"Any time one of my friends tells me they want to open a small business, the first thing I do is try to talk them out of it," says Stephen Roginson, who's in the process of setting up his own business in Detroit.

The life of a small business owner — especially in the very early days — is not an easy one. You're human resources, the accountant, the marketer and the general contractor. You're subject to the harsh regulations of zoning and permits, and you have to have your game face on as you meet customers — and prospective customers — in the neighborhood at all hours of the day. It's not a pretty ride, but it's an exciting and invigorating one, especially for entrepreneurs looking not just to make a profit, but to feed a passion and create a way to connect with people. In our new video series, Setting Up Shop, Mashable is documenting the small business journey to profits; Stephen is one of the entrepreneurs we're following.

Check Out Setting Up Shop on YouTube Roginson, featured in the video above, is a former corporate marketer turned homebrewer, hustling to open Batch Brewing Company in Downtown Detroit.

He's on a mission to help revitalize the city he loves, and there's a lot at stake: His life savings, a $50,000 grant, an Indiegogo campaign, his reputation and the hopes of a neighborhood.

Click HERE for the full article!





Click HERE for more information! 
Madonna Test Driving An Empowerment Plan Coat, June 4 2014

Detroit (AP) - Madonna is donating toward the construction of a new youth boxing gym in Detroit and buying iPads and other supplies for students at a city charter school.

In a news release Monday, the 55-year-old music icon says her contributions to three organizations represent “the first phase of a long-term commitment” to her hometown. Madonna says a recent visit to Detroit left her “inspired by the progress she’s witnessed.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer grew up in Bay City, Michigan, and the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills.

She plans to provide funding for a new facility for the Downtown Youth Boxing Gym; purchase new supplies for the Detroit Achievement Academy; and help out The Empowerment Plan, which employs homeless women to sew garments that are distributed to the homeless.







That's right - Detroit is having its own World Cup viewing party this Thursday at noon at Campus Martius Park, brought to by Detroit City FC and Opportunity Detroit. Come cheer on Team USA as they battle Germany to move on to the round of 16 - and view it all on an LED wall!

Admission is free, and there will be plenty of food options in the Detroit Street Eats area in Cadillac Square, to include Mediterranean fare from Qais Food Truck, ice cream and smoothies from Eskimo Jacks, soul food from Heart to Soul, kosher options from Chef Cari Kosher and more!

Make plans now to be down at Campus Martius on Thursday and watch Team USA vs. Germany with your fellow Detroiters.

Click HERE for more info! 




Yoga at the Detroit Zoo!

Join The Yoga Movement at the Detroit Zoo on Sunday, June 29, 2014 for a morning of yoga, music and fun. From beginner to expert, Yoga At The Zoo! is for everyone who enjoys yoga or wants to try it. Afterwards you can enjoy the Detroit Zoo at your leisure. This is your chance to participate in one of the largest yoga events in Michigan. Bring your family, friends and join The Yoga Movement!

"Walk up" registration is available the morning of the event from 6:30am to 7:45am. Yoga begins promptly at 8am.


Event Details 

Date: Sunday, June 29, 2014
Check in time:  6:30am - 7:45am
Yoga Start Time: 8 am
Location:  The Detroit Zoo 8450 West 10 Mile Road Royal Oak, MI 48067

Click HERE to register! 
Getty Images

The mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan, has set himself a monumental task: Sell the city to the rest of America. Not sell it, exactly, but rather convince other people to move there. He and fellow boosters say this once-bustling industrial metropolis does have a lot to offer.

Detroit has had some votes of confidence lately. On Tuesday, Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and the chairman and chief executive of Revolution LLC, a Washington-based venture-capital firm, will kick-start his “Rise of the Rest” road trip in Detroit. He will announce a $100,000 prize for the winner of his pitch competition, before awarding a $100,000 prize to a company in each of these cities: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Nashville. Last month, J.P. Morgan Chase, the country’s biggest bank, announced a $100 million investment in Detroit over the next five years. Last year, Google named Detroit a key tech hub.

Ted Serbinski, a partner at Detroit Venture Partners, moved to Detroit in 2011 from San Francisco. “My wife and I were living in downtown San Francisco, and the costs were starting to get unruly,” he says. “I was looking for somewhere that isn’t as crowded. Coming here, I found a passion for helping to rebuild the society.” He read a lot of newspaper articles about crime in Detroit but wasn't put off by them. “The surprising thing to me is how misleading all those headlines were,” he says.

 “I call it the entrepreneurial gold rush and see more opportunities here than I ever did in San Francisco.”

Indeed, Detroit is the fifth most affordable city in the U.S. for real estate, according to HSH.com, a mortgage-information firm. Residents only need to earn $32,250 a year for a median-priced home — making Detroit more expensive than only Cleveland ($29,788), Pittsburgh ($30,177), St. Louis ($31,275) and Cincinnati ($31,850). (San Francisco was the least affordable; median-price-home buyers need to earn $137,129 a year there.) More than 80% of homes for sale in Detroit are within reach of the middle class, compared with only 20% in New York and Los Angeles and 14% in San Francisco, according to real-estate website Trulia.

It’s also possible to live large in Detroit. “The duplex house I lived in 35 years ago on Detroit’s east side is still a beauty,” says Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute and a resident of Washington, D.C. He recently revisited it: The home has two units, each with leaded-glass windows, fireplace, Florida room, walk-in pantry, two bedrooms and kitchen. It sold for less than $50,000 two years ago. The lot next door can be bought for $1,000. “Once Detroit gets through the bankruptcy, restores city services, and makes progress on job creation, it will be an amazing value,” he adds.

Click HERE for the full article! 




The Showcase is the culminating event of the 2014 Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, the nation's first statewide business plan competition for emerging social enterprises led by Michigan Corps in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and numerous business and philanthropic sponsors. Over the last three months, 280 companies have competed for $60,000 in prizes to advance their causes.

EVENT: 2014 Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Showcase 
DATE: Friday, June 20th, 2014 TIME: 1:00 – 7:00pm
Awards Ceremony 6:00 – 7:00pm 
LOCATION: Max M. Fisher Music Center at 3711 Woodward Ave Detroit, MI 48201 

Parking is available for $7 in the Orchestra Place Parking Structure located on Parsons just south of The Max.

Get your tickets HERE

Michigan Corps is a private non-profit organization that leads programs to discover, support and scale social innovation across the state. Michigan Corps believes that our communities are strengthened principally by networks of social-minded entrepreneurs and engaged citizens that are connected with one another and the resources to help make Michigan a better, vibrant place to live.

For more information, visit www.michigancorps.org



Metro Detroit’s tech job growth was nearly 2x the national average in recent years

For the last few years, the automotive presence at CES has gone from noticeable to taking over. In January of this year, there was so much car tech at CES that I watched a Bosch technology that allowed a car to park itself, drove a smart car that connected not only to a smart phone but to a smart watch, tried inductive chargers built into vehicles, and evaluated in-car app marketplaces. Intel, Qualcomm, Apple, Google, and other tech companies are developing technologies specifically for automobiles. Cars are already pretty technical, with lane-keep technologies that correct your driving if you drift, radar that can anticipate an accident ahead, and sensors that can “see” obstacles in your path. But the future car will be so technically endowed that it will not only be able to heal itself by updating code from the Internet, drive itself, and communicate with other cars as you fly down the freeway.

Many engineers who once worked in the wireless industry are now working in Detroit because car manufacturers have been hiring out of the wireless and the IT industries so they can put these kinds of technologies into the design of their cars. Paul Hedtke, senior director, Business Development, Qualcomm People are – and will be – building those technologies. And someone – be it automobile manufacturers or companies they outsource to – will be hiring those people.

I spoke to an app developer who works for GM’s Onstar recently so I know some of this work is happening at the car companies. I also spoke to Paul Hedtke, senior director of Business Development at Qualcomm last week about what’s coming to vehicles from the mobile chip and modem maker. If you are a geek who loves his wheels, can you hope to combine those two interests? “This is an industry that is certainly going to continue to grow as all these connected vehicles are interfacing with the cloud,” he agreed. “Either the car makers will do it or they will outsource it to telematics makers such as Verizon telematics.”

Click HERE for the full article!
The star attraction of the new Detroit RiverWalk's Mt. Elliott Park is the life-sized shipwreck-themed water feature, built to resemble a Great Lakes schooner, with jets that pump out water at multiple points.
Jarrad Henderson/Detroit Free Press
Get ready for surprise and delight on the riverfront.

The transformed Mt. Elliott Park on the Detroit RiverWalk opens to the public Friday, and the space once used mainly by a few fishermen has been transformed into a kid-friendly whirl of splash fountains, interactive music features and a life-size replica of a Great Lakes schooner shipwreck that spouts water from multiple jets.

The remade park is the latest installment of the RiverWalk, which in the past 10 years has largely remade the east riverfront from its industrial past to an award-winning recreational promenade. At Mt. Elliott, there’s a private ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. Friday for officials and the media, with the park opening to the public after that.

The interactive music elements at Mt. Elliott include drums and pipe organ-type activities that visitors can play.

Mt. Elliott Park is the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s third plaza and pavilion to be built along the east riverfront since work on the RiverWalk began more than 10 years ago. The RiverWalk now features more than three miles of completed pathways, parks and green space.

Click HERE for the full article!

The Hatch Detroit Contest is BACK!

























Comerica Bank and Hatch Detroit are partnering once again for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest and will begin accepting applications on June 1.


New this year, the Detroit Lions have joined the cause to expand support for the contest and Hatch alumni entrepreneurs.Comerica Bank and Hatch Detroit are partnering once again for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest and will begin accepting applications on June 1. New this year, the Detroit Lions have joined the cause to expand support for the contest and Hatch alumni entrepreneurs. Comerica Bank and Hatch Detroit are partnering once again for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest and will begin accepting applications on June 1. New this year, the Detroit Lions have joined the cause to expand support for the contest and Hatch alumni entrepreneurs.

“Since its beginnings, Detroit has been a destination for savvy entrepreneurs and business-minded individuals seeking opportunity, not the quickest route to a buck,” said Vittoria Katanski, executive director of Hatch Detroit. “Those passionate, determined people are exactly who we’re seeking to submit a retail business idea to this year’s Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest presented by the Detroit Lions.”

Comerica Bank returns for the third year as the contest’s flagship sponsor, providing the $50,000 prize, along with significant in-kind support. In 2014, the Detroit Lions will provide both financial and ancillary support to the Hatch Detroit alumni who’ve followed through on the business plan laid out during the contest but need further assistance to open their doors or improve their business. Hatch Detroit and the Detroit Lions will allocate the additional support based on individual need, with an emphasis on the 10 finalists from previous contests.

“Watching the previous Hatch winners and others turn their ideas into brick-and-mortar retail shops has been inspiring, and certainly representative of Detroit’s entrepreneurial spirit,” said Michael T. Ritchie, president of Comerica Bank-Michigan. “Witnessing so many contest success stories has reinforced our decision to support Hatch Detroit. We look forward to seeing this year’s applications and continuing to build Detroit’s entrepreneurial community.

“This furthers our commitment to Detroit’s neighborhoods and broadens our collaboration with Hatch Detroit,” said Tom Lewand, Detroit Lions team president. “The growth of small business in Detroit continues to be a significant part of the city’s resurgence and is an important part of the Lions community engagement strategy.” In addition to the $50,000 cash prize, the winner will also receive a package of services including legal, marketing and advertising, accounting, public relations and IT support from Hatch Detroit and its partners. All applications must be submitted online at www.hatchdetroit.com. For complete submission guidelines and contest rules, visit www.hatchdetroit.com. The deadline for submissions is July 16, 2014.

Since its inception in 2011, Hatch Detroit has experienced overwhelming success in championing entrepreneurship and small business throughout Detroit. The inaugural contest garnered hundreds of Detroit retail business ideas and ignited tremendous community support for the finalists, culminating in thousands of public votes cast for first-year winner Hugh, a home furnishing shop for the stylish bachelor that opened its doors in 2012. The contest’s popularity has picked up momentum in subsequent years, garnering more than 700 submissions and 130,000 votes cast in its first three years. Notable alumni include 2012 winner La Feria, 2013 winner Batch Brewing Company, 2011 finalist Detroit Institute of Bagels, 2012 finalists Detroit Vegan Soul and Rock City Eatery, 2013 finalists HenriettaHaus Coffee Roasters and 2013 semi-finalist Busted in Detroit. “Since its beginnings, Detroit has been a destination for savvy entrepreneurs and business-minded individuals seeking opportunity, not the quickest route to a buck,” said Vittoria Katanski, executive director of Hatch Detroit. “Those passionate, determined people are exactly who we’re seeking to submit a retail business idea to this year’s Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest presented by the Detroit Lions.”

Comerica Bank returns for the third year as the contest’s flagship sponsor, providing the $50,000 prize, along with significant in-kind support. In 2014, the Detroit Lions will provide both financial and ancillary support to the Hatch Detroit alumni who’ve followed through on the business plan laid out during the contest but need further assistance to open their doors or improve their business. Hatch Detroit and the Detroit Lions will allocate the additional support based on individual need, with an emphasis on the 10 finalists from previous contests.

“Watching the previous Hatch winners and others turn their ideas into brick-and-mortar retail shops has been inspiring, and certainly representative of Detroit’s entrepreneurial spirit,” said Michael T. Ritchie, president of Comerica Bank-Michigan. “Witnessing so many contest success stories has reinforced our decision to support Hatch Detroit. We look forward to seeing this year’s applications and continuing to build Detroit’s entrepreneurial community.

“This furthers our commitment to Detroit’s neighborhoods and broadens our collaboration with Hatch Detroit,” said Tom Lewand, Detroit Lions team president. “The growth of small business in Detroit continues to be a significant part of the city’s resurgence and is an important part of the Lions community engagement strategy.” In addition to the $50,000 cash prize, the winner will also receive a package of services including legal, marketing and advertising, accounting, public relations and IT support from Hatch Detroit and its partners. All applications must be submitted online at www.hatchdetroit.com. For complete submission guidelines and contest rules, visit www.hatchdetroit.com.

The deadline for submissions is July 16, 2014.

Since its inception in 2011, Hatch Detroit has experienced overwhelming success in championing entrepreneurship and small business throughout Detroit. The inaugural contest garnered hundreds of Detroit retail business ideas and ignited tremendous community support for the finalists, culminating in thousands of public votes cast for first-year winner Hugh, a home furnishing shop for the stylish bachelor that opened its doors in 2012. The contest’s popularity has picked up momentum in subsequent years, garnering more than 700 submissions and 130,000 votes cast in its first three years. Notable alumni include 2012 winner La Feria, 2013 winner Batch Brewing Company, 2011 finalist Detroit Institute of Bagels, 2012 finalists Detroit Vegan Soul and Rock City Eatery, 2013 finalists HenriettaHaus Coffee Roasters and 2013 semi-finalist Busted in Detroit.

“Since its beginnings, Detroit has been a destination for savvy entrepreneurs and business-minded individuals seeking opportunity, not the quickest route to a buck,” said Vittoria Katanski, executive director of Hatch Detroit. “Those passionate, determined people are exactly who we’re seeking to submit a retail business idea to this year’s Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest presented by the Detroit Lions.”

Comerica Bank returns for the third year as the contest’s flagship sponsor, providing the $50,000 prize, along with significant in-kind support. In 2014, the Detroit Lions will provide both financial and ancillary support to the Hatch Detroit alumni who’ve followed through on the business plan laid out during the contest but need further assistance to open their doors or improve their business. Hatch Detroit and the Detroit Lions will allocate the additional support based on individual need, with an emphasis on the 10 finalists from previous contests.

“Watching the previous Hatch winners and others turn their ideas into brick-and-mortar retail shops has been inspiring, and certainly representative of Detroit’s entrepreneurial spirit,” said Michael T. Ritchie, president of Comerica Bank-Michigan. “Witnessing so many contest success stories has reinforced our decision to support Hatch Detroit. We look forward to seeing this year’s applications and continuing to build Detroit’s entrepreneurial community.

“This furthers our commitment to Detroit’s neighborhoods and broadens our collaboration with Hatch Detroit,” said Tom Lewand, Detroit Lions team president. “The growth of small business in Detroit continues to be a significant part of the city’s resurgence and is an important part of the Lions community engagement strategy.” In addition to the $50,000 cash prize, the winner will also receive a package of services including legal, marketing and advertising, accounting, public relations and IT support from Hatch Detroit and its partners. All applications must be submitted online at www.hatchdetroit.com. For complete submission guidelines and contest rules, visit www.hatchdetroit.com. The deadline for submissions is July 16, 2014.

Since its inception in 2011, Hatch Detroit has experienced overwhelming success in championing entrepreneurship and small business throughout Detroit. The inaugural contest garnered hundreds of Detroit retail business ideas and ignited tremendous community support for the finalists, culminating in thousands of public votes cast for first-year winner Hugh, a home furnishing shop for the stylish bachelor that opened its doors in 2012. The contest’s popularity has picked up momentum in subsequent years, garnering more than 700 submissions and 130,000 votes cast in its first three years. Notable alumni include 2012 winner La Feria, 2013 winner Batch Brewing Company, 2011 finalist Detroit Institute of Bagels, 2012 finalists Detroit Vegan Soul and Rock City Eatery, 2013 finalists HenriettaHaus Coffee Roasters and 2013 semi-finalist Busted in Detroit.
The heart of the city, Detroit's Midtown is rapidly developing into a surprisingly well-rounded residential area.

Detroit: The heart of the city, Detroit's Midtown is rapidly developing into a surprisingly well-rounded residential area while featuring an abundance of restaurants, galleries, community gardens and markets. Dedicated local entrepreneurs have made Midtown an attractive hub for small businesses with high-end shops like Hugh and Nora, eateries like Maccabee's at Midtown and Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company and Shinola, which makes American-made bicycles, watches, leather goods and journals. Midtown is at the core of the city's M-1 Rail development and non-motorized transportation plans will soon connect the district to Eastern Market and other neighborhoods via greenways and bike paths.

Click HERE for the full article! 

Top 5 Cities Safest from Natural Disasters 


You really can do something about the weather – move to places that are far less prone to the severe varieties of it. We’ve ranked the 23 most populous cities in the U.S. based on their safety from weather and other natural disasters. These may include flood, hail, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and winter storms.

We can’t predict the weather, but living in these cities can help you avoid it:

1) Detroit, MI 

Don’t rule out the Motor City. Detroit came out way ahead in all of our criteria, with only 3 major disaster declarations and four total declarations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the last 10 years. Detroit’s position on the Detroit River regulates extreme weather patterns and also subjects it to colder temperatures. When there are weather ‘events,’ the most likely are hail – still only 1 in every 4 of them – and flooding (also 1 in 4). Both are products of occasionally intense spring and summer thunderstorms. Detroit residents may have several concerns, but natural disasters don’t top the list!

Click HERE for the full article!
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