Rieanna Stewart
Operations Director
What's your favorite experience DXF offers and why?
Our Downtown and Beyond Bus tour is not only one of our most popular private experience bus tours, but one of my favorites. This tour is truly perfect for both visitors and locals, and allows us to give people a better understanding of Detroit’s past, present, and future in just two hours. As one of the first DXF tours I attended, it’s a tour that really opened the curiosity gate and connections to the city for me personally. It’s also the one that keeps people coming back for more, and that’s the feeling I love sharing with participants.
What Detroiter inspires you the most?
The everyday Detroiters are my constant inspiration. I fell in love with this city because of the friendly faces of locals, the magic of conversations with small business owners, and the grit of everyone working for the greater good here. There’s magic in the Detroit sidewalks, and that will always inspire me.
Bio
Rieanna is a Detroit transplant residing in the North End neighborhood. She recalls falling in love with the city at a very young age while exploring various pockets regularly with her mother. This love and sense of commitment to the city was crystallized for her while studying, living and working full time at Wayne State University for 8 years. Her experiences from those years drive her desire to share the stories of Detroit with others in her work and personal life. As DXF’s Operations Director, she is responsible for overseeing the organizational structure and processes, finances and assists the Executive Director with the strategic planning of the organization. With a B.S. in Business Management and a background in event logistics, project management, administration, education and customer service; she’s known to get things done. You can also find her mentoring as a Chapter Advisor for Alpha Gamma Delta, a women's fraternity at Wayne State University, biking around town, or volunteering in the community in her spare time.
Describe your perfect day in Detroit.
My perfect day in Detroit would start with an order of The Special and a FROMO from Honest John’s for a classic american style breakfast. From there, I would get a quick caffeine boost for the day at New Order, their iced cereal milk latte is a personal favorite. If I chose not to sit on their patio and enjoy my latte, I’d go do a little Detroit shopping and scooting around town to some of my favorite places: Eastern Market, City Bird, Mama Coo’s, Source Booksellers and The Lip Bar. After a full first half of the day shopping, I’d go for an mid-afternoon hangout with some of my friends around town and maybe take a quick snooze. After a little re-charge, I’d grab a seasonal Pie-Sci order for a little to go pizza dining at the Riverfront. Then head over to catch an evening movie showing at Cinema Detroit. Or, go dance the night away at Old Miami.
Where's your favorite place to hang in Detroit during the summer? During the winter?
Summer hangout would have to be Bronx Bar for the perfect indoor/outdoor patio, amazing burgers, and of course their honey mustard. During the winter, I love a bit of friendly competition with friends and family feather bowling at Cadieux Cafe.
What's one thing you think people get wrong about Detroit?
I think one thing people get wrong about Detroit is that it’s an empty city. That is false today, and has never really been true. We’ve experienced population fluctuations similar to every other major American city, but it’s never been an empty city. There are so many friendly people, amazing historical living spaces, unique entertainment opportunities, delicious cuisine and incredibly innovative organizations working here in the city.