Business

Detroit Entrepreneurs Earn a Friendly Smooch from CNN

July 16, 2018, 10:51 AM


Partners Melissa Butler and Roscoe Spears took a dive on "Shark Tank," but surfaced for the last laugh. (YouTube image)

They were disrespected on "Shark Tank," but nevertheless, they persisted -- and now The Lip Bar is a big success. The owner of the edgy, vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics line credits the city's energy and atmosphere in part for how well the business has done since relocating to Detroit five years ago, CNN reports.

"When I saw the narrative of Detroit changing after bankruptcy from a city in despair to opportunity, I moved my brand there to be part of that renaissance," says Melissa Butler, founder and owner. It's still growing; she recently cut a deal with Target to carry the line in selected stores.

The CNN piece, labeled "How Innovation Saved Detroit," begins:

Entrepreneurship is in Detroit's DNA. It's what turned it into one of America's most iconic cities, known the world over as the heart of both the nation's automobile industry and the birthplace of music's "MoTown sound" genre.

Ouch on that capital T sitting in the middle of Motown, and we'd love a two-year moratorium on using "iconic" to describe anything other than icons, but OK. It's a pretty positive piece, wrapping in McClure's Pickles, TechTown, Michigan Farm to Freezer and other Detroit startups. Oh, and Quicken, too. 

Earlier coverage:

Video: Meet Melissa of The Lip Bar, Who Got a Shout During the State of City Address


Read more:  CNN


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