Get Involved for Students - Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project

3 Ways to Get Involved:

A small business owner chats with an accounting consultant at a JEI workshop

1) Work for DNEP

DNEP hires U-M students throughout the year to work in Detroit as student Accounting Consultants and Community Tech Consultants (providing 1:1 financial and technology support to businesses).

Photo of summer interns around work table

2) Intern with DNEP

DNEP hires U-M students to work as interns, providing implementation services for a portfolio of clients.

*Note for 2025: Due to federal funding changes, we are not yet sure if we will be able to offer this program this summer, or if so, what form it will take. Please join our email list to receive updates.

DNEP Job Descriptions / How to Apply

We are not accepting applications for this position at this time.

Throughout the school year and over the summer, DNEP hires U-M students with experience in accounting and financial analysis to work directly with Detroit small businesses, in-person, on-site in multiple Detroit neighborhoods. Accounting Consultants help owners set up and use accounting software, prepare financial projections, create break-even analyses, and more.

Timing: Academic year (part-time) and Summer (part-time or full-time, depending on timing)

Qualifications: Incoming MAcc (Masters of Accounting) student preferred, but open to anyone who has completed their first two years of accounting and finance courses at Ross or has other accounting experience.

Application Process: Job descriptions are posted here when we are hiring.

2025 SUMMER PROGRAM. Due to changes at the federal level that impact funding, it is not clear whether this will run in 2025. Please join our email list for updates.

Since 2020, DNEP has hired 12-15 students to work with a portfolio of Detroit small businesses via its summer internship program, known as +Impact Studio for Local Business. Interdisciplinary teams of students are trained and supervised by faculty and staff, then implement recommendations to create monthly recurring revenue for 10-12 businesses, pro bono. This has produced revenue increases of 30-50% of some of our clients.

Timing: May-July

Eligibility: This position is open to current sophomores or juniors at the University of Michigan in select schools. You must be able to work in-person at the Ross School of Business Monday-Friday from 9:30-4:30 pm (35 hours/week). You must be eligible to do paid work in the United States over the summer term.

Location: Ross School of Business, +Impact Studio (with some site visits to Detroit to meet with clients; carpooling or mileage reimbursement is provided)

Timing: September 2024-May 2025

Spots Available: TBD

Chuggas bakery owners with DNEP students standing next to product display

3) Take a DNEP Class

Gain consulting experience and support Detroit small businesses by registering for one of the engaged learning classes DNEP supports. DNEP recruits and places small businesses with 12 classes in 7 U-M schools, both undergraduate and graduate. U-M students can often register for classes at other schools, even when they are not officially cross-listed.

Browse DNEP Classes

Hear from Past Students

ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Grace Aretakis

“I’m more excited than ever to pursue a career in consulting and feel well-equipped to begin the process of searching for future roles. This internship has taught me how to work collaboratively with a team, communicate effectively with a client, and look at solving problems in creative ways.”

ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Allison Wei

“Interning with DNEP has been such an amazing experience. In interdisciplinary teams, not only was I constantly learning from my peers, but I also learned so much from the clients we worked with. Especially as a business student, seeing my clients prioritize community impact and the triple bottom line in their business was such an inspiring example to me of social impact into action. The fact that we were able to not just make recommendations but implement them and see them to the finish line has been extremely rewarding.”

STAMPS SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN

Sarah Pisarczyk

“Collaborating on interdisciplinary teams of students and doing such impactful work for the small business owners of Detroit was an experience that made me a better designer, community member, and prepared me to enter the job market more confidently. I appreciate the trust you put in all of us to do this work. It means everything to be taken seriously, trusted with real clients, and see the fruits of your labor.”

FORD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY

Noelle Seward

“The most exciting part for me, a student at the Ford School, is looking at the big picture goals of each business. We work with the business owners to investigate how their story informs their products and brand identity, and then together develop a strategic plan toward achieving those goals, turning a profit, and maintaining a smooth flow of operations.”

FORD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY

Reid Diamond

“The entire summer with the +Impact Studio for Local Business was a lesson in the value of interdisciplinary work. As a Ford student without much initial business acumen, I learned a lot from my Ross peers throughout the process and I grew capable of helping in the technical work as the summer progressed. Anyone who is considering a career in consulting, or is interested in solving some of the most pressing issues of small businesses should seriously consider this internship.”

ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Selena Grover

“Working with the +Impact Studio this summer has been especially rewarding because I have been able to see a project grow from a seed of an idea to a flushed out final deliverable that really has the power to affect so many people positively. We were able to dig out what was top of mind for business owners to truly best address their needs.”