I think everyone was surprised at the wide array of things that Quicken Loans is doing throughout the city of Detroit.

Detroit Ambassador Bruce Schwartz of Bedrock (also former CEO of In-House Reality) gave a dynamic tour to the group. His tour showed the group all the development taking place downtown, the future plans for the city, and how they got to this point in the past few years.

In an evolving artistic world, many artists don’t realize the importance of incorporating entrepreneurial skills into their craft. A balance of creative vision and business savvy is essential to any artist’s success in today’s industry.

In an effort to further explore the topic of business and entrepreneurship in art, the Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts (CFPCA) is sponsoring a panel discussion, The Business of Art.

During this event, Wayne State University alumni and community members will hear various points of view from a group of interesting and engaged experts in the field on how to market themselves, seize small business opportunities available to artists and interpret the importance of entrepreneurship in the arts.

These experts, all alumni of WSU, have years of experience and valuable advice to offer on this subject. The panelists include:

Adriel Thornton (Moderator)  - Adriel is the music and production director for Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) and the founder of events production company, FreshCorp. He is a part of Detroit’s vibrant creative scene and is well-known as an influencer and thought leader.

April Boyle - April is the Director of Small Business Initiatives at D:hive. An artist (lead singer of the all-mom band The Mydols) and entrepreneur (founder and partner of pop-up supper Club Komodo Kitchen), she lives the artist/entrepreneur life and teaches it as well.

Brent Smith – Brent is half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Passalacqua and a member of rap group Cold Men Young. He is a recipient of the Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship and has developed many eclectic and creative methods to promote his artistic pursuits.

Dominic Arellano - Dominic is the executive director of Forward Arts and through his non-profit he develops opportunities for artists. His resume is long and includes affiliations with Detroit Electronic Music Festival, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and The Greening of Detroit.

Jocelyn Rainey – Jocelyn is a dean of instruction at Wayne County Community College District. A painter and a sculptor, she is also the founder of Finding Mona Lisa 313, Found Art in Odd Places 313, and JRainey Gallery.

One of our community partners, TechTown was kind enough to provide us with tickets to the Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Showcase! 

The showcase celebrated the participants and partners of the 2014 Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge.   It showcased the the state's top social entrepreneurs, and invited us to explore the steps taken by investors to grow social impact across the state.

The program agenda included a panel on A Day in the Life of a Michigan Social Entrepreneur.
What does it take to build a social enterprise in Michigan and make a meaningful difference? The 2013 Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Fellows shared about heir journeys over the last year- from making their first hires, to evolving their business strategies, and securing their first investments. 

Panelists
Amy Peterson, Rebel Nell
Jeff Adams, P3 Enterprise
Brenda Moore, Java Hope
Chris Blauvelt, Patronicity
Patrick Beale, Detroit Training Center
Rich Daniels, FunPak
Noam Kimelman, Fresh Corner Cafe 
Jack Bidlack, Digital Inclusion

Our orientation week was FILLED to the brim with enriching activities to get the students oriented to Detroit.  The students took part in one of D:Hive's Bus Tours followed by a special D:Hive scavenger hunt.  Both of these things come offered out of D:Hive's Detroit Experience Factory!

After the students got more acquainted with the lay out of the city, we asked them to do a dry run to community partner sites.  Christopher Gergen then did a session on Life Entrepreneurs, which he co-authored.  After that, we all ventured to Belle Isle for a picnic. 

On Thursday, June 12, all of the students were invited to Mayor Duggan's announcement regarding new economic development strategy to promote job growth and entrepreneurship in the city. Among those who joined Mayor Duggan in his announcement was Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institute, who released The Rise of Innovation Districts: A New Geography of Innovation in America.  We could not have been more excited to have been included in such an event.


Other orientation activities included a Detroit Tiger's game, a session that Matt Nash did for the students on consulting, a visit to Detroit's Eastern Market, and a Ford Rouge Factory Tour.  

Needless to say, everyone is GEARED up for an innovative summer in Detroit!