Laura Grannemann’s job is to understand complex problems and invest in the people who work toward solutions.
That’s not what Grannemann thought she would be doing 12 years ago as an intern for Rock Ventures. Since then she has co-founded Rocket Community Fund, where she is the executive director. Grannemann, 34, also leads the Gilbert Family Foundation. Her goal is systemic change, through investments large and small.
“Sometimes, the most impactful investments are smaller, but they’re the right investment at the right moment to catalyze some bigger outcome,” she said.
The Rocket Community Fund, funded primarily by Rocket Companies, invests in housing stability, education and employment. Grannemann became the head of the fund by 2023, and directs $500 million in investments in the city. That work has eliminated millions of dollars in property tax debt for Detroiters, and transitioned thousands of residents from renters to homeowners.
Grannemann’s work with the Gilbert Family Foundation stretches nationally. She has helped lead the foundation’s effort to accelerate research and treatment for neurofibromatosis.
Grannemann is a winner of the Dave Bing Young Leader Award, part of the 2026 Shining Light Awards, which recognize local leaders bridging divides in the region. The awards are presented by the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition and the Detroit Free Press.
We asked Grannemann about her approach to philanthropy and what it’s like to be in a pivotal leadership position at a young age. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: What’s one early lesson you learned that has stuck with you?
Answer: The thing that has stuck with me the most is the idea of falling in love with understanding the problem. One of the things that’s really easy to do in philanthropy is to get really excited about solutions, if we just had $100,000 for this or if we had $1 million for that. But that’s almost never true. There’s almost never one silver bullet that is going to address all the problems. The most important thing is actually that you have a deep understanding of the problem you’re trying to solve, because you’re going need to put together a complex set of investments that leverage different talents and organizations to drive a complex solution.
Why do you think Detroiters struggle so much with housing and homeownership?
The housing challenges today originated with the long history of systemic racism in the city of Detroit. There’s no way around that. Then today, there are a few dynamics. We’re coming from a place where our housing values are relatively low, and we don’t have enough healthy housing stock. Whether we don’t have enough new housing, we don’t have enough new construction, or our existing housing stock is not in good shape, we are not serving the needs of Detroit residents when it comes to the type of housing that we have to offer. People struggle to get access to the right financing for the right moment, and people are living in unhealthy environments.
What role do you want to see the government take in addressing those problems?
Collaboration is important with the mayoral administration, the governor and at the federal level, too. Philanthropy cannot be the government. No mater how much philanthropy gives on an annual basis, we will be a drop in the bucket relative to some of these large-scale budgets. I think what philanthropy’s role really is, is to take bigger risks than what the government can do. We have the ability to take risks, the ability to think longer term, and the ability to just test things and try to catalyze different solutions. But if we don’t do that in collaboration with the government, then we aren’t able to ultimately impact the policy environments that create conditions for long-term success in Detroit.
What advice do you have for young people who are in similar situations to yourself, being put in positions of power and working with older people at a young age?
A lot of times, there will be more pressure on you because people are going to be looking at you differently, with different expectations as a young person at the table. You have to listen first, and you really have to know your stuff. Have the receipts, because people are going to assume that you don’t know what you’re talking about. You need to be head and shoulders more prepared than other people at the table. If you can do that, then I think you can shift the conversation in meaningful ways.
Are you more of a shawarma, coneys, or Detroit-style pizza fan?
A: Detroit-style pizza. For coneys, I love the concept, but I can’t do the liquid cheese. It freaks me out.
Shining Light Awards ceremony
The 2026 Shining Light honorees will be recognized at a luncheon ceremony in October. Here are the details.
When: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7Where: Motor City Casino Hotel Tickets: $85 at bit.ly/shininglight2026
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Laura Grannemann’s mission is to help solve complex problems
Reporting by Tristan McFolley, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tristan McFolley, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
