Some members find BasBlue looking for a place to work. Others find something closer to home.
For Dr. Aya Waller-Bey, who joined as a Ph.D. candidate and has since completed her doctorate right here in the house, it was the latter. In a 2023 op-ed, she reflected on the tour that started it all, back in October 2021.
In her own words:
When I toured BasBlue with a friend at the end of October 2021, I immediately felt like it was the place for me. Basblue is a thriving non-profit space, “created for women, by women,” dedicated to serving and expanding the needs of professional women. The space, located in the heart of Midtown, felt inviting, warm, and collaborative, so much that before we left, my friend and I submitted our applications.
After our acceptance, I began to visit the space frequently, often working on research papers and coding interview data. My schedule as a Ph.D. candidate gives me the flexibility to work outside of Ann Arbor, and BasBlue provides an alternative to the sterile coworking space we often associate with the term.
The vibrant wallpaper, cozy fireplace, and energetic staff make the place feel like a second home. On my first day working in the colorful Victorian house, I met executives and entrepreneurs, all committed to changing the landscape of the workplace and the face of entrepreneurship and leadership in the city and beyond. Intimate conversations with founders and researchers, jazz nights, member-matching events, and panels about the future of women in the sports industry reveal that a place like BasBlue is needed in the city of Detroit.
BasBlue opens its doors to a diverse group of women–an aspect of the community that I appreciate the most. In November 2021, BasBlue announced its trailblazers in residence program aimed at supporting the memberships of community leaders, creatives, and thinkers making a difference in the community. The dedication to embracing the meaningful contributions of all women means that BasBlue remains inclusive and aligned with the beauty and strength of Detroit. With this, BasBlue makes an important departure from some of the exclusive spaces with membership prices and financial commitments inaccessible to the average Detroiter. The community boasts members in their early twenties to their early eighties–upwardly mobile graduate students like myself to the founders and CEOs of local social enterprises.
I joined BasBlue in search of local mentorship and community. But I have found so much more. During an intimate conversation with entrepreneur and businesswoman Carla Walker-Miller, I listened carefully as she discussed her redirections and successes. She encouraged the attendees to “lean out” to expand our networks, challenging conventional language and advice to “lean in”. Walker-Miller’s wisdom and honest reflection about her journey to owning a successful waste energy company was yet another indicator that BasBlue is a place for women of all ages, backgrounds, and identities where we can learn and grow from one another.
We need more spaces for women in Detroit–spaces that embrace and celebrate the diversity of our lived experiences. Beyond the limited highlights during the month of March, there needs to be the inclusion and promotion of women throughout the calendar year. Recently, I proposed a BasBlue service opportunity where members and guests could bring feminine products to be donated to local shelters, schools, and communities in need. Now as you enter BasBlue, there’s a basket for feminine hygiene products.
I thought that place would simply be my beloved hometown of Detroit, where I live in my small but cozy one-bedroom apartment. But it turned out I would find a new home, a new community filled with fun, creative, smart, and successful women—BasBlue.
Since writing these words, Dr. Aya Waller-Bey has remained dedicated member of BasBlue.
