Global Ties Detroit

OUR NEWS

Read the latest on public diplomacy, international exchange, and the Global Ties community.

Program Spotlight: Women and Entrepreneurship

June 29, 2021

From Detroit to Zimbabwe, women entrepreneurs are driving economic development and re-envisioning society with inclusivity, equity, and cooperation at the forefront.

In May, Global Ties Detroit implemented a U.S. Department of State-funded project in partnership with Graduate School USA to connect women entrepreneurs in Detroit with their counterparts across Africa. Women representing countries including Madagascar, Algeria, Morocco, Burkina Faso, and more met with Detroit-based entrepreneurs to discuss the societal barriers that women and other disadvantaged groups face, and strategies to overcome them.

Representing Detroit were Marlo Rencher, Director of Technology-based Programs at TechTown Detroit; W.E. Da’Cruz, co-owner of the Virtual Global Consultant Group; and Carolyn Cassin, President and CEO of Michigan Women Forward.

Their experiences as entrepreneurs in Detroit parallel the experiences of the entrepreneurs across Africa where women must also overcome incredible challenges to survive and grow in the entrepreneurial space. Minority women in particular face a unique set of barriers, often starting businesses with less capital than their white counterparts on top of gender and racial bias. In Africa, women make up 58% of the self-employed population and frequently become entrepreneurs out of necessity to provide for their families. This surge of women-owned businesses has the potential to substantially impact Africa’s economic growth, but the playing field must be leveled for women to thrive.

Da’Cruz, however, is hopeful: “Technology is changing the narrative. We can engage with people all around the world without the color of our skin being the first thing people see. Technology allows us to lead with our skills and be seen by our skills first. The challenges are still there, but the barrier to entry has been easier to access.”

In Detroit, entrepreneurs have found opportunity in financial and economic hardship. Women-owned businesses, which more than doubled in metro Detroit in 2019, are leading the city and state in economic growth and playing a key role in Detroit’s revival.

Many women entrepreneurs stepped up to fill resource gaps in the community and reinvented society in the process: think Walker-Miller Energy Services, one of the largest African American and woman-owned energy waste reduction companies in the country; Rebel Nell, a social enterprise repurposing graffiti into wearable art while providing equitable opportunity to women facing employment barriers; and Motor City S.T.E.A.M., an organization infusing the arts into STEM education and increasing the number of minority students pursuing careers in STEM fields.

“Detroit has always been a hub for innovation, historically,” says Rencher. “We innovated the automotive and mobility industry, the music industry, and in so doing, we changed the world.”

In their discussion, Rencher shared what she believes women need to succeed: “[We] need to open more scalable, high-growth businesses… we need knowledge about and access to capital and to leverage technology. A key to addressing those needs is having more Black women that control how capital is allocated – in banks, as individual investors, and in venture capital.”

While women entrepreneurs face similar disparities around the world, they find inspiration in one another. After hearing Rencher, Da’Cruz, and Cassin speak about the importance of uplifting other women, one entrepreneur from Algeria decided to help young women who want to become entrepreneurs by investing in small companies.

“Entrepreneurship is a lonely pursuit,” says Rencher. “It’s good to connect with other women, both locally and globally, to compare notes, benchmark ideas, and create a sense of community.”

Da’Cruz sees an opportunity in connecting with other women entrepreneurs across the world: “Proximity is power. When we come together, it creates more power and as a result, more impact.”

back to all

OUR NEWS

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe