The new year is well underway and that means one thing for current and aspiring Detroiters looking for an opportunity: it's application time.
Several of the Motor City's top fellowship programs and incubators are currently taking applications, including Challenge Detroit, TechTown's DTX Launch Detroit, and NextEnergy.
DTX Launch Detroit is accepting applications for its student tech accelerator. The 10-week program is geared toward college students and recent graduates, helping them figure out their startup's value proposition, conduct customer discovery, and build a team. An information session for the program will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at TechTown, 440 Burroughs in New Center.
NextEnergy is looking for entrepreneurs and researchers for its
I-Corps Energy and Transportation program. The commercialization training program equips researchers and entrepreneurs with tech-to-market skills to move their ideas out of the lab and into the market.
Challenge Detroit is recruiting applicants for its yearlong leadership-development program aimed at attracting and retaining talent in Detroit. The fellowship program, which is aimed at recent college graduates, provides a living stipend, a full-time job, and community development opportunities.
Challenge Detroit has been bringing in dozens of fellows each year since its launch in 2012. It currently has 90 alumni and 30 people in its 2015-16 fellowship class. It plans to bring on another 30 fellows starting this summer. To shake it up, the nonprofit is recruiting participating host companies to nominate existing employees this year.
"We realized we want to be more inclusive of companies that want to participate in Challenge Detroit but can't afford a new hire," says Shelley Danner, program director for Challenge Detroit. "It's also a way for us to broaden our network."
Source: Shelley Danner, program director for Challenge Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.