TechTown Detroit

Cottage Food Law 101
2026-08-17 11:30 - 13:00 (America/Detroit) | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Monday, Aug. 17 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This session will be held in-person at TechTown Detroit. Registration opens at 11:00 p.m., with the session starting promptly at 11:30 p.m.

Turn your passion for cooking or baking into a business with confidence. In this comprehensive 90-minute hybrid workshop, Laura Wood-Romito of the MSU Product Center, in partnership with TechTown Detroit, will guide aspiring food entrepreneurs through the essentials of launching a compliant home-based food business under Michigan’s Cottage Food Law.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of which non-perishable foods can be sold, packaging and labeling requirements, food safety considerations, and approved direct-to-consumer sales channels. Whether you’re just exploring the idea or ready to start selling your products, you’ll leave with practical knowledge, valuable resources, and actionable next steps to confidently bring your kitchen creations to market.

Our Speakers
Laura Wood-Romito

Innovation Counselor
Michigan State University Product Center

Marcus Reliford

Food & Beverage Strategist
TechTown Detroit

Pitch Lab: Finding Your Voice
2026-08-19 11:30 - 13:00 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Wednesday, Aug. 19 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This session will be held in-person at TechTown Detroit. Registration opens at 11:00 a.m., with the session starting promptly at 11:30 a.m.

A great pitch isn’t just about a good idea—it’s about delivering it with confidence, clarity, and purpose. This three-part workshop series guides you through every stage of the pitching process, giving you the tools, strategies, and hands-on practice to make your message resonate.
Last week in Session 1, you learned how to craft and deliver a powerful pitch. Now, in Session 2 (Aug. 19), you’ll take your skills to the next level by refining your message into a concise, memorable elevator pitch, while mastering how to connect authentically and communicate your “why.”
The series concludes next week with Session 3 (Aug. 26), where you’ll put it all into action by pitching to a panel of community leaders and receiving personalized, real-world feedback. Note: Attendance at Sessions 1 & 2 is required in order to participate in Session 3 and pitch in front of our judges. Invitations to Session 3 will only be sent to individuals who have attended the first two sessions.
Whether this is your first pitch or your next big opportunity, this series will equip you with the confidence, techniques, and practice you need to make your ideas truly stand out.

Start Studio Lecture Series
2026-08-19 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-09-16 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-21 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-11-18 17:30 - 19:30 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Join us for our Start Studio Lecture Series! An energizing monthly workshop designed to empower aspiring and early-stage tech founders throughout 2026. Each session brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, and ecosystem partners for a hands on learning, thoughtful discussion, and practical skill-building rooted in the realities of launching and growing a tech-based venture.
Every month features a unique workshop led by a different expert facilitator, offering fresh perspectives and actionable insights across a wide range of topics such as customer discovery and prototyping to fundraising, product strategy, and founder resilience. Whether you’re shaping an early idea or preparing to scale, you’ll find guidance that meets you where you are.
This lecture series is more than education it’ll become a community anchor.
Come connect with fellow founders, exchange ideas, and build relationships with people who understand the challenges and excitement of building something new. Each session also highlights emerging founders in the Start Studio community, offering inspiration and real-world examples of entrepreneurial growth.
Join us every month for our Start Studio Lecture Series and become part of a thriving tech ecosystem. Reserve your spot today!

AI and Automation: Build Night
2026-08-20 17:30 - 21:00, 2026-09-17 17:30 - 21:00, 2026-10-27 17:30 - 21:00, 2026-11-19 17:30 - 21:00 | WSU Industry Innovation Center (I2C), 461 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Join us with Detroit’s builders for an intensive hands-on session where you’ll learn practical AI and automation, build working prototypes with expert mentors, and demo what you shipped by the end of the night.
What is Build Night?
TechTown’s AI and Automation Build Nights are a monthly series designed for beginners, founders, and builders who want to move beyond theory and actually ship something. Whether you’re a starting founder building your next product, a developer learning new tools, or someone just curious about AI then this is your night to experiment, collaborate, and create something real.
No pitch decks. No talking about building. Just build!
Who should attend?

Beginners with no coding experience (we provide templates and guided support)
Founders building products who need mentor help to ship an MVP feature
Developers wanting to learn AI tools while building with experts
Product builders looking to automate workflows and operations
Anyone curious about AI who wants hands-on experience

What you will leave with:

Hands-on mentorship from industry experts
Free tool credits (Lovable, Replit, Zapier, Make, and more)
A working prototype or automation by end of night
Food and refreshments provided
Application pathway for continued TechTown support
Connections to Detroit’s builder and founder community
Demo time to showcase your work and get feedback

Come connect with fellow founders, curious people, exchange ideas, and build relationships with people who understand the challenges and excitement of building something new!
Join us every month for our AI and Automation: Build Night and become part of a thriving tech ecosystem. Reserve your spot today!

The SHOP at TechTown
2026-08-26 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-30 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-10-28 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-11-18 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-12-02 11:00 - 14:00 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Experience the best of Detroit’s small business community at The SHOP, TechTown Detroit’s monthly retail pop-up marketplace! Join us in person on the last Wednesday of every month to explore unique products, connect with local entrepreneurs and uncover your next favorite find. Mark your calendar and join us for a vibrant shopping experience celebrating Detroit’s small business community!
Interested in participating in The SHOP? Submit an interest form today!
The SHOP at TechTown is made possible with support from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Wells Fargo.

Pitch Lab: From Practice to Performance, Pitching to Leaders
2026-08-26 11:30 - 13:00 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Wednesday, Aug. 26 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

This session will be held in-person at TechTown Detroit. Registration opens at 11:00 a.m., with the session starting promptly at 11:30 a.m.

