Last year, BUILD Institute successfully served 500 community members, distributed over $112,000 in direct loans and grants, contributing to total funds deployed of over $2.5 million in Detroit.
Going into 2025 with this solid foundation, BUILD is excited to invite all of their alumni to the
“New Year, New Revenue Roundtable Event” on January 16th from 5 to 8 p.m. at their Corktown headquarters. This event will be invaluable for alumni seeking to reconnect, explore funding opportunities, and engage with Detroit’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Representatives from KIVA Detroit, small business partners and select lenders from lending institutions will be in attendance to share insights and funding resources.
Since its inception in 2012, BUILD has been empowering and collaborating with aspiring entrepreneurs in Detroit by providing essential resources, education, and support to turn ideas into sustainable businesses. BUILD offers business development courses, capital funding, networking opportunities, and primarily serves under-represented and under-resourced community businesses owned by women and entrepreneurs of color. Now in 2025, that mission still stands, and BUILD is ready to take the next step to serve its program alumni.
BUILD graduates benefit greatly even after completing their courses. Regularly scheduled programming includes Master Classes and workshops in collaboration with local entrepreneurial support organizations, marketing through regular BUILD alumni profiles on social media, regular open office hours and co-working sessions, alumni engagement events, and an active alumni
Facebook group. Furthermore, alumni enjoy deals and discounts from local businesses, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among Detroit's burgeoning small business landscape.
For over a decade, regardless of an alumni’s business journey or when they finished their courses, BUILD has repeatedly lent a helping hand. With over 2,600 graduates to date, BUILD alumni are instrumental in bolstering Detroit's economic vitality and cultivating a spirit of community throughout the region.
“Forget the sky… There is no limit”
Jay Rayford is the founder of
SushiRitas, a fast-casual sushi restaurant and bar located at 5700 Woodward in Midtown. Rayford also serves as project coordinator of Grow Detroit Young Talent, the City of Detroit's youth employment program. In other words, he is heavily involved in the Detroit community.
“I consider myself to be a Swiss army knife to a degree, I’m very passionate about community and connecting dots for our people to grow and get access to opportunity and resources and things of that nature, forget the sky, there is no limit,” Rayford says.
Rayford’s business first opened in the city in 2012, then known as Social Sushi. He liked the idea of creating a space where people from all over can come into a place and socialize while enjoying a food such as sushi. It started up as a social catering company and garnered a lot of popularity, winning a grant from Motor City Match in 2016, prompting him to begin to open up a storefront in the Seven Mile and Livernois area. However, due to challenges in securing a location, the restaurant never officially opened, but that did not deter him from his goal.
“I believe failure is part of the equation to success. My motto is ‘let’s figure out how to fail as fast as we can so we can learn from it and take it to the next level,’” Rayford says. “I want to inspire others from my journey and tell them it’s not over, my passion for what I do is still there and now I’m looking at the next iteration.
Rayford first became involved with BUILD 13 years ago when it was a program of D:Hive. He began with the
CO.STARTERS course and used the lessons he learned to create his business plan. He even went on to facilitate a CO.STARTERS course and used his experience to help others who were in the process of developing their concept and writing their business plan.
“BUILD Institute is like a real family to me and my journey. They’ve been there with me along my journey and have given support I can tap into anytime. I tell folks all the time if they're looking to do anything or something like that, please type in BUILD Institute,” he says.
Now, Rayford’s next iteration of his sushi business is SushiRitas and it includes a “Detroit Roll” which consists of the local brand BetterMade chips to be placed on top of the roll. He utilized BUILD’s “
Alumni 3C Funding Loan” to aid him with his new business. “I was able to tap into the
alumni loan and just having that resource that I can just tap back into, with the community that I trust and love; it’s just a no-brainer to tap into resources like that.”
Honoring a legacy while creating a new one
Jay Williams, also an alumnus of BUILD, is the owner of "
Miss Eva’s" Detroit, a luxury underground Harlem Renaissance-inspired speakeasy that honors the legacy of his grandmother, Mrs. Eva Franklin. Located on 19566 Grand River, this speakeasy invites everyone to come and enjoy an unforgettable night of soulful music, carefully curated cocktails and local talent in the city.
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Don VillabosA cocktail at "Miss Eva's" draws inspiration from Sombi, a traditional dish from Senegal, which is still enjoyed throughout New Orleans today. It is made with Gran Caramino Tequila + 400 Conejos Mezcal + Passionfruit + Honey + Lime + Baking Spices.
“It's important for us to honor our ancestors and talk about what they mean to us and what they mean for our families, and what they mean for the communities that they lived in and all the people who they helped throughout the years,” Williams says.
Williams remembers his grandmother’s and grandfather's, Eugene T. Franklin Sr., vibrancy accompanied with boldness and beauty and how she enjoyed having a good time at their house with others. “I remember when my grandmother used to have that house on the northwest side of Detroit, where people on Friday and Saturday nights, family and friends, would just kind of flood over to our house and they would turn up the tunes and whiskey would be flowing, and the smell of cigarette smoke would be in the air, everybody would just be there for a good time,” says Williams.
In addition to honoring her legacy, this business pays homage to all of the music and musicians that take part in making up the live music scene in the city and offers a stage to local talent such as performers Isis Damil, Charity and Mike Monford. Along with the talent is a list of cocktails inspired by the African diaspora that introduces visitors to a variety of flavors and a tribute to Black history. “The Spruce is one cocktail and the star of that cocktail is the pecan, which was used to make praline candy. And I think when we kind of look at history, the roots in America’s praline candy can be traced to enslaved Black women back in Louisiana.”
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Abby OladipoIdeeyah Supreme (left) and jessica Care moore (right) perform together at "Miss Eva's".Before "Miss Eva’s" came to fruition, Williams took part in the
Michigan Black Business Alliance’s class
Capital Connect in 2023. There, he learned how to write a business plan, financial projections and how to pitch his business to funders. From there, he got introduced and connected to BUILD where he took part in the
BUILD Basics course in 2024. “BUILD not only helped me refine my plans, but they helped me connect with people in the community who can help me bring my plans to life,” Williams says.
After two years of development, "Miss Eva’s" Detroit opened in the fall and has piqued the interests of many Detroiters. Since its soft opening in November, many talented singers and musicians have already graced the stage and brought a new dimension to Detroit’s rich music scene. To keep up with Williams and "Miss Eva’s", and to attend upcoming events, visit
missevasdetroit.com.
Growth is the name of the game this year. BUILD has planned numerous business events and is offering helpful courses for aspiring entrepreneurs and alumni looking to achieve their business goals. From networking and capital opportunities, to being a part of Detroit’s significantly growing small business community, Detroit can look forward to building and reaching that next level in their business journey.
BUILD Institute's headquarters is located at 1620 Michigan Avenue Ste. #120. For more information, visit www.buildinstitute.org.