Detroit’s small business scene just got a major shot in the arm. In a move that has local entrepreneurs buzzing, the Gilbert Family Foundation is investing over $4 million to uplift Black-owned businesses and developers in the city. Announced during National Black Business Month, this initiative isn’t just another grant announcement, it’s a community-driven effort to build wealth and opportunity in Detroit’s neighborhoods. For a city that proudly hosts roughly 50,000 Black-owned businesses, this influx of support comes at a crucial time. What does $4 million mean for Detroit’s Black entrepreneurs, and how will it shape our communities? Let’s dive into the details in plain English, from one lifelong Detroiter to another.
Black Leaders Detroit, Facebook
A Big Investment in Detroit’s Black Business Ecosystem
The Gilbert Family Foundation, co-founded by Detroit billionaire Dan Gilbert of Rocket Mortgage fame, has pledged $4 million in new grants to bolster Black-led businesses and community developers in the city. This isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s part of Gilbert’s larger 10-year, $500 million commitment (shared with the Rocket Community Fund) to revitalize Detroit neighborhoods, announced back in 2021. So far, about $232 million of that pledge has already been deployed toward Detroit’s resurgence.
The latest $4 million is being split between two homegrown organizations at the heart of Detroit’s Black business community:
- c(BLD) – receiving $2.1 million to expand its unique no-interest loan programs for local developers and entrepreneurs.
- Michigan Black Business Alliance (MBBA) – receiving $2 million to scale up its programs that help Black-owned businesses grow, find funding, and get coaching.
Darnell Adams, the foundation’s Vice President of Detroit Community Initiatives, frames the investment as fuel for the city’s future. “Detroit’s continued growth hinges on a strong small business community throughout the city,” Adams remarked. “These investments will ensure Detroit developers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses have the resources and opportunities needed to shape the future of our city and state.” In other words, if small businesses thrive, Detroit thrives, something lifelong locals know from experience.
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Why Now? Celebrating Black Business Month
It’s no coincidence this was announced during National Black Business Month (August). The celebration put a spotlight on the contributions of Black entrepreneurs nationwide, and Detroit certainly has plenty to celebrate. Despite headwinds in recent years – including a climate of reduced support for diversity initiatives nationally, Detroit’s Black-owned businesses have shown resilience. While some cities have struggled to keep Black businesses afloat, Detroit has pushed through, even amid less friendly federal policies. Local groups like MBBA have been critical in that push, fostering an ecosystem where Black entrepreneurs can weather storms and seize opportunities. This $4M boost underscores a belief that “major change is possible when we work together,” as the Gilbert Family Foundation’s mission states.
Black Leaders Detroit: Expanding No-Interest Loans for Developers
One half of the grant is headed to Black Leaders Detroit (BLD), a nonprofit that’s all about empowering Black developers and business owners. BLD is perhaps best known for The Building Fund, an innovative no-interest loan program for real estate projects. Thanks to the new $2.1 million grant, BLD can expand The Building Fund and other lending efforts.
What is The Building Fund? Imagine you’re a Detroit entrepreneur of African descent with a plan to rehab a house or build housing on a vacant lot. Traditionally, securing financing for such projects can be an uphill battle, banks might see small developers as too risky, especially in certain neighborhoods. The Building Fund steps in here, offering no-interest loans up to $150,000 to help get residential projects off the ground. These loans are uniquely structured: funds are disbursed in phases tied to construction milestones, and payments are deferred for three months after the project’s closing. It’s essentially breathing room and trust for developers who might not get it elsewhere.
BLD’s COO Sharea Ayers calls The Building Fund a “game-changer for Detroit.” By providing no-interest capital to Black developers, “we’re not just financing projects, we’re building generational wealth, strengthening neighborhoods, and ensuring that Detroit’s growth includes people who have always called it home,” Ayers said. That quote gives me chills because it hits home for so many longtime Detroiters. We’ve watched new developments spring up around town; programs like this help make sure everyone has a chance to be part of that progress, not just outside investors.
With the extra funding, BLD plans to get more projects rolling and more Detroiters building. More houses renovated or constructed means more local families finding homes. More commercial spaces improved means more Black-owned shops and cafes in our neighborhoods. It’s community development driven by the community itself. And BLD isn’t stopping at loans, they’re also expanding capacity-building programs (to help entrepreneurs strengthen their business skills) and even running an entrepreneurship symposium this October. That symposium will bring together Black entrepreneurs for workshops, mentorship, and networking. It’s like a boot camp to make sure folks have the tools, knowledge, and connections to succeed in an ever-evolving market. If you’re a local business owner or aspiring developer, this could be a golden opportunity to plug into support.
Black Leaders Detroit’s expanded funding means more zero-interest loans circulating in the community. It’s financing with a purpose – not only to build buildings, but to build wealth and stability for Black Detroiters. In a city where access to capital has historically been a barrier, that’s a big deal.
