Kates stands in her new office, glaring at herself in the mirror. Her 28th birthday, and a mixed bag for a gift. HydroPhonic... a woman she admired... a woman who was a rock of Detroit... was gone. Kates had received the frantic telegram from her mother while she was enjoying a carnival in Chicago. "Come home. I need you to set up. You're a Don." Talk about your double whammy. Her green eyes appraised her own reflection. 28 years olds. Her mother, Marietta, was 33 before she was a Don and a crewleader. Perhaps some ribbing was in order. Later. A few hurried preparations had sent the day flying by and she was just now making her way to the streets. Kates adjusted her new black dress and fixed an errant strand of dark hair as Matt_Haas poked his head through the door. "Ready?" She nodded slowly and turned, her green eyes shining in the semidarkness of the morning. She begins to speak as she approaches the small crowd of her compatriots with Matt_Haas at her side.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize in advance for any slurred words or mispronunciations- it's been a long and trying day. Those of you who may be familiar with me, or my family line, know that I have a dedication to the spoken and written words. So today, for once, I will try to be brief. After all, this is a time for action.

I must begin by acknowledging the tragedy that occurred yesterday. I always admired Don HydroPhonic and she was always there for me, just like she was always there for the city of Detroit. The city feels her absence. I have big shoes to fill, but I'm committed to doing my utmost to make sure I do Hydro's memory proud. Rest in Peace, Don HydroPhonic- you will never be forgotten.

Though I certainly wish the circumstances were different, I am nonethless presented with a special oppurtunity. Some of you may remember my father, MacLeod, who ran a crew out of Las Vegas years ago. When I fled to Detroit following his death, I never dreamed what would await me. A home. A purpose. A Family. A Mother. I was truly blessed to find Marietta- I would have been so even if she were the poorest seamstress in Detroit. I hope to combine the lessons of both my father and mother to make them both proud- and to help realize my own ambitions as well, of which I have many.

Some of you may have heard the term "renaissance man", referring to someone who has mastered multiple disciplines. I hope to echo this concept by building a family of intelligent, well-rounded men and women with a variety of skills. A renaissance, as you may also know, is a rebirth. A revival and refocus of past ideas and values. I may be a relatively young woman, but I am thoroughly of the "old school". These concepts and connotations, along with several others, have contributed to the name my operation will go by.

I am excited and humbled to present to you The Renaissance.

You will be hearing from us- thank you for listening.

Congratulations Kates

congrats kates

Congrats Kates

:)

Congrats Don Kates im looking forward to working with you. :D

Congratulations Don Kates

Deuce listens quietly to Don Kates speech. He has come to expect eloquence from Kates and she delivers nothing less.

Congratulations Don Kates! I look forward to seeing what you accomplish, best of luck to you and yours.

Congratulations Kates.

Congratulations Don Kates, your father would be very proud.

We go back a long time, when you visited my salon in NY, the one that is deserted nowadays... Running a crew is time consuming, but ofcourse I don't have to tell you that. I hope with this you still find time to do your researches and perhaps we can meet up sometime in NY, the Salon is still there after all.

I wish you all the best !

Congratulations Kates.

Congratulations Don Kates, I wish you the best of luck!

Congratulations Kates!

Congratulations Kates! Good luck with your Crew.

congrats! Kates i will enjoy working with you.I'm sure you will do well in your new position.

Congratulations Kates!

congratulations i wish you the best

Congrats, good luck with your new enterprise

Congrats Kates!!!!!!!!! Glad 2 b apart of the fam

Congrats Kates

I know we will be seeing many great things from The Renaissance. From personal experience I can say you are as driven as you are ambitious. You tackle the hardest problems head on and make it look easy. Detroit is in for a real treat, Kates. May you and your family be blessed with fortune and prosperity. Time to stun them all. Makes us proud.