Detroit’s Legacy of Innovation

Detroit earned its reputation as the Motor City through decades of automotive innovation and manufacturing leadership. By the mid-20th century, the region was producing roughly half of all cars made in the United States, establishing itself as one of the country’s most important industrial centers. Today, that industrious spirit extends far beyond automotive manufacturing. From a vibrant art scene and a growing technology campus, Detroit is investing in its future like never before.

Finding the Right Office Location

That’s why when Andy Femminineo first got the idea for a Detroit-based DMC office, the city’s rich manufacturing past and emerging technology sector felt like a natural fit. Andy immediately started looking for spaces in the Detroit area and landed on Green Garage, an industrial coworking building in Midtown. “I wanted a space that we could just get started in with two, three, or four of us and then find a full-time lease.”

DMC has long been committed to creating workspaces where people want to be, and for Andy, that meant finding a location with plenty of natural light, architectural character, and, of course, in-office perks.

Green Garage Coworking Space in Midtown, Detroit

“I looked at about four or five places, and I knew right away that Green Garage would be perfect. The building itself was built using a lot of the reclaimed materials from the businesses that had been there before: an old manufacturing building, an automotive shop and garage.”

In addition to its sustainability focus, Green Garage is also deeply invested in the surrounding community, offering coworking residents a pantry stocked with locally sourced snacks and food. “The little market sells locally produced, Michigan-made goods. It’s very community-driven,” Andy shared.

While the team may eventually move into a larger, dedicated office of its own, Green Garage is currently providing an ideal place for the Detroit team to work in person while enjoying everything Midtown has to offer.

Establishing Office Culture

Creating a workplace people enjoy starts with culture. Through after-work activities, mentorship programs, and team lunches, every DMC office is encouraged to build relationships and connect beyond day-to-day project work. Although the Detroit team is small, they regularly explore the city’s attractions and bond outside of the office.

“Spencer was one of our first new hires, and he has been the driving force behind many of our team outings,” Andy remarked. This past summer, for example, the team spent an evening at Full Throttle, driving go-karts and playing VR games together. The team also regularly takes in Detroit sports, visiting Comerica Park for baseball games and Little Caesars Arena to watch the Red Wings (RIP, The Joe). Thanks to the office’s location, almost all of these attractions are little more than a short walk or bike ride away.

DMC’s Detroit team members at sports games, go-karting, and an archery range

“My favorite event so far has been our first Tigers game as a team,” Spencer explained. “There was a fan who wore ten jerseys to the game and took them off as different players came to bat. Then afterward we all rented scooters and zipped through the city back to the office. It was so fun getting to know the Detroit office outside of work.”

As for future events, Spencer has a few fun and very Michigan-themed ideas. “I think it would be fun to go to the Michigan/Michigan State game—preferably football, but basketball would be fun, too! There’s so much history behind that rivalry, every game is electric, and now we have University of Michigan alums and Michigan State alums on the team.”

When it’s time to collaborate on client projects, Detroit’s diverse industrial landscape provides no shortage of engineering challenges. As Andy explained, “Detroit is the Motor City, of course, but our office does a lot more high-tech work, SCADA projects, and general manufacturing because there are so many industries here, including aerospace and pharmaceuticals throughout Michigan.”

What’s Next for DMC Detroit?

Detroit’s history and momentum make it an exciting place to work, but it’s the people who have made the office feel truly special. From finding a workspace that meets the team’s growing needs to building connections through after-work events, Midtown has proven to be an excellent place for DMC to lay down roots in Michigan and continue delivering the engineering expertise and partnerships DMC is known for around the country.

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With 43 employees joining DMC since May, this summer has been packed with opportunities to celebrate. Across the country, teams gathered to introduce newcomers to their coworkers, communities, and company culture. Take a look at how our offices welcomed their newest teammates this season.

