
BasBlue’s Zero-to-One Entrepreneurial Fellowship program supports emerging entrepreneurs who are looking to build, launch and scale a new business but are statistically less likely to receive support through mainstream channels. BasBlue provides each cohort of Fellows with tailored business coaching, 1:1 mentorship, funding, and community to take their ideas to the next level.





Program Focus
Confronting National Trends
12M+
43%
of Michigan businesses are owned by women, yet women of color face significantly lower early-stage survival and profitability rates.
Only 2%
of women-owned businesses receive venture capital funding, dropping to less than 1% for BIPOC women entrepreneurs.
45%
is the decrease we experienced in National funding for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) business owners.
Zero-to-One Fellows receive the following:
The BasBlue Foundation Grant
The BasBlue Foundation Grant presents fellows with financial support to kickstart or advance their entrepreneurial ventures. This grant not only eases financial barriers but also empowers fellows to innovate, experiment, and implement their business ideas with greater confidence and resources.
Subject Matter Expert Instruction
Annual BasBlue Membership
The Annual BasBlue Membership provides fellows with exclusive access to a vibrant community of professionals and resources. This membership includes networking opportunities, workshops, and events designed to foster collaboration, learning, and growth in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
1:1 Mentorship
The fellowship’s 1:1 Mentorship for 6-Months offers personalized guidance, allowing fellows to receive tailored advice and support from experienced entrepreneurs. This mentorship focuses on addressing individual challenges and setting specific goals, enhancing both personal and professional development.
Application Requirements + Timeline
Applicant Requirements
All applicants must:
- Have a for-profit product, business, or business concept.
- Reside in Detroit / Southeast Michigan.
- Identify as a woman or nonbinary.
- Be over the age of 21 by application date.
- Be a legal resident of the U.S.
- Be a member of a historically underrepresented and under-resourced community.
Application Timeline
- October 17: Female Founders Market
- October 24: Virtual Info Session: Sign up under our Program Calendar!
- October 31: Applications Close
- November 15: Fellowship Announced
- November 21: Fellowship Welcome Dinner
- December 2024: Cohort Begins
2024 Zero-to-One Fellows
Yvonne Montero
A conceptual curator and designer known for her romantic and playful approach to presentation and design. Yvonne owns and operates BABY, a Southwest Detroit e-commerce and by-appointment shop.
BABY features 90-00s vintage designer pieces, local labels, handmade ceramics and jewelry. It’s not just a shop; it’s a hub for community events and expression in Detroit. Yvonne also leads Heaven in Motion (H.I.M.), where discarded clothing finds new life.
H.I.M. emphasizes individuality and courage through up-cycled apparel. With a self-taught humorous sustainability approach, Yvonne keeps inclusivity and diversity at the core of her business ethos.
Sarah Dalley
Sarah Dalley is the founder of Bonding Over Books, a conversation card game and brand built for book clubs that raises mental health awareness. With an extensive background in marketing, Sarah has been a witness to and a proponent of the power of communications and storytelling.
In memory of the lives of her friends lost to suicide, Sarah is devoted to dedicating her personal and professional work to improving the conversation around mental health and fighting the stigma. She is passionate about community building and fostering meaningful conversations to facilitate deeper connections and fuel positive change.
By day, Sarah is a Senior Marketing Manager at Spring Health, a comprehensive mental health solution for employers and health plans. Her previous experience ranges from serving as a publicist for notable brands to helping grow start-ups in the health-tech space.
Samantha Barash
Founder of The Practice Collective, a co-working space for mental health professionals in Detroit. She is a registered dietitian, community cultivator + wellness leader. Additionally, Samantha owns Tap Into Nutrition, a non-diet private practice that focuses on fostering healthier relationships with food for Detroiters.
She earned her bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University and completed her accredited internship at Wayne State University to become a licensed registered dietitian.
Outside of her work, Samantha enjoys planning international trips and binge-watching Bravo shows on her couch.
Renee Sorgi
The founder of a 100% woman-owned business committed to producing snacks specifically designed for families dealing with food allergies. Renee initiated her entrepreneurial journey while navigating autoimmune issues for three years. This experience unveiled a common frustration with the limited snack options found in stores.
Motivated by a desire to address the challenges faced by kids with food allergies, Renee founded THE REAL RENEE. Her granola and crackers are meticulously crafted to be free from all nine main food allergens plus coconut.
Renee’s primary goal is to reach as many families as possible, providing not only allergen-free snacks but also a delectable and health-conscious choice for everyone to savor.
Nikoji Smith
Founder of The Classy Lady Edition, a company created to empower women through organization + motivation using planning, journaling, and self-affirmations. Drawing inspiration fro her 20 years as an educator, author, and mother.
Nikoji’s journey began with self-affirmations + vision boards introduced by her mom during high school. The Classy Lady Edition started with an Affirmation Journal and expanded into a planner collection during the pandemic in October 2020.
The planners cater to moms, wives, and businesswomen, offering features like To-Do Lists, Goals, Budgeting, and Daily Affirmations. Over three years, the business has thrived with nationwide sales, reaching Hawaii, and expanding into a full stationary line including journals, notecards, stickers, keychains, and coloring books.
Marquita Richardson
By day Marquita Richardson is a managing consultant leader at one of the largest audit firms in the world, by night she is wearing one of the many hats as the owner and creative director of the pet treat brand Sweet Paws Creamery.
Graduating from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations, Marquita has spent her entire career chasing opportunities that made an impact and aligned to a bigger purpose. As her star has risen, working with some of the largest companies across the country and managing projects of $10+ Million, growing teams and providing thought leadership in the growing landscape of Change Management principles and DEI, Marquita always had a feeling that there was more to be done. And from this place of curiosity, her company was born.
Sweet Paws Creamery is a pet treat brand on a mission to make products that are good for dogs and the communities they bark in. Committed to sourcing locally, empowering and supporting local initiatives, and serving pet owners and businesses that embrace our canine companions, Marquita is making doggy ice cream with a purpose.
Jena Brooker
Founder of JB’s Ice Pops Based in Detroit, JB’s crafts handcrafted, all-natural ice pops with unique flavors using locally sourced ingredients to bring you a taste of Detroit in every bite!
Jena Brooker isn’t just about frozen treats! She is also a local environmental and food journalist, passionately sharing stories that matter.
I’Sha Schultz-Spradlin
I’Sha is a proud Black queer woman, Mother, Founder & Owner of Black Moon Bathhouse. With over a decade of fundraising experience and as a Licensed Massage Therapist, she’s the only known Black woman with 5+ years of platza expertise.
Black Moon Bathhouse is a co-op operated and Black Queer Woman-owned apothecary bathhouse. Born from her love for communal healing and plant medicine. Black Moon Bathhouse offers a safe space for women and fem-identified individuals, rooted in a Black, queer, feminist perspective.
Black Moon Bathhouse offers diverse wellness services including steam rooms, saunas, and a cold plunge pool. The apothecary features herbal products and locally sourced herbs for various uses. BMB fosters radical self-care and community for diverse SOGIE identities in Metro Detroit. BMB is aiming to provide a safe communal space for women and fem-identified individuals to practice holistic self-care through a Black, queer, feminist lens.
Angela Chi
Angela is the creator of Chi Fan Le, a Chinese food-making experience and pop-up that serves diverse and nutritious homestyle Chinese dishes and shares the process, history, and personal stories behind them. She and her team combine quality ingredients with lots of love, find innovative ways to collaborate with the Detroit community, and seek different strategies to reduce their carbon impact.
She has a deep love for tasting and experimenting with different ingredients (including tea) and a curiosity for learning about others’ stories. Her background includes 10 years of experience managing events, logistics and sourcing. Part of her experience includes learning first-hand from clothing and packaging manufacturers as well as tea, coffee and produce farmers. She plans to expand Chi Fan Le into a global lifestyle brand that creatively repurposes materials and cherishes feeling so good that you uplift others.
When she’s not experimenting in the kitchen or planning for a pop-up, she is sharing specialty Chinese tea with friends, listening to podcasts of interviews with trailblazing entrepreneurs, or envisioning new ideas and projects.
Ambirr Momon
Founder of All Things amb, Ambirr is a passionate millennial mom with a love for effective communication and a dedication to bridging the parent-child engagement gap.
With a background in mass communication, Ambirr embarked on a journey to create a game that entertains kids while fostering their emotional and social development, promoting bonding with parents.
Drive by her experiences a a single mother, Ambirr recognized the need for a game facilitating open conversations between parents and children, addressing the challenges of modern, fast-paced lifestyles.
In the Press
Zero-to-One Fellowship
March 3, 2024
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Yahoo! News
Tax lawyer goes full-time on creating bras for cancer patients
January 23, 2024
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DBusiness