Detroit policy conference highlights small business, booming economy after pandemic – CBS Detroit

(CBS DETROIT) – The 10^e Detroit’s annual policy conference at Aretha had one goal in mind and that is to move the region and Detroit forward after the pandemic. Small business took center stage at the 2021 Detroit Policy Conference.

The event hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber brought together around 600 registered attendees, mostly business leaders from the city. Highlight of the event, helping small businesses thrive after COVID.

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“The small businesses that you know are really struggling, we need visibility, we need people to see that we’re here, we need help, we need people to take an interest in small businesses that help us survive, ”said Vontetta Robinson, co-owner of the Detroit Cocoa Bar.

Robinson was one of a dozen small business salespeople attending the conference. She says she is thrilled that small businesses are at the forefront of Tuesday’s event and hopes they emerge stronger than ever from this pandemic. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist spoke at the conference and said that was the plan.

“Detroit can be a model, Michigan has been a model in the past, it has to be a model for the future,” said Gilchrist.

Gilchrist says that with available small business grants and more growth opportunities in Detroit, business owners can come out of COVID better than before.

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The low vaccination rates among Detroit residents were also discussed, Gilchrist says he doesn’t want the low rates to set us back.

“We want to equip people with what they need to make this choice from an information point of view but also from an access point of view,” said Gilchrist.

The next policy conference will be on Mackinac Island from September 20-23, 2021, where Michigan’s future of automotive and mobility will be discussed.

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