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00:00We are about to focus our attention on businesses in Detroit and resources that help our Detroit
00:07businesses become even more successful. I have two beautiful ladies in studio with me right now.
00:14I'm going to start with you. I want you to introduce yourself to Detroit and tell them
00:17what you do. Yes, yes. Good morning, good morning, good morning. I am Tanika Griggs. I am the
00:23Director of External Affairs for the Michigan Black Business Alliance. I am also an attorney
00:28entrepreneur for the Griggs Law Group. I handle all things business transaction related and
00:34I'm also the former Deputy Director of the City of Detroit Civil Rights Inclusion Opportunity
00:38Department. Kind of like with Dr. Martin Luther King, you know, you're the up-to-date person.
00:42You're working hard in 2026. Lord, I'm a business. But you look like you're powerful. You look
00:48like you know what you're doing and you're going to challenge the people trying to challenge
00:52the civil rights. Absolutely. Period. Now you have a friend with you. Yes. Good morning
00:57to quiet. Good morning. Good morning. Now you got to tell Detroit what you do because you're all
01:02about the community. Go ahead, baby. I am. So I am to quiet Driscoll. I am a proud member of
01:09the
01:09Michigan Black Business Alliance. I'm also the founder and CEO of the Minority Freedom Community
01:15Fund and the founder of Aya House in Detroit and Eastern Market. I'm very happy to be here to talk
01:21about all the things we got going on. So I got a business owner out there saying how can they
01:26help
01:26me? What can you do for me? Yes, absolutely. So we do a lot of things right at the Michigan
01:31Black
01:32Business Alliance. We do all things related to policy. So making sure that we're challenging
01:37and we're a part of everything that's happening at the state and local level as far as anything that
01:41could impact businesses, whether that's legislation, ordinances, things of that sort. So we're working
01:46very, very close with a lot of elected officials on a lot of different bills and things of that sort.
01:50We also have a lot of opportunities that we're reaching out to our members to make sure that
01:54they have access to what those opportunities look like. And then we also have a lot of programming,
01:59right? So we have coming up now, we have our Up Next program where we actually have students between
02:05the ages of 16 to 24 that we place at our businesses for the summer for six weeks. We know
02:11that our
02:11businesses sometimes are struggling with employees and things of that sort, but we also know that our
02:14students need access to opportunities. So we have that program that is open now and I think the
02:19applications close Friday. So if you are interested and you're a part of the Michigan Black Business
02:23Alliance, then please submit your application because we have students that are ready to work.
02:27So we do things of that sort. So anything related to programs and opportunity and policy, that's kind of
02:32what we do and that's what we bring to our businesses.
02:34You know, we've been talking about the teen takeover situation and it's been a hot topic on our airwaves
02:41students. And one of the solutions I came across was providing these teens with employment that they
02:48won't. You know what I mean? And also, you know, bringing businesses in and figuring out a way to
02:54reward them for looking out for the students. So you guys are on the right pace. Keep that information
03:00coming and we'll work with you guys on that because I like where you're going with that.
03:04Absolutely. Now you, what can you do for the, cause you say you all about the community.
03:10So similarly, we also provide not only programs to strengthen small business owners,
03:18aspiring small business owners of all ages, but also funding. So an initiative that I'm extremely
03:25excited about. We haven't even made a press release about it or talked about it. It's just us and
03:32we, I love Detroit. I love people. I love black people. Um, this is why it's called minority
03:38freedom community fund. And we focus on supporting black communities here in Detroit and across the
03:43country. Um, and we launched a fund called the Detroit love fund initiative. Um, and the intention
03:50of that initiative is to provide funding, uh, $313, so micro grants, but three, one, three,
03:57to anyone, um, in the city of Detroit, any resident of any age, uh, who wants to help themselves,
04:04um, with economic mobility, who wants to try something new. Maybe they have a hobby that
04:10they can't afford. You know, they want to buy a camera and become a photographer. Um, so really
04:15helping them explore and tinker and dream. Um, maybe they had a car incident and they need,
04:20you know, a tire. I don't know how, how far $300 can get you in 2026, but it's something right.
04:25Something better than nothing. Okay. So, um, the Detroit love fund is something that we are
04:29extremely excited about bringing to community across the city, um, partnering with organizations
04:35like the black business Alliance and others to really get that message out there that we're here
04:39to help you financially, not just with loans and technical assistance, but also with the money you
04:44don't have to pay back. See, they come with free money. They try to help Detroit businesses. If
04:49you own a business, you need to be a part of this organization. Now you, I'm going to say you're
04:54a
04:54lawyer, but what school did you go to? I went to Cooley law school. Cooley. No, no, no. I want
05:00to go back to high school. I want the cast. You are smart girl. You smart, smart, smart. I tried
05:06that.
05:06I tried. Lord, Renaissance, I just prayed about that. Lord, y'all cast Renaissance students. Y'all know.
05:12Period. So what about you? What high school did you attend? Well, I'm going to ride off my husband
05:18for a second. He went to Renaissance. Say that. Say that. But, um, I actually went to a private
05:24all-girls school. I went to Regina High School. I know Regina. I went to Bishop Borges. Okay.
05:29So you're a Catholic school girl. You're a Catholic school girl. Yeah. Period. So, um, if you weren't
05:35a lawyer, what, what, what you, what else might you have become? That is a great question. Um, I think
05:42I probably would have been, became a politician. Politician. So you just all about helping. You smart.
05:47You figured when you first hit those books, this is for me. This is, this is for me. I love
05:52it. And
05:52you, if you weren't in the community so hard. It's so funny. I actually, so my undergrad is in
05:57biochemistry and molecular biology. Lord Jesus. I wanted to be, I wanted to be a pharmacist. And
06:03then when I was trying, so I was submitting applications to every hospital when I graduated
06:07undergrad. And, um, I'll talk up, you know, I could talk about why I wanted that, but I graduated
06:13and I wasn't getting hired there. I was working at the bank and someone, one of my
06:17co-workers were like, you know, um, she told me about Big Pharma and I had never thought
06:21about the political side. And I was like, I don't want to be associated with that. Right.
06:24Um, and so I actually accidentally got a job in philanthropy, didn't know what it was. And
06:29I got in and I was like, Oh, we get paid to give money away to people. Oh, I want
06:34this.
06:34Everybody needs to be here. But yeah, I wanted to be a pharmacist. I really did.
06:38That is just, girl, you're mine. That's why your hubby married you. You know, we got the total package.
06:43So look, you ladies, before I let you go, um, I, I, I'm sorry. I, and I don't want to
06:48do this,
06:49but I have to do this because I, you said you're a business lawyer, right? So street business.
06:55I got beat. They heard me on air talking about the fact that I got beat at the Coney Island
07:08trying to buy my $400 bottle of perfume.
07:11My love back rock, uh, for 50. Um, they even, they say, you got the bottle of perfume. So I
07:19have it with me.
07:20Cause I'm still heard about it. I just hope something happened. And the first thing she sprayed and she said,
07:25Ooh,
07:25it don't smell like nothing. And then this other one over there is going to be the biochemist said the
07:32label off.
07:33And she got me, they got me, but Detroit,
07:39the reason I'm bringing this up is because they said something that I truly believe.
07:43We have so many talented people in this city.
07:47We've got people that can actually recreate a bottle of $400 perfume,
07:52but they on the wrong side. Come on over to the light,
07:55come to the light and use your,
07:58your knowledge in your business and your talents correctly. For example,
08:02you have that program again, that's giving them like, go explore how to make perfume.
08:07Take a course. Go ahead.
08:08I think not even that.
08:09So one of the programs that we're doing this summer is for the kids and it's about
08:12exposing them to, you know, being community centered as a career.
08:17And so they might not even know what the option opportunity set is because they've
08:21never been exposed to traditional, you know, business and entrepreneurship.
08:25They know hustle and grind and be able to say that.
08:27And so they know they have that creativity, that muscle,
08:30but they haven't been shown the technical pieces it takes to do it the right way.
08:34So organizations like MBBA and what we're doing with MFCF are here so that our
08:38people who have all of the ingenuity and the creativity have a place where they can
08:43come and hone that and really make the change that they need in the
08:46community.
08:47We got the tools, Detroit.
08:48We're not playing.
08:49And that's what we do every morning.
08:51We bringing you tools to better your life.
08:53Because if your life better, my life better.
08:55We all working together in this.
08:57Closing thoughts.
08:58Thank you for having us today.
09:00I also want to let everyone know if you are a member of the Michigan Black
09:03Business Alliance or if you are not, we do have our all members meeting
09:06tomorrow at 6 p.m.
09:08If you want to go ahead and go to our socials and follow us,
09:11then you guys are more than welcome to come out and hang out with us,
09:15learn more about what we do and all those great things.
09:18And also up next, applications are open, like I mentioned earlier.
09:20So if you are a member, make sure that you're filling out that application so we
09:24can make sure we have our youth the opportunity to be a part of the work that
09:27you're doing.
09:28As well as if you are a local business, make sure you're filling out that
09:30application as well if you are interested in having a youth.
09:33Thank you for that program, too.
09:35And I'm going to keep following up with you on that.
09:37Your closing thoughts, love?
09:39Absolutely.
09:39I just want to say that my birthday is in nine days.
09:42You didn't say that!
09:43Shout out to all the Geminis listening.
09:45Good morning.
09:46It is our season, June Geminis.
09:48Wait a minute.
09:48Whoa, whoa, whoa.
09:49You got to shout your husband out.
09:50What's his name?
09:51Namaj Driscoll.
09:52Oh, lovey, lovey.
09:53Oh, yeah, girl.
09:54He also works with the Black Business Alliance.
09:57We love that Black Business Alliance in our household.
09:59So we talk about it all day, every day.
10:00But also, stay connected with the Minority Freedom Community Fund,
10:06with IAHOUSE.
10:07We have some amazing programming going on all month long between
10:10Juneteenth and, again, my birthday.
10:14We're also preparing for our annual summit that's in August,
10:18August 28th through the 29th at IAHOUSE.
10:21So definitely stay connected and definitely keep an eye out when we
10:24launch the Detroit Love Fund.
10:26All right, guys.
10:26Thank you for what you do.
10:29We appreciate you.
10:30We're 105.9 Kiss FM, Detroit.
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