New Economy Initiative

We are truly grateful for the opportunity to come together with our ecosystem partners at the 2024 New Economy Initiative Worktable Conference! The two-day event was filled with insightful conversations, valuable workshops, and inspiring moments that are driving economic and social impact in our region. The range of topics went beyond the status quo, from capital continuum to trauma-informed business practices and driving foot traffic to neighborhood businesses, the conference showcased the strength of collaboration in our ecosystem. Together, we’re building sustainable pathways for entrepreneurs and local communities. Thank you to all who contributed to the discussions and continue to support this impactful work!

Read our new Funder Q&A with Wafa Dinaro, Executive Director of New Economy Initiative, to learn more about how Wafa is addressing economic equity and opportunity, the work she is the most proud of, and questions she’d like to engage with funders colleagues on. https://lnkd.in/epUAtfSb

What I love most about my job, is creating, collaborating and learning between amazing leaders and organization about how can we touch other's lives, through assisting and mentoring their small businesses, serving all small Hispanic community in Michigan state Thanks to Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, New Economy Initiative Lily Hamburger, Carolina N.Maria Mendez, EA, Anita Zavala Ayesha Maxwell, Mary Fulmer and many others who I talked and planned future incoming projects

Good Morning! Do you ever feel like the weekends just fly by? I swear it was just Friday, and I was returning home from an amazing two-day conference with NEI. Speaking of NEI, the conference was absolutely necessary, bringing together so many of my ecosystem partners. We had some great sessions, but the one that truly stood out to me was the breakout session, “Numbers Don’t Lie: How to Use Numbers to Diagnose the Business Needs” by DNEP. It was a powerful reminder of how critical data is to driving business decisions. To close the conference, they held a “Nominate Your Colleague” segment, and to my complete surprise, my name was thrown in the box multiple times! Someone even wrote, “She has been a great connector, introducing others to all of her connections and ecosystem partners. She seeks to be the glue connecting businesses everywhere.” I feel so honored and humbled by this recognition. Sometimes, we’re so busy doing the work that we don’t realize how others see us. I’m truly grateful for this acknowledgment and inspired to continue serving and connecting within our business community. Let’s keep building together! #Grateful #Connector #BusinessEcosystem #Honored #NEI

Wafa Dinaro, NEI's Executive Director, was featured by the Economic Opportunity Funders Network! In the Q&A, she offers insights into what excites her most about her work and the challenges she faces along the way. She also shares who inspires her. "NEI is an ecosystem of support so anyone with an entrepreneurial dream can pursue it, despite not having access to family or generational wealth," Dinaro said. Learn more about Wafa below: https://lnkd.in/epUAtfSb

Today, we had the pleasure of attending a dynamic professional development event for incredible ecosystem partners hosted by New Economy Initiative. The sessions were filled with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and content designed to help our partners strengthen their impact and continue thriving in their respective fields. In addition to the powerful content, the event offered excellent networking opportunities where connections were made, collaborations were sparked, and ideas were exchanged. It’s always inspiring to witness the growth and engagement of such passionate leaders! Looking forward to continuing this journey of partnership and progress. Lori Wesby @krystal jones @surlinda gant #ProfessionalDevelopment #EcosystemGrowth #Leadership #Networking

Join us at the **Pitch MENA Competition** as we showcase the most innovative ideas and startups. This **Shark-Tank style competition** is the first of its kind for our community. Come and support some of the most talented entrepreneurs in our community! MENA Guest Speaker: Adam Kobeissi, The Kobeissi Letter MENA Awardees: Farooq Mitha, Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs Amy Rencher, MBA, Michigan Economic Development Corporation Abed Ayoub, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Travis Spencer, Ford Motor Company Hass Beydoun, General Motors Bruno Olvera, Stellantis Abass El-Hage, Red E Dewnya Bazzi, ATLAW Dr. Ali Ufuk Peker, PhD , ADASTEC Corp. Pitch MENA Judges: Chris Rizik, Renaissance Venture Capital Eren Hursit, Fark Labs Ahmed Boomrod, GDI Integrated Facility Services (Angel Investor) E Rose Carmichael, TerraNova Capital Partners Wafa Dinaro, New Economy Initiative Jeff Ponders II, Invest Detroit Justin Bell, Detroit Venture Partners Taharah Saad, TechTown Detroit Ahzam Afzal, Pharm.D., Angel Investor Rania Hoteit, ID4A Technologies 🗓 **Event Date:** November 1, 2024 📍 **Location:** The Summit, Dearborn, MI ⏰ **Time:** 5-9 PM EST 🎟️ Purchase tickets: bit.ly/4eF8PcD *Interested in sponsoring?* https://lnkd.in/gUgx6PqV We hope to see you there! MENA American Chamber of Commerce Faye Nemer, CEO/Founder

We had a great first day at the NEI conference. We are excited for another day of learning and fun.