Detroit Elevate Pushes $106,000 Directly Into Local Small Businesses

November 18, 2025

Detroit Elevate, a new growth-stage business program launched by TechTown Detroit and the Gilbert Family Foundation, concluded its inaugural four-month cohort with 44 Metro Detroit entrepreneurs completing the initiative. The program provided comprehensive support including one-on-one coaching, strategic planning assistance, and customer visibility, delivering over $326,000 in technical assistance and 460 hours of virtual coaching to revenue-generating businesses seeking to scale. At the closing ceremony held at One Campus Martius, participating entrepreneurs showcased their businesses and competed for growth grants, with awards distributed based on business growth potential, presentation quality, and community impact.

Who is affected

44 Metro Detroit entrepreneurs who completed the inaugural Detroit Elevate cohort
Grant winners (specific businesses receiving awards for business growth, presentation, and community impact)
Three businesses receiving People's Choice recognition
Small businesses owned by Black and Brown Detroiters
Local residents employed by cohort businesses
Neighborhood-based customers served by these businesses
TechTown Detroit (program leader)
Gilbert Family Foundation (program leader)
Black Leaders Detroit (program assistant)
QT Business Solutions (program assistant)

What action is being taken

No ongoing actions are explicitly described in the article. The article discusses a program that ran from August through November (already completed) and describes the closing ceremony (a past event).

Why it matters

Detroit Elevate addresses a critical gap in Detroit's small business ecosystem by providing growth-stage support to businesses that are already revenue-generating but lack access to tailored scaling resources. The program is particularly significant because it delivers non-loan capital to Black and Brown entrepreneurs who are typically overlooked by traditional investment pipelines, despite operating neighborhood-based businesses that employ local residents and circulate revenue within Detroit's economy. The program demonstrates that when technical assistance and early-stage funding are provided directly to Detroit founders, measurable growth follows, potentially determining which businesses successfully scale versus stall. By focusing on practical growth tools rather than theoretical curriculum, the initiative supports businesses rooted in Detroit neighborhoods that contribute directly to the city's economic landscape.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article. (The article mentions "If Detroit Elevate continues, the program will likely become an entry point" for overlooked businesses, but this is presented as speculation rather than a confirmed next step.)

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle