Ilitch School students pitch their Detroit retail ideas to industry experts

Students in the WSU Mike Ilitch School of Business’ course on Retail Management (MKT 5700) were given a special opportunity April 10 to pitch their concepts to a panel of judges from the Detroit Economic Growth Fund and Motor City Match.

Participants were put into teams and assigned designated neighborhoods to study, research and pitch a business incorporating the Detroit Strategic Neighborhood Fund initiative—a funding source drawing from philanthropic contributions and public subsidies designed to improve Detroit neighborhoods proposed by Mayor Mike Duggan and major corporate sponsors.

“The students proposed really different ideas from small neighborhood grocery stores to shoe stores and community centers,” said course instructor Valentina Dimitrieski. “It was a great collaboration between our students and a non-profit economic development service revitalizing the city neighborhoods.”

A photo gallery from the pitch session can be found on the Ilitch School’s Flickr page.

Judges included:

  • Kyla Carlsen, Senior Small Business Operations & Financial Manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
  • Bobby Boone, Small Business Attraction Manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
  • Michelle Matthews, Small Business Development Manager for Motor City Match.

MKT 5700 will be offered again in the fall 2019 semester. It is open to all Mike Ilitch School of Business students. The only prerequisite is BA 2300 for undergraduates and BA 7050 for graduate students.

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