Communities are not waiting for opportunity. They are building it. Too often, economic development begins with the assumption that communities are missing something. We see something different. We see entrepreneurs creating opportunities every day, often without access to the resources, relationships, and systems designed to support them.
We believe capital takes many forms. Financing matters, but so do relationships, trust, knowledge, and access. When these forms of capital come together, entrepreneurs gain a community invested in their success, and that’s where resilience is cultivated.
This year, we celebrate the power of building with the community. Together, we expanded access to capital, strengthened partnerships, and created new opportunities for entrepreneurs to lead. As you explore this report, you will find we are just getting started.
Scroll through our 2025 Impact Report: Where Connection Creates Opportunity to explore how ProsperUs invests in building community wealth.
PEOPLE OF PROSPERUS
Community & Program Partners
Central Detroit Christian (CDC)
Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance
D’ARTillery
Detroit Future Ops 313
Dream of Detroit
Eastern Market
Eastside Community Network
Ford Community Center – Detroit East
Global African Business Association
Global Detroit
Grace in Action Collectives
Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation
The Hayes Institute Esthetics & Entrepreneurship
Leanna Hicks Public Library of Inkster
Nation Outside
Board of Directors
Lisa Lunsford, Chair
Chief Executive Officer, GS3 Global
Don Jones, Vice Chair
Retired, Community Economic Development and Philanthropy
Steve Tobocman, Secretary
Managing Partner, New Solutions Group and Executive Director, Global Detroit
Chanell Scott Contreras, Treasurer
President and CEO, Build from Within Alliance
Pierre Batton, Director
Director of Community Engagement, DTE Energy
Hector Hernandez, Director
Executive Director, MiWealth of MiSide
Major Funders
Ally Charitable Foundation
Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc
CDFI Fund – US Department of Treasury
Citizens Bank
Comerica Charitable Foundation
Common Future
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF USA)
Detroit Means Business and Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
Eastern Market Partnership
Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis
Fifth Third Bank
First Independence Bank
First Merchants Bank
Ford Foundation
Ford Philanthropy
Gilbert Family Foundation
Global Detroit
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Detroit
Huntington Foundation
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Max & Marjorie Fisher Foundation
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Michigan Justice Fund
National League of Cities Institute and the City of Hamtramck
New Economy Initiative
Lake Trust Credit Union
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union – PILLUR
PNC Foundation
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Small Business Administration
TechTown Detroit
Walters Family Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
