12th annual Hatch Off brings
organic skincare business to Detroit
DETROIT, May 10, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The winner of the 2024 Comerica Hatch Detroit
Contest by TechTown has been crowned! G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs is the
winner of the 12th annual Comerica Hatch Detroit
Contest, taking home the $100,000
grand prize from Comerica Bank to open the brick-and-mortar
business of their dreams.
As the winner of the 2024 Hatch Off, G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs will
receive technical assistance from TechTown and its partners, in
addition to the $100,000 business
grant from Comerica Bank, to kickstart and open a
brick-and-mortar business in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park.
G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs is a certified woman- and minority-owned
business based in Detroit,
specializing in natural, organic body scrubs. They provide jobs,
training and mentorship to underserved individuals, especially
women who have been victims of domestic violence and human
trafficking, as well as returning citizens.
Owner and founder of G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs, Tiffany Cartwright, launched her business in
2018 after losing her job. As a new mom determined to soothe her
daughter's eczema without harsh products, Cartwright turned to the
kitchen to concoct a solution with natural ingredients that would
not be harmful to the skin, and G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs was born.
With the $100,000 business grant
from Comerica Bank, Cartwright plans to set up shop for her
G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs storefront in the Rosedale Park community.
This year, the three runner-up finalists were also awarded a
$10,000 grant to assist with the
opening of their storefronts, courtesy of TechTown's Small Business
Support Hub grant from the Michigan Economic Development
Corporation.
"TechTown is incredibly proud of G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs on this
remarkable entrepreneurial feat and well-deserved win. We're
thrilled to be part of their continued business journey and have
the utmost confidence that each of these Top 4 businesses will add
a unique vibrancy to Detroit's
small business landscape," said Christianne
Malone, assistant vice president for economic development at
Wayne State University and TechTown
Detroit's chief program officer. "TechTown's commitment to
nurturing entrepreneurship doesn't end with the Hatch Off;
incubating Detroit's small
businesses is a year-round endeavor supported by our
entrepreneurial and technical assistance programs that provide
ongoing support to our winning alumni and top finalists."
Throughout the 2024 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest, public vote
determined which businesses advanced in the competition, narrowing
10 semi-finalists down to four finalists. After more than 13,500
votes were cast, the four finalists – G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs,
Harry Rich Clothier, Khana and
Roller Skate Detroit – were selected by and introduced to the
public.
A second round of public voting opened on May 1 and concluded at tonight's event after all
the finalists pitched their business ideas live to a panel of
judges and an audience of their community, families and peers. Top
of Form
After a close race determined by public votes and the judges'
deliberation, G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs was crowned the winner at the
Hatch Off event on Thursday, May 9,
at the Wayne State University Industry
Innovation Center in Detroit.
"Comerica Bank recognizes the dedication and grit of every
finalist that advanced to this stage of the competition. It is
truly commendable, a testament to the bright future in store for
each of these businesses entering Detroit's small business economy," said
Steve Davis, Comerica Bank Michigan
Market President. "With the invaluable support of the TechTown
team, the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest continues to serve as an
exceptional avenue for fostering success in small businesses by
facilitating their access to crucial capital and technical
guidance, enabling them to flourish and thrive. Comerica Bank
extends its congratulations to G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs, we look
forward to witnessing their entrepreneurial journey unfold and the
value they will contribute to this hotspot for small
businesses."
With this year's investment, Comerica Bank and the Comerica
Charitable Foundation will have committed more than $1.1 million to Hatch Detroit in direct funding
since 2012.
As the winner of the 12th annual Comerica Hatch
Detroit Contest by TechTown, G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs joins previous
winners La Feria (2012), Sister Pie (2014), Meta Physica
Massage (2016), Baobab Fare (2017), 27th Letter
Books (2019), Little Liberia (2022) and Bouncing Around the
Motor City (2023).
To learn more about G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs, visit
HatchDetroit.com.
This year, Comerica Bank is celebrating 175 years of serving its
communities, making it Michigan's
longest-serving bank. Comerica was founded in 1849 in Detroit during a time when all banks in the
city were exclusive to the business community. This was the
motivation behind Comerica's decision to gear its banking for the
people and for those who wanted to secure their personal and
financial future. Since its inception, Comerica has grown in
Michigan and throughout the
country by focusing on the customer first and offering personal,
small business and commercial banking services, as well as wealth
management services.
Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served
Michigan longer than any other
bank with a continuous presence dating back 175 years to its
Detroit founding in 1849. It is
the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and has approximately 4,500 employees
(FTE) statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in
Michigan, Comerica nurtures
lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial
prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be
successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of
charitable organizations, and actively participating in
Detroit's downtown revitalization.
Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company
strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial
Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/Comerica, X (formerly known as Twitter):
@ComericaBank and Instagram: @comerica_bank.
TechTown Detroit, Wayne State
University's entrepreneurship hub, is a nonprofit business
service organization that provides programs, education and
resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech
entrepreneurs. By building bridges for entrepreneurs to succeed,
TechTown is accelerating an inclusive economy for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Since its inception,
TechTown has supported more than 6,000 companies, which created
2,340 jobs and raised more than $408
million in startup and growth capital. For more information,
visit techtowndetroit.org.
Hatch Detroit supports
both existing and new retail initiatives in the cities of
Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. Hatch Detroit was founded in 2011 to give residents
and aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to have a voice in
neighborhood retail development and joined TechTown Detroit's suite
of entrepreneurial programs and services in 2022. Beyond the
Contest, Hatch Detroit provides funding, exposure and mentoring in
support of its alumni entrepreneurs. With support from Hatch
Detroit, 50 alumni have opened businesses. They employ over 500
people and have invested over $10
million in economic development. To learn more, visit
hatchdetroit.com.
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SOURCE Comerica Bank