DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — “This house was built in the late 1800's and the last time it was used was in 1980 for a Children’s Museum and Art School called the Heritage House,” said Nancy Tellem, Founder of BasBlue.
They would tell you about being brought back to life by a group of strong women. Looking to bring other women to the table.
“That connection and that care and support for women is so important that we do that for each other,” said Tellem.
“I got to say in my own career I worked with a lot of women, and it was really important that we support each other and made everyone just do that much better or understand where their journey was and I really felt that that was lacking here and I felt that BasBlue could be that place,” said Tellem.
Nancy Tellem is co-founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Basblue. The new nonprofit now lives in the historic mansion on Ferry Street. It was once owned by the first president of the Michigan telephone company and now it is home to the group, she created to connect women through conversation.
“There are a lot of working women, young women who are coming back to Detroit, who really needed a place of networking. They didn't really know how to network, needed mentorship,” said Tellem.
Miah Davis is the membership and community manager and a native Detroiter.
“We ask all of our members as they join, what their particular interests are whether they are interested in being paired with a mentor or if their interested in giving back through mentorship themselves,” said Miah Davis, BasBlue Membership and Community Development.
“Members have the opportunity to connect on civic engagement, food and beverage, wine pairing,” said Davis. “Whether or not they are interested in professional development, tips on childcare, reentering the work force, there’s just a wide array of opportunities.”
“The idea is to support women artists in the community,” said Davis.
“Why BasBlue, that's such a cool name," asked WXYZ’s Glenda Lewis.
"I kind of looked at when the house was built and what was happening in the world during that period of time and there was a movement in the late 1700s and early 1800s where women in the salon era would come together and read. They were excluded from everything, but they had impact on the social and political movements,” said Tellem.
