Invest Detroit

10/05/2026

Tomorrow! RSVP today, https://wkf.ms/4y38UQK

10/01/2026

Small team, big hiring needs? Invest Detroit and Detroit at Work are giving local businesses direct access to workforce specialists, with support from your first hire through training and retention. It kicks off with a free session this Tuesday. Got an invite? Save your seat: https://wkf.ms/4y38UQK

09/29/2026

Once the home or the Detroit Mirror and Glass Company, today the corner of Bagley and 14th, is home to 14 new apartments, ground-floor retail and dining, and a landscaped outdoor gathering space, right in the heart of Corktown.

Twenty percent of the units are reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, and a rear alley planted with more than 30 trees creates a semi-public “urban oasis” open to residents, commercial tenants and the surrounding community.
Invest Detroit was there at the beginning, funding the acquisition and predevelopment work that got this project off the ground.
“We’re proud to support another housing and retail opportunity in this growing and thriving corridor,” said Mike Vieregge, SVP at Invest Detroit.

Steps from Michigan Central Station and the Joe Louis Greenway, Bagley Vision is proof of what’s possible when a neighborhood grows without losing its history. Congratulations to developers Tarun Kajeepeta, Don Tappan and Tanner Waterstreet, and to the DEGC, City of Detroit, MEDC, LISC and Independent Bank for helping bring it to life.

09/23/2026

Corey Williams is a real estate developer and the owner of The Wildermere Bar and Grill, a full-service restaurant and bar in Detroit. Along with financing, he worked with our Small Business Support team on accounting, marketing, and mentorship.

His advice to entrepreneurs who want to go it alone? “That’s the slow boat to China.”

Ready to grow your business with support behind you? Learn more at the link in bio.

09/15/2026

When was the last time you actually revisited your marketing plan instead of just running the same playbook?

SCORE Mentors and Invest Detroit are teaming up for a Coffee Hour built specifically for small business owners who want to get ahead with their marketing goals.

If that's you, RSVP at wkf.ms/3Ud1mw1

Tuesday, September 29 | 2:00–3:00 PM
950 Selden St, Detroit, MI 48201

Bring your questions, bring your current strategy, and leave with a plan that actually fits where marketing is headed.

08/27/2026

Free accounting help for Detroit small business owners is here. Invest Detroit teamed up with the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project at the University of Michigan to offer free 1:1 accounting consulting, so you can get your business loan-ready. You'll get up to six sessions, working with U-M business students supervised by a licensed CPA.

Open every Friday from September through December, 10 AM to 3 PM, right here in Detroit.

Open to all Detroit small businesses. Appointments are required, so register soon.

Register today: https://wkf.ms/4xboTMu

08/21/2026

Over seven weeks, a few dedicated entrepreneurs in our portfolio participated in our free Detroit Business Blueprint Cohort 2026 to get the tools, guidance, and community to turn their vision into a sustainable business with a complete, actionable business plan, marketing and financial literacy skills, one-on-one coaching and personalized guidance, and a network of fellow Detroit entrepreneurs and business professionals.

This cohort includes businesses at every stage, from experienced entrepreneurs and legacy business owners to newer business owners who are laying out the future of entrepreneurship in Detroit. No matter the stage of business, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.

Thank you to our program leads, Mayra Villarreal-Martinez, Small Business Support Manager, and Hugo Aguinaga, Small Business Support Coach, for guiding this cohort every step of the way. Before the ceremony, graduates also joined a panel discussion featuring David Watkins of First Merchants Bank, Derek Edwards of Invest Detroit, Eduardo Salas of Digital Quest Consulting, and Patrick Ballard of Paychex, who shared real-world insight to help these entrepreneurs build lasting success.

Join us in celebrating this graduating cohort: Posh Body, SushiRitas Midtown, Cash Only Bistro, COMSA, Rent Free Cafe, The Wildemere, Terri's Cakes Detroit, Pink Diamond Beauty Mall Detroit, T&T Sip & Read, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Our House, and Mike's Ham Shop.

08/19/2026

Congrats to Little Liberia for being named to Hour Detroit's Best New Restaurants of 2026!

From a decade-long pop-up to a bustling brick-and-mortar on East Warren, Chef Ameneh Marhaba has built Michigan's first Liberian restaurant into a true destination inside The Ribbon, right in the heart of East Warren. This is what SNF investment is all about: local entrepreneurs creating places that give a neighborhood even more to be proud of.

Little Liberia in Detroit is one of 10 establishments named to Hour Detroit's 2026 Best New Restaurants list.

08/14/2026

Mexicantown’s historic La Norteña building at 3600 W. Vernor is finally getting rebuilt. This spot sat vacant for years; now it’s becoming 4 apartments for local artists and a ground-floor community space.

It’s being led by Tanya Saldivar-Ali & Luis Ali of AGI Construction, both from Southwest Detroit. They bought the building from another Latino family that ran it for 50+ years. This project is an example of the neighborhood investing in itself.

Saldivar-Ali put it simply: La Norteña carries “sacrifices, stories, memories, and the everyday experiences that shape who we are as a neighborhood.”

The project is supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Build Michigan Communities program and the Strategic Neighborhood Fund.

07/27/2026

Congratulations to Belvin Liles III on being named to the Michigan Chronicle’s 2026 Class of 40 Under 40!

Belvin serves as Principal at ID Ventures, our venture arm, where he’s been instrumental in supporting entrepreneurs and expanding access to capital across Detroit, including his leadership on our partnership with Venture 313 and the Gilbert Family Foundation. Detroit-born and raised, he’s built a career that’s taken him around the world, but he chose to bring that talent home.

We’re proud to call Belvin part of the Invest Detroit family, and even prouder of the impact he continues to make for founders across the city. Congratulations, this one’s well earned.