Welcoming New Hires

DMC places a strong emphasis on onboarding and helping every new employee have their “Best First Day” (BFD). From day one, anyone joining the company can expect a fully prepared workspace, a ready-to-go laptop, an activated key card, and a lunch hosted in their honor.

But the celebration doesn’t stop there, because each employee is also welcomed with a team event designed to help them get to know their colleagues and city. Think escape rooms, happy hours, and city tours; offering new team members an opportunity to build connections from the start while experiencing the fun, community-focused culture that makes DMC unique.

Exploring Architecture in Chicago

In July, members of DMC’s Chicago team took the world-renowned Chicago Architecture Boat Tour. The boat tour starts at the end of the river that opens into Lake Michigan. From there, it travels up the Chicago River while a tour guide points to famous buildings along the riverfront, explaining the year in which they were constructed, their architectural style, architect, and historical significance.

The tour began near the mouth of the Chicago River, where it meets Lake Michigan. From there, the boat traveled along the river as the guide highlighted some of the city’s most iconic buildings, sharing details about when they were constructed, the architectural styles they represent, the architects who designed them, and their historical significance.

The eras of the buildings run the gamut with some dating to the early 20th Century, like the Wrigley Building, and others built much more recently, like the sleek Apple Store Building sitting in front of the Tribune Tower. There are always a handful of historical facts that stand out on each tour, and each DMC Chicago team member, especially those new to the city, had their own takeaway:

Axe Throwing in Denver

Denver found a unique way to welcome one of its newest engineers, Jaron O’Grady, to the team when the office headed to an axe-throwing venue. “We were divided into two teams and competed against each other,” Julia explained. “It was tied most of the time!”

Teammates took turns hurling axes at targets, with points awarded based on accuracy. While everyone had their moments of success, no one on the Denver team will be quitting their day job to become a professional axe thrower anytime soon.

The group also had the chance to try throwing knives, and opinions were evenly split on which activity was more fun. Whatever the preference, the event gave the team a memorable way to spend time together outside the office getting to know Jaron.

A Tiki-Themed Party in Cincinnati

In Cincinnati, the team also took a boat tour, swapping architecture for a tiki theme complete with drinks, music, team bonding, and, of course, Hawaiian shirts. The Cincinnati office wanted to do something original to welcome Rob Orr, who joined the Automation team.

“Everyone got in the spirit! Almost everyone had floral or island-themed shirts, and the boat offered leis and hats, too,” Dylan remembered about the day. The boat took the team up the Ohio River, approaching downtown. They got to see views of the Cincinnati skyline and stopped for food at a waterside restaurant on the way back.

Hiring Continues This Fall

From architecture cruises and axe-throwing competitions to tiki boat tours on the Ohio River, each welcome party reflected the unique personality of its local office while sharing the same goal: helping new hires build connections from day one. As DMC continues to grow, employee connection remains an important part of what makes our culture special.

Looking ahead, we’re continuing this hiring momentum. In the fall, DMC will be traveling to career fairs and events across the country to meet the next generation of engineers. These events are a great chance to connect with talented students and discuss professional opportunities that define a career at DMC from day one.

Whether we’re welcoming new teammates at a local office event or meeting aspiring engineers on campus, we’re always looking for talented people who are eager to learn, grow, and have fun along the way. We can’t wait to see who the guest of honor at the next welcome party will be.

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But this summer, we’ve been brought together virtually and otherwise through the 2026 FIFA World Cup! From office watch parties to stadium visits, World Cup fever has spread throughout DMC, allowing us to celebrate together even when we can’t be together in person.  

2026 FIFA World Cup

The 23^rd FIFA World Cup has been a cultural phenomenon throughout North America, with the rest of the world watching. There have been unexpected cross-cultural exchanges, player stories, and incredible matches that have all contributed to this tournament setting the record for the highest cumulative attendance in World Cup history.

