FIRST PERSON: Learning from Detroit businesses and fellow students

This summer, I am one of 31 interns working in the University of Michigan Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project +Impact Studio for Local Business. 
The interns come from Michigan Ross and U-M’s Stamps School of Art & Design, the School of Information, and the Ford School of Public Policy. The program began last year, with interns focused on creating tools for ecosystem-level problems in Detroit small businesses.

Changing neighborhoods: Building Detroit one entrepreneur at a time

It was Jevona Watson’s dream to have a coffee shop in the Fitzgerald neighborhood in northwest Detroit, a place she calls home. A matching Motor City Match grant in 2016 helped take the first steps toward her dream.
Despite a clear vision for her coffee shop—Detroit Sip—the process of opening the store presented an unfamiliar set of challenges.

This is Michigan | Detroit Entrepreneurs Find The Keys To Success

Many small business owners face barriers to getting started because they lack resources and expertise. Some Detroit entrepreneurs are partnering with teams of U-M students through the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project to gain access to free services and consultation that could give their venture an added boost. Get the full story here: https://impact.govrel.umich.edu/dnep/