Awenate Cobbina reflects on the art of the transition
Awenate Cobbina reflects on the art of the transition
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Awenate Cobbina is CEO of Bedrock Group LP and executive committee chair of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
BEDROCK GROUP LP and MEDC:
Awenate Cobbina,
executive committee chair of the
Michigan Economic Development Corp., has become a master of smooth transitions. Throughout his career, 41-year-old Cobbina has bounced between government, business and sports — where politics have always been at play. After nearly five years as special assistant to President Barack Obama, Cobbina was recruited by the Detroit Pistons to assist with the team's move back to its namesake city after four decades. When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was elected in November 2018, he served as deputy director of her transition. Last year, the White House came calling again for help with a more tumultuous transfer of power. Cobbina worked for a year as director of operations for President Joe Biden's transition team before returning to Michigan. He took a job overseeing the investment arm of Shinola Detroit Inc. owner Tom Kartsotis while leading the search for a new CEO at the MEDC.