New Season Begins Sept. 20!

Our fifth season of Open City kicks off Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 6:00pm. Join us at Cliff Bell's, 2030 Park Avenue in downtown Detroit to learn about new opportunities for small business in the city.

Moderated by Nichole Christian of WDET, our panel will include guests from such programs as Hatch Detroit, Kiva Detroit and DC3's Creative Ventures program. We will discuss some of the newest resources and opportunities available to both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.

Open City is presented by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center in partnership with Model D and WDET.

For more information, visit our Open City group and event page on Facebook.

Hatch Detroit offers $50K start-up cash

Hatch Detroit, a new Detroit retail competition is offering $50,000 start-up cash for the best new bricks-and-mortar storefront business in Detroit. What's your idea? Visit the website and join the Facebook group to learn more!

Detroit is the first Kiva City!

Detroit is the first Kiva City! Working with community organizations in the United States to provide local small businesses with microloans, Kiva empowers people to champion small businesses. Kiva Detroit is the product of a partnership between Michigan Corps, ACCION USA, Knight Foundation and Kiva. Lend to a Detroit business or join the Kiva Detroit lending team. Learn more at http://www.kiva.org/detroit.

Detroit Works Project Entrepreneurs Summit

Calling all Detroit entrepreneurs and small business owners to the Entrepreneurs Summit for the Detroit Works Project on May 12, 2011, 6:00-8:30pm at The Display Group, 1700 W. Fort Street. For more information, visit the Facebook page here.

Localism Index

"Perhaps we're not doomed to an economy controlled by a few giant corporations after all." Check out this new "Localism Index" by Stacy Mitchell published in The Nation (April 25, 2011).

Seeding Small Business: 5 Ideas from Detroit

We really enjoyed meeting with Stacy Mitchell during her recent visit to Detroit. Afterwards, she wrote a great piece for Yes! Magazine about Open City and other ways Detroit entrepreneurs are learning to rely on each other to build a new economy. Check out her article here: "Seeding Small Business: 5 Ideas from Detroit."

Stacy is a senior researcher with the New Rules Project, a program of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, where she directs initiatives on community banking and independent retail. She is the author of Big-Box Swindle and produces a monthly bulletin called the Hometown Advantage.

Special thanks to Toby Barlow and Ryan Schirmang of Team Detroit for inviting Stacy to learn more about what's going on here.

Open City teams with DC3

Open City is excited to team with the Detroit Creative Corridor Center this year to continue our monthly meetings at Cliff Bell's. For Open City inquiries, contact Bethany Betzler at bbetzler [at] detroitcreativecorridorcenter.com.

Open City featured in the NY Times

Open City and several local entrepreneurs are featured in a New York Times article about start-ups in Detroit. "Detroit Entrepreneurs Opt to Look Up" (January 9, 2010) includes Nathan Faustyn of the Burton Theatre, Torya Blanchard of Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes, Greg Lenhoff of Leopold's Books, Victor Both of Breezecab, Jen Willemsen of Curl Up & Dye, and Claire Nelson of Bureau of Urban Living.

Detroit Entrepreneurs Band Together

A new article by Sheena Harrison for CNNMoney.com tells the story of local business owners teaming up to draw shoppers and rebuild Detroit, one business at a time. "Detroit Entrepreneurs Band Together" (April 29, 2009) features local indies Canine To Five, Bureau of Urban Living, Supino Pizza, Russell Street Deli, Park Bar, Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes, Blue Pointe Restaurant, Grand Trunk Pub, Motor City Brewing Works, Slow's Bar BQ, El Barzon, Design 99 and Mezzanine.