Flint, MI—The city of Flint’s economic development department and its partners will be hosting an event to connect the city’s small businesses and entrepreneurs with resources.
The event, taking place April 14 at the Flint Development Center, is part of Flint’s Community Navigator Pilot Program, a program created by $1 million grant from the Small Business Association in 2021 and meant to aid economic recovery in the city.
“The goal of this program is to really get business services and resources out to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the city of Flint, especially those that are underserved,” said Samantha Fountain, the city’s Acting Economic Development Director.
Partners for Flint’s CNPP include 100k Ideas, Best Practices Consulting, Factory Two, Flint Development Center, Friends of Berston Field House, Latinx Technology and Community Center, The University of Michigan-Flint, and XLerateHealth.
In order to introduce the city’s entrepreneurial community to these service providers, Fountain said, the April 14 event will be relatively informal and encourage direct engagement over conversation and refreshments.
“It’s going to be more casual, but each (partner) will give an overview about what they’re providing through this program, and then afterward, people can ask questions, and we’ll answer them on the spot,” Fountain said.
The acting economic development director noted that attendees can expect business consulting, help with developing business plans, creating marketing materials, and much more from the city’s partner organizations.
“We really tried to make it a wide range of services for everyone from startups to higher level businesses that are more developed,” she said.
Thursday’s event is taking place at two separate times to allow for maximum participation. The first session will be held from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and the second session will be held from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Both will take place at the Flint Development Center, which is located at 4121 Martin Luther King Avenue, and food will be provided.
For more information or questions, contact Tyler Bailey, the economic development department’s small business specialist, at tbailey@cityofflint.com.