How Explore Flint & Genesee Is Reframing Place, Pride, and Possibility

By Xzavier Simon | Economic Development | January 21, 2026 | Flint Side

FLINT, Michigan — Situated inside the Flint Institute of Arts, on a sunny winter day, sat Amari Steward, Executive Director of Explore Flint & Genesee, who is adept at understanding how stories shape perception and how perception shapes investment. 

At the center of that work is Explore Flint & Genesee, a business that lives at the intersection of narrative and economics. Their newly released Brand Anthem video, cinematic in tone and character-driven in approach, resists the urge to sell a singular image of Flint and Genesee County. Instead, it offers something more expansive. 

The intention, Steward explained, was for viewers—residents and visitors alike—to recognize themselves within it, saying she wanted “everyone to see themselves reflected in this video,” whether they are “family oriented looking for things to do or just inspired by community,” and to feel, “okay, that’s a piece of me in there.”

That idea of reflection—of recognition—guides much of Explore Flint & Genesee’s thinking. They understand that for Flint, especially, perception has long preceded experience. For many outside the region, the story of Flint isn’t exactly positive, reduced to moments of crisis rather than that of a living, thriving community. But Steward emphasized that storytelling has the power to disrupt that negativity, noting that “we are visual individuals,” and that people often “have to see it to believe it.”

The belief that visibility matters shaped the conception of the Brand Anthem video. Rather than isolating downtown Flint or leaning exclusively on legacy narratives, the video intentionally stretches across Genesee County. Steward pointed out that many people don’t realize that “if they come to Fenton or Grand Blanc, it’s all Genesee County for us,” a reminder that the region’s identity is collective, not singular.

That collective approach was essential, she said, because there had “never been anything as comprehensive as this” to showcase the county’s many facets at once. Small towns, cultural institutions, local restaurants, breweries, parks, music and creative arts, and family-centered spaces all coexist here, and the video attempts to acknowledge that coexistence rather than prioritize one experience over another.

For Steward, the work is deeply personal. Born and raised in Flint, she recognizes the city’s history not as a headline but as a lived reality. She spoke about Genesee County’s automotive roots as a story of opportunity and migration—families, including hers, mine, and many others—who came for work and built lives here. Flint may have been known as the Vehicle City, but today, she said, it is “the vehicle for innovation.”

That reframing does not ignore hardship. Steward was clear that no community is without challenge, responding that “every community in every pocket of every place in America has some areas of opportunity,” and that Flint’s struggles simply unfolded “on a global standpoint at some point in time.” What matters now, she suggested, is what people choose to do with that reality.

Explore Flint & Genesee hopes viewers of the Brand Anthem video come away seeing Flint not as an afterthought, but as a site of possibility—asking “what is the opportunity for growth,” “what is the opportunity to engage,” and “what is the opportunity to collaborate and partner.” That framing shifts the conversation from deficit to potential.

Much of that direction, Steward believes, depends on people choosing to stay, return, or arrive. She spoke about the importance of telling stories that explain “why we choose to continue to live, work, and place here in Genesee County,” and why families continue to grow here. Those stories are foundational to sustainable growth because “we are only as strong as the people that live here.”

It’s a critical thought to keep in mind because tourism is not only about leisure; it is also about economic circulation and community confidence. Explore Flint & Genesee’s commitment to “sustainable growth within Genesee County” is a goal that depends on attracting visitors while also affirming residents.

While the Brand Anthem video is designed to reach meeting planners, event organizers, and first-time visitors, it’s equally invested in the people who already call the county home. She hopes it “restores community pride,” serving as both affirmation and resource to counter naysayers, to invite others in, and to rediscover what exists in their own backyard.

And one of the most concrete ways Explore Flint & Genesee encourages residents to engage with place is through its Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) program. The program is an “industry-recognized certification” and walks participants through understanding the county’s assets, learning how to find and recommend activities, exceeding customer expectations, and recognizing the economic impact of tourism. 

Steward noted that there are “about 300 or more current CTAs in Genesee County,” along with dozens of “Blue Star” organizations in which at least half of the staff are certified. Real estate agents, museum staff, park employees, and cultural institutions all participate, reinforcing the idea that everyone contributes to how a place is experienced.

As our conversation closed, Steward returned to an idea that feels especially relevant in Flint: becoming a tourist in your own hometown. She challenges residents to explore something new within the county. 

“Sometimes we can be our own worst critics,” she said, urging people to ask when the last time was that they truly explored their surroundings.

Ultimately, the Brand Anthem video is not a conclusion—it’s an invitation. Explore Flint & Genesee and Steward hope it encourages viewers to create memories, build emotional connections, and leave with stories they want to share. Whether those stories begin with art, food, music, sports, or simply curiosity, she wants them rooted in experience rather than assumption.

In that way, the video—and the work behind it—doesn’t ask people to blindly believe in Flint. It asks them to look, to visit, to engage, and to see what has been here all along.

To learn more about Explore Flint & Genesee, you can visit their website. Interested in becoming a Certified Tourism Ambassador? You can enroll in the program now.