Entrepreneur Resource Manager

ProsperUs Detroit is a community economic development initiative that supports entrepreneurs and small business development in neighborhoods throughout Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, and Inkster. We are on a mission to advance economic equity in under-resourced communities by supporting entrepreneurs with opportunities and capital needed to build businesses, generational wealth, and vibrant neighborhoods. We do this by delivering radically supportive and culturally competent entrepreneurship training, financial coaching, technical assistance, and microlending. ProsperUs approaches this work with the belief that residents, small businesses, and community organizations in all neighborhoods can engage and revitalize their own communities.

What You Will Do at ProsperUs 
As the entrepreneur resource manager at ProsperUs Detroit, you will approach the work with an eagerness to support entrepreneurs from historically underinvested neighborhoods at a community development financial institution (CDFI) committed to inclusive economic development. You will collaborate with entrepreneurs and business owners to identify paths for growth and sustainability, providing intentional support to guide their next steps in business development. Working closely with your team, you will develop solutions to strengthen relationships with entrepreneurs and enhance a pipeline of business owners advancing their enterprises in alignment with the organization’s mission. You are great at building relationships one-on-one, advocating for others, and communicating effectively with individuals from various backgrounds. We are excited to welcome team members who are focused on intersectional equity in the context of entrepreneurship in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Inkster, and other Wayne County communities. 

Core Job Responsibilities 

1. Entrepreneur Relationship & Project Management 
   • You will cultivate strong relationships with business owners, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders in the communities ProsperUs serves, especially with the networks of participants, graduates, and entrepreneurs associated with the organization’s community partners; 
   • You will facilitate the intake process and associated action planning with entrepreneurs seeking business services, with a focus on entrepreneurs who meet the ProsperUs mission; 
   • You will assess entrepreneurs’ unique needs, develop plans to address them, manage the process of accessing resources, and conduct regular check-ins to ensure ongoing support and progress; 
   • You will provide practical support by working with entrepreneurs to understand business needs, assessing documentation and other information, identifying opportunities for additional support, and facilitating next steps related to the continued growth of their business through accessing capital, technical assistance, or other resources; 
   • You will support entrepreneurs in navigating regional, state, and national ecosystems of support, identifying the right service providers, and maximizing their relationship with ProsperUs, including financial coaching and accessing capital; 
   • You will understand and implement all guidelines related to confidentiality, regulatory, and quality-control requirements; and 
   • You will work to achieve target metrics and utilize systems to maintain updated data related to ProsperUs’ business and alumni services programming. 
2. Service Provider Network Management & Support 
   • You will cultivate trusted and transparent relationships with service providers and partners, ensuring they are supported, aligned with ProsperUs’ mission, and equipped to meet the needs of ProsperUs’s growing network of entrepreneurs; 
   • You will ensure the team understands who the service providers are and how they can support team members’ work, particularly with their own cohorts of entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs seeking capital; 
   • You will foster the growth and development of the network of service providers supporting entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on providers reflective of the communities ProsperUs serves; 
   • You will be a strategic partner, project manager, and facilitator of individual business service project provision with internal and external stakeholders; and 
   • You will proactively provide structured feedback to service providers on the effectiveness of their work throughout engagements. 
3. Coordination & Collaboration 
   • You will support and engage closely with the Business & Alumni Services team by connecting entrepreneurs to team members for next steps in accessing capital, technical assistance, or other resources; 
   • You will work collaboratively with the team to ensure processes and solutions align with the organization’s mission and effectively address entrepreneurs’ needs; 
   • You will manage the process of reviewing scopes of work for service providers, ensuring deliverables are met and aligned with entrepreneurs’ plans; 
   • You will provide solutions-oriented recommendations and/or reports to leadership based on feedback from entrepreneurs and service providers; and 
   • You will operate with empathy as you consistently communicate and provide care to entrepreneurs engaging in ProsperUs’ services and programs. 
4. Some other activities you will do to support ProsperUs: 
   • Identify opportunities to improve programming, make strategic recommendations to leadership, and collaborate on program enhancements;  
   • Represent ProsperUs within the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem and in various networks locally and nationally, as required;
   • Continue enhancing knowledge and expertise in equitable entrepreneurship, community economic development, and race equity; 
   • Assist with special projects as assigned and other tasks deemed necessary to achieve overall goals and to operate a successful program; and
   • Perform other related duties as assigned. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
While demonstrating a high energy and passion for ProsperUs’ work, including our clients, partners, mission, and values, you are also able to do or know the following:

