Who’s GLUE?

About Abby and Sarah:

Co-Founders Sarah Szurpicki (Harvard 03) and Abby Wilson (Columbia 02) are young urbanists who recently returned to their respective hometowns: Detroit and Pittsburgh. They developed the concept for the Great Lakes Urban Exchange (GLUE) during the summer of 2007, as an outgrowth of comparative conversations about their experiences coming home to similarly challenged post-industrial cities. Between them, they have run political campaigns, traveled to five continents, written over a million dollars worth of successful grant proposals, and performed on half a dozen stages. Prior to moving back to Detroit, Sarah, who will supervise GLUE networks in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, served as the Director of Finance and Operations to the Harlem Success Academy Charter School in New York, where she oversaw the operational startup of the new school. Abby, supervisor of GLUE networks in Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, most recently managed the successful Pittsburgh City Council campaign of Patrick Dowd, a progressive school board member, who won a hotly contested race against an entrenched incumbent.

About GLUE’s Friends (for whom GLUE is very grateful):

Abby and Sarah are pleased to thank the Brookings Institution’s Great Lakes Economic Initiative for supporting the organizing of GLUE.

GLUE has been made possible by the generous support of our partners; and the financial support afforded the Brookings Institution Great Lakes Economic Initiative by: The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, DTE Energy, The Ford Motor Company Fund, The Joyce Foundation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Michigan State University – Land Policy Institute, the John R. Oishei Foundation, the University of Michigan; as well as the general support of the George Gund Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation for the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program.GLUE would also like to thank the generous and talented designer Serene Arena, who created our logo. Lindsay Patross has provided invaluable technical guidance. Pat Clark made some essential early connections without which GLUE would still be just an idea.Finally, GLUE would like to thank the amazing Pittsburgh company LibSyn, who volunteered to host our (future) podcasts for free. Thank you LibSyn!