Written by 2020 Midwest Shop Local Gift Guide
Thank you for using EntryPoint’s 2020 Midwest Shop Local Gift Guide! We at EntryPoint created this guide to help you support small businesses in the Midwest by providing you with information about these companies and the products they would like to promote as gift ideas – all in one place. On this page, you will find information about gifts that are created and sold by minority-owned businesses in the Midwest. If you’d like to support local companies that are owned and operated by people of color, start here!
Watch the special holiday edition of our weekly livestream series The Cackle to learn more about these companies’ stories, products and services, and what gifts they can offer you ahead of the 2020 holiday season!
To learn more about businesses led by people of color that you can support, click here for information about Black-owned businesses in the Ann Arbor area, and here for information about Black-owned businesses in the Detroit area. (If you know of similarly comprehensive lists for other regions in the Midwest, please contact us, we’d love to share them!)
SHOP GIFTS FROM MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES
44 Burrito • Detroit, Michigan
Deep Fried Burritos – Local Pickup and Delivery Only – $9.50
44 Burrito is a restaurant owned by Tara L. Young and located in Detroit, MI. The restaurant specializes in deep-fried burritos, and aims to offer customers Mexican food with a taste of soul.
Angel’s Exquisite Fruits • Detroit, Michigan
Custom Fruit Displays – Visit Facebook Page for Details – $30
Angel’s Exquisite Fruits is a produce business that is led by Founder and Owner Angel Simmons, and has locations in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and Detroit, MI. The business prepares and packages healthy, immuno-boosting produce in fun ways, such as bouquets and infusions. Angel’s Exquisite Fruits offers goods for all events and occasions, including everyday enjoyment.
Bags to Butterflies • Detroit, Michigan
Bags to Butterflies is a social enterprise founded by Michelle Smart and