Detroit’s unique challenges have given rise to bold policy prescriptions and created a hotbed of opportunities. In 2012, a dozen smart, enterprising recent college graduates moved to Detroit. They were Venture For America Fellows, assigned...
When we have important “life administration” decisions to make—getting a loan or a new health insurance plan—we often turn to people we know and trust. A Detroit startup called Stik is asking, “What if businesses...
When Dan Gilbert told the Techonomy Detroit audience last September that the wrecking ball was the next step to reviving the Motor City, we quipped that demolition didn't seem like such a techonomic concept. It...
In the days since Techonomy Detroit, I'm more hopeful about my hometown than I have been since I left for New York to go to Columbia University 30 years ago. Yet before I headed to...
Demolition isn’t exactly a techonomic concept, but clearing Detroit of tens of thousands of burned-out houses and crumbling factories is a crucial next-step in urban renewal here, according to Dan Gilbert. In fact, he’d like...
In our many conversations about how to ensure that the United States retains its standing as the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial nation, we have often looked to Detroit as a cautionary tale. In the...
After taking a break from her interior design career to raise a family, Jennifer Gilbert says she wanted to “get creative” again. But she quickly realized how interior design and luxury home furnishings had stagnated...
"Detroit is a blank canvas." I cringe every time I hear this phrase, even though it's used by people who mean well. To say something that references "emptiness" regarding a city founded in 1701 is...
Launched in 2011, Detroit's Glocal offers users a tailored local experience via online community forums. It aims to counter a loss of connection with local community that many see as a negative effect of the...
