Crain's Detroit: MBA student's business 'Buttons2Button' to participate in social venture pitch competition

A cluster of women-led businesses in metro Detroit will go head-to-head in a pitch competition in which they will showcase how their companies solve certain community issues. The Empower Change competition, which is in its second year, is part of an effort to support women entrepreneurs launching and growing social venture enterprises with the chance of winning up to $50,000 in investments. Ten social enterprises will pitch their concepts on Wednesday at the event hosted by Detroit-based nonprofit Michigan Women Forward and the Ford Motor Company Fund at Ford Motor Co.'s headquarters in Dearborn. Five businesses in a third category, ideation, which includes startups that are still early in the business process, are to be announced Monday and will compete that day at The Factory at Corktown. The winners of that category will be announced at the Empower Change event on Wednesday. Last year, more than $50,000 in funding was awarded last year to Every Two Minutes based in Huntington Woods, Detroit-based Motor City Steam and SignOn of Grosse Pointe Farms.

Ilitch Business MBA student Gina Adams-Levy will be participating with her business, Buttons2Button, an adaptive wardrove retailer.

For information on the Ilitch School's entrepreneurship and innovation program, click here.

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