Event Snapshot
8:00 a.m. Registration, Networking, Continental Breakfast, and Innovation Showcase
9:00 a.m. Formal program begins
12:00 p.m. Additional Networking, Refreshments, and Innovation Showcase
The Innovation Showcase, curated by Michigan Central and the RIVER Collaborative, will feature a select group of companies from the Detroit-Windsor region whose technologies reflect the strength and future potential of the binational economy.
Program Lineup
Opening Remarks
Eric B. Larson
CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership
Eric B. Larson is CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. The DDP is a not-for-profit, member-based organization committed to supporting a vibrant, thriving, and welcoming urban center. Its mission is to cultivate economic and social impact in Downtown
Detroit by connecting public, private, and philanthropic sectors; providing stewardship of public spaces; and developing programs that engage and benefit all. Larson has been a member of the DDP Board of Directors since 1990 and took on the CEO role in 2014, just months after the City of Detroit entered bankruptcy. Under his leadership, the DDP has played a pivotal role in Downtown Detroit’s transformation, and the organization is nationally recognized for urban innovation and planning, placemaking and public spaces, economic development, and neighborhood development.
Larson is also the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Larson Realty Group (LRG). Established in 1999, LRG is a privately owned, Bloomfield Hills-based real estate development and management company. Prior to establishing LRG, he served as vice president of Hines, a global real estate company, and as a partner and senior vice president of Bruce S. Brickman and Associates of New York. During Larson’s career, he has developed, financed, owned, and/or managed over $3 billion in Detroit real estate. He was also a managing partner with Bedrock Real Estate Services LLC and non-executive president of Olympia Development of Michigan.
He has provided consultation services to the State of Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management, and Budget.
Larson founded the Community Investment Support Fund (CISF), a Michigan nonprofit organization that promotes economic development and creates wealth and job opportunities in low-income communities.
Larson is an advisory board member of the Urban Land Institute of Michigan and chairs the Robert C. Larson Center for Leadership, a curriculum-based program designed to train and mentor the next generation of Michigan real estate and land-use leaders.
He also serves on numerous boards, including the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Cullen Family Foundation, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Detroit 300 Conservancy, Detroit Chevrolet Grand Prix, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Detroit Zoological Society, Pope Francis Center, Fluxus Advisory, M-1 Rail, MoGo Detroit, and The Parade Company.
Larson is a resident of Birmingham, Michigan.
Colin Bird
Consul General for Canada to Detroit
Colin Bird (ALB Hons [Government Studies], Harvard University, 1994; LLB Hons, University of Ottawa, 2003) joined Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in 2009. He has served as counsel to the NAFTA Secretariat and in the department’s Trade Law Bureau, where he focused on trade remedies and aerospace and softwood lumber trade issues, and he was a director in the North America Bureau of the Trade Negotiations Branch. Until 2019, Mr. Bird served as minister-counsellor for trade and economic policy at the embassy in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for all aspects of the United States-Canada trade relationship, including the 2 countries’ cooperation in multilateral forums. He has also represented Canada before dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body at the World Trade Organization. Most recently, he was the executive director in the Trade Policy Branch responsible for multilateral trade matters, particularly Canada’s membership in the World Trade Organization, and served as Canada’s senior trade official at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, where he chaired the Trade Committee, and at the G7 and G20.
Downtown Windsor Development Update
Gordon Orr
CEO of Invest WindsorEssex and Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
A 30+ year tourism, hospitality, and economic development leader, Gordon Orr serves as CEO of both Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island—the region’s official Destination Marketing Organization—and Invest WindsorEssex, the lead economic development agency for the Windsor-Essex region.
In his dual role, Gordon is focused on fulfilling the mandates of both award-winning organizations by fostering strategic partnerships, driving regional growth and continuing to build a unified vision for economic development and tourism across the region.
In 2005, Destinations International awarded Gordon his Professional Certificate of Achievement in Destination Management, and in 2023 the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his over three-decade career in the tourism industry. Gordon’s career has included roles as Managing Director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Windsor, Essex County & Pelee Island, and as a hotelier.
Gordon is a member of many Boards and Associations, including:
- Member, Ontario’s Southwest RTO1 Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) Council
- Member, Canadian Destination Leadership Council
- Past Member, Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Chair, Public Relations Program Advisory Committee, St. Clair College
- Member, University of Windsor Board of Governors
- Immediate Past President, University of Windsor’s Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Member, WEtech Alliance Board of Directors
His commitment to public service is matched by his dedication to the community. In 2023, he received a 25 Year Volunteer Service Award from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship & Immigration.
