BUILD Institute to Pause Operations at End of 2025

November 19, 2025

The BUILD Institute, a Detroit-based entrepreneurship support organization founded in 2012, has announced it will pause operations at the end of 2025 to reassess its mission delivery, programming, and business model. Since its inception, BUILD has graduated over 1,700 participants focused on underrepresented entrepreneurs, with alumni generating approximately $56 million in annual labor income and supporting more than 560 operational businesses in Detroit. The organization will continue all scheduled programming through December 2025 to honor existing commitments while exploring new partnership models and approaches to serve its network of over 3,000 alumni.

Who is affected

Over 3,000 BUILD Institute alumni entrepreneurs
Current BUILD program participants and cohorts enrolled through the end of 2025
More than 560 operational businesses in Detroit supported by BUILD
BUILD Institute team members and facilitators
Women entrepreneurs (83% of graduates)
People of color entrepreneurs (63% of graduates)
Low-income background entrepreneurs (73% of graduates)
Detroit's neighborhood-based business owners and commercial corridors
Small business support organizations across Michigan
BUILD Institute's Board of Directors
BUILD's partner organizations

What action is being taken

BUILD Institute is pausing operations at the end of 2025
The organization is continuing all scheduled programming through December 2025
BUILD is exploring new ways to align work with community needs
The board is reassessing mission delivery, retooling programming, and evaluating partnership opportunities and business models
The organization is closing out or transitioning existing programs
BUILD is exploring new program design, partnership structures, and sustainable funding models

Why it matters

BUILD Institute has been a cornerstone of inclusive entrepreneurship in Detroit, specifically serving underrepresented and under-resourced community businesses that often lack access to traditional capital and advisory services. The organization's economic impact is substantial, with every dollar invested generating an estimated $23.65 in local economic value through wages. BUILD supports the "Main Street" entrepreneurs who anchor Detroit's commercial corridors outside downtown redevelopment zones, providing critical infrastructure for neighborhood-based business growth. The pause reflects broader challenges facing small business support organizations, including rising costs, shifting funding landscapes, and the need to demonstrate scalable impact, making this a significant moment for Detroit's micro-business support network and potentially signaling necessary evolution in how entrepreneurial ecosystems operate.

What's next

BUILD will not admit new cohorts beyond the end of 2025
The organization will spend the pause period exploring new program design, partnership structures, and sustainable funding models
Alumni-engagement and community mapping efforts may become more prominent during the pause
The board is inviting community engagement and questions via Hello@buildinstitute.org
BUILD aims to design its "next chapter" following the strategic recalibration period

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle