Right to Start, a national nonprofit organization promoting entrepreneurship, has launched the Michigan Starters Coalition, a statewide initiative that it states will enhance the landscape of entrepreneurship.
The coalition states it will advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority across the state by educating civic and government leaders about removing barriers to starting and growing businesses, increasing public awareness of how entrepreneurship drives economic growth, and fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem through collaboration and connection.
At a recent launch event at The LOVE Building in Detroit, speakers included representatives from Michigan Economic Development Corp. the City of Detroit, the BUILD Institute, 20 Fathoms, and Kwaku Osei, Executive Director of The LOVE Building.
The coalition is composed of the following initial Advisory Circle members: Diane Bouis, board member, BioMEMs Diagnostics; Carl Brown, co-founder, Startup Zoo; Milton Fletcher, founder, Great Minds Coaching; Colleen Hau, managing director, Newlab; Aaron Jackson, executive director, BUILD Institute; Willard Kitchen, special advisor, AquaAction; Tim Moore, founder and co-chair, Clixie AI; Osei; Arabia Simeon, founder, Politics on the Go; and Phillip Swanson, head of venture development, Centrepolis Accelerator.
In the future, the coalition states it will grow its organizational and individual members.
Organizational members will include entrepreneur support organizations and other civic entities, while individual members will include entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and other supporters of entrepreneurship.
Managing the growth of the coalition will be Mel Martin, Michigan coalition manager for Right to Start, and a resident of Detroit. He will be supported by Delaney Keating, Right to Start’s advocate in Michigan, and a resident of Manistee. They will both will be provided ongoing advice of Right to Start’s Ambassador in Michigan, Penny Lewandowski of Grand Rapids.
“Entrepreneurship is key to economic growth in America, and states play a crucial role in maximizing its potential,” says Victor W. Hwang, founder and CEO of Right to Start. “That’s why I’m so pleased about the launching of this statewide coalition in Michigan, which has an extraordinary legacy of entrepreneurship on which to build and grow even more.”
According to the coalition, new and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America. They are leading indicators of GDP growth, and they increase community wealth and goods and services.
Every new business per 100 people adds nearly $500 to average household income in a county, according to data from the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab. Every 1 percent increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2 percent decline in poverty.
Right to Start’s expanding presence in Michigan is supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth through their Mastercard Strive USA program, which is funding similar work by Right to Start in three other states: California, Missouri, and North Carolina.
For more information, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com or 917-921-8034.
Right to Start is a national nonpartisan movement to advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority throughout the United States. Entrepreneurship has long been viewed as a solitary endeavor – the lone starter in a basement or garage. Right to Start’s vision is to transform America so that all communities prioritize entrepreneurship, clearing away obstacles to ensure that every American has an equal right to start and a level playing field on which to embark.