Gordon is a Windsor native and a proud graduate of the University of Windsor with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies, and he earned his Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership from York University’s Schulich School of Business in 2012.
Downtown Detroit Development Update
Panel Discussion
Cross-Border Catalysts: Navigating the Present, Shaping the Future
Mary Culler
President of Ford Philanthropy, Chair of Michigan Central, and DDP Board, Executive Committee Member
Mary Culler is president of Ford Philanthropy, a role she assumed Jan. 1, 2020, overseeing the company’s philanthropic investments through community partnerships and programming in more than 40 countries. She is also the Chair for Ford’s Michigan Central Station project, overseeing the strategic direction of the historic train station redevelopment and other Ford properties in Corktown.
Prior to these roles, Culler served as Bill Ford’s chief of staff for eight years. She was also the director of U.S. State and Local Government Relations where she managed Ford’s engagement with policymakers nationwide on a wide range of automotive and community issues. Her team also negotiated investment and job creation incentives in Ford plant states.
Other positions at Ford included managing Ford’s North Central Region’s Government Relations Office in Chicago, Illinois, where she spearheaded the company’s Operation Better World community and dealer relations efforts. She also led Ford’s Global Public Policy office in Dearborn, Michigan, managing the development of key company policies and positions.
Prior to joining Ford in 1999, Culler worked for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley as manager of the city’s Industrial Development Program. In that capacity, she worked with businesses on economic development and job creation initiatives.
Culler also held several positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., including deputy director of the National Brownfields program where she launched the national program to remove regulatory barriers regarding the cleanup of abandoned industrial properties. She also worked in the U.S. Senate on energy and natural resource issues for the Chair of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee.
Culler holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. She lives in Birmingham, Michigan, with her husband, Andy Norman, and their three children.
Britany Affolter-Caine, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Research Universities for Michigan (RU4M)
Dr. Britany Affolter-Caine is the executive director of Research Universities for Michigan (RU4M), an alliance of Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. As one of the nation's top university innovation clusters, RU4M is a leading engine for innovation in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Britany also serves as a director on the Michigan Strategic Fund board and the Global Ties Detroit board. Prior to RU4M, Britany supported nonprofit organizations in strategic development, policy and program management and worked as a senior research associate for the Metropolitan Policy Program of the Brookings Institution on the Great Lakes Economic Initiative. She earned her PhD in higher education policy from the University of Michigan (2008), a M.Ed. in secondary education from Wright State University (1999), and a BA in political science from Wittenberg University (1996).
Steven Kalkanis, M.D.
Executive Vice President of Henry Ford Health, CEO of Henry Ford Medical Group, and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital
Steven Kalkanis, M.D., is Executive Vice President of Henry Ford Health, CEO of Henry Ford Hospital, and CEO of Henry Ford Medical Group. As a nationally recognized neurosurgeon and healthcare leader, he oversees more than 3,000 physicians and researchers and 1,100 residents and fellows across one of the leading academic healthcare systems in the country.
Under his leadership, Henry Ford Health has embarked on a historic $2.5 billion investment to completely reimagine its Detroit campus, an expansion that will include a new, state-of-the-art,1.2 million sq. ft. hospital facility, as well as an additional $500 million 300,000 square foot state of the art research facility in conjunction with Michigan State University, on Henry Ford Hospital’s campus. Dr. Kalkanis also spearheaded the development of Henry Ford Health’s Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, and led the creation of an innovative precision medicine and molecular tumor board program that redefined cancer care for patients.
A Harvard University and Harvard Medical School graduate, Dr. Kalkanis completed his neurosurgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital. His groundbreaking research focuses on refining personalized medicine protocols, particularly for brain tumors, through molecular genetics. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications, delivered more than 60 visiting professorships worldwide, and played a key role in setting national clinical guidelines for metastatic brain tumor treatment.
Dr. Kalkanis has served in various prestigious leadership roles, including as President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and as Director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. He is also the inaugural President and Dean of the Henry Ford Health – Michigan State University Health Sciences enterprise, which unites academic and clinical expertise to advance health innovation.
Steve and his wife, Laurel, especially enjoy traveling with, and cheering on, their three children, Nicholas, Connor and Grace.