A great pitch isn’t just about having a good idea—it’s about delivering it with confidence, clarity, and purpose. This three-part workshop series will walk you through every stage of the pitching process, giving you the tools and practice you need to make your message resonate.
In Session 1, you learned how to craft and deliver a powerful pitch. In Session 2, you took your skills to the next level by refining your message into a concise, memorable elevator pitch, while mastering how to connect authentically and communicate your “why.”
The journey continues with Session 3 (Aug. 26): Put it all into action by pitching to a panel of community leaders and receiving tailored feedback in a real-world setting. Note: Attendance at Sessions 1 & 2 was required in order to be considered to pitch in front of our judges. Individuals have already been notified who were invited to pitch, and we are not accepting additional pitches at this time. If you were not invited, we still welcome you to attend as an audience member and learn through watching others!
Thank you for being a part of this journey with us! We hope this series has equipped you with the strategies, practice, and confidence to make your ideas stand out.

Building a Resilient Business
2026-08-27 17:30 - 19:00 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Thursday, Aug. 27 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

This session will be held in-person at TechTown Detroit. Registration opens at 5:00 p.m., with the session starting promptly at 5:30 p.m.

All businesses face adversity sooner or later, but the ones that recover and thrive are those who understand how to take inventory of what they have and adapt to changes.
Join TechTown and ACCESS for this two-hour session, where you’ll learn how to assess and enhance your business’s resilience. Through engaging activities, expert guidance and collaborative discussions, you’ll identify key areas of vulnerability and explore practical strategies to adapt, innovate and grow — even in the face of adversity. Walk away with a personalized resiliency plan tailored to your business’s unique needs.
Why Attend?

Hands-on approach: Build practical, actionable plans tailored to your business.
Interactive learning: Engage with industry experts and fellow business owners for fresh insights and ideas.
Take home results: Leave with a comprehensive, ready-to-implement plan.

Don’t let uncertainty hold you back. Invest in your business’s future with this dynamic workshop and gain the tools, confidence and strategies to weather any storm and seize new opportunities.

This workshop is made possible with support from LISC Detroit.

Financial and Sales Forecasting
2026-09-02 11:00 - 13:00 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Wednesday, Sept. 2 | 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
This session will be held in-person at TechTown Detroit. Registration opens at 10:30 a.m., with the session starting promptly at 11:00 a.m.
This intensive, hands-on workshop is designed to help entrepreneurs gain a clearer understanding of the numbers that drive their business and use that insight to make more informed, confident decisions. Participants will explore the differences between sales projections and financial forecasts, as well as both top-down and bottom-up forecasting approaches, to better understand how to plan for growth and sustainability.
Through guided examples, interactive discussion, and hands-on worksheets, attendees will also work through break-even analysis step by step and apply key concepts in real time. By the end of the session, complex financial ideas will feel more accessible and actionable, equipping participants with practical tools they can immediately use for stronger, more strategic business planning.

Lessons In Leadership
2026-09-10 11:30 - 13:00 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Thursday, Sept. 10 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
This session will be held in-person at TechTown Detroit. Registration opens at 11:00 a.m., with the session starting promptly at 11:30 a.m.
Building a successful business starts with strong leadership. This engaging two-hour workshop is designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to embrace the CEO mindset and build a winning culture within their organization. Whether you lead a team of two or twenty, you’ll explore practical strategies for communicating effectively, delegating with confidence, fostering accountability, and creating an environment where your team can thrive.
Through real-world examples and actionable takeaways, you’ll gain the tools to lead yourself and others with greater confidence and purpose. You’ll leave with tangible ideas you can implement immediately to strengthen your leadership skills, support your team’s growth, and build a culture that drives long-term success. If you’re looking to become a more effective leader, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss.

AI & Automation: Build Night 101
2026-09-10 17:30 - 20:30, 2026-10-15 17:30 - 20:30, 2026-11-10 17:30 - 20:30 | TechTown Detroit, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, United States
Join us for our AI Build Night 101! These are beginner-friendly, hands-on experience designed for exploring new tools, professionals looking to streamline their work, or simply someone curious about what AI can actually do beyond the hype. This session is built for those who have heard the buzz, maybe experimented with a few tools, but still feel unsure about how to apply AI and Automation in a meaningful, practical way. Instead of overwhelming you with technical jargon or abstract concepts, we focus on breaking everything down into clear, simple ideas you can immediately understand and use.
Throughout the session, we take a practical, step-by-step approach to demystifying AI and Automation. You’ll learn what these tools actually are (and aren’t), how they fit into real workflows, and where they can create the most impact in your day-to-day work. We’ll explore accessible, no-code and low-code tools that allow you to build without needing a technical background, and we’ll show you how small automations can lead to significant time savings and increased productivity. Participants won’t just sit and listen because you’ll be actively building. Through guided exercises and real-world examples, you’ll start creating simple automations, experimenting with AI-powered tools, and thinking through how these solutions can apply to your own goals. Whether it’s automating repetitive administrative tasks, organizing and analyzing information more efficiently, improving customer interactions, or quickly prototyping a new idea, you’ll walk away having already taken action.
Beyond the tools themselves, this Build Night 101 is a beginner course built to build confidence and shift your mindset. AI and Automation can feel intimidating at first, but once you understand the fundamentals, they become powerful, approachable resources that anyone can use. By the end of the session, you’ll not only have a stronger understanding of what’s possible, but also a clearer sense of how to continue exploring and building on your own. Come ready to learn by doing, ask questions, experiment freely, and connect with others who are on a similar journey. You’ll leave with practical knowledge, tangible progress, and a solid foundation to start integrating AI and Automation into your work, your projects, and your everyday life.
Join us every month for our AI Build Night 101 and become part of our ecosystem. Reserve your spot today!
