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Motor City Match awards $450K to new Detroit businesses
Earlier Wednesday, Motor City Match’s Round 28 cash grant recipients were celebrated at an awards ceremony. Thousands of dollars in grant money were awarded, helping these entrepreneurs keep their dreams alive.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The small business landscape in Detroit is set to receive a major boost.
Earlier Wednesday, Motor City Match’s Round 28 cash grant recipients were celebrated at an awards ceremony. Thousands of dollars in grant money were awarded, helping these entrepreneurs keep their dreams alive.
Local perspective:
Eduardo Salas calls himself an entrepreneur with his vision of a coffeehouse in SW Detroit, and a Motor City Match grant is making it possible.
"I will be using the $30K that'll be going toward that build-out design services, getting permitting from the city," he said.
Salas joined other Motor City Match winners on Wednesday at an awards ceremony, where over $450,000 was awarded to 12 businesses.
The backstory:
From restaurants and fitness centers to a business that can change the way one sees themselves. For one Motor City Match winner, the path to starting a doll business grew from an experience with her own daughters.
"It was actually a trip to a popular doll store that we saw that the images that were projected on us as black and brown women and girls were really harmful, and we decided to create our own doll line called the Pretty Brown Girl Doll and the doll sparked an entire movement," said Motor City Match recipient Sheri Crawley.
That movement went global, but as Sheri Crawley looked to purchase a building in Detroit, she needed help. Motor City Match heard the call and awarded Crawley $50,000.
"It was already a stretch to purchase the building, so this will be able to allow us to close the gap for the renovations," she said.
What's next:
Many of these entrepreneurs admit that without the Motor City Match grant, it would be difficult to move forward.
"That $30K just helps us continue moving forward now, as opposed to thinking one day, maybe next year, really makes that dream a possibility today," said Salas.
"There’s not many cities in urban America that this opportunity is afforded, so we are so lucky to have this opportunity here in Detroit," said Motor City Match recipient Angela Wright.