DETROIT – The Detroit Historical Society’s award-winning program, The Hustle, is back for another round! The Detroit Historical Society announced today that it has opened nominations for the next round of its popular celebration of Detroit’s minority entrepreneurs.  This Detroit Historical Museum project will once again celebrate the inspiring stories of Detroit’s neighborhood entrepreneurs — linking contemporary business owners to the pioneers who set their course in an exhilarating series of exhibits and public programming.

The Hustle is the Detroit Historical Society’s award-winning community engagement and exhibition project following in the footsteps of the ground-breaking Detroit67 project. Incorporating large-scale photography by Detroit photographers, oral histories, museum exhibits and events, public programming, school tours and two resource summits, this multi-dimensional project will celebrate Detroit’s Entrepreneurs of Color in exciting, unexpected, and educational ways.

Society CEO Elana Rugh says, “Our mission is to tell Detroit’s stories and why they matter. No story is too big, or too small for our museums and we often say our goal is that our visitors will see themselves somewhere in our halls or on our walls. The Hustle does that in a way that no other project ever has, and we are excited to bring this celebration back for a second round.”

Gilbert Family Foundation is the lead sponsor of The Hustle for the second time. The project is also supported by the John and James L. Knight Foundation.

“Arts and cultural programming has the unique power to inspire and connect Detroiters from all walks of life, expanding our collective vision of what’s possible. The Hustle exemplifies this beautifully by shining a spotlight on the entrepreneurs who are actively shaping Detroit’s vibrant ecosystem,” said Akua Hill, Director, Arts & Culture at Gilbert Family Foundation. “Through their innovation and determination, these neighborhood business owners are building enterprises that strengthen community vitality and fuel economic growth. We’re honored to support this celebration of their valuable contributions to our city.”

To identify Detroit entrepreneurs that exemplify The Hustle, the Society is crowdsourcing nominations through April 2026. Nominations can be made through the website at detroithistorical.org, or on paper ballots available at the Detroit Historical Museum.

Anyone can nominate a business or business owner by visiting detroithistorical.org/hustle or by dropping a nomination in the community ballot box located at the Detroit Historical Museum. Nominations will close on April 26, 2026.  

 
About Detroit Historical Society
The Detroit Historical Society is an independent non-profit organization that manages the Detroit Historical Museum in Midtown and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, while caring for an outstanding collection of 250,000+ historic artifacts. The Society presents hundreds of educational tours, programs, workshops and lectures annually. Founded in 1921, Detroit Historical Society has worked for 100 years to foster an appreciation of our region’s rich history, telling Detroit’s stories and why they matter.

The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit. The Detroit Historical Museum is open to the public Wednesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Historical content and virtual tours and exhibits are available at detroithistorical.org. Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit 67: Perspectives, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” Origins: Life Where the River Bends, America’s Motor City and The Glancy Trains.

 
About Gilbert Family Foundation
Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and build economic opportunity and equity in the city of Detroit. The Gilbert Family Foundation supports groundbreaking, cutting-edge research in hopes of eradicating NF1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body. Additionally, the Foundation supports the economic stability and mobility of residents in Detroit by investing in wealth-building opportunities and breaking down systemic barriers.

For more information on the Gilbert Family Foundation, please visit gilbertfamilyfoundation.org.