The Innovation Fund is a four-week crowdfunding competition that gives VFA Fellows the opportunity to launch their business ideas and projects. Eleven Fellow-led teams are off to the races sharing their new ventures with the world and hustling to raise as much money as possible on Indiegogo between now and March 16th. Between now and August 4th, the team that raises the most money will receive additional funding to launch their venture.
Ben Seidman is the Founder of Native <> Newcomer and a 2015 Venture for America Fellow. After growing up in the concrete jungle of Manhattan, Ben moved to Detroit where he became the Director of Business Development at SPLT, a social ride sharing app that’s changing the way people meet and move in cities worldwide. With Native <> Newcomer, Ben is bridging the gap between native and new residents of Detroit, a cause that was inspired by his personal experiences.
Since arriving in Detroit, I sensed a separation between natives and newcomers. I found myself focused on bridging gaps by connecting folks in my network. I’m a believer that sharing diverse perspectives creates something remarkable. That’s where Native <> Newcomer came from.
Collaboration produced the automobile, right here in Detroit, and changed the world. By joining together the fresh and objective mindsets of newcomers with natives who know the local dynamics and rich history, we are out to create one Detroit that we can all work towards in unison. Detroiters like Niles Heron of Michigan Funders and Lauren Hood of DeepDive Detroit have helped me hone the focus and make clear the vision to launching our crowdfunding campaign today.
Funds raised from this campaign will go to creating a platform for natives and newcomers to collaborate. Teams will receive mentorship and work together on ideas that have been crowdsourced by the community and have the opportunity for funding. Native <> Newcomer will kick off in Spring/Summer 2016 with a free launch event involving speakers, workshops, and program orientation. It’s turning entrepreneurship on its head, or opening it up for better collaboration between the Detroit community.
Learn more about the campaign here.
My experience in Detroit has been overwhelmingly positive. So much so that I’d rather be here than New York City, where I was born and raised. As a native New Yorker, I’m used to stiff competition. In Detroit, I have found open doors and locals willing to work together to create something great and connect me with the right people and resources. Detroit has less, so Detroiters lean on each other, creating a collaborative atmosphere. People like Desmond “Kid Clever” Lester of Clevervizion and Justin Cook of Pro:Up have introduced me to the value of collaborative efforts.
If you’re interested in the campaign and want to learn more go to the Native <> Newcomer Indiegogo Crowdfunding page or contact me at beseidman@gmail.com. Lastly but surely not least, I wanted to thank Venture For America. Without them, I may have never brought this idea to the surface. Thank you for the encouragement and giving me a platform to dream.