Michigan Black Business Alliance, Facebook
Michigan Black Business Alliance: Helping Entrepreneurs Scale Up
The other half of the Gilbert Foundation’s investment (about $2 million) is empowering the Michigan Black Business Alliance (MBBA) to ramp up its statewide initiatives for Black entrepreneurs. If you haven’t heard of MBBA, they’re a Detroit-based organization that’s become a hub for Black businesses, offering everything from networking opportunities to programs that tackle the nitty-gritty challenges of scaling a company.
With this new funding, MBBA is zeroing in on a few key programs:
- Global Growth Accelerator: An intensive program to help second-stage businesses (those beyond the startup phase) grow into sustainable, scalable enterprises. Think of businesses that have made it through the fragile early years and have a solid footing, but now need that extra push – mentorship, strategy, maybe new markets, to reach the next level. The goal is to assist at least 40 such companies in moving up the ladder.
- Capital Connect: A matchmaking service of sorts that connects Black business owners with financing options. Whether a business is just launching or looking to expand, access to capital is often the make-or-break factor. Capital Connect aims to eliminate barriers to funding by linking entrepreneurs with lenders or investors and demystifying the financing process.
- BizWiz: A one-on-one coaching and technical assistance program. This is like having a personal business trainer in your corner. The coaches provide guidance tailored to each entrepreneur’s needs, whether it’s refining a business plan, navigating permits, improving marketing, or adopting new tech. Importantly, MBBA emphasizes culturally competent coaching, meaning coaches understand the unique experiences and challenges of Black business owners.
Charity Dean, President and CEO of MBBA, says the grant is “more than just funding; it’s a belief in the ingenuity and resilience of our entrepreneurs.” In her words, “This investment will be the spark that helps business owners, especially our second-stage entrepreneurs, turn their dreams into sustainable, thriving realities.” Dean has seen firsthand that many Black-owned businesses in Detroit are ready to scale up, they have the ideas and the grit, but often lack the resources or networks. Now, with programs like the accelerator and Capital Connect supercharged, those businesses will have a bridge to bigger opportunities.
One striking thing about MBBA is how it fits into the bigger picture. The organization launched just a few years ago, and already nearly 50,000 Black-owned businesses call the Great Lakes region home. Many of those are in Metro Detroit. MBBA’s mission is to keep that momentum going, ensuring that Black businesses not only start, but also survive and thrive long-term, creating jobs, serving local needs, and contributing to Detroit’s broader revival.
By teaming up with the Gilbert Family Foundation, MBBA gains a “pillar of support,” as Dean calls it. This partnership isn’t brand new either; the foundation had already invested over $1 million in MBBA and BLD in 2023. The extra $2 million now takes things to another level, allowing MBBA to scale what works. For everyday Detroiters, that could mean seeing more Black-owned companies expand in size, hire more employees, and perhaps even open new locations in our neighborhoods. It’s growth that stays rooted in the community.
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Part of a Long-Term Commitment to an Inclusive Detroit
What’s refreshing about this $4M boost is that it’s not a one-off headline, it’s part of a sustained strategy to make Detroit’s revival inclusive. The Gilbert Family Foundation, along with other local partners, has been steadily investing in programs that create equitable opportunities. A few highlights of this long-term commitment include:
- 10-Year Pledge: In 2021, Dan Gilbert’s foundation (alongside the Rocket Community Fund) committed $500 million over 10 years to Detroit. This is a huge pot aimed at everything from housing stability to economic growth. By mid-2025, roughly $232 million of that was already put to work in the city, from clearing property tax debt for homeowners, to funding entrepreneurship hubs, to supporting education and tech training.
- Detroit’s Apple Developer Academy: Remember when Apple opened a Developer Academy in Detroit? That was 2021, and the Gilbert Family Foundation played a key role in launching it. The academy is a free 10-month program (run in partnership with Apple and MSU) teaching coding, design, and tech skills to Detroiters. Just this year, it graduated its latest class of 125+ students in app development, AI, UX design, marketing, and more. The idea is to prepare local talent for high-paying tech jobs or even to start their own tech ventures, further diversifying the opportunities available in the city.
- Previous Grants to BLD & MBBA: As mentioned, this isn’t the first time BLD and MBBA have seen Gilbert Foundation dollars. In 2023, the foundation gave over $1 million to support these groups. That funding helped seed programs like BLD’s emergency small business loans and MBBA’s initial accelerator efforts. The fact that results were promising enough to warrant a quadrupling of support (from $1M to $4M) speaks to the impact these organizations are having on the ground.
All these efforts point to a common theme: Detroit’s comeback must include long-time Detroiters. The city’s narrative in recent years has been one of renaissance, new developments, new businesses, an influx of energy downtown and in neighborhoods like Corktown and Midtown. But as any local will tell you, a true renaissance can’t leave our majority-Black population on the sidelines. The Gilbert Family Foundation’s approach, working hand-in-hand with Black-led organizations, is about baking inclusion into Detroit’s growth. It recognizes that historically underserved communities deserve a front-row seat in the economic revival.
Adams from the Gilbert Foundation put it well: “We’re looking at the long term... These investments represent a piece of the bigger puzzle. Together with our partners, we’re working to create a stronger, more resilient Detroit that works for everyone.” In practical terms, that means a Detroit where a Black developer can rebuild a block of homes without crushing debt; where a small business on Livernois or Jefferson can expand and hire from the neighborhood; where a kid in Detroit can learn to code and launch an app that turns into the next big startup. It’s a vision we can all get behind because it benefits the entire city.
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Michigan Black Business Alliance, Facebook
Why This Matters for Detroit Families and Communities
At a street level, you might wonder how this high-level talk of grants and programs translates to everyday life in Detroit. Here’s why local folks are paying attention:
- Stronger Neighborhoods: When developers of color invest in residential projects (using those BLD no-interest loans), it can mean more renovated homes and new housing in areas that need it. Blighted properties turned into livable homes do wonders for a block, property values stabilize, safety improves, and pride returns. Plus, BLD’s focus on keeping Detroiters in the mix means longtime residents have a stake in the upgrades. It’s not an outside developer flipping houses for a quick buck; it’s often a neighbor or local entrepreneur building up their own community.
- Job Creation: Black-owned businesses in Detroit already employ thousands of people. As MBBA’s accelerator helps more companies scale, those businesses can hire more local talent. Maybe a catering company can get a bigger kitchen and take on larger contracts, hiring folks from the neighborhood. Or a retail shop can open a second location on the east side, creating new jobs there. Growth isn’t abstract, it feeds directly into local employment and skill-building.
- Closing the Wealth Gap: Let’s be real, Detroit has seen a wealth gap between different communities, and it often falls along racial lines. Initiatives like these tackle that head-on by enabling generational wealth building. Homeownership, business ownership, and real estate development are three proven paths to build wealth over time. By supporting Black Detroiters in these areas (through grants, loans, and training), the aim is to chip away at the racial wealth gap that has persisted for too long. When Black entrepreneurs prosper, they reinvest in their families, their neighborhoods, and local institutions, creating a ripple effect of economic empowerment.
- Community Stability: Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, the barber shop, the bakery, the daycare, the local construction contractor. If those businesses have support to get through tough times and grow during good times, neighborhoods remain vibrant and self-sufficient. It means more local options for goods and services (how nice would it be to have more grocery stores or cafes within walking distance?). And it means the next generation can see successful role models right on their block, which inspires hope. As Charity Dean noted, this investment is a “spark”, and with the resilience Detroiters have, a small spark can light up the whole block.
One more thing to highlight: Detroit’s approach here is getting noticed because it’s somewhat unique. The partnership model, a major foundation teaming with grassroots Black organizations, shows a level of trust and shared mission. Rather than imposing top-down programs, the Gilbert Family Foundation is boosting those who are already doing the work on the ground. It’s the community guiding the investment. Other cities have struggled to support Black-owned businesses, especially amid a rollback of diversity and inclusion efforts in some places. Detroit is showing that with local leadership and committed funding, you can grow a robust Black business community even in challenging times.
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An Invitation to Be Part of Detroit’s Growth Story
Detroit’s revival is often told through big projects and downtown developments, but the real story, the one we locals feel, is in the neighborhoods and small businesses. The Gilbert Family Foundation’s $4M boost to Black Leaders Detroit and the Michigan Black Business Alliance is more than a feel-good headline; it’s a building block for the Detroit we want to see. A Detroit where everyone has a chance to prosper, not just survive.
As a lifelong Michigander and Metro Detroit observer, I can say this: These investments carry a sense of optimism and urgency that’s palpable. They’re about ensuring the Detroit renaissance reaches the East Side and the West Side, the Avenue of Fashion and downriver, not just the central corridor. They’re about helping the people who stuck with Detroit through hard times to now lead Detroit into better times.
So, what can you do as a reader and neighbor? Consider this a friendly invitation to get involved in Detroit’s growth story. Support Black-owned businesses in your area, your patronage matters. If you’re an entrepreneur yourself, tap into groups like MBBA or events like BLD’s symposium to connect with resources (these organizations exist to help folks like you). If you’re passionate about the community, consider volunteering or mentoring through local business programs. And for families thinking about planting roots or investing in Detroit, now is the time, reach out to local experts who understand the neighborhoods and the momentum building here.
Detroit’s on the rise, and thanks to initiatives like this, it’s rising in a way that lifts up those who have always called it home. The future here is being written by Detroiters, from the ground up. Whether you’re looking to start a business, buy a home, or just be a good neighbor, there’s a place for you in this narrative. Join the conversation, explore the opportunities, and be part of Detroit’s inclusive comeback. The road ahead looks brighter than ever, and we’re driving it together.
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