As we all know, Detroit has taken its share of hard knocks in the last few decades. Not so many people know, though, that Detroit’s resurgence is already well under way. In fact, there is a special group led by my friend @terrybean called 313DLove that is coming together today to celebrate all things Detroit. Technology-based businesses are also helping lead the resurgence of Detroit.
 
Through our sponsorship of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Regional Policy Conference 2015, Red Level was able to get a firsthand look at how a host of technology-driven companies are creating jobs and economic growth in Detroit and throughout Southeast Michigan. At the conference, we were able to demonstrate how some of the leading-edge technologies we work with can empower local governments and nonprofit organizations – and we were able to see the important contributions that local universities, organizations, and other companies were bringing to the table. 
 
The Chamber describes the Detroit area as an IT hotbed, noting that IT job growth has outpaced national averages by a solid four percent annually since 2009. Major established tech companies like VisionIT, Altair and enterprising start-ups have led the charge in bringing good IT jobs – and the people who occupy them – to the heart of downtown Detroit and surrounding suburbs. Meanwhile, Red Level’s steady growth in nearby Novi has drawn additional talent and economic activity to our area, just as other companies are doing elsewhere throughout Southeast Michigan. 
 
This all adds up to good things for Detroit and the communities around it. Of course, the success of tech-based businesses is good for other companies as well, helping to create a solid economic base for factories, gas stations, shopping malls and service businesses alike. The benefits go much further than just dollars and cents, though. Each well-paying job and each highly-educated graduate that’s added to metro Detroit’s growing technology sector helps to foster not just economic activity, but community – and the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that’s needed to reestablish Detroit as a world leader in enterprise and innovation.
 
At Red Level, we know that it’s our job to be part of the solution. The way we see it, it’s the responsibility of all companies in our region to take the initiative and help create the rising tide of prosperity and progress needed to drive Detroit’s rebirth. 
 
Sure, Detroit still has plenty of challenges. The city needs to rebuild its neighborhoods and infrastructure, and once again become a great place to live, go to school, and do business. Unlike the past, though, regional businesses, governments, and citizens throughout Southeast Michigan are joining forces to tackle these issues head on—and succeeding. We’re looking forward to helping create Detroit 2.0, and we’re eager to watch this exciting transformation take shape.