DNEP Recruiting Detroit Small Businesses to Work with U-M Students in Winter 2025

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 their entrepreneur clients, and see all that Detroit has to offer. Business owners get thought partners, research, and data-driven recommendations while teaching students how to be professional service providers. DNEP staff and faculty form long-term relationships with our clients. Our goal is to walk alongside them until they can afford to hire staff.

See what we’re recruiting for now!

The catalog of DNEP classes for the Winter 2025 semester running from January-April 2025 is posted here.