“I can’t recall ever Swag Surfing my way out of a data meeting, but more of them should end that way!” shared Laila Bell, Vice President of Learning and Impact at The Skillman Foundation, reflecting on her experience at Data Driven Detroit’s Neighborhood Vitality Index Homecoming on October 29, 2025. This after work event was designed to embed joy within the community outreach and education goals of the Neighborhood Vitality Index, a first-of-its-kind resource created by and created for residents to improve their neighborhoods. Laila continues, “The event was such a fun and creative way to introduce people to NVI, while deepening understanding of the survey and data tool.”
We like to believe that Laila’s words are a sign that we were successful in making this event special. We were not seeking to host another traditional data convening marked by lengthy presentations and fading attention spans. Instead, NVI Homecoming was intentionally designed with the user experience in mind to be a welcoming, immersive, and interactive exhibition of the Neighborhood Vitality Index set to the backdrop of a musical soundscape curated by one of our city’s visionary educators.
Photo Credit: Urban Organic
Event Inspiration
“If we want Detroiters to feel ownership of their neighborhood data, we have to create spaces that feel like they belong to them. Spaces where people can be curious without intimidation and ask questions without fear of judgment, shared Ben Williams, Community Partnerships Coordinator at Data Driven Detroit and lead producer of NVI Homecoming. “It was important for us to embed Detroit culture into every point of the event. This influenced our menu, our program elements, the design of our immersive teaching assets, and our production partners, including venue partner Developing K.I.D.S. and Urban Organic’s DJ Selector Series.”
Photo Credit: Urban Organic
The Right Partners Who Made It Possible
Developing K.I.D.S. was the ideal venue partner, not only because of their beautiful newly opened space, but also because their mission aligns closely with the goals of the Neighborhood Vitality Index. Their work centers on youth development, family engagement, community support, and workforce development. These are some of the same areas the Neighborhood Vitality Index seeks to publicly measure to help Detroiters understand neighborhood strengths and opportunities, spark deeper conversations, and work together toward meaningful change for our city.
Urban Organic leader Drake Phifer has also created something special with his DJ Selector Series, an experience that invites community leaders to step into a new role and express themselves musically as DJs. The series offers a creative way for people who serve Detroit’s neighborhoods to connect with the communities through musical storytelling. What began as a small pilot in 2017 has grown into a respected platform that continues to bring people together across backgrounds, interests, and generations.
Ben shared, “I knew that Drake and his team had a powerful community connection through the DJ Selector Series. Music is a data project. In the same way that analysts collect numbers and information to build reports and dashboards, artists also collect information to make art. There is overlap here that is worth exploring. The DJ Selector Series is also a natural social cohesion platform that brings people together in ways that feel authentic and joyful. I knew that if we partnered intentionally, we could create something meaningful for what we needed with the Neighborhood Vitality Index Homecoming.”
Photo Credit: Urban Organic
Introducing DJ Hall Pass
NVI Homecoming also had the honor of partnering with visionary educator Mario Lemons, who made his debut as DJ Hall Pass and served as the musical luminary of the event. Mario has dedicated his career to empowering young people, both as the head of school at Detroit Achievement Academy and through his work as a behavioral intervention specialist. His leadership has been recognized across the state, including being named a finalist for the 2022 Michigan Charter School Administrator of the Year and receiving the 2024 Transformative School Leader of the Year award from the Black Male Educators Alliance.
Reflecting on his debut, Mario shared, “It was an honor to be considered for this opportunity. I was nervous at first because I have never DJed a day in my life, but I was excited to learn.”
NVI Academy
During the Homecoming, we also announced the launch of the Neighborhood Vitality Index Academy. NVI Academy will be a hands-on training program designed to help community leaders turn data into action. The Academy will operate as a four-part workshop series that helps Detroit-area leaders:
- Use data to strengthen grant applications and demonstrate program impact.
- Tell compelling stories that connect community needs to real data.
- Advocate for resources and policy improvements using evidence that reflects residents’ lived experiences.
- Explore the NVI tool, understand how the data was collected, and learn how to apply it in ways that accurately and ethically represent their neighborhoods.
Photo Credit: Urban Organic
A Full First Cohort
Our first NVI Academy cohort is already full due to early access offered to community partners who attended the Homecoming. We are grateful for their enthusiasm and their commitment to ensuring that data serves the people it represents.
For those interested in future academy offerings, there will be more opportunities. We are planning additional NVI Academy sessions soon. You can sign up here to receive updates and be among the first to know when registration opens for the next class.
Watch a short event recap video of NVI Homecoming by Clicking Below:
Video Credit: Ashley Adams
Head over to our Neighborhood Vitality Index and explore the data yourself! Take the survey (if it’s open)! Looking for data you can’t find anywhere else? AskD3 for free to get started!