Yvonne Pilon
CEO of Wetech Alliance
Yvonne Pilon is the President and CEO of WEtech Alliance, one of Ontario’s Regional Innovation Centres. With 15+ years of leadership at the intersection of technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development, she is widely recognized for championing cross-border collaboration and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems that drive innovation and prosperity across Canada and the U.S.
Yvonne serves on the Board of Directors for the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and on the Advisory Board for Canada’s Tech Network, amplifying the voice of innovators nationally and internationally. She has represented Canada as a G20 Youth Entrepreneurship delegate and has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Startups & Tech by The Peak.
Remarks
Celebrating Connections and Forging Futures Together
Mayor Mike Duggan
City of Detroit
Mike Duggan is a lifetime Michigan resident who was born in Detroit.
After graduating from Law School at the University of Michigan, he became an attorney for Wayne County and then served for 14 years as Deputy Wayne County Executive. During that time Mike chaired the stadium authority and was responsible for building Comerica Park and Ford Field, the downtown stadiums for the Tigers and Lions. He also oversaw the construction of the McNamara terminal and the modern Metro Airport that serves Southeast Michigan today.
After 3 years as Wayne County Prosecutor, Mike was hired as the CEO of the Detroit Medical Center in 2004 as that hospital system was facing bankruptcy. Mike turned the huge 8 hospital system around by improving care and offering the nationally-celebrated 29 minute ER guarantee. If a patient wasn’t seen by a doctor within 29 minutes of entering the emergency room, they received 2 tickets to a Tiger game. The DMC system grew from 11,000 employees to 14,000 under Mike’s leadership, serving more than 1 million patients a year.
In 2013 as Detroit was heading toward bankruptcy, Mike left DMC to run for Mayor of Detroit. He employed a very unusual campaign strategy – each night he attended meetings in the homes of any Detroit neighborhood that invited him. 250 house parties later, he shocked many political experts on election night by carrying 92% of all Detroit precincts.
Today, Mike Duggan is the second-longest serving Mayor in Detroit’s 200 year elections history. He has the record for the largest back-to-back landslides ever in the city, winning re-election in 2017 with 72% and again in 2021 with 75% of the vote.
National columnist George Will has named Mayor Duggan, “the most accomplishing politician in America.”
Last year the National Management Association inducted Mike into the National Management Hall of Fame in St. Louis.
And Fortune Magazine ranked Mayor Duggan as #20 on their list of “50 greatest world leaders."
Mayor Drew Dilkens
City of Windsor
Drew Dilkens was elected Mayor of the City of Windsor on October 27, 2014. He was re-elected on October 22, 2018, for his second term, and on October 24, 2022, for his third term. Mayor Dilkens is committed to a program of fiscal discipline, economic diversification, and investment, growth, and sustainability for the City of Windsor. Since being elected, he has continued to focus on improving the city’s infrastructure – including roads and sewers, holding the line on taxes, supporting economic development that creates jobs and attracts investments, and positioning Windsor as a destination of choice for those looking to build homes, careers, and families. In 2017, Mayor Dilkens presented an 8-Point Plan to address flooding – including a push to expedite completion of the City’s Sewer Master Plan; the $5B plan for the next 50 years of sewer investments received Council approval in 2020. Under Mayor Dilkens’ leadership, significant investments have been made, and master plans approved that guide work for roadways, public transit, active transportation, parks, recreation and culture, public art initiatives, theming and districting, and more. While leading the community through major climate events involving floods and tornadoes, as well as the global pandemic (2020-2022), Mayor Dilkens also spearheaded the “Windsor Works” initiative to develop an economic strategy for Windsor’s future growth. Less than a year after Council adopted the plan, Mayor Dilkens helped secure a monumental investment of $5B for the first domestic EV battery manufacturing facility (NextStar Energy) – the largest investment in Canada’s auto industry, and one of the largest investments in Windsor in a century. The results of that plan are also tied to Windsor attracting and leveraging additional opportunities connected to large-scale infrastructure projects including the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the new Windsor-Essex Acute Care Hospital, and more. As communities across Ontario and Canada have tackled significant challenges connected to housing and the impacts of homelessness, mental health, and addictions issues, Mayor Dilkens led the City’s establishment of the H4 Homelessness and Housing Help Hub to support vulnerable residents. He was also a key leader in developing the Housing Solutions Made for Windsor plan, and helping to create the robust Strengthen the Core: Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan.
