Posts In "Small business"


BUILD in Huffington Post


September 28, 2015

“There is no lack of people within Detroit’s neighborhoods who want to collaborate. April Boyle, Executive Director of BUILD Institute, a network of grass-roots programs that train people to bring their business ideas to life, says more attention and investment needs go to into community entrepreneurship. To date, BUILD has graduated 600 aspiring and experienced …more

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Welcome Eric: Recruitment and Registration Coordinator


September 22, 2015

We’re so excited to welcome Eric Dean to our BUILD team as our new Registration and Recruitment Coordinator. Eric will manage all the registration process for our BUILD classes as well as outreach to more aspiring and established entrepreneurs. Get to know Eric a little bit more in this Q&A.   Where were you born …more

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BUILD Facilitator: Top 5 Pieces of Advice from a Startup Lawyer


September 8, 2015

Our BUILD facilitator Tifani Sadek of Sadek Bonahoom is known as the small business lawyer in Detroit. She’s worked with tons of companies including many of our own BUILD grads. Here she shares her top pieces of legal advice for entrepreneurs. Do not get your legal advice from the internet. It is a good idea …more

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Woodbridge Bikes and Coffee: The story of partnership through BUILD


August 31, 2015

For many of our graduates, BUILD Institute is a place to toss around a business idea, find support in an entrepreneurial environment, and get connected to a network of doers that welcome collaboration. For some, BUILD becomes the place where they found exactly what they needed to launch their idea – a business partner. Jonathon …more

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Kiva Zip’s Impact: Three borrowers share their experience, growth, and success


Kiva Zip, a 0% interest, crowdfunded micro-loan program, has been in Detroit for 3 years and has had tremendous positive impact on small business owners. This program, now powered by BUILD Institute,  fills a gap in Detroit for entrepreneurs trying to access capital to take their business to the next level, and creates community where individuals …more

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Forward Cities Featured Post from BUILD’s Executive Director April Boyle


August 17, 2015

“When I first heard of Forward Cities and their goals of advancing minority ownership and commercial corridor redevelopment I was over the moon with excitement, as these are the key tenants of our work at BUILD Institute.  I was able to attend the very first convening in New Orleans in December 2014 and was taken …more

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Sidewalk Ventures: Are you ready to start raising community-based investment for your business?


August 11, 2015

“Seeking community-based investment is exciting. With the right team in place, it can be relatively user-friendly and easy to understand, but it still involves asking people to take real financial risk with you. There will be some serious issues to address and information to provide. You’re an entrepreneur, so you’re probably a doer and you like to get …more

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Lapel Bar: From running a family business to opening my own


August 10, 2015

Think about it, it’s pretty safe to say that we as people have encountered someone that has said the words “I hate my job.” But typically, these same individuals that create these harsh statements rarely find themselves leaving this particular job of theirs until something pushes them over the boiling point. No, this is not …more

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It Takes a Village: A case study of collaborative entrepreneurship in Detroit


July 28, 2015

  On the eastside of Detroit, minutes past the buzz of the city’s freshly developing urban sprawl, sits the quaint neighborhood of West Village. The streets are quieter – the loudest sounds those of saws grinding from renovation sites screeching, “The revitalization is here. It has taken root.” In the last few years, new storefronts …more

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BUILD hosts Duke Engage Fellowship interns


July 21, 2015

We’re so fortunate to work with Duke University hosting 2 summer interns, Liz and Ryan, as part of the Duke Engage Fellowship program. You can read about their experience living, working, and playing in Detroit here. Check out the interview Liz did with our executive director April Boyle here. Check out the interview Ryan did with …more

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