Strategies for Neighborhood Entrepreneurship in Detroit

Mass Economics developed strategies to increase entrepreneurship and innovation in Detroit’s downtown core and across the city’s neighborhoods. In a series of projects for the New Economy Initiative, Mass Economics identified, categorized and mapped approximately 300 business support organizations (BSO) and interviewed over 25 of them to understand BSO capacity and small business client needs. The resulting business support dataset provided the first comprehensive look into Detroit’s small business ecosystem and revealed a stark geographic gap between the location of the city’s small businesses and the resources meant to support these businesses. Mass Economics’ analyses were then used to support a new, comprehensive philanthropic approach to neighborhood business development, including initiatives to strengthen the city’s minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs).