MSC Client Spotlight: Bamboo Detroit
by Marketing Supply Co. Team | June 28th, 2018
Bamboo Detroit began as a shared idea: founders Amanda Lewan, Mike Feralito, David Anderson, and Brian Davis were tired of the isolation of freelance work and longed to find a business community with a reliable office space. The four friends decided to build that business community center themselves and sparked a trend that would shape the way people work in the Detroit Area.
One of the first coworking spaces in what is quickly becoming a coworking-centric city, Bamboo fueled Detroit’s revival by providing freelancers, creators, entrepreneurs, and startups a place to thrive and grow. Now, just five years later, Bamboo has become Detroit’s business welcome center.
Bamboo is more than a coworking space: they are a community centered on empowerment and growth. Whether they’re a part of a growing startup, a member of a nonprofit division, or a freelancer, members connect with and support one another. Bamboo then connects their members to the Detroit community as a whole. Their events, including nonprofit networking nights, founders breakfasts, and panel discussions, focus on lifelong learning and professional development. As a whole, they value collaboration over competition and hope to help the Detroit business community soar.
Inclusivity and empowerment are Bamboo’s cornerstones. A women-owned business itself, 51% of Bamboo’s member businesses identify as women-owned. 47% of members consider themselves to be a part of a minority-owned business. Bamboo member companies span almost every industry, from art and design to mobility to technology and beyond. Bamboo specifically focuses on connecting long-standing Detroiters with upcoming and incoming businesses, providing a way to collaborate and build the future of the city together.
On top of creating a major positive social impact, Bamboo members provide a powerful economic impact. Bamboo-based companies hire an average of four new employees each per year. Together, they generate an annual revenue of $74 million, 43% of which stays within the City of Detroit. The combination of growing and budding startups promotes a culture of mentorship and partnership, strengthening local ties.
“Bamboo represents the future of Detroit: diverse, inclusive, welcoming to new Detroiters and empowering for existing Detroiters to access affordable space and resources needed to innovate in their city.”
-Bamboo Detroit, 2017
At Marketing Supply Company, we’re excited and honored to strengthen our relationship with Bamboo Detroit by providing awesome content solutions. If you’d like to learn more about Bamboo, find them on Facebook, read their annual economic impact report, or visit them at their website.
