DAVID BLASZKIEWICZ:
 
DAVID BLASZKIEWICZ




 
 
 
 
 
President of the Detroit Investment Fund in Detroit, a $52 million private capital fund created and funded by Detroit Renaissance companies to provide financing for growth-oriented businesses and real estate projects with potential to stimulate economic development in Detroit. The fund provides financing to a broad range of industries for residential and community development, commercial and industrial expansion, or relocation and strategic investments. In 1994, Blaszkiewicz assisted in the fund’s creation by developing the operating and management plan, managing the capital campaign, and coordinating its private placement offering memorandum. Blaszkiewicz also manages the administration of the Detroit Renaissance pre-development loan funds and the Lower Woodward Housing Fund, a newly created initiative to facilitate residential development by providing gap financing through a revolving loan fund to projects located within the Lower Woodward area of downtown Detroit. Before joining the Detroit Investment Fund, Blaszkiewicz served as director of finance, secretary, and treasurer of the Detroit Renaissance Foundation. He joined Detroit Renaissance in 1990 and managed projects related to finance, transportation, the environment, and technology. He was also responsible for employee administration and audit management and compliance of Detroit Renaissance and various affiliated companies. He continued to serve Detroit Renaissance as secretary and treasurer through 2007. Blaszkiewicz is on the boards of the Detroit Community Loan Fund (and a member of the loan committee), the Wayne State Research and Technology Park, the Michigan Magnet Fund, New Detroit, and the Metropolitan Street Art Academy, and a member of the Lower Woodward Housing Fund management and loan committees. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Wayne State University and his MBA from Michigan State University.


WHERE BORN: "Detroit."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "My parents, because of the value they placed on education, and their sacrifice to make sure they could provide a good education for their kids. My wife, who has shown more faith in me than I have in myself at times. The fourth would be Paul Hillegonds, the former CEO of Detroit Renaissance and current senior vice president of corporate affairs at DTE Energy. He has always supported me in my career and has put me in challenging positions to help me grow. He has faith in my abilities and created a path to where I’m at today."

LAST BOOK READ: "I usually have two or three going at a time. The last was Tim Russert’s book, Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons. It’s a great book about the importance of relationships and has taken on a new meaning with Russert’s passing."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Loyal, committed, creative, and positive."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "My industry provides gap financing for real estate and businesses in Detroit. Historically, we have focused on mature industry businesses like manufacturing and wholesale distribution. Of late, we’ve been investing in entities that have found ways to inject technology or creative processes into their business model. It may be equipment they design or install in processes, or ways they construct in a process line. Directionally, we’re moving more and more into the creative sector. As the state migrates from a mature manufacturing-based economy to a creative sector economy, we find ourselves modifying our programs to accommodate that market."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "I’ve got a lot of them. My laptop and my BlackBerry. I use them both extensively."

FAVORITE PLACE: "I love Michigan and going up north. I love the outdoors."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "Golf, motorcycling, and traveling."

FAVORITE FOOD: "My mother’s Sunday dinners. She’s 100 percent Italian. We kids go over there every Sunday and she makes some of the best dinners. Nothing can compare to that."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "The Nintendo Wii. I beat my 8-year-old at Mario Kart recently."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "As someone who moved the needle on Detroit’s resurgence. As someone who participated in the revitalization of the commercial and real estate segments of Detroit."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.