DNEP matches U-M faculty and students with small businesses for professional services based on business needs and interests. Engagements are typically a semester or year-long and organized through a U-M course, clinic, or student organization.
Classes collaborating with the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project span several U-M schools including the Ross School of Business, Law School, Stamps School of Art & Design, Ford School of Public Policy, and the College of Engineering. Each course gives students real-world experiences collaborating with small business clients and provides entrepreneurs with free assistance—whether that’s a marketing campaign, legal help, a new logo, or something else.
Biz + Law + Design
Some interdisciplinary classes provide comprehensive assistance, where U-M students gain valuable experience collaborating with students and faculty from schools besides their own. The Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Law School, and the Stamps School of Art & Design come together in a way that reflects partnerships found in the working world.
Students come away with an appreciation that problems are not just housed in their discipline—they need their counterparts across the university.
| Michael Gordon, professor, Ross School of Business |