Detroit's Remix at Michigan Central Station, Newlab and Beyond: Grit, Art and Power Collide in an Entrepreneurial Revolution

Detroit has always marched to the beat of its own innovative drum. These days, entrepreneurs and corporate heavyweights are crafting an electric mash-up that could reset the city’s tempo for years to come.

The epicenter of this historic collaboration is the 30-acre, multi-building mix at Michigan Central Station. This isn’t just a Detroit renaissance; it’s a full-blown revolution. The city that gave way to Motown, techno, the White Stripes and Eminem is now orchestrating a comeback that rivals the grit of Brooklyn’s boulevards with its own Motor City roar.??

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A Syndicate of Revival: Artists, Magnates and Mavericks?

Michigan Central Station's rebirth is one part monument, one part beacon of the future. Thanks to Ford Motor Company's $1B+ investment, this historic building, originally designed by the same architects behind New York's Grand Central Terminal, has transitioned from a symbol of decay to a light of innovation and entrepreneurship.??

Ford had the courage to throw its weight in with the hustlers and dreamers. It’s not charity; it’s recognition. The company sees the value in backing the bold, in investing in a city that’s heart and hustle. Their efforts helped actualize a community’s longstanding vision and create a space that’s filled with industry diversification. The move was like a megaphone calling entrepreneurs, creatives and investors to collide on a playground, where the only rule is to show up and play. And that playground is Newlab, housed in the renovated Michigan Central district.??

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Newlab is Fostering Unity and Attracting Talent to the D?

After transforming a naval shipyard in Brooklyn into an entrepreneurial space, Newlab established a second headquarters in Detroit. Newlab at Michigan Central is a collective of over 100 Detroit startup companies (including four energy tech startups, which I currently invest in) that focus on revolutionizing the human-energy experience.??

Newlab also launched the Founder Fellowship program in collaboration with the State of Michigan. The Fellowship supports a cohort of climate tech founders from underrepresented backgrounds, so they can scale their startups. Additionally, Michigan Central started the Scale Fund to help startups scale and pilot in Michigan. Together with Newlab, they have chosen some of the brightest and best to receive awards of over $1M to date.?

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Detroiters Know the Revolution Started Years Ago?

If you’ve lived in or around Detroit for the past decade or more, you know Ford’s investment in our train station was a turbo-boost to an already running engine. While we’re now at a watershed moment, we’ve had a run-up to this over the past decade-plus from other entrepreneurial icons:?

Dan Gilbert arguably led Detroit’s most distinctive transformation efforts when he began purchasing and revitalizing historic buildings throughout Detroit over a decade ago. Today, he continues to invest in both the health of our infrastructure and people — most recently, through the Gilbert Family Foundation with a $375M grant for Detroit healthcare initiatives. Gilbert bet on this city, and on us. Together, we’ve been steadily turning it around.?

Endeavor entered the Detroit market in 2015 and has dedicated itself to bridging the scale-up gap for entrepreneurs in our region. The organization connects Detroit’s entrepreneurs and innovators with a network of more than 2,600 global founders across 45 countries, and support 79 unicorn companies. By providing access to capital, talent and international markets, Endeavor has been a pivotal force in re-energizing the city’s economic landscape. The organization's commitment has not only helped in nurturing high-impact entrepreneurs, but it has also played a crucial role in redefining Detroit as a vibrant hub for business growth and development.?

StockX, cofounded by Dan Gilbert in 2016, has also significantly contributed to the revitalization of Detroit. The company has maintained its headquarters here and has focused on building meaningful relationships within the community. As an online marketplace for sneakers, apparel, electronics, accessories and collectibles, StockX showcases Detroit as a hub for tech and e-commerce innovation.??

With a substantial $110M Series C funding round that led to a valuation of over $1B, StockX’s rapid growth is the largest in Michigan venture capital history. It signifies investor confidence in the business and its Detroit roots. Moreover, with a valuation reaching $3.8B following a $255M funding round, StockX has fueled Detroit's economic resurgence, bringing jobs and drawing attention to the city's potential as a center for thriving new businesses.?

