Eleanor Fuchs
Eleanor serves as a Program Manager and the Fund Development Coordinator for PCF. Her Fund Development responsibilities leads her to work with staff to foster new partnerships and build relationships with organizations from across the state.
As a Program Manger, Eleanor works with statewide partners to create and maintain numerous projects benefiting Michigan communities. One such project is the Walk for Michigan, PCF's first statewide fundraiser to support Michigan's K-12 schools, encouraging physical fitness and community engagement. This fundraiser engages with multiple partners to invest in our schools, our people, and our communities.
Eleanor also manages PCF's Sector Development Program. She is currently working closely with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to develop the Garment Industry in Michigan. By assisting designers, small-scale businesses, and larger manufacturers, PCF is creating a new, exciting industry that will put Michigan on the international garment map.
Eleanor earned a Master’s degree from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor’s from the University of Minnesota. Eleanor is thrilled to have settled here in Michigan with her partner Stefan and their cat, Clavius Biscuit.
Matt Clayson
Matt is currently the Director for the Detroit Creative Corridor Initiative. The Detroit Creative Corridor Initiative is the regional champion for the creative economy; ensuring viable creative individuals and enterprises have the tools they need to prosper in Detroit’s Creative Corridor, connecting stakeholders and positioning assets to attract new creative enterprises and individuals to Detroit’s Creative Corridor, and ensuring top creative talent is identified, engaged and virtually connected in Southeast Michigan.
Before joining the Detroit Creative Corridor Initiative, he was an attorney with ePrize, LLC, where he counseled a portfolio of Fortune 500 clients on legal and strategic issues related to global interactive initiatives, new and social media, interactive marketing and interactive communications. He was also a project manager for the Tourism Economic Development Council, helping to create and manage initiatives to strengthen Detroit’s image for Super Bowl XL.
Active in the community, Clayson serves on the Leadership Next Leadership Team for the United Way for Southeast Michigan. He is former chair of Leadership Next, and former vice chair for United Way’s Capital Campaign. He has served as an Agenda Setting Advisory board member for the Mackinac Regional Policy Conference and development chair for the Detroit Synergy Group. “I want a Detroit that is not just globally renowned, but is globally competitive. I want a Detroit that does a few things, and does those few things better than anyone else in the world. Detroit can be a leader in design, urban development, greenbelts and mobility. I look forward to advancing solutions that can help us be a leader in these areas.”
He lives in Detroit’s Indian Village with his wife, and is restoring the 99 year-old home of Stanford and Emma Crapo.
Joe Faris
Joe is a designer, Project Runway Alum and Metro-Detroiter. Joe has taken a first step towards establishing an apparel industry in southeastern Michigan with the creation of Motor City Blues, a collaborative collection with Denise Ilitch Designs. The brand is "Born in Michigan" and "Made in U.S.A." Characterized as “Industrial Couture”, the collection is a mix of high-fashion elements with an industrial edge, such as an evening dress made of denim with heavy zippers and rivets. Motor City Blues is designed and constructed entirely in Michigan. A former Project Runway Season 5 contestant, Joe made it to the Top 6 out of 16 Designers which granted him a showing at Bryant Park New York Fashion Week Project Runway Season 5 Final Fashion Show. Faris started his career as a denim designer in the late eighties for Bugle Boy while still studying at Parsons School of Design in New York. He has designed for several High-profile brands, including Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, Donna Karen, Pelle Pelle, Double D Ranch, Schott NYC and Made In Detroit. In 2009 Joe moved closer to his goal of a Detroit garment industry by co-founding Fashion In Detroit. FID has become Detroit’s hottest, highly-anticipated cultural event and premier annual fashion events in Michigan, Joe is passionately committed to bringing the garment industry back to the US and Metro-Detroit.