People

Rufus Bartell is the owner of Simply Casual Clothing, a men's and women's boutique clothing store located on the historic Avenue of Fashion.

Joe Posch is the owner of HUGH, Detroit's first pop-up retail store and the first-ever winner of Hatch Detroit, which recently opened in its permanent location inside of the Auburn Building in Midtown.

Brad Whitaker is the Chief Operating Officer of Alternatives for Girls, a multi-service agency that provides shelter as well as outreach and prevention programs to homeless, pregnant, and at-risk young women.

Liz Blondy is the owner of Canine To Five, a pet care facility located on Cass Avenue offering dog day care, grooming and cage-free attended overnight boarding. She is also one of the founders of Open City, a small business speaker series-cum-support group launched by Detroit-based independent merchants with the mission of assisting other aspiring entrepreneurs with education, insight and guidance. 

Ajooni Sethi is the Community Engagement Manager for Wedge Detroit, a design firm which seeks to use design to add value to the already present infrastructure in the city. 

Dan Scarsella is the owner of local brewery and pizzeria Motor City Brewing Works and also a founding member of People for Palmer Park, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the historic 296-acre urban park.

Nick Gorga is Co-Founder of Hatch Detroit, an annual contest that awards $50,000 in start-up capital and additional support services to a winning business idea for a storefront retail operation in the city.