Renaissance Venture Capital, led by Chris Rizik, builds bridges between venture capital firms, young innovation companies, and established businesses to achieve both strong investment returns and economic growth. Not only does the company drive growth of regional venture capital investments, it also hosts the Renaissance UnDemo Day?, a semi-annual event that connects Midwest startups with venture capital investors from around the U.S.?

Duo Security, led by Dug Song Song, is a cybersecurity firm that blossomed into Michigan's first tech unicorn following Cisco’s multibillion-dollar acquisition in 2018.??

If you don’t know Dug, he might tell you to “dig in.” Song not only put the spotlight on the region’s tech potential but also insisted on keeping the company's roots firmly planted in southeast Michigan. This move underscored his commitment to the local economy and tech ecosystem.??

Beyond Song’s business acumen, he actively champions community wealth across economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions through the Song Foundation, His efforts have solidified his influential role in shaping a more equitable and thriving Detroit, and are a cornerstone in reimagining what this city stands for in the tech age, making him a key figure in the city's ongoing revival.?

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The Future of Detroit is in Entrepreneurs’ Hands?

The entrepreneurial momentum in Detroit is building to a crescendo with a whole new class of artists and visionaries at the helm. Here are some notable ones to watch:??

Signal Advisors helps top advisors become more successful and scale their business in ways that was not previously possible. By combining market-leading service and technology, they’re reinventing the way top advisors do business.?

CoverTree offers affordable manufactured home insurance to protect homes, assets and family.?

KodeLabs provides smart building technology, focusing on software solutions for energy efficiency, data integration and sustainability.?

Airspace Link enables the safe integration of drones into the national airspace and communities at scale through digital infrastructure, strategic partnerships and thought leadership.?

BAMF Health is a molecular imaging and advanced cancer treatment provider in Michigan that's planning to open a clinic in Detroit.???

Blumira is a cybersecurity provider that helps SMB and mid-market companies detect and respond to security threats, while meeting compliance and cyber insurance requirements.?

CircNova uses their proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) engine to predict and design the structure of circular, non-coding RNA (ncRNA) sequences for the purpose of generating novel RNA therapeutics which have the potential to treat diseases caused by traditionally un-druggable targets.??

360ofme empowers enterprises to improve trust with individuals through an ethical data exchange that goes beyond routine compliance.?

Chiyo provides fertility, pregnancy and postpartum meal delivery. While its headquarters is in New York, it will expand operations into Newlab at Michigan Central in Detroit after completing a $3M financing round led by a group of venture capitalists that included two Detroit firms.?

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The Gritty Symphony of the New, Entrepreneurial Detroit?

Detroit’s unparalleled unity was vividly on display during the Michigan Central Station grand opening concert. The concert, which featured Diana Ross, Eminem and Jack White, showcased how a city’s collective consciousness can harmonize with industry-defining legends at its helm, paving the way for newcomers to also leave their mark.??

There are many parallels between the world-class musicians of Detroit and the burgeoning entrepreneurial community here:??

• They put themselves out there?
• They bring a fresh approach?

• They have a maniacal work ethic?

• They’re never satisfied with the status quo??

• They have a relentless pursuit of perfection?

• They build incredible teams to make the lofty achievable?

For entrepreneurs and artists alike, creativity is a method to master the unknown, and a medium that rewards venturing into it. Going it alone is a path for some, but in Detroit, you have a symphony of other players to create with.

As entrepreneurs from Detroit startup companies, we find fuel in this. We hear the anthem of a city that’s continuously poised to remix itself.

Because, if you’re ‘Made in Detroit,’ you’ve been made, unmade, and remade time and again. Reinvention is in our DNA. That’s why our hustle is much more than ambition; it’s a legacy that outpaces doubt.?

My Call to Action for You?

While the heart of those raised here beats strong, you don’t have to be made in Detroit to make in Detroit.

Take a tour of the city today. I encourage you to join the revolution.?

About the author: Jason Vazzano is a serial entrepreneur, mentor and early-stage investor from Detroit, MI, who has built multiple global companies and products. He believes that Michigan has the potential to be a global destination of innovation and entrepreneurship — and he’s passionate about inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs to do it.

jasonvazzano.com?

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