Search results

Detroiter and registered nurse Sonya Greene is set to open a healthy food market in her neighborhood next month. The Linwood Fresh Market is a 1,800-square-foot store "set to open in August with fresh food, locally made products, lottery, beer and wine, healthy grab-and-go meals and a walk-up counter for made-to-order smoothies and juices." Greene purchased the building for the Linwood Fresh Market from her aunt in 2017. Her late uncle Elmer Fuller had a barbershop in this space for nearly 40 years. To honor that, Greene’s plan for the site includes a three-chair beauty salon and four residential apartments. Read more about Greene and the Linwood Fresh Market here.

Craft cocktails are the latest craze in Detroit's restaurant scene. Willow is adding to that legacy. SavannahBlue owners, Ron Scott, J.D. Simpson and Roger Yopp, opened the speakeasy due to the momentum of their soul food restaurant. Willow is conveniently located underneath the award-winning dining establishment. Scott, Simpson and Yopp, along with late partner Tanya Heidelberg-Yopp, set out to create ventures rooted in Southern hospitality. Like many Black Detroiters whose families relocated to Michigan during the Great Migration, the founding quartet have roots in southern states like Alabama and Mississippi and drew on their experiences visiting family members down South when creating SavannahBlue and Willow. Read more about Willow here.

The results are in and they prove what we already know - Detroit is one of the best places to start a business. Startup Genome’s 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report recognizes Detroit as the top emerging startup ecosystem. Detroit is the No. 1 emerging startup ecosystem globally, according to newly released rankings from Startup Genome’s 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER). The GSER provides a comprehensive review of the startup world, with data from over three million companies across 280+ entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems. Detroit’s top ranking marks a 13-spot jump from the previous year, solidifying the city’s growth in early-stage funding and investor activity, number of scale-ups and unicorns in the ecosystem, IP commercialization and ability to retain talent. According to the report, Detroit also ranked first in GSER’s list of Top 10 Ecosystems by Ecosystem Value at $90.6 billion, outranking both national and global cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Minneapolis. Read more about the study here.

Motor City Match Round 13 awardee Texture by Nefertiti Salon celebrated its long-awaited opening on June 16th. Owner Nefertiti Harris was joined by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation CEO + President Kevin Johnson, Midtown Detroit Inc., and Executive Director Sue Mosey. The salon, located at 6525 Woodward in Detroit, offers a variety of haircare and beauty services. Owner Nefertiti Harris is also launching a haircare line called Mami-wata, named after a mermaid. There is a scalp balm and hair oil with other products to come. Click here to read the Michigan Chronicle article about the opening.

It looks like District 4's Morningside neighborhood may be Detroit's next bustling business district. The stretch of Harper Avenue sits on the edge of the majority-Black Morningside and East English Village neighborhoods next to the Edsel Ford Freeway. Besides barber shops, it has international food chains, a medical marijuana dispensary, a car repair business and a grocery store. The area is regarded by those based there as a destination for new entrepreneurs and small businesses alongside well-known staples like Wendy’s and White Castle. Read more about this upcoming neighborhood on Bridge Detroit.

The Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance has a new 12-week program that teaches its members how to access the capital necessary to expand their thriving businesses. Capital Connect began in 2021 with support from Huntington Bank. The second round of the program is now supported by United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Business owners learn how to create a business plan, pitch their business, build a financial plan and tell their story. Some of the partners that work with the Capital Connect program include Invest Detroit, Black Leaders Detroit, Independent Bank, CDC Small Business Finance and Bank of America. However, [Charity] Dean said she wants to see more partners participate financially and she wants to see policy changes. Click here to read the Detroit Free Press article about MDBBA and Capital Connect. Applications for the next Capital Connect cohort are now open. Click here to apply before the July 8th deadline!

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and Executive Director of the New Economy Initiative (NEI) Wara Dinaro recently announced a $54 million fund for Wayne County businesses. The announcement was made during the 2022 Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference. The program will have a focus on businesses in Wayne County that have 50 employees or fewer. It will specifically focus on minority- or women-owned businesses, and micro businesses with 10 or fewer employees. The program will also have a heavy emphasis on technical support. Click here to read the Detroit Free Press article and learn more about the fund.

Although summer doesn't officially start until the Solstice, Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) is ready for the warm weather with a full lineup of events. In addition to movie nights at Campus Martius and fitness events, DDP has made it a point to allow small businesses the opportunity to shine this summer. The ever-popular Downtown Street Eats program returns to Cadillac Square with an estimated 80 food trucks in rotation. Weekly pop-ups at Cadillac Square and Beacon Park will give small business owners a chance to reach new audiences. Hot Sam’s Presents Detroit’s Black Wall Street event will feature a fashion show, live entertainment, food trucks, and more. Click here for a full list of summer time happenings in Downtown Detroit!

Motor City Match winner Travez Daniels of Soul 2 Go celebrated the opening of his restaurant this week surrounded by city officials, family, friends, and a crowd of hungry customers. Soul 2 Go is a soul food stop and shop restaurant located at 9900 Whittier Ave. They have everything from fried chicken and ribs to collard greens and mac and cheese. They'll also have dessert on deck: pound cake, sweet potato pie, and pound cake. Daniels is a smart man; he knew mom's cooking was just too good to keep within the family. "Not only do you have your mother working with you, you also have your number one supporter," Daniels said. "Without her there would be no Soul 2 Go." He approached his mother, Tiffani, about selling her food to the masses. They started selling dinners only on Fridays but quickly moved up to catering, outgrowing their home business. That's when Travez began the process of buying a building for their family restaurant. Owning the building gave the Daniels an overwhelming sense of pride. In three years, Travez went through multiple rounds of demolition and contractors. "It was a lot of trials and tribulations," he said. "This was new to me so I was making mistakes along the way." Soul 2 Go is Daniels' dream come true. He hopes to expand the building worldwide, opening locations everywhere so they can get a taste of mom's home cooking. "Motor City Match helped my dream come true," Daniels said. "Without them it wouldn't be possible."

Comcast RISE Investment Fund is looking for small businesses interested in a financial boost. The grant program is open to minority-owned businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. Detroit is among five cities chosen for the program but in November, Comcast RISE announced a major expansion to all women-owned businesses nationwide. According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 42% of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women, with more than 1,800 new businesses being started every day. However, according to the same study, women-owned businesses are growing at only half the rate of those run by men, namely because women struggle to access capital and other resources to help them succeed. The application window for Comcast RISE opens on June 1 and closes on June 14. Apply today!

Throughout May, we are highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. What's more relaxing after a long day than a high-quality nail treatment and a mimosa? Polished Lounge is a full-service unisex nail salon located in Midtown, and was the 105th Motor City Match (MCM) awardee to open in the City of Detroit. Owner and Founder Ia Vang is a Hmong refugee from Laos who moved to the U.S. at the age of eight. "I am very proud of myself for being American and a minority," she said. "I have come this far and accomplished a lot." Vang opened Polished Lounge opened in 2020 to create a relaxing oasis in Detroit. But like many businesses that opened during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a rough start. "Our construction was postponed because of the shutdown," the Wayne State University graduate said. And though salons were still shut down due to restrictions, Vang's team still had bills to pay. "We were accountable for paying rent because a contract already been signed and it was very hard for Polished Lounge," she said. But the Motor City Match Round 15 awardee prevailed and kept her salon open. "When we first opened, we didn't know what to expect," she said. "I'm the owner and I was very nervous. I said: 'I'm just going to open my door and see how it is,' and God blessed us. A lot of our clients are supporting the community and supporting us." Vang said the $65,000 cash grant she received in June 2019 gave her the head start she needed to realize her dream. She also thanked MCM for the opportunity to network and connect with other financial resources and technical support.

Throughout the month of May, we are highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Join us each week for new business to support. From the outside looking in, you wouldn't think the angular shaped building on Michigan Ave., and 25th Street could take you worlds away. But when you step inside 27th Letter Books, you're whisked to worlds untraveled. 27th Letter Books is an independent bookstore owned by Andrew Pineda, who identifies as Filipino-American, and his wife Erin. This dynamic duo isn't alone in their quest to bring inclusivity to their bookstore. Jazmine Cooper (General Manger) and Jake Spease (Art Manager) are also co-owners of the store, helping to "create a welcoming and inclusive environment." 27th Letter Books has a little bit of something for everyone: from books about Yoruba religion to books written by Detroiters about Detroit. Their children's section includes everything from the classics to book addressing everyday issue such as body image and gender identity in a palatable manner for kids. They also carry books translated into Spanish and other languages. "Our curation is top priority," Andrew Pineda said. "When you think about non-independent stores or online retailers, they're not being as discerning about what they're taking in. So we like to have a diverse array of books in every sense of the word." And they mean just that. Some of the books carried in 27th Letter Books include a memoir from a blind writer, a book about someone's experience with muteness and much more. "These kinds of stories have traditionally and historically been pushed [to the side]," Pineda said. 27th Letter Books opened its doors in 2021 which could not have been an easy task due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the team received much needed cash and technical assistance from both Motor City Match and Hatch Detroit. "Motor City Match and Hatch Detroit were foundational to helping our store not only startup but to be able to continue business and push through some of those earlier months," he said. 27th Letter Books is located at 3546 Michigan Ave. Visit their website to find store hours, check out their events and even find the next story time session for your little ones.