Mayor Mike Duggan today joined with Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) officials, City Council President Mary Sheffield, and startup ecosystem leaders announced the launch the first-of-its-kind Detroit Startup Fund. More than 200 members of Detroit’s tech community gathered at Newlab at Michigan Central to celebrate the announcement.

It may be summertime in Detroit, Michigan, but what brought the real heat was Global Citizen NOW: Detroit, which took place on July 10 and sparked fresh momentum for building sustainable cities where everyone can thrive. 

Cities are engines of economic growth, centers of innovation, and increasingly, the frontlines in the global fight against poverty. From Detroit to Dhaka, London to Lagos, urban centers face urgent questions about their futures and are making bold, long-term investments that will either reduce or reinforce inequality.