Bizdom U wants you, but only if you're serious about starting your own business. The Detroit-based entrepreneurship accelerator is looking for 20 good entrepreneurs, not "wantapreneurs," as its director Ross Sanders puts it. Sanders defines a wantapreneur as someone who is thinking about starting their own business but not ready to dedicate the time and assume the risk of getting one off the ground.
Detroit's growing base of entrepreneurs will serve as a key part to retooling the city and region, so they are both competitive in the 21st Century's new economy, Sanders says. "The whole region needs to transform itself to a brain-based economy that is just more entrepreneurial," Sanders says. "We believe that developing a strong urban core filled with businesses is good for the region."
Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert started Bizdom U on Wayne State University's campus in 2007. Each class at Bizdom U receives training, mentorship and resources to start and operate a business. Participants get four months education on a full-time basis and are provided with a living stipend, laptops, personal data devices and materials. Each graduate that establishes a Detroit-based business can receive start-up capital of up to $100,000 from the nonprofit Bizdom U Fund.
Bizdom U is looking for 20 people for this fall's class. Of those, Sanders expects 10-15 to graduate and produce eight businesses. Graduates can go it alone or team up to create one business. Two examples of multiple graduates creating one business are PostEgram (a business based around Facebook for senior citizens) and Guffly (an eco-friendly online store).
For information about joining Bizdom U's next class of entrepreneurs, click here or by send an email to
[email protected] or by calling (313) 833-7800.
Source: Ross Sanders, director of Bizdom U
Writer: Jon Zemke
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