Black Tech Saturdays Awarded $1M To Expand Tech Workshops In Detroit

Black Tech Saturdays has received a $1 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to grow its model.

The funding is the largest single grant out of $6.8 million that the MEDC allocates across 23 organizations as part of the Trusted Connector Grant program.

The Detroit-based tech meetup for creatives and entrepreneurs will use the funding to expand its operations. 

Black Tech Saturdays is Closing The Racial Wealth Gap

Black Tech Saturdays works to close the racial wealth gap through inclusive tech-focused initiatives like pitch competitions, small group classes, and panel discussions.  

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Over the summer, the Johnnie and Alexa Turnage-led organization will run a pilot program of 25-30 micro workshops in Detroit and Lansing, allowing for focused programming for founders.

“If we were to look at what’s happening in Silicon Valley, everywhere you go, someone is thinking and talking about innovation,” Johnnie Turnage said. “And so I want that feel where, if you go to coffee shops here, there should be some entrepreneurs talking about what they’re building, and people should be able to jump into that conversation.”

To expand programming further, the husband-and-wife duo also aims to equip founders and entrepreneurs through micro workshops. “Alexa and I have been on a really beautiful journey, but also, I have to say, what does Detroit look like if there’s a dozen more Alexa and Johnnies out there?” Johnnie Turnage said.

$150,000 of the $1 million grant will also go toward pitch competitions for founders at the monthly large meetups at Newlab at Michigan Central.

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Meet The Michigan Economic Development Corporation

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is a public-private partnership agency in Michigan that serves as the state’s marketing arm and lead agency for business development, job creation, and overall economic growth.

The Trusted Connector Grant provides funding to member-based organizations and chambers of commerce. These organizations engage with underrepresented small businesses and/or tech-based entrepreneurs across the state.

In December 2024, Black Tech Saturdays opened an official headquarters within Newlab at Michigan Central, where it has been hosting its monthly gatherings. 

In November 2024, the 2023 organization received a $1.25 million grant from Dan Gilbert’s philanthropic organization, the Gilbert Family Foundation. The founders used the grant to expand their team and host pitch competitions for founders attending monthly meetings.

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“This investment is going to really catapult members of Black Tech Saturdays so they can learn new information, get more mentorships, and ultimately, where we can get more programming and workshops, too, so they can get more information and just get further faster with us as a community,” Alexa Turnage said.

Other organizations that received the MEDC’s Trusted Connector Grant include the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, or LEAP, with $250,000; Black Wall Street Kalamazoo with $300,000; Global Detroit with $250,000, and more. The MEDC also awarded $2 million to organizations through the Entrepreneur Support Grant program.

Main Image: Black Tech Saturdays Community. Photo credit: Black Tech Community