Cultures Meet

Matches were hosted in a total of 16 cities. 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada. It’s the first time since 2002 that the World Cup has been hosted by multiple nations, and the spread across cities in North America has led to some vibrant cultural mixes: Scotland’s “Tartan Army” in Boston, Algeria’s National Team in Lawrence, Kansas, English fans in Mexico City, and Norway fans at a Mets game, to name a few.

New Rules Introduced

The 2026 World Cup also introduced several new rules, including faster substitutions, mandatory water breaks, and video reviews. Here’s a full breakdown of some of the new rules we’ve seen this year on the field:

• 10-second substitutions: Players being substituted have 10 seconds to exit the field. This is meant to decrease time-wasting during gameplay. If the player does not exit the field quickly enough, the sub must wait for one minute before entering the match.
• Medical treatment: A player who receives on-field medical attention must leave the field and wait for 1 minute before returning.
• Expanded video assistant referee (VAR): VAR can now review and reverse incorrectly awarded corner kicks, certain attacking fouls, and erroneous red cards issued following a second yellow card.
• Red Cards for Mouth Covering: Referees can issue a red card or send off players who cover their mouths with their hand, arm, or shirt to conceal insulting language when confronting an opponent.
• Tie-Break Criteria: Head-to-head results now serve as the first tiebreaker, replacing overall goal difference.
• Hydration Breaks: FIFA introduced mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in every half of a match.

Messi to Mbappé

The games themselves throughout the tournament were noteworthy. Some fascinating numbers include 14 red cards given and 297 goals scored, and a record 10 African teams competed, with 9 advancing. Pop Quiz: Can you guess which four countries received their first World Cup points? Canada, Qatar, Curaçao, and Cape Verde.

Individual players experienced their own milestones, too. Erling Haaland dazzled fans with his scoring versatility as the only player to score with his left foot, right foot, and head, as well as inside and outside the penalty box. Gilberto Mora set the record for youngest player starting in the tournament when he stepped out onto the pitch representing Mexico in the Mexico/South Africa game. Soccer stars Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi set their own impressive records. Mbappé recorded eight match-winning goals, and Messi set the all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.

DMC Gets in the Game

DMC team members across the country also joined in the World Cup fun, participating in after-work events, trips to games, and even some office watch parties. Kandra DiNuzzo from the DMC Chicago office made a harrowing journey to St. Louise to catch the Colombia vs. Ghana game. Colombia advanced, beating Ghana 1-0, and went on to face Switzerland in round 16.

Jason Mayes, from the Dallas office, caught a couple of games with his family, and luckily, they didn’t have to travel far. They spent a day at NRG Stadium in Houston watching Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, and in Arlington for the Australia vs. Egypt game. He and his sons even snapped some memorable shots of the penalty kicks at the end of the Australia/Egypt game.

Ryan Knudten from the Chicago office traveled the farthest to see the World Cup. He flew to Oakland, California for USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium. He said the highlight of his time in Oakland was watching Malik Tillman’s free-kick goal: “We had a great view of it from where we were sitting, and everyone went nuts!”

He didn’t get much downtime after flying across the country for the USA game, however. After a quick nap, Ryan and his girlfriend hopped on another plane headed to LA for the Spain vs. Austria match at SoFi Stadium. Don’t worry, though, they had just enough time between back-to-back games to make the obligatory run to In-N-Out Burger.

Like Kandra, Jason Ims also made the trek to St. Louis to see Colombia face Ghana in the round of 32 knockout stage game. As a soccer fan since he was about five years old, Jason has a lifetime love for soccer. He and his three best friends jumped in a car and made the eight-hour drive, and when they arrived in St. Louis, they weren’t disappointed.

An Event Worth Celebrating

Whether we were cheering from the office, watching from home, or lucky enough to experience the action in person, the 2026 FIFA World Cup gave DMC employees another reason to connect. From record-setting performances on the field to unforgettable experiences in stadiums across North America, the tournament brought people together in the same way our favorite company events do. As the World Cup comes to a close, we’re already looking forward to the next opportunity to celebrate, compete, and make memories together.

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New Faces at the Party

Naturally, our guests of honor and newest team members were in attendance, including: Systems Engineer Luke Horwath, IT team members RJ Hughes and Conor Mitchell, Annabel Tevonian from Recruiting, Kaitlyn Heistand from the Chicago Admin team, and me, Hannah Overhiser, the newest addition to the Marketing team.

The rest of the Chicago office came out in full force to put their skills to the test, and by the end of the evening, everyone walked away with a sense of accomplishment, new connections, and a favorite immersive game.

What Your Favorite Game Says About You

When I started at DMC, I was surprised that my packed onboarding schedule didn’t include a personality test of some kind. Yet, as I moved between different groups of DMCers at Activate throughout the evening, it became clear that different people naturally excelled at different games—revealing interesting aspects of each of our personalities.

It’s possible that DMC’s Spring 2026 new hires may have participated in personality tests without even knowing it. Find out which Activate game resonates with you in the descriptions below.

Laser

Laser is a tactical game requiring players to move quickly through a laser maze or shoot a series of targets with laser guns. Players successfully reach higher levels when they clear mazes and hit targets.

If Laser was your favorite Activate game, you likely have a flair for the dramatic and a love for being in the action. Beneath the excitement, though, you’re thoughtful and deliberate, watching closely and moving with purpose once you spring into action.

Key Traits: Dramatic, Thoughtful, Agile

Mega Grid

The Mega Grid room featured a floor with 500 touch-sensitive LED tiles and light-up buttons along the walls. As the floor tiles light up, players must step on or avoid certain tiles to complete levels in the game.

If Mega Grid was your favorite game at Activate, you are great at making the quickest and best decision when faced with multiple choices! Your ability to pick a direction and stick to it is your superpower, and others recognize your intuition and integrity.

Key Traits: Decisive, Collaborative, and Fast-acting

Pipes

Pipes is a game of collaboration. The room features 24 pipes with NeoPixel screens and touch-activated buttons. Players have 5 seconds to identify the correct pipe, toss the ball to their teammate, and put it in the correct portal.

If you liked Pipes, you’re an effective communicator, highly strategic, and agile. You’re good at making quick connections and finding the right person to help you achieve a task—a real team player.

Key Traits: Communicative, Strategic, Purposeful

Press

Press features a room full of light-up, interactive buttons. Players must collaborate to memorize color sequences, scan the room for the correct buttons, and press them all before time expires.

If you excelled at Press, you are detail-oriented, collaborative, and communicative. You are comfortable working in a group setting, sharing your ideas, but you also aren’t afraid to lead when the opportunity arises.

Key Traits: Detail-oriented, Collaborative, Discerning

Scan

Players interact with touch screens to move digital objects between portals. Progressing to higher levels requires matching the objects on each player’s screen with the objects shown on the room’s hub screen.

If Scan was your favorite game, you excel at creating order out of chaos. Highly organized and analytical, you spot connections others might miss and act decisively once the solution becomes clear.

Key Traits: Organized, Analytical, Quick-thinking

Strike

Players throw balls at targets as they appear on a wall-sized screen. As levels progress, the targets evolve in shape, size, and speed, challenging players’ reaction time and precision.

Players who gravitate toward Strike are fast, focused, and precise. Once you lock onto a goal, you don’t miss. You’re driven by determination and know exactly which steps to take to succeed.

Key Traits: Precise, Determined, Focused

Conclusion

During my interviews with DMC, I kept hearing how much the company values its culture. After just a month on the team, that commitment is already clear. The effort that goes into bringing people together is genuine, and the Activate Welcome Party was a perfect example of how DMC regularly invests in its culture, encouraging everyone to connect, experience something new, and, most importantly, have fun.

And if you’re wondering what my favorite Activate game was, it was Laser.

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