A small group of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs are carving out a niche in Highland Park for their start-up, Distributed Power.
The 1-year-old company specializes in a variety of green enterprises, such as urban food development, sustainability education, solar system design,and other avenues of renewable energy. The company has a broader focus on helping build the green economy in Michigan.
"The best way to build a green economy in Detroit is to start a company," says Brandon Knight, co-founder of
Distributed Power.
The six-person firm got its start with social activism at the
Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church. It has since bought a small apartment building that the company is renovating into a green building. It also has an urban farm and is working with local officials to expand urban agriculture in the city. Distributed Power also recently
won a grant to mount a solar energy system at its farm, which serves as one more step toward it becoming a bigger part of the community.
"We just picked up a lot of momentum in Highland Park to the point we just got deeper and deeper into the community," Knight says. "There were no community groups working on renewable energy, so we have a niche to fill."
Source: Brandon Knight, co-founder of Distributed Power
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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