Our Mission

It is the mission of the Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute, Inc. to provide entrepreneurship and economic literacy training and technical assistance to individuals in Southeast Michigan with barriers to accessing resources in order to enhance their economic condition and that of their community

 
AWARDS & RECOGNINTION
1997 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award

1998 Midwest Region Welfare-to-Work SBA Associate of the Year
1999 Presidential Award for Microenterprise Development for “Excellence in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills” presented at a White House Ceremony.
2000 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women Business Advocate Award; recipient Founding President and CEO, Cathy McClelland
2001 One of Detroit’s Most Powerful Women, recognized by Detroit’s ABC News affiliate; recipient Cathy McClelland
2002 WHY (World Hunger Year) Chapin Award for “Building Communities of Purpose”; recipient Cathy McClelland. She was honored, along with five other notables such as Former Senator Bob Dole and Ambassador George McGovern at the World Hunger Year (WHY) Chapin Awards Dinner.
2002 Detroit Urban League; Cathy McClelland award recipient for outstanding community service.
2002 DTE Energy “Business Service” Award recipient for outstanding service and continued commitment to helping individuals successfully start, manage and operate their businesses.
2003 Spirit of Detroit Award presented to DEI by the Detroit City Council for exceptional achievement, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life.
2003 Mayor Willie W. Payne's Pontiac Unity Award
2003 Black United Fund of Michigan, Inc.’s Working Together For A Better Community
November 2003, COVAD Communications awarded a grant to the Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute to help entrepreneurs ease the fixed monthly costed associated with building a business. This award provides a $500 grant and free Broadband services for one year to each of the 13 DEI entrepreneurs chosen (selections were made through an application process based on need and availability). This award was made possible through the COVAD Broadband Entrepreneur Program (CBEP).
Additional awards with monetary value to enhance the service capacity and operation of the organization.

September 2003, DEI was awarded a $25,000 Technology Grant through SBC. The specific purpose of the funded project is to provide an opportunity to those with limited resources a means of growing their business and increase market share via the Internet. DEI is providing website development services to 10 underserved business owners for one year. Websites are being designed and maintained by one of the YCIP graduates that is successfully operating a web development and graphic design company, NealReal Dezign. Not only does this provide another means for DEI to assist in the nurturing of the small business community but it also creates an opportunity for DEI to evaluate the effectiveness of technology in the underserved population of small business owners.

In March 2003 DEI was named a recipient of Hewlett Packard’s new Microenterprise Development Program Initiative. DEI, one of nine recipients out of 517 applicants will receive $150,000 - $300,000 in equipment, cash, services and support. This initiative is designed to make microenterprise development agencies more effective and assist them in providing their clients with access to technology and associated training.