"Building a strong network, it just can’t be overemphasized, but it also has to be done with intention," says Elizabeth Luther, Capital Impact's Detroit program director. Newer developers often face many obstacles as they step up to bigger projects. Here's a look at some local developers who have made the leap and the lessons they've learned.
Detroit-born Khalid el-Hakim’s mobile museum has evolved into one of the biggest collections of African American history and artifacts in the country. Now the pioneer in Black Museum Studies is touring Michigan, from Bloomfield Hills to Beaver Island.
“From repurposing vacant lots for creative green uses to renovating vacant buildings as community assets to modifying streets and sidewalks for greater walkability, we’ve seen KIP:D make physical changes [that] enhance quality of life across the city,” says Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of Kresge’s Detroit Program.
“Our goal is to feel safe and secure and add beauty to our city. Adding these streetlights will do that,” says Avalon Village founder Shamayim “Shu” Harris. “We deserve this.”
Ruth Bell has been constantly told by the people in her life — from family members to business moguls to postal workers — that she needs to be baking. Now, she's finally listening.
In Detroit communities hit hardest by COVID-19, solar power projects provided some relief and continuity of service this year. For engineers and entrepreneurs Ali Dirul and Karanja Famodou, renewable energy is not just about the sustaining the environment, it's about sustaining equity.
Juan Shannon set out five years ago to establish a smart neighborhood in Highland Park. With a new solar-powered cafe and expanding urban farming initiative, the developer continues to grow green technology in his community.
Avalon Village along with partners Soulardarity and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have launched a crowdfunding campaign to install five solar-powered streetlights along Avalon Street in Highland Park.
Victims of police killings are often criminalized. For Sydney G. James, there is no justification. So she decided to use her art to be a voice for her disgust at yet another slaying of a Black person at the hands of those hired to protect and serve them.
Looking to buy a house in 2020? These are the areas to check out, according to Detroit Realtors.
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