Motor City Match celebrates 10 years of Detroit entrepreneurship with ribbon cutting for 192nd business

Two-day anniversary celebration highlights decade of impact, features grand opening of Candela Detroit

• Motor City Match celebrates 10 years of impact with 2,226 individual awards supporting 1,859 unique businesses, distributing more than $20.3 million in grants, creating 1,695 jobs and reaching 159 neighborhoods citywide

• Candela Detroit becomes Motor City Match’s 192nd brick-and-mortar business to open, receiving a $100,000 cash grant to create a flexible event venue and cultural space in Southwest Detroit’s District 6

• Program champions equity and inclusion with 84% minority-owned, 71.9% women-owned, and 69.5% Detroit resident-owned businesses among award recipients, with more than half owned by low-to-moderate income individuals

• Detroit’s model inspires national replication as cities like Milwaukee adapt the framework with Brew City Match and Portland explores similar approaches for their communities

AUG 7, 2025 (DETROIT) — The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and the City of Detroit this week celebrated 10 years of transforming Detroit’s small business landscape with a Motor City Match anniversary celebration, highlighted by the ribbon cutting for Candela Detroit, the program’s 192nd brick-and-mortar business.

The milestone celebration culminated Thursday with the official ribbon cutting for Candela Detroit, followed by an evening anniversary event featuring speakers, a video tribute to program awardees and recognition of the program’s citywide impact across Detroit’s diverse business community. The celebration also included a marketplace on Tuesday, August 6, at Spirit Plaza, showcasing Motor City Match recipient businesses and their products.

Candela Detroit becomes 192nd Motor City Match success story

Located at 3564 W. Vernor Highway in Southwest Detroit’s District 6, Candela Detroit represents the entrepreneurial spirit Motor City Match has fueled for a decade. The flexible event venue and cultural space was created by Paula Anderanin, a Latina entrepreneur and longtime promoter in the Latin music scene.

Anderanin received a $100,000 cash grant in Round 24, plus prior support through the program’s Design track, to transform the former Lithuanian Hall into a venue featuring professional lighting and audio systems.

“This is a place where different cultures can come and showcase their talents,” said Anderanin, who studied at the College for Creative Studies and previously worked with the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre. “After years of promoting shows around the state, I realized I was selling out other people’s venues, but I wasn’t building something for myself. Thanks to Motor City Match, I now have a home base to celebrate music, comedy, art and community.”

A decade of impact

Since launching in 2015, Motor City Match has become a nationally recognized model for combining small business support with commercial corridor revitalization. Cities like Milwaukee have adapted the framework with Brew City Match, while Portland has explored similar approaches for its communities. The program’s 10-year impact includes:

• 2,226 individual awards supporting 1,859 unique businesses

• 192 businesses opened physical storefronts across Detroit

• More than $20.3 million in grant funding distributed

• 1,695 jobs created

• 159 neighborhoods reached citywide

• Total leveraged investment of $105.3 million

“What we’ve accomplished through Motor City Match over the last decade is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “We started this program to help Detroit entrepreneurs who wanted to open their own business but might not have had the family wealth others have access to. Now we have nearly 200 new small businesses — grocery stores, tech companies, restaurants, daycares — all over the city, creating jobs and bringing back that sense of pride to neighborhoods. These aren’t just individual success stories anymore; we’ve built corridors where people want to hang out and created a culture where entrepreneurs are betting on Detroit.”

Equity remains central to Motor City Match’s mission. Of the businesses supported, 84% are minority-owned, 71.9% are women-owned and 69.5% are owned by Detroit residents. More than half are owned by individuals classified as low-to-moderate income.

“What makes Motor City Match work is its holistic approach — we don’t just write checks,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. “We connect entrepreneurs with real estate opportunities, provide technical assistance and link them to networks that help businesses succeed. I love attending ribbon cuttings for these businesses. Seeing owners overcome with emotion as they cut that ribbon never gets old. These are people who’ve worked for years to reach this moment, and it feels good knowing we played a part in making their dreams real.”

Anniversary celebration highlights community partnership

Candela Detroit is located within one of the city’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund areas, where targeted investments create a concentrated impact in Detroit’s commercial corridors. Invest Detroit provided a $1.237M construction loan to support Anderanin’s vision, while Ebiara contributed $900,000 in funding, including support from the Strategic Neighborhood Fund.

“Candela Detroit is a great example of the kind of investment we’re proud to support at Invest Detroit. By transforming a historic building into a vibrant, multi-use venue, Paula is preserving the cultural fabric of Southwest Detroit and expanding access to high-quality arts and entertainment in a neighborhood rich with Hispanic heritage,” said Mike Vieregge, Senior Vice President, Lending, Invest Detroit. “This project reinforces the value of investing in local entrepreneurs who are creating inclusive spaces that celebrate global culture while serving community needs.”

“Candela Detroit embodies exactly the kind of vision the Ebiara Fund was created to support — bold, community-rooted, minority-led development that drives inclusive growth,” said Rod Hardamon, CEO of the Ebiara Fund. “As a minority woman-owned performance venue in the heart of Southwest Detroit, Candela is not just a business, it’s a cultural anchor and a catalyst for neighborhood vitality. We’re proud to invest in founders like Paula Anderanin — people with a powerful vision who simply need access to capital to bring it to life.”

Thursday evening’s celebration at Candela Detroit featured success story showcases, entertainment from local performers and a “Then & Now” presentation documenting the program’s evolution. The event highlighted diverse business owners at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys, from one-year to 10-year veterans.

The celebration also honored Mayor Duggan’s leadership in championing the program since its inception. Numerous Motor City Match awardees contributed to the event as vendors, by providing décor, marketing materials and food for guests.

The Tuesday marketplace at Spirit Plaza featured businesses like a GiftaVerse, G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs, The Nap Time Show, Jetta’s Gourmet Popcorn, and many others, highlighting the diversity of Motor City Match recipients.

Ally and Huntington Bank served as lead sponsors for the anniversary celebration, with additional support from General Motors, Bank of America, The Kresge Foundation and First Independence Bank.

“We are proud to support a decade of impact through Motor City Match and empower the heartbeat of Detroit – local entrepreneurs,” said Mike Rizer, executive director of corporate citizenship, Ally Financial and president of Ally Charitable Foundation. “By investing in local entrepreneurs, we are not only fostering individual success but also strengthening the entire community's economic foundation.”

“Huntington is proud to support this meaningful program that has fueled entrepreneurs’ ideas, celebrated their grit, and helped turn visions into realities over the last decade,” said Gary Torgow, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Huntington Bank. “Supporting our communities and entrepreneurship is part of Huntington’s core mission.”

Looking forward

Motor City Match operates quarterly with four award tracks – Plan, Develop, Design and Cash – designed to meet entrepreneurs at every stage.

Detroit City Council approved $500,000 to offer alumni support services for MCM awardees, helping them maintain longevity and succeed after opening their storefronts. This investment recognizes that ongoing support is crucial for long-term business sustainability and neighborhood impact.

For Anderanin, the grand opening of Candela Detroit represents just the beginning. “I want people to come here and feel something real,” she said. “When you attend an event, you see how people interact, you get to see their joy. That’s what Candela is about. And that’s what Motor City Match helped me build.”

About Motor City Match   

 Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations including, Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at www.MotorCityMatch.com.