Stories from the new economy: D2D business connect

This video was created by our partner, the New Economy Initiative, and does not necessarily reflect the views of Model D Media. The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) saw a problem in Detroit: large corporations had entrenched purchasing practices, often importing goods and services from outside of the city instead of looking locally for vendors. The DEGC knew that Detroit companies could provide some of those same goods and services at competitive prices while helping Detroit communities, so they partnered with the New Economy Inititiative to form D2D.

D2D is working to change the culture of Detroit businesses to one of mutual cooperation and support by tearing down networking barriers, creating new points of referral, and by exposing Detroit based companies that are hiding in plain sight. D2D helps strengthen and diversify the economic base of Detroit, from the mom and pop shop to big business.

D2D provides small businesses with essential services and exposure that will allow them to grow and play a larger role in their communities by landing purchase orders from large, Detroit based corporations- and it would not have been possible without NEI support.  D2D began as a small pilot program in Midtown, but a partnership with NEI allowed the program to learn from its early experimentation and expand to a city-wide program.  D2D is working with large corporations to partner with Detroit small businesses, not because it is charity, but because it makes good business sense.