Speakers in the Fast Lane
Transformative Projects as Gateways for Innovation
Andy Doctoroff
Senior Vice President of Program Management, WSP
Andy Doctoroff is Senior Vice President of Program Management at WSP, a global engineering and professional services firm, and a seasoned leader in infrastructure project delivery and program management. From 2013–2023, he served as Michigan’s point person for Governors Snyder and Whitmer on the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB). He later led USDOT’s Office of Project Delivery, strengthening federal oversight of complex, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law–funded programs. Andy has also advised on major initiatives, including Sidewalk Labs’ innovation district in Toronto. In 2025, Governor Whitmer appointed him to the three-member Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority, which oversees Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project. Earlier, Andy clerked for U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn and was a longtime equity partner at Honigman LLP focused on commercial litigation. He teaches 21st-Century Infrastructure: The Lawyer’s Role as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan Law School and writes and speaks frequently on project delivery and oversight. He authored “Infrastructure Project Oversight: Lessons Learned from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project,” Wayne Law Review (2022). Honors include The Best Lawyers in America, DBusiness Top Lawyers, and Michigan Super Lawyers (Top 100). A longtime resident of Huntington Woods, married for 30 years and father of three adult children, he received the 2023 Community Bridge Builders Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee.
Charl van Niekerk
CEO of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Charl has a passion for building communities through the delivery of infrastructure projects. Originally from South Africa with a background in engineering and business administration, he moved to Canada in 2014 to join Infrastructure Ontario. His first project was the delivery of the Rt Hon. Herb Gray parkway in Windsor, and since then he has been involved in 42 projects worth over $60 billion. Charl joined WDBA in July 2023 as its CEO to help deliver the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Arun Rao
Senior Director, Network Development (Central Region), Amtrak
Arun has 25 years of experience in transportation, and 16 years the passenger rail industry. This includes 20 years at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), where until 2022 he was responsible for the planning, policy, program and implementation of passenger rail. Arun is now the Senior Director of Network Development for the central region at Amtrak. In this role, Arun is responsible for coordinating Amtrak’s efforts to support states in advancing intercity passenger rail improvements and new corridors, including both state-supported and long distance, from the early planning stages to implementation. Arun has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin –Madison, and holds a Bachelor in Business Administration in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics.
Josh Sirefman
CEO of Michigan Central
DDP Board Member
Joshua Sirefman is the Chief Executive Officer of Michigan Central, a 30-acre tech and cultural hub where leaders, thinkers, communities, and creatives come together to accelerate bold ideas and technologies that shape our collective future.
Previously, Sirefman co-founded and served as president of Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs. He also founded and led a development services firm that oversaw complex, large-scale projects for corporate, nonprofits, and government entities, including creating Cornell University’s tech program in New York City and developing its Roosevelt Island campus.
Sirefman has held key leadership roles, including leading former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s economic development team, as well as Senior Vice President at Brookfield Properties, where he oversaw U.S. development.
A native of New York, Sirefman’s career started in Detroit, where he transformed a declining industrial corridor into a model urban area with Islandview Village Development Corporation and co-designing grassroots industrial retention programs with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.
He is an active board member of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, New York Restoration Project, Fist & Heel Performance Group, and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College Urban Tech Program Advisory Board.
Sirefman earned a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.
Keynote Address
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
State of Michigan
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander focused on getting things done that will make a real difference in people’s lives.
She has signed over 1,380 bipartisan bills and six balanced budgets. From cutting taxes for seniors and working families to put hundreds of dollars back in their pockets and investing in schools to improve student outcomes to fixing 23,000 lane miles of the damn roads, Governor Whitmer delivers on the fundamentals.
By lowering the cost of job training and higher education, fostering innovation, cutting red tape for permitting and redevelopment, putting Michigan in the lead on clean energy, and competing with other states and nations, Governor Whitmer has made Michigan one of America’s best states to do business, attracted investments from around the world, and maintained a strong credit rating.
Since day one, her administration has gone everywhere and worked with anyone to make Michigan the best state to live, work, and invest. Whether you’re a family looking to start a life with more affordable health care and housing, a business looking to expand with a skilled workforce, or a young person seeking a path to a brighter future with more personal freedoms, Governor Whitmer is focused on building a safer, more welcoming Michigan with a place for you.
Governor Whitmer works alongside three dynamic statewide leaders: Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. She lives in Lansing with her husband Dr. Marc Mallory and Kevin & Doug, the First Dogs of Michigan. She has two daughters and three stepsons. Governor Whitmer earned a bachelor's and law degree from Michigan State University.
Closing Remarks
Thank You to Our Sponsors
DDP Membership
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Support the DDP
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