The post Michigan Central Innovation: Creating a Sustainable Future appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>Last year, Michigan Central expanded its partnership with Newlab to attract, grow, and retain startups and founders in Detroit. Through industry partnerships, a technology-testing platform, and access to funding for these new businesses, Michigan Central is building an environment in which entrepreneurs can thrive.
“We’re committed to growing a diverse tech community through partnerships with programs like Black Tech Saturdays and Femology, while attracting cross-industry corporate partners onto our open platform,” said Clare Braun, Michigan Central’s Director of Strategy and Integration. “The work being done here is a magnet for activity, convening political leaders, CEOs, and university presidents to engage with the community and get involved.”
Already, many of the nearly 125 startups
Michigan Central Innovation: Creating a Sustainable Future
at Newlab at Michigan Central have grown and are hiring employees. New workforce opportunities have been realized, including training for Detroiters to become Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Technicians and our city’s youth to learn how to fly drones. All of this has helped to boost local businesses and brought new vibrancy to our community.
“Our vision is that this ecosystem will continue to grow and benefit everyone,” said Mark de la Vergne, Director of Economic Innovation and Policy for Michigan Central. “This has already become a thriving community, and we will continue to invite more Detroiters to be a part of it through more job training, programming for our city’s youth, cultural programming and more.”
This newsletter features the stories of four start-ups at Michigan Central and the founders who are affecting change in the communities they serve.
For more on innovation at Michigan Central, please visit Michigan Central – Innovation .
The post Michigan Central Innovation: Creating a Sustainable Future appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post Femology Accelerates Opportunities For Female Founders appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>“Despite women leading the way in new business creation, they still receive less than 3% of venture capital funding—a stark disparity that limits their potential,” said Meagan Ward, founder of Femology.
An acceleration portal for female entrepreneurs in Metro Detroit, Femology consists of a network of 13,000 female founders, advisors, mentors, ecosystem leaders, strategic partners, and investors. This expansive network allows Femology to support women at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey—from those just starting out to those scaling high-growth ventures.
Femology recently had 130 women apply for their Female Founder School, a yearlong program helping women conceptualize and scale their businesses with a wealth of wellness workshops, networking sessions, coworking possibilities, and advisory and mentorship opportunities.
“What makes (Femology) unique is that we’ve intentionally integrated wellness with business education,” said Ward. “We believe that in order to lead and scale successful businesses, women need a support system that addresses both the entrepreneurial challenges and the personal ones.”
If you’d like more information on Femology’s upcoming events, please visit Events – Femology
The post Femology Accelerates Opportunities For Female Founders appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post JustAir: Developing Tech For Cleaner and Healthier Air For All appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>“Managing local air quality has been a challenge due to limited, accurate data, making it difficult for Detroit to move to a cleaner breathing environment,” said founder Darren Riley. “We created JustAir to fill the gap in local air monitoring, providing our community with data they can trust to create the future we deserve.”
JustAir allows government agencies, community groups, industry leaders, and health institutions to track a variety of air quality indicators in an easy-to-use digital platform. With the goal of making quality data accessible to anyone, JustAir has expanded to six states outside of Michigan and is growing partnerships with government agencies that are focused on meeting the growing expectations of a clean environment.
“I’m in Detroit because we are building authentically, are grounded in our culture and solving problems that directly impact our loved ones, and creating new patterns of innovation for our communities to imagine new possibilities,” said Riley. “I’m grateful to be a part of this story and to show the world what happens when you have community at your heart.”
If you’d like to sign up for air quality alerts in Detroit, please visit JustAir – Signup.
The post JustAir: Developing Tech For Cleaner and Healthier Air For All appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post Ultrium Revolutionizes Auto Care For The 21st Century appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>With a grant of $100,000 from Michigan Central, Ultrium CEO and founder Paris Plain has rolled out the first pilot program for the service, beginning their journey to revolutionize the vehicle maintenance sector. Their current prototype has already demonstrated success, leading to an incredible 20 percent reduction in maintenance expenses for its initial partners.
“Detroit is the perfect place for us. It’s got the history, the talent, and the infrastructure to support a company like Ultrium,” Plain said. “Michigan Central is really pushing forward with innovation, making it easier for companies like ours to thrive. We’re excited to be part of that story.”
The service works by connecting a small device to a vehicle’s diagnostic system. This data is regularly transmitted via cell service to a receiving center, where it is analyzed and used to make predictions on maintenance needs. Both the mechanic working on the vehicle and the owner can see in real time any repairs the vehicle might require.
The prototype service is being tested primarily on vehicle fleets, including a towing service in Detroit, and the company is having conversations to potentially work with the Michigan Department of Transportation and Detroit Police Department, with consumer use to follow.
“In the future, we see our customer base expanding beyond fleets to small businesses and individual owners,” said Plain, “and we plan to hire more talent as we continue to grow.”
The post Ultrium Revolutionizes Auto Care For The 21st Century appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post Grounded: Customizing the Future of Electric Vehicles appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>With a rapidly growing team, Shapiro has created a “Lego-like” system to outfit electric vans for both recreation and business use. Grounded is creating the world’s first fully customizable smart electric RVs and work vans, enabling customers to choose from dozens of customization options, solar and smart power electrics, Starlink internet connectivity, and much more.
“Newlab and Michigan Central were literally the reason that we chose to move to Detroit to start Grounded, and they’ve been invaluable to our growth and success as an early-stage startup,” said founder Sam Shapiro. “The benefits include affordable office and workshop space, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and an amazing community of founders, engineers and advisors.”
