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Fortune magazine posts a gushing, upbeat view of Detroit, as contributor Jaclyn Trop shows at the top:
When Detroit rises, it may well be built by young women. . . .
The Motor City is the new, surprising face of female entrepreneurship — and women in their 20s and 30s are leading the city’s revival through new ventures.
While "leading the city's revival" and an economic rise "built by young women" clearly are over-the-top hyperbole, Trop describes startup opportunities and talks with two owners.
Within the past five years, Detroit has become known both as the Wild West and the land of opportunity for business founders -- a significant portion of them female.
Lax regulation, low barriers to entry and a surging demand for products and services make the city, which is emerging from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, the ideal place to start a business. Add to the mix the legions of incubators, accelerators and resources available to all entrepreneurs sprouting up Downtown and in Midtown, and it’s clear why women are choosing en masse to locate their startups in Detroit.
Rachel Schostak, 27: "I’m at the forefront of the movement, leaving a mark on the city." (Facebook photo)
Erin Gavle, a Detroiter who grew up in Livonia, and Rachel Schostak of Birmingham are opportunity-seizers who "lead by example as Detroit emerges from its municipal financial crisis," according to Trop
"Detroit is in a period of reinvention and growth,” said Rachel Schostak, the 27-year-old founder of Styleshack, an e-commerce platform aggregating independent boutiques and designers. “While there are some challenges in a smaller market, the Detroit business community and leaders are looking for fresh minds and talent, and I’ve used that to my advantage. . . .
"It’s encouraging to know that I am setting the way for many young, aspiring ladies who think they need to leave Detroit for their dream job. And I feel that I’m at the forefront of the movement, leaving a mark on the city,” Schostak said. . . .
Erin Gavle, 32, also returned home to Detroit after working in New York to help rebuild the city and open El Dorado General Store, where she curates and sells one-of-A-kind, mostly vintage trinkets she’s collected from her travels. She’s started working with local artists, too, to collaborate and sell items like jewelry, candles and lip balm. . . . “There is a spirit of creativity here, and I wanted to prove that everything is possible here.”
Erin Gavle's shop is at 1700 Michigan Ave. in Corktown.
Oddly, the success stories are presented in an article that wobbles between celebrating these risk-takers and wondering about them -- as suggested by calling them "an unlikely group" to be drawn to Detroit's business sector.
And this coverage is the latest example of media reports on emerging Detroit business that overlook minority group entrepreneurs.
