November is Professional Development Month! So for me this month is full of fun professional development events at my internship. Only a week in and I have already seen a panel led by women leaders in our organization and most recently a panel featuring five entrepreneurs with Detroit based businesses. I was too busy eating free food, so I didn't get a very good seat, but here's the four entrepreneurs, minus the person facilitating the panel.

Detroit Experience Factory

The panel was facilitated by Jeanette Pierce the Executive Director of the Detroit Experience Factory.

Growing out of a grassroots nonprofit in 2006, then joining forces with D:hive in 2012, DXF is now an independent program of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. It has become a leading resource for both visitors and existing Detroiters to discover and experience the city.
The Detroit Experience Factory uses interactive experiences and innovative resources to help newcomers and locals alike get more connected to the people, places and projects in Detroit. It operates Detroit’s community based Welcome Center and has taken over 70,000 people on experiential tours of Detroit since it launched in 2006.

Sift

Sift is an employee engagement platform. It allows employers to gain a clear picture of engagement, automate feedback, obtain team insights, and delve further into the health of their organization through organization wide analytics.

Sean Jackson is the CEO of Sift. He came to Detroit from California, because he recognized that by starting his business in Detroit, he would be making an impact on an economic movement. He describes Detroit as a community that wants people to succeed. The most rewarding part of his business is being able to use his software to provide feedback to company leaders and know that he's helping to improve team relations. His advice for other entrepreneurs: Ask fifty people in your target audience what they think of your idea, this will help confirm if your idea is something worth moving forward on.

Detroit is the New Black

Detroit is the New Black (DITNB) is designer store downtown that's half boutique and half art gallery.

Detroit is the New Black is inspired by the city. We are a forward movement of humans energized by the history and resilience of the city. We combine minimalism and high street aesthetic to achieve the perfect balance of urban fashion. A mantra for Rebirth. Industry. Inspiration. Authenticity. Culture. Join the movement.

Roslyn Karamoko is the founder of DITNB, she's a Seattle native and previously worked in New York in fashion merchandising. She ended up in Detroit and recognized that there was a need for high end fashion. She loved the city and the community and made up a design for the first DITNB t-shirt, which through her hard work grew into the business it is today. Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: Start from the 'why' and work backwards.

ASHE Supply Co.

The ASHE Supply Co. was founded by two Metro Detroit natives who met their freshman year of high school at Kimball in Royal Oak, MI. They went on to live together in Midtown Detroit while they attended and graduated Wayne State University; one with a Doctorate in Pharmacy and the other with a Business Marketing degree. They've spend time living in other states and traveling the world to culture themselves as well as an identity that shaped the idea for the company. We at ASHE Supply Co. passionately produce handcrafted coffee and goods. A unique handcrafted lifestyle intertwining coffee, clothing and art for the urban adventurer. Countless hours are spend roasting the perfect cup of coffee, designing graphic prints and higher-end lifestyle clothing and producing original artwork as well as brokering local artists. "Drink coffee, live wild."

AJ Nichols is the co-founder of ASHE, along with childhood friend Mike Kennedy. Once upon a time he was participating in a youth hockey tournament and when he told someone he was from Detroit, they said they were sorry for him. From that moment he knew that he wanted to be a part of the rise of the Detroit. The name of the shop is a reference to Detroit's motto, “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus" (We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes). It's also a reference to an African philosophy, to conceive the power to make things happen and produce change. He advises other entrepreneurs to figure out what they're good at and then find a business partner with a supporting strength to help them succeed.

Slow Roll Detroit

Slow Roll is a group bicycle ride that meets every Monday night in Detroit and has expanded into a national network of community rides. Each week we meet at different venues and take a unique route throughout the city, including all the major and minor neighborhoods that we are so proud of.

Jason Hall is the co-founder of Slow Roll. Originally from Detroit, it just made sense to him to start a business here; "Detroit is the easiest place to fail and get back up." His favorite part of being an entrepreneur is the personal growth that has come from his journey, he's learned to listen to people from other circles of life. His advice to others is to take your time and read the fine print, do your due diligence before you make concrete decisions about your company.

Detroit is big enough to matter in the world and small enough for you to matter in it.

The next time you're in Detroit, take the time to see what our amazing city has to offer.