In addition to electric RVs, the custom-built vehicles offer a number of all-electric applications for businesses such as mobile
medical and dental studios, pet grooming and food service, delivery and maintenance, and more.
The startup secured $3.5 million pre-seed funding in October, and over the long term they hope to empower people to live and work more sustainably on wheels.
“Detroit is one of the best places in the country for building a manufacturing business right now because of its robust industrial base, highly skilled engineers and technicians, and very reasonable cost of space,” said Shapiro.
The post Grounded: Customizing the Future of Electric Vehicles appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post ChargerHelp! Certifies New E/V Technicians appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>ChargerHelp!’s second training cohort began in March with 20 learners, 25% of them women. The free, 12 to 16-week training program is open to Detroit residents who have reading skills at a ninth-grade level and have earned a high school diploma or GED. For residents without a GED, the City’s Detroit at Work program can help residents earn one.
The post ChargerHelp! Certifies New E/V Technicians appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post MC Info Center Opens at Bagley Mobility Hub appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The Info Center is the best place for community members to come together to access information and provide feedback on Michigan Central’s places, programs, and activities.
“We’re excited to relaunch the Info Center as a welcoming, accessible space that will foster connections with people throughout our community,” said Cornetta Lane-Smith, Director of Community Engagement at Michigan Central.
The Info Center has the latest newsletters and information about Michigan Central’s programs and resources, and the public is invited to join the MC Community Engagement Team and partners for monthly office hours.
“I recently attended a community meeting at the new Info Center, and I enjoyed being with fellow neighbors to learn about what’s happening at Michigan Central from team members who live in the community,” said Tricia Talley, of North Corktown Neighborhood Association.
The Info Center will host small community gatherings, events and info sessions to keep the community informed of Michigan Central’s progress, programs and resources. It’s accessible daily during garage business hours. For more info visit info@michigancentral.org.
The post MC Info Center Opens at Bagley Mobility Hub appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post Michigan Central Launches New Data Transparency Program appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>Michigan Central has partnered with communications and transparency experts Helpful Places to design a new initiative to ensure that residents know exactly what is happening with new technology in the neighborhood.
Used in cities from Australia to Boston, the Digital Trust For Places and Routines (DTPR) is a set of guidelines to increase transparency, legibility, and accountability for digital technology in public places, like around Michigan Central in Detroit. It includes signage, flyers, and a digital “transparency portal,” where residents can learn more about projects and share feedback.
“We’re so excited that Michigan Central has joined this global group of organizations which recognize sharing information and creating space for dialogue is critical to building trust between residents and technologists,” said Jacqueline Lu, President and Co-Founder of Helpful Places.
Over time, these new guidelines will ensure the public is always informed while building a common language for presenting new technology safely and openly to the public. Visit the portal at www.pilots.michigancentral.com.
The post Michigan Central Launches New Data Transparency Program appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post Michigan Central and Partners Extend New Resources to Small Business appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>Michigan Central is committed to supporting small businesses that provide an essential source of neighborhood vitality and cultural vibrancy. Through partnerships with the New Economy Initiative, Design Core Detroit, BUILD Institute, and ProsperUs, Michigan Central will provide:
-
For startups: The BUILD Institute will provide capital education workshops for 50 entrepreneurs, and an externship program for 12 small-business owners.
-
For businesses having operated between 1 and 5 years: ProsperUs’ Innovative Capital Fund will provide 0% interest loans for up to 20 small businesses.
-
For businesses regardless of stage: New Economy Initiative’s Marketing Assistance Fund will financially support marketing services through Design Core Detroit’s professional service provider network.
“Every small business has a unique set of challenges, so we work closely with owners to understand their needs and connect them with experts who provide tailored coaching and services,” said Paul Jones, CEO of ProsperUs.
The Southwest Detroit Business Association and Corktown Business Association will provide neighborhood outreach to raise awareness with local business owners. Michigan Central has committed that at least 51% of all selected businesses will be woman and/or BIPOC-owned.
“We’re committed to supporting the small-business community in our local neighborhoods,” said Michigan Central’s Alondra Carter-Alvizo, Associate Director of Community Engagement. “They enrich our culture, provide jobs, and keep our diverse communities vibrant.”
For businesses having operated at least five years, ProsperUs will provide business coaching for up to 15 entrepreneurs over a two-year period, including up to $4,000 in technical assistance funding.
“We’re grateful to have received technical, financial, and network support from ProsperUs to support our efforts in providing further goods and services from locally owned small businesses in neighborhoods surrounding Michigan Central Station,” said Rohani Foulkes owner of Folk, a James Beard nominated Corktown cafe and market.
The post Michigan Central and Partners Extend New Resources to Small Business appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>The post Detroit Students to Receive New Steam Scholarships appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>Upcoming juniors through graduating seniors (Class of 2024) who live in the 48216 zip code are encouraged to apply for up to $10,000 in tuition and fees for a university, community college, vocational school, after-school programming, or other STEAM-focused enrichment by before Aug. 31, 2024.
“When given the opportunity, our young scholars transform the world around them, and STEAM education empowers them to shape our future to be more inclusive and inspiring,” said Kerrie Mitchell of the DPSCD Foundation. For info: Michigan Central STEAM Award
The post Detroit Students to Receive New Steam Scholarships appeared first on Michigan Central.
]]>