program for high school girls. Erin lives in Southfield with her husband David and is the proud mom of 5 kids and their pet goldfish.

Blair Thoenes

Blair grew up in West Bloomfield, MI and currently lives in Royal Oak, MI. She attended Michigan State University for both undergraduate and graduate school. Blair has been teaching elementary for the past 10 years. Blair recently got married in July. She is very active and enjoys both playing and watching sports.

Annie Gordon Thomas

Annie grew up in Birmingham, MI and attended University of Michigan where she studied American Studies and Art History. She then did Teach For America in Chicago and attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education to get a masters degree in Higher Education before returning home and now working at DCDS. She lives in Birmingham with her fiancé, Sean and golden retriever Frankie.

Sarah Gordon Thomas

Sarah grew up in Birmingham, MI and attended The University of Michigan for undergrad. She worked in education in Chicago for three years before moving home and attending Wayne State University Law School. After law school, she clerked for federal district Judge Avern Cohn, and now practices Civil Rights law alongside her mother Deborah Gordon. She currently resides back in the same home she grew up in Birmingham with her rescue pitbull, Ruby.

Ryan Warsh

Ryan is a commercial real estate attorney at Dykema. Ryan grew up in Lawrence, NY (Long Island) and first arrived in Michigan to pursue her undergraduate degree in public policy. After graduating U of M, Ryan spent two years in Washington D.C. working as a legislative correspondent for a member of Congress. Ryan returned to Michigan in the spring of 2013 to attend Michigan law school. Ryan currently resides in Bloomfield Hills with her husband Daniel, their daughter Maya and their Siberian Husky Dakota.

Lesley Welwarth

Lesley is proud to be a recovered New Yorker living in Southfield with her husband Jeremy, their children Noah, Emma and Isaiah, and their dog Lola. Lesley acts as in-house counsel for Credit Acceptance Corporation, an indirect auto finance company headquartered in Southfield, where she supports the Company’s servicing functions and advises on legal compliance matters. In her free time she enjoys attending Orangetheory, kayaking, glamping and being outside as much as possible while it’s warm enough to do so.

Michelle Younger

Michelle grew up in Woodmere, NY (on Long Island’s south shore) and went Barnard College, Columbia University in New York City where she studied economics and political science. She then went to law school at the Fordham University School of Law, also in New York City. After law school she lived and worked in New York for eight years before relocating to Michigan with her husband and three children. They currently reside in Southfield.

Tomer Moked

Tomer moved to Michigan in October 2019 from Tel Aviv to join NEXTGen Detroit and the Jewish Federation’s team. He would love to talk with you about Art, Film, Food, Travel, Israel, the LGBTQ+ community and alcoholic beverages, in the most appropriate way. He currently resides in Birmingham with his puppy Bobbie.

Lauren Soifer

Lauren grew up in West Bloomfield, MI where she attended FJA and then went on to graduate from MSU with a bachelors in Sociology and a minor in Jewish Studies. Surprising everyone and mostly herself, Lauren moved to Atlanta to work for Emory Hillel and has spent her entire professional career since then working for Hillel on college campuses, ensuring a safe, bright, meaningful Jewish community for students on campus. New to her role at NEXTGen, Lauren is thrilled to be back in Detroit and working for the greatest Jewish community there is! Lauren just got married in August and is living in West Bloomfield with her husband Matt, waiting for the day in the near future when they finally get a dog!

Mimi Marcus

Mimi grew up in Southfield and attended Saginaw Valley State University where she studied Criminal Justice and Professional Technical Writing. While there, she started their first Hillel and was hired at Michigan State University (MSU) Hillel after she graduated. While working at MSU Hillel, she led over 15 Taglit-Birthright trips and received her graduate degree in Jewish studies and Non-Profit Management from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Her passion for Jewish community building has led her to continue working in the Jewish communal world. Outside of work, Mimi photographs for animal rescues, attends kickboxing classes and goes on adventures with her dog, Detective Olivia (Liv) Benson.

Amy Rosenfeld

Amy was born and raised in Farmington Hills, MI graduating from Oakland University in 2011 with a degree in Business Management. From there, she enjoyed her career as an office manager for various accounting firms in the metro Detroit area before landing at NEXTGen Detroit. She has a passion for theatre and the arts, enjoying plays and musicals, whether on Broadway or Broadway in Detroit; she even dabbles in acting in community productions every now and then. Amy currently lives in Farmington Hills with her fluff-ball dog Brady.

Ken Schneider

Ken was born and raised in Southern California and has lived in Indianapolis, Los Angeles and London before finding his way to Michigan in October of 2020. Outside of work, Ken enjoys volunteering with this college fraternity, all things sports, and bar trivia. He lives in Royal Oak with his fiance Katie, who moved to Michigan from London, UK on June 30, 2021.