Profile: Mansi Trivedi

India native Mansi Trivedi, 24, discovered ad agency Campbell-Ewald at a speaker series at Virginia Commonwealth University while working on her master’s degree in mass communications and strategic planning.

When she was offered an internship in 2006, she jumped at the chance. “I liked that they were into social media and different kinds of contact points,” she said. “I was also interested in the auto market because my dad worked for Tata Motors in India.”

She arrived with no preconceived ideas about the area. “I was pretty fresh,” said Mansi, who hadn’t seen much of the U.S. at that time.

A metro-wide scavenger hunt hosted by the agency sent new interns on a mad dash to places like Hard Rock Café and Belle Isle. “It was so much fun and the best way to explore the city,” said Trivedi, now a Dearborn resident.

She also got a tour from her sister, who at the time was studying at Eastern Michigan University. “I was like: Oh, my gosh, I love Detroit. It was awesome. I met so many nice people.”

So last year, when Campbell-Ewald offered her the assistant account planner position, it was a no-brainer — despite potential offers at Element 79 Partners in Chicago and Ogilvy in New York.

“I just feel like it’s home,” she said.

Her advice to candidates grappling with a move to Detroit: “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Just Google it.”