"We are all about family and building a stronger community by sharing information and guidance and education through experiences with the next generation that's coming up behind us," says Dion Chapman, owner of A Cut Above the Rest Barbershop, based in River Rouge.

"I have friends and family who live here, and I feel that there is a need for exposure to art, especially for younger kids," says Nada Hassan, owner of Dearborn's Paint with Nada.

“We are grateful to the Song Foundation for this generous gift, which we will quickly put to work helping hardtech entrepreneurs develop and manufacture their products in Michigan, creating quality jobs for their companies as well as providing impact to the local manufacturing supply chain,” says Centrepolis Accelerator CEO Dan Radomski.

"You can't just go to your office and go home. You have to be in the community," advises Gina Wilson Steward, owner and publisher of The Telegram, based in Ecorse, to new small business entrepreneurs.