Lily Hamburger has been named as the next small business network director of the partnership between Invest Detroit, New Economy Initiative (NEI), and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
She will work to advance the partnership’s mission to strengthen an inclusive small business support network of nonprofit business organizations in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, and other Wayne County communities. Hamburger has served as associate director of the program since joining Invest Detroit in May of 2022 and now will take over as director.
The small business network director role leads and manages the stewardship and coordination of the BSO network — a group of local nonprofits and financial institutions dedicated to providing comprehensive and inclusive small business support.
As small business network director, Hamburger will serve as a convener, identify needs, or support gaps in existing programs, mobilize the network for quick execution, and engage with business owners to ensure the network of support is known and relevant to their needs.
NEI and the Community Foundation will continue as the grant maker, and Hamburger and Invest Detroit will work with NEI leadership to ensure the BSOs and the small businesses they serve are equipped to meet their needs.
The partnership was created in 2021 with a $19.5 million fund that provides small businesses with inclusive access to capital, practical assistance, information, and trusted connections to business resources.
The fund is a part of NEI’s focus on existing and new small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Contributors include the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, William Davidson Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Since its launch in 2021, the Small Business Network and NEI have awarded more than $12 million from the Inclusive Small Business Support Network Fund with the goal of helping underserved, and underrepresented entrepreneurs launch, grow, and scale their small businesses.
“I am excited and honored to lead this work and continue building the small business community in Detroit,” says Hamburger. “Finding solutions and building supports to overcome many of the systemic challenges faced by our small businesses is at the core of my work, and I look forward to helping them position themselves for long term success and the success of our community.”
Prior to joining Invest Detroit, Hamburger worked for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., where she created programs for business owners, managed a citywide retail opportunity study, and directed the District Business Liaisons. She has an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a BA from Middlebury College in Vermont.
