“Our Black Business Reunion is a celebration and recognition of Detroit’s Black business community, their everlasting legacy and the impact they make in our everyday lives,” says Christianne Malone, chief program officer at TechTown Detroit.
“The EPIC Prize will really help the entrepreneurs in these incubators bring their technologies to market faster,” says Dr. Vanessa Z. Chan, Chief Commercialization Officer for the U.S. DOE's Office of Technology Transitions.
“This project will create a community hub and gathering space for learning and connection,” says MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz.
“For years now, TechTown has helped Retail Boot Camp graduates open competitive retail businesses in a fast-changing environment,” says Jeremy Lewis, Director of Small Business Services for TechTown Detroit.
“We're trying to create more community through our spaces, whether that's in our facilities themselves or outside of them, and we just want to use whatever properties we have in support of that,” says Tom Habitz, urban planning specialist for Henry Ford Health.
Lisa Johanon opens up about the Central Detroit Christian nonprofit's business efforts, which include City Soup and the Peaches & Greens market.
“Our transition into TechTown will allow Hatch Detroit to expand capacity, increase reach and improve communication with business owners and the public,” says Vittoria Katanski, executive director of Hatch. “Hatch now has the opportunity to grow and touch the lives of future business owners for many years to come. The network of alumni winners can now mentor the next generation.”
This unique grant is aimed at elevating established local businesses to the next level. Here's what it's been doing in Detroit.
Detroit-born Khalid el-Hakim’s mobile museum has evolved into one of the biggest collections of African American history and artifacts in the country. Now the pioneer in Black Museum Studies is touring Michigan, from Bloomfield Hills to Beaver Island.
Placemaking and communty-oriented development can take a lot of different forms. Here are three minority-led Detroit development efforts that are putting community up front in their work.
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