News
Stay up-to-date with the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project.
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- News
Student Voice: Deborah Abodunrin on DNEP’s Summer Internship Program
November 19, 2024
Getting my Hands Dirty: Impact Edition (Inside my 3 Months of Summer with DNEP) Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project. If you asked me before the summer of 2024, I would have never heard of DNEP. Little did I know that later on, this single acronym would carry memorable outcomes, valued experiences, and pride in its mission. I joined DNEP with a curiosity to dive deeper into the intersection between Business + Impact. As a result, I left with my first comprehensive hands-on consulting experience, strong professional and personal connections with my peers from various schools, and invaluable skills gained from our… -
- News
DNEP’s Community Tech Worker Project Expands to Live6 with National Science Foundation Grant
October 29, 2024
The University of Michigan School of Information was awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project’s Community Tech Worker (CTW) program from the eastside to Detroit’s northwest side by partnering with Live6 Alliance. Started in 2022 as a partnership between the University of Michigan and Jefferson East Inc. (JEI), the CTW program began with the dual mission of bridging the digital divide and providing access to good jobs for local community members. Detroit residents are trained on different business technologies (website platforms, social media, and point of sale systems) to become community… -
- News
DNEP Recruiting Detroit Small Businesses to Work with U-M Students in Winter 2025
October 23, 2024
Since 2016, the University of Michigan’s Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP) has recruited small businesses from metro Detroit to work with teams of University of Michigan students in semester-long consulting projects. Working under faculty supervision, students conduct research, analyze data, and provide business owners with recommendations to address business’ legal, financial, marketing, operational, design, and technological needs. DNEP is a program of the Ross School of Business’ Business+Impact initiative, but it brings together faculty from 7 U-M schools to provide wrap-around support to businesses. Students gain a chance to apply what they have learned in classes, form strong bonds with… -
- In the Media
Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project moved to Ross Business+Impact
February 1, 2024
Read about DNEP’s move to Ross’s Business+Impact in this article from The Michigan Daily, where they interviewed Christie Baer, managing director of DNEP, Jerry Davis, founding associate dean for Business+Impact, and former DNEP intern Sarah Pisarczyk. -
- News
Meet Siobhan Barrett, DNEP’s New Program & Business Development Manager
December 1, 2023
Siobhan Barrett has been hired as the new Program and Business Development Manager for Detroit Entrepreneurs Project announced. Joining DNEP from ProsperUs Detroit where Siobhan was a Loan Officer providing capital in the form of microloans to low income entrepreneurs of color running small businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park and Inkster. Siobhan’s professional background gives her extensive knowledge and experience in process innovation and collaboration by being a proactive and engaged member of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Siobhan is a consummate community builder and seeks out ways to serve community partners throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem in order to strengthen her… -
- News
DNEP Classes Offered in Winter 2024: Learn More with Faculty Videos
November 9, 2023
As a small business owner, if you’ve ever wanted to get involved in a DNEP class or wondered how Detroit entrepreneurs work with students in University of Michigan classes, look no further! Just in time for course registration, University of Michigan faculty have filmed videos that give an overview of each DNEP class offered in the Winter 2024 semester (January – April 2024). While these videos were originally filmed from a student perspective on what they can expect in a DNEP class, they’re also a great way to learn more about the different types of classes DNEP offers, what types… -
- In the Media
DNEP featured on WJR 760 AM Radio
November 7, 2023
DNEP Managing Director Christie Baer was featured on WJR 760 AM Radio where she shared about DNEP and how we create value for both Detroit business owners and University of Michigan Students. This was part of WJR’s “College Tour” series where they highlight different higher education institutions, such as the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Listen to the interview here. See below for an interview transcript. INTERVIEWER: “Once again we’re delighted to be here at the Ross School of Business where all week long we’ve been learning a lot of really inspiring and interesting things about the institutions… -
- News
Community Tech Worker Paper Wins Impact Award, Honorable Mention
October 29, 2023
In October, lead author Prof. Julie Hui from the School of Information presented the first published research paper with key learnings from DNEP’s Community Tech Worker project with Jefferson East, Inc. at the 26th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. The paper, Community Tech Workers: Scaffolding Digital Engagement Among Underserved Minority Businesses, describes how the Community Tech Worker program helps businesses determine where to start with technology use, offers support grounded in the day-to-day realities of running a business, and builds caring relationships with business owners to foster trust in technology support services. The paper won both… -
- In the Media
Partner Profile: Jefferson East Inc. fosters growth in five neighborhoods
October 9, 2023
Read about DNEP’s partnership with Jefferson East, Inc., including the Community Tech Worker program, in this interview with JEI’s CEO Joshua Elling.