1. You have knowledge, experience, and credibility within neighborhoods and communities like those that ProsperUs serves. You are familiar with community-based organizations (CBOs), community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and nonprofits in Detroit and the region.
2. You understand leading practices to support entrepreneurial growth and sustainability, and you are enthusiastic about partnering with entrepreneurs to collaborate on achieving their aspirations.
3. You are interested in working with technology systems, and you can learn and use new software and tools as required. Experience with Salesforce is a plus, and training will be provided.
4. You have a personal and professional commitment to intersectional equity, including the dismantling of racism and other forms of oppression that exist in the communities ProsperUs serves, specifically Black, Latinx, Arab, immigrant, and low- to moderate-income communities.
5. You have a proven history of transparent and high-integrity servant leadership.
6. You can manage timelines and understand how to communicate your needs to others, including team members, partners, and other stakeholders.
7. You want to find a solution. You can demonstrate proactive, entrepreneurial approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability.
8. You are self-motivated and able to work independently, but you also have practice working with internal or external teams and appreciate collaboration.
9. You must be excited about finding solutions to challenges or barriers faced by those we serve.

Minimum Qualifications 
ProsperUs is looking for candidates who have the following qualities and experiences: 

• Experience and/or knowledge of business operational strategies, growth principles, and supporting entrepreneurs to access capital. An emphasis on entrepreneurship and economic development is a plus.
• At least two years of proven management experience with skills in collaborating with entrepreneurs, project management, and connecting with regional resources. Ideally, an emphasis on understanding businesses and entrepreneurs who encounter challenges related to systemic and institutional inequity. A bachelor's degree in a related field is encouraged.
• Strong technical skills with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat (or comparable tools), operating systems, and networks.
• Flexibility in days and hours available for scheduled work, including regular evening engagements and occasional weekend commitments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. The ability to communicate in Spanish, Arabic, French, or Bangla is a plus. 

Reports to: Business & Alumni Services Director

Hiring Process and Timeline  
Application Deadline: April 13, 2025 

Interview includes:  

1. Screening Call with Selected Candidates 
2. In-Person Interview with Team 
3. Interview with the CEO 

Anticipated Start Date: May 2025

Pay and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $55,000 to $65,000; in addition, we offer these supports to help you manage your mental, emotional, and physical health: 

• Holidays: You will have 11 nationally recognized holidays, an additional floating holiday to be used when you choose, and more time to rest around the winter holidays. 
• Paid Time Off: When you join, you will have 15 days of paid time off (PTO) that you can use 90 days after joining the team. 
• Benefits Plans: You can choose to join the organization’s benefits plan with health insurance (most paid by organization), org-paid vision, and org-paid dental. 
• Retirement Savings: You can invest in the org-sponsored 401(k) and ProsperUs will match a portion of your contributions. 
• Parental Leave: You will have access to parental leave for giving birth, adoption, fostering, and supporting a partner who is giving birth. 
• Family-Friendly: ProsperUs is a family-friendly work environment with accommodations for nursing parents, respect for childcare needs and practices, parental leave, and other supports. 
• Continuous Learning: We care about your success. You will create professional development goals to collaborate on with your supervisor, and we regularly check-in about how it’s going with Quarterly Conversations focused on goals and values. 
• Flexible Schedule: Team members must be available 9 AM – 3 PM Eastern Time. We participate in a variety of events and collaborations, so we encourage team members to work additional hours with a schedule that works for them. 
• Flexible Work Environment: We encourage hybrid home / office work. Team members primarily work in-person, with two remote workdays allowed per week. In-person events and engagements are a regular responsibility of all roles at ProsperUs.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that historically excluded communities - such as women, LGBTQ+, and people of color - are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. ProsperUs Detroit is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider applying. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings! 

ProsperUs Detroit provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, weight, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran under applicable federal, state, and local laws. We seek a broad and diverse pool of candidates and strongly believe that our organization benefits from the perspectives and talents of a diverse staff who understand the unique needs of entrepreneurs in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, and Inkster.