Workshop & Expo for Small Businesses: New Opportunities for Creating Equitable Enterprises in Detroit

As part of DesignCore’s Month of Design series of events, Dr. Trina Shanks and Sonia Harb are hosting a workshop in collaboration with U-M units from four schools on campus: Business + Impact (B+I) at the Ross School of Business; the Community Enterprise Clinic at the Law School; the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project at the Ford School of Public Policy; and ENGAGE at the School of Social Work.

Open to all community members thinking about starting a business, nonprofit, or co-op, particularly those looking into green energy. This workshop will introduce equitable models of business and employment. Community members, business owners, scholars, students, and industry experts will discuss models that empower employees, foster community development, promote democratic decision making and participatory management, and provide an avenue for broad-based wealth distribution.

The event will begin with a hands-on design exercise to introduce the key steps to launching a business including researching customer needs, defining opportunities, brainstorming solutions, prototyping a business model, and testing its feasibility. Expert overviews of new business opportunities in Detroit will be provided that have been enabled by recent innovations in the building blocks of business and policy changes such as the Inflation Reduction Act. Resources developed at the University of Michigan will be shared, followed by a resource fair featuring no-cost providers at the University of Michigan and beyond to help with the startup process. The event will also have catered food and drink.

Register here