Find a mentor. Mentors have been very influential throughout my journey. It's incredibly helpful to have someone on your side with good, solid information to help guide you through uncertain moments.

A lot of my work revolves around communicating with various people and organizations. For example, I'll communicate with people at the Wall Street Journal or NPR to get a story out about a facet of our work. I'll also spend time writing releases. I'll communicate with Congresspeople and their staff to discuss policy. I also make sure any informational interviews are set up for success in terms of space, tools, and people. Every day typically consists of several meetings as well.

Director of External Affairs

I'm David Robinson I am the Director of External Affairs for a small but mighty nonprofit called manufacturing Renaissance. Our mission is to create sustainable development anchored in manufacturing. So really what that means is we're a community development organization that happens to think manufacturing is the path that can bring the greatest gain to help communities rebuild help people find a path for themselves. A lot of people think we're a training organization or this or that, but no, we're really about building community. I was raised in a house that believed in education believe in learning and in thinking. One of the things when I was a toddler almost, and I do something kind of goofy, my mother would say, think David think. So that was one of the things that ran through my entire childhood. And so I was being led to a journalism career as I had won a few writing awards when I was a lot younger. My mom said to me, David, follow your writing. It'll take you amazing places. So 18 I'm kind of following that path and ended up going to more house wonderful experience. I had not actually been steeped in black culture at a high level, and what Dubois would say the talented 10th. And there's greatness in the history of these places and so, being steeped in that and then developing friendships that I still to this day have and consider my best friends really kind of prepared me for assaulting life I think. And now everyone may not get to an HBCU but what I learned though is find a place where you're embraced. Fortunately I kind of stuck with them journalism thing got a job at the Detroit News, and I wasn't that good a writer frankly, but I was a pretty good reporter. I can go get the story, but I managed to get the Detroit News. At the time, Chauncey Bailey, he was one of my journalism mentors and he said, hey, man, I need you in Detroit. So I go in the newsroom, and this is 1983, I think. Smoke field, no women anywhere, no brothers anywhere, except for Chauncey. And old timers with fedoras, I came up in a time when journalism was still a heroic career, tell truth to power. 

Education

Experience

Becoming A Journalist

You personally like what gets you up in the morning? &gt;&gt; For me, it's helping young people find a career path and a way to change their lives, helping our manufacturing partners. With the policy work we do and helping to build community around what used to be the thing that held community together. Got broke apart now we're putting it back together again through this work so that's really what has driven a lot of my work for all these years. I get more gratification when one of my run into one of my youngsters that I worked with over the years it's. That thing you told me, this thing we did and I'm the director of blah blah blah there we go. That makes it all worth it 

Community

Fulfillment

Helping People Makes Everything Worth It

I thought I was invincible and I really didn't have the proper humility I think, as I look back and you couldn't tell 20 year old David anything. And of course that led me down some really dumb paths, made some dumb moves because I didn't think I could be harmed, I was Teflon. And what that happened to that person doing that, it's not happening to me, are you kidding? Not me, and so I had to really come to grips with what humility means. And had to understand that it was about service, it wasn't about me. But that probably takes a while for people to come to that. You have to have your head bumped a few times and survive some scary stuff a few times, which I've been fortunate to survive. So, don't think you're all that, learn, get humble, do good things. &gt;&gt; You mentioned humility, how do you think an individual, what's the next move to humble oneself? &gt;&gt; Volunteer for something, political campaign, a nonprofit that's doing good work that you like, put yourself in a position of helping other people. That may not have quite as much or maybe need help. Best way to get out of oneself is to help somebody else. You learn a lot about you, you learn a lot about life. You meet people that maybe you wouldn't have normally met. So I would say, find something to give yourself to, it's not about taking. 

Character

Self-Reflection

Values

Importance Of Humility

My dad, my parents are very politically active and my dad, folks were very good friends with Harold Washington, the late Harold Washington. And they convinced him to run. In fact, the first fundraiser for Harold Washington was in my folks living room. And it was an amazing time, it was a moment when we were about to break the machine. So the full community had come together to elect Terrell, man it was like political organizing nirvana. Now here I am a 23, 24 year old and they invited me to join the Department of Economic Development, which was Harold's think tank. I was a kid in a position that I probably wasn't old enough or qualified to do. And they just said, well, we think you're pretty sharp kid and we love your passion for the work, they let me do it. Nobody ever sort of said, that but looking back I realize they took a chance on me. And so one of the areas that was beginning to happen that needed to be addressed was plant closures, US Steel Works where 25,000 people worked every day to churn out steel. And it was the life and blood for the working class community in Chicago and corporations no longer we're gonna sustain these facilities. So anyway, that was happening as I was a young kid getting my feet wet in policy and program development. That experience taught me a whole lot. It taught me about hard work, taught me that I couldn't kind of just be charming and slip my way through the thing, you had to do this cuz these are people's lives that you're dealing with. I remember one incident that sealed that lesson for me. So they sent me to a conference in some cool town somewhere. Me and a graduate student that was an intern. And I played, the whole time cuz I was still having just left journalism where I was having some real success and this is kind of all new. And I thought I'd eventually get back to journalism. So I was just gonna play around in this for a minute. Hung out, I really didn't do much at the conference and I'm hanging out. And then we get back to Chicago and they bring both of us into the room with all the bosses and they said, so Dave give us a report. I straight up had a panic attack. And of course the graduate student had notes, and then I met with so and so and she was really good and I was really bad. And I vowed never again will I be caught playing when I should be working, and I almost blew it, but a couple of the big shots came to Dave, don't worry happened to me once too. And that moment, cuz I thought they were gonna fire me, they should have probably. That moment changed how I view work and as things continued to progress, I start to get promoted. I was given more responsibility, next thing you know, I fall in love with something that now is the theme of my life. If I were to try to describe what is it that has really driven me and my work and everything, it's care and service. That's the theme, even though I did corporate, I've owned companies, I've done stuff that was sort of more about money, but I always came back to community and what I was raised to do. Which is figure out ways that I can make life and conditions better for those around me and particularly my community that has suffered so much for so long. 

Hard Work

Developing My Career In Policy And Public Service

My name is David Robinson. I am the Director of External Affairs for a small but mighty nonprofit called Manufacturing Renaissance. We're a community development organization that happens to think manufacturing is the path that can bring the greatest gain to help communities rebuild, help people find a path for themselves. My parents are very politically active and my folks were very good friends with the late Harold Washington. And they convinced him to run and so the full community had come together to elect Harold. Now here I am a 23, 24 year old and they invited me to join the Department of Economic Development. I was a kid in a position that I probably wasn't old enough or qualified to do. But looking back I realize they took a chance on me. And as things continued to progress, I started to get promoted, I was given more responsibility. Next thing you know, I fall in love with something that now is the theme of my life. If I were to try to describe what is it that has really driven me and my work and everything, it's care and service. That's the theme. Even though I did corporate, I've owned companies, I've done stuff that was sort of more about money, but I always came back to what I was raised to do. Which is figure out ways that I can make life and conditions better for those around me and particularly my community that has suffered so much for so long. 

David Robinson Highlight

Find a mentor. Mentors were huge for me, people that could help guide me in those uncertain moments. Whether it was work folk or people around me or kind of older brother types, that was one thing, go get better information. If you're hearing it from your cousin who just got out the joint after doing an eight-year bit, and he's gonna tell you about success in life, think about that for a minute. I had to make sure that I went and got good information, and talk to people that have been there, done that, that I respected. That I could say, okay, yeah, Dave, I was right there in your spot, and you ought to think about maybe doing it this way, or had you considered. There are certain things you notice if you admire someone, if somebody is doing stuff you think is kind of cool, ask them, how did you get there, what was it? 

Support & Encouragement

Find Good Mentors

Key is power for me, where's the power, and how do we access it? Because that is really what's been missing in community, we don't really have any real power. It's only three ways in my experience that the powerless can fight the powerful, in the modern society. One is collective action, whether it's voting, whether that's marching, whatever that is. Two is manage your money in a way that's responsible to your own community. Don't feed the beast, don't buy a Gucci if you're angry, all the shiny objects you're not getting a dime of that, they're laughing while you buy your Tommy Hilfiger, whatever it is. And third, media, when you threaten media to any powerful organization, they get nervous. Cuz media can affect their money, collective action can affect their money. And if you choose not to spend your money, that affects their money as well. Those are only three ways that the powerless can fight real power. I learned that dealing with folks that both had power and wanted power. 

Choices

Conflict

How The Powerless Can Fight The Powerful

My name is David Robinson. I am the director of external affairs for a small, but mighty nonprofit called Manufacturing Renaissance. Our mission is to create sustainable development, anchored in manufacturing. So, really what that means is, we're a community development organization that happens to think manufacturing is the path that can bring the greatest gain, to help communities rebuild, help people find a path for themselves. A lot of people think we're a training organization or this or that, but no, we're really about building community. I was raised in a house that believed in education, believed in learning and in thinking. One of the things, when I was a toddler almost, and I do something kinda goofy, my mother would say, think David, think. So, that was one of the things that ran through my entire childhood. And so, I was being led to a journalism career as I had won a few writing awards when I was a lot younger. My mom said to me, David, follow your writing, it'll take you amazing places. So 18, I'm kinda following that path and ended up going to Morehouse, wonderful experience. I had not actually been steeped in black culture at a high level, and what Dubois would say the talented tenth, and there's greatness in the history of these places. And so, being steeped in that, and then developing friendships that I still to this day have and consider my best friends, really kinda prepared me for assaulting life, I think. And now everyone may not get to an HBCU, but what I learned though, is find a place where you're embraced. Fortunately, I kind of stuck with them journalism thing, got a job at the Detroit News. And I wasn't that good a writer frankly, but I'm a pretty good reporter. I can go get the story, but I managed to get the Detroit News. At the time, Chauncey Bailey, he was one of my journalism mentors. And he said, Dave, man, I need you in Detroit. So I go in the newsroom, and this is 1983, I think, smoke filled. No women anywhere. No brothers anywhere, except for Chauncey. And old timers with fedoras. I came up in a time when journalism was still a heroic career. Tell truth to power. So, that I did for a couple of years. And then, my dad, my parents are very politically active. And my dad and folks were very good friends with Harold Washington, later on Washington. And they convinced him to run, in fact, the first fundraiser for Harold Washington, was in my folks living room. And it was an amazing time. It was the moment when we were about to break the machine. And so, the full community had come together to elect Terrell. Man, it was like political organizing nirvana. Now, here I am a 23, 24-year-old, and they invited me to join the Department of Economic Development, which was Harold's Think Tank. I was a kid in a position that I probably wasn't old enough or qualified to do. And they just say, well, we think you're a pretty sharp kid and we love your passion for the work. They let me do it. Nobody ever sorta said that, but looking back, I realize they took a chance on me. And so, one of the areas that was beginning to happen, that needed to be addressed, was plant closures. US steel works, where 25,000 people worked every day to churn out steel. And it was the life and blood for the working class community in Chicago. And corporations no longer we're gonna sustain these facilities. So anyway, that was happening as I was a young kid get my feet wet in policy and program development. That experience taught me a whole lot. It taught me about hard work, taught me that I couldn't kinda just be charming and slip my way through the thing. You had to do this, cuz these are people's lives at stake, that you're dealing with. I remember one incident that sealed that lesson for me. So, they sent me to a conference in some cool town somewhere, me and a graduate student that was an intern. And I played the whole time cuz I was still having just left journalism, where I was having some real success and this is kinda all new. And I thought I'd eventually get back to journalism. So I was just gonna play around in this for a minute, hung out. I really didn't do much at the conference and I'm hanging out and then we get back to Chicago, and they bring both of us into the room with all the bosses. And they said, so Dave, give us a report. I straight up had a panic attack. And of course the graduate student had notes, and then I met with so and so and she was really good. And I was really bad. And I vowed, never again will I be caught plan when I should be working. And I almost blew it, but a couple of the big shots came and said, Dave, don't worry, happened to me once too. And that moment, cuz I thought they were gonna fire me, they should have probably, that moment changed how I view work. And as things continued to progress I started to get promoted. I was given more responsibility, next thing you know I fall in love with something that now is the theme of my life. If I were to try to describe what is it that has really driven me and my work and everything, it's care and service. That's the thing, even though I did corporate, I've owned companies, I've done stuff that was sort of more about money, but I always came back to community. And what I was raised to do, which is figure out ways that I can make life and conditions better for those around me and particularly my community that has suffered so much for so long. &gt;&gt; That's wonderful that you you kind of bring this aspect of, it's no longer about me, but it's about serving my community and serving other people. For you personally, Like what gets you up in the morning? &gt;&gt; For me, it's helping young people find a career path and a way to change their lives. Helping our manufacturing partners with the policy work we do, and helping to build community around what used to be the thing that held community together, got broke apart. Now we're putting it back together again through this work. So that's really what has driven a lot of my work for all these years. I get more gratification when I run into one of my youngsters, that I worked with over the years, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Roberts, that thing you told me, this thing we did. Man, I'm the director of blah, blah, blah. There we go, that makes it all worth it. 

Interview

All the days are have lots of exciting different twists and turns and I'll tell you how my day was Friday. So, since February we have been working with the Biden Harris White House to advance legislation that would create significant investment to increase training ownership opportunities of companies whose owners are aging out and have no succession plans. To affect industrial policy and the entire country. And to affect climate change and use innovation in manufacturing to address what we're experiencing in terms of the weather in the planet. So it's a pretty hefty legislation. So I communicated and did a story with the Wall Street Journal. I spoke with NPR, we did a piece on some of our young folks talking about equality in a manufacturing space. I wrote two releases, I communicated with six Congress people. I went and visited one of our locations just to, interact with one of the owners. And this is just Friday, the experience is so unique and amazing every day for me that, I'm always energized. 

David Robinson

Director of External Affairs

Videos

David Robinson

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Business

Non-Profit Organizations

Helping People

Day to Day

Advice for Getting Started

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

David Robinson

Director of External Affairs

Videos

David Robinson

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Business

Non-Profit Organizations

Helping People

Day to Day

Advice for Getting Started

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

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