Videos

Last month the New Economy Initiative launched NEIdeas, a challenge that will award $500,000 in prizes to existing businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.read on…

Michael Forsyth, Retail Business Development Manager of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and leader of the DEGC's collaborative neighborhood renewal program REVOLVE Detroit, discusses how Detroit can be a world leader in how communities approach redevelopment. read on…

The Detroit Micro-Enterprise Fund helps small businesses in Detroit obtain financing unavailable to them from traditional banks. The third in our series from the New Economy Initiative, this video highlights two entrepreneurs who received loans from the fund.read on…

Writer, teacher and MIT Media Fellow Shaka Senghor recently gave the last talk of Session 10 on "Passion" at TED2014, receiving a standing ovation from the national audience. While we wait for the footage, here's a video from Senghor's earlier talk at TEDxMidwest, which starts with a literal bang: When he was 19, he shot and killed another man. At the time, he was a young drug dealer “with a quick temper and a semi-automatic pistol.” Senghor says that the “23 years since have been a story of apology, acknowledgement and atonement.” read on…

Recycle Here! was formed in 2005 to address the need for recycling options in the City of Detroit. What began as a grassroots neighborhood recycling event has evolved into a city-wide, fully-funded, neighborhood recycling program. As founder Matthew Naimi says here in the video, "It's one of the most Detroit things you're ever gonna see." Video by DETROIT LIVES! read on…

To those who think Detroit is closed for business, Avalon International Breads owner Jackie Victor says think again. Jackie opened her organic bakery in Detroit's Midtown in 1997 and she's seen a lot of changes in the city during the past 17 years, with more changes still to come. read on…

Racquet Up is an out-of-school youth development program which uses the sport of squash to make a difference in the lives of Detroit youth. Here Executive Director Derek Aguirre shares with UIX why this program is so important and the kind of long-term positive impact it can make. Video by DETROIT LIVES! read on…

Write A House is Detroit-based literary organization that uses the wide range of available home stock in Detroit to build up support for the literary arts in the city.read on…

For our last issue of 2013, we're taking a look back at one of our favorite videos from the first two years of UIX. In case you missed it the first time, here is Amy Kaherl from Detroit SOUP talking about their monthly fundraising dinner to support local projects. Video by DETROIT LIVES!  read on…

"A bleeding heart gives way to the consciousness that people are all interconnected and dependent upon one another in some way." This sentence is highlighted on the website for Bleeding Heart Design, founded by Rebecca Willis, and it captures the essence of Bleeding Heart's goal: to reimagine community spaces with art, design, and a sense of altruism and interconnectedness. Video by DETROIT LIVES! read on…

Artifact Makers Society is an organization committed to fostering relationships between designers and maker/manufacturers. They stand for and behind high-quality, design-driven products that are locally designed and made. Video by DETROIT LIVES! read on…

Ponyride is a study to see how the foreclosure crisis can have a positive impact on our communities. Using an 'all boats rise with the tide' rent subsidy, we are able to provide cheap space for socially-conscious artists and entrepreneurs to work and share knowledge, resources and networks. We purchased a 30,000 square-foot warehouse for $100,000 and offer space for $0.10-$0.20 per square-foot, which includes the cost of utilities. Video by Order & Other.read on…

As the Community Kitchen Coordinator at Eastern Market Corporation, Devita Davison also oversees the Kitchen Connect program in partnership with FoodLab. Kitchen Connect connects aspiring food entrepreneurs to commercial kitchens in Detroit's neighborhoods to help them launch their food businesses. Video by DETROIT LIVES!read on…

Detroit is a place that attracts a certain type of individual. Someone that's both tough and independent. That's especially true for the women who have chosen to stake their claim in one of the nation's most complicated cities. Fearless, talented, and ambitious, these women are shaping Detroit's future. Video by 4exit4, directed by Amanda LeClaire & Andrew Miller. read on…

Tom Nardone, founder of the Detroit Mower Gang, doesn't really see himself as an innovator. He's just a guy who saw a need and a way to address it. While his "gang" has attracted the attention of visiting celebrities like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern, what gives him the most satisfaction is seeing kids playing on a swingset he just mowed around. Video by DETROIT LIVES!read on…