By Joe Medici

CreateDetroit's newest project hit the ground running April 1, with the first Free Agent Friday meeting. The meetings, which are designed to help free agents network and collaborate, took place at noon in the Hub, a spacious bar and restaurant near Campus Martius.

Over 20 guests visited the restaurant, including several Create Detroit Board Members, a representative from Wayne State, and a Detroit City Council Candidate. The gathering functioned as an informal table discussion about the possibilities for future meetings and as a chance to network.

Palencia Mobley, the City Council Candidate, said that the concept behind the meeting was essential for Detroit's future. "The city needs visionaries," Mobley said. "But those visionaries need to have a place where they can network and find the right people to help them. These meetings can definitely promote that."

Mobley and the rest of the guests spent over an hour at The Hub speaking with one another about business possibilities and growth opportunities.

Sterling Beasley attended the meeting and said that he was very impressed and hoped to attend future events. Beasley works in the marketing arena and has been a free agent since the late 90's.  "When people head out on their own for business, there are a lot of potential problems," he said. "Lots of smaller business owners run into problems with finances and health care. But people can find solutions to those problems at meetings like these."

Free Agent Friday's were inspired by theories presented by former White House speechwriter Daniel Pink. Pink, a Yale law school graduate, is the author of "Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself," which speaks to the power of free agents within a city.

Pink spoke at the newly renovated Guardian Building March 15. In his speech, Pink spoke to the power of free agency and how city leaders need to focus that power in order to get the most of out their workforces.

Pink's work compliments Create Detroit's mission to retain and promote Detroit's "creative class." Pink's theories on free agency talk about how and why talented people fend for themselves. Pink mentioned that people also want to make a meaning and not just money, and the difficulty people have making meaning behind a cubicle.

Eric Cedo, Executive Director for Create Detroit, said that the Free Agent Friday meetings are designed to, "Bring free agents and people that are considering taking that step together." Cedo said that the meetings are designed to create a network between separate agents in the city.

Free Agent Fridays are still in their growth stage and future plans include guest speakers and evening events. The idea, however, is already rooted into the local community. All of the guests mentioned the importance of the meetings for their businesses and for the Detroit business community as a whole. The guests said that they sensed a spirit of renewal in the city and that these events were vital to it. Palencia Mobley said, "The event and the people here share in the vision of the community."

Joe Medici is a local free-lance writer and contributor to createdetroit.com. You can reach Joe at 586 489 1103 or by e-mail at jmedici@gmail.com