Launch with TechTown

Live Innovate Play Hacker House

Learn the ins and out of developing and launching a tech startup with TechTown Detroit and Detroit Hacker House in our program for Wayne State University students and recent grads. In our 2025-2026 cohort, 25 students will participate in business and personal development workshops alongside industry coaches and mentors to build a startup idea with their team. In Summer 2026, 10 of the participants will receive 3 months of housing support diving even deeper to work alongside their fellow innovators in the Detroit Hacker House located adjacent to the WSU campus. After the program, students will continue to receive mentorship and guidance through regular coaching to continue on with their summer innovation challenge projects to work on business model refinement and startup launch.

Apply Now

Live. Innovate. Play.

Live and work alongside your House Manager and fellow innovators who to build your product through mentorship and milestones while being immersed in the Detroit startup community

MVP (Minimally Viable Product)

We coach founders through the process of applying their customer discovery research to building an MVP and iterating to validate the key features and business model from customer response.

Mentorship

In addition to working alongside our House Manager, EIRs or Entrepreneurs in Residence provide support and feedback through workshops, office hours, and supporting unique needs depending on the startup.

Housing

SELECT founders live alongside each other as roommates with a House Manager with free room, board, house keeping, laundry, wifi, in-home deskspace, and team outings.

Venture Backable

We work closely with VCs in setting key program targets that build investor confidence in the startup.

Upcoming Events

Sign up for a workshop or join us at an open house to learn more about startups and get started with the program! Events are open to the entire WSU community, no experience required, just a willingness to learn, connect, and explore what’s possible.

Workshop

Jun 18 4:00p-5:30p

Startup 101

Learn the basics of what it means to run a tech startup — from coming up with an idea to forming a team, building a product, and finding your first customers. If you’ve ever thought about launching your own idea, TechTown is your first stop on the journey into tech entrepreneurship, no matter your background! Wayne State students will also get the inside scoop on our Live Innovate Play program and how to apply for our upcoming cohort. You’ll walk away with an understanding of:

  • What defines a tech-enabled business
  • Shaping your idea into a startup concept
  • Building the right team for your vision
  • Finding and connecting with customers
  • Local resources and next steps
RSVP
Limited!
Founder Opportunity

Jul 10 4:00p-7:30p

Founder Table at First Thursdays

We’re looking for student-led small businesses to host spotlight tables for the WSU Takeover at First Thursdays, a high-energy evening of networking and celebration. Student-led businesses of all types are able to apply to showcase during the event. Each business will be provided with a 6-foot table covered in a standard black tablecloth. Current students and recent grads should identify as a student and select July 10 in the form to be considered.

  • Free table space
  • Sell products
  • Showcase services
  • Demo apps
Apply
Networking

Jul 10 5:30p-7:30p

WSU Takeover at First Thursdays

Join the WSU Takeover at First Thursdays, a high-energy evening of networking and celebration. This monthly event connects entrepreneurs, startups, and ecosystem builders in an informal, inspiring setting. Student-run businesses will host vendor tables to showcase their ventures. What to expect:

  • Enriching conversations
  • Valuable insights
  • Collaboration opportunities
  • Business owner spotlights
RSVP

Our Team

As the co-founders of Detroit Black Tech and Hacking With The Homies Developer Conference, Mack and Jeseekia are uniquely focused on furthering the Detroit Tech ecosystem while making sure Black and Brown Techies are supported. Since joining forces around 2017 we have worked to build programs and events that enable Developers to build better, faster and in a supportive community. We are furthering this vision by working on building technical founders as well as providing support to non-technical founders in our community.

Jeseekia Vaughn

Detroit Hacker House Program Director

Entrepreneur, Senior Software Engineer, MVP Developer, Developer Educator, and Machine Learning Engineer in startups

Mack Hendricks

Detroit Black Tech Executive Director

Entrepreneur, Principal Systems Engineer, and Senior Solutions Engineer in startups and the Fortune 500

Christianne Malone

TechTown Detroit Chief Program Officer

Ecosystem Builder, DEI Communicator, Social Impact Strategist, Game Changer, Advantage Activator

Apply Now

Summer 2025 Cohort

We are accepting applications for our 2025-2026 cohort. This includes residential and non-residential applicants. Current Wayne State University students and recent grads are eligible to apply.

Submit your application

Get in touch

If you want to learn more before applying or want to partner with us in bringing this opportunity to more founders please reach out!

info@detroitblacktech.org

Detroit, Michigan, USA