Student Voice: Deborah Abodunrin on DNEP’s Summer Internship Program

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 work …

Three community tech workers stand on stage holding a microphone with banner behind them for Digital Inclusion Week

DNEP’s Community Tech Worker Project Expands to Live6 with National Science Foundation Grant

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 tech …

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

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 …

Headshot of Siobhan Barrett

Meet Siobhan Barrett, DNEP’s New Program & Business Development Manager

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 relationships and …

Photo of summer interns around work table

DNEP Classes Offered in Winter 2024: Learn More with Faculty Videos

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 of …

Julie Hui headshot

Community Tech Worker Paper Wins Impact Award, Honorable Mention

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 …

Customer inserting their credit card into a point of sale system

Choosing the Right POS System for your Business (+2 free resources)

Choosing the right point of sale system (POS) for your business can be tricky and time consuming with so many options to choose from and oftentimes hidden fees. Over the summer, DNEP’s point of sale intern team created 2 resources to help business owners select the best point of sale system for them: 1) Point of Sale Cost Comparison Calculator and 2) One page overviews of the most frequently used POS systems and a comparison guide. 
How to use the point of sale resources: 
What to Consider When Choosing your POS System:
Sofia Wynn, one of DNEP’s point of sale interns, shares key …

Man and woman having a meeting at a table, woman taking notes

DNEP releases new legal, financial resources for small businesses

Looking to start a new venture or hire seasonal employees? Right in time for the holiday season, DNEP just added new resources to our existing library of 100+ free digital resources for small business owners (including our comprehensive DIY digital business guide and delivery service revenue calculator).
We’re excited about these three new additions:
Green energy how-to guides
If you’re interested in making your business more sustainable or accessing federal funding, the 2023 Inflation Reduction Act provides green energy subsidies to do just that! Students in the Ross School of Business’ +Impact Studio course created a series of Wikihows to learn how …

Photo of interns with Aaron Jackson and Chris Mueller during the 2022 Summer Internship at the ISLB

DNEP +Impact Studio summer internship kicks off in May with 15 interns

In just two weeks, the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project’s +Impact Studio (DNEP+ISLB) summer internship will kickoff, bringing in 15 interns to consult for a select portfolio of Detroit small business owners. The internship will run from May 9th to July 14th, during which University of Michigan students partner with Detroit entrepreneurs to diagnose business problems and co-create solutions.
While it’s not unusual for universities to partner with local entrepreneurs, working on projects with students throughout the school year, the DNEP+ISLB program is unique in that it enables Detroit entrepreneurs to receive year-long support, beyond the constraints of the normal academic calendar. …

Headshot of Crystal Dowe, owner of Riley's Way

Client Spotlight: Riley’s Way, overcoming hair discrimination & embracing natural hair

Crystal Dowe is the owner of Riley’s Way, an apparel company that specializes in clothing and merchandise that encourages young girls to embrace their natural hair. 
Growing up, Crystal Dowe was teased for her natural hair and chemically straightened her hair for 30 years until she finally decided to embrace her natural hair in 2011. Now, Crystal is a proud grandmother to her granddaughter Riley who loves sporting her natural puffs. In honor of Riley, in 2017, Crystal founded Riley’s Way to help other girls accept themselves and feel just as empowered in their natural hair.  “I wanted other little girls …