Some stories don’t make headlines because they’re too deep, too layered, too much like us. But then comes a moment when groundwork turns into research, and research turns into recognition. That moment belongs to Detroit—again.
Last year, Dr. Dawn Batts, CEO of Milestone Growth Capital Institute, locked arms with Wayne State University’s Department of Anthropology to study a powerful phenomenon taking root in our city: the emergence of a Black tech ecosystem. This wasn’t an outside-in look. It came from Detroiters studying Detroit. And now that report—centered on 55 voices from inside the movement—has been selected for presentation at the National Anthropological Association. That placement speaks volumes.
Photo: Dr. Dawn Batts
Detroit has always been a tech city. That may sound like a stretch to those unfamiliar with how innovation wears a blue collar in this town. But those who know, know. “We’ve come a long way. Not too long ago, Detroit was written off,” said Batts. “You’d see those same pictures of the train station every time they wanted to paint the city as forgotten. Now look at us—we’ve ranked number one or number two for startup ecosystems.”
That ranking wasn’t handed to Detroit. It was built. And while the progress is evident, Batts made it clear—“We’re proud, but we know there’s work to be done.”
The roots of this transformative report began inside a classroom at Wayne State University, but the work quickly grew beyond campus walls. Under the direction of Professor Yuson Jung, The Emergence and Development of Black Tech Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Detroit became more than an academic assignment. It became an ethnographic journey—one that placed students face-to-face with Detroit’s tech builders, funders, founders, and cultural shapers. “Students aren’t just learning,” said Jung. “They’re living it.” The course centered Black-led innovation and community power, pushing students to engage with Detroit’s tech ecosystem not as outsiders, but as embedded researchers working alongside those creating real change. It wasn’t Silicon Valley repackaged. It was Detroit in full—complex, soulful, collaborative, and rooted in equity.
Each student in the course became part of a living archive. Through Black Tech Saturdays, meetings with entrepreneurs like Johnny Turnage and Dug Song, and events like the Hustle Gala at the Detroit Historical Museum, students collected stories and mapped out the lived realities of Detroit’s emerging Black tech community. These firsthand interactions revealed both the promise and the challenges that define Detroit’s current tech landscape. The practicum’s end goal was never theoretical—it was about giving something back. That’s why all research findings were compiled into a comprehensive report, delivered to Milestone Growth Capital Institute, the Detroit-based nonprofit led by Batts. MGCI, co-founded with Dr. Anne Maghas, used this report to spotlight urgent gaps in funding, infrastructure, and mentorship. The report now serves as both reflection and roadmap—offering solutions drawn directly from the voices within the community.
This report is about more than metrics. It’s about people. Fifty-five interviews formed the foundation of the study. Nearly half were Black founders. Others included funders, university leaders, state and local officials, and people from entrepreneur service organizations. What emerged was a candid, layered portrait of a community that builds differently—and needs to be supported differently.
One recurring theme stood out: Black Tech Saturdays. What started as a gathering has grown into a cornerstone. “I love what Johnny and Alexa are doing,” Batts shared, speaking of the BTS founders. “They made tech feel normal and accessible. That’s critical because when most people think tech, they picture a white guy in his garage dropping out of school to build a billion-dollar company.”
Detroit doesn’t come from generational capital. So it builds community first.
“There’s a difference between community and network,” Batts emphasized. “Community holds you. There’s trust. Networks can be transactional, but community builds long-term equity.”
The report didn’t romanticize. It acknowledged systemic barriers. Some were expected, others illuminating.
“What we heard from founders was, ‘we need to see how to do this,’” said Batts. “A lot of folks talk about being a founder, but we need examples. We need mentors. People asked: how do I move from hustling to becoming a CEO?”
That transition is layered. “Hustling can serve us—but it can also stunt us,” Batts said. “Detroit prides itself on hustle, but sometimes we get stuck in that mindset. The challenge is shifting from doing everything ourselves to learning how to delegate, lead, and grow something sustainable.”
Dr. Anne Maghas, COO and co-founder of Milestone, echoed the reality for Detroit’s builders. “Our founders are as innovative as any around the country,” she said. “The difference is they don’t have the systems others have. They didn’t grow up with generational wealth or access. So they need an ecosystem that shows up like family. Government, funders, institutions—that support needs to be present, not performative.”
Photo: Dr. Anne Maghas
That ecosystem needs money. Real money. Early-stage money. And it needs patience.
“We need patient capital and culturally competent capital,” Batts explained. “Right now, we do have more money in the ecosystem than before—but we don’t have enough for pre-seed founders. And the money that is available? The hoops people have to jump through to get it are exhausting.”
Founders in the report spoke about going from program to program, trying to stack small amounts of capital. The grind takes its toll.
“You’re doing all this work just to access a little,” Batts said. “And then you still don’t have enough to get real traction.”
Access to capital gets talked about often, but Batts stressed that access isn’t just about introductions.
“When we say ‘access to capital,’ we have to unpack that. It’s not just putting people in a room with funders. Founders need to understand: Where am I building? How am I building? Who do I talk to about capital, and what do I actually need it for?”
That shift in mindset is at the core of what Batts and Maghas are pushing for—moving from hustle to structure, from idea to institution.
“Our goal,” said Batts, “is to walk founders through the mindset of a hustler and into the mindset of a CEO. That means understanding not just the grind, but the activities it takes to run a company. Delegating. Building systems. Knowing what capital is for and how to use it wisely.”
The research is already sparking change, and Batts sees it as a call to action for policymakers.
“With hope comes mishaps and disadvantages. That’s why it’s critical for our local officials to understand what we’re up against. We’ve done the groundwork. Now they need to pave the way.”
That way forward requires taking risks. Batts didn’t shy away from the truth—tech is always a risk. But risk aversion keeps communities from innovating.
“Innovation costs,” she said. “And sometimes, we get too cautious, too prescriptive. That limits what’s possible. We have to stop minimizing innovation.”
That caution shows up in where people build—and where they don’t.
“Some folks can’t build here. They run into too many walls,” Batts added. “We need more pathways. More direct funding. More support that isn’t tied up in red tape.”
The research revealed that Detroit’s tech momentum is real, but fragile. What’s needed now is intentional infrastructure—not just hype.
Maghas put it plainly. “Our young founders don’t carry that baggage about Detroit being forgotten. They come in fresh, ready to build. But they need a system that supports them, the way other founders might have had support in their parents’ garage. We didn’t have that. So now the city has to show up as that back button.”
That vision is as bold as it is necessary.
This isn’t a story about Detroit catching up. It’s a story about Detroit redefining the standard—again. It’s about reclaiming tech as a space for Black excellence. Not an afterthought. Not a diversity quota. A thriving, self-determined ecosystem.
As this report enters national academic circles, it carries not only data but legacy. It tells the truth about the roots, the reach, and the responsibility. It shows what happens when community builds together—and demands that systems respond with respect, resources, and room to grow.
The emergence of a Black tech ecosystem in Detroit isn’t just happening. It’s being led, lived, and loved into existence.
And as Batts reminds us, “We have momentum. But momentum needs money. It needs infrastructure. It needs people to take a chance.”
That chance is now. That blueprint is here. And Detroit is proving, again, that it never needed saving—it just needed to be seen.
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship Lab. The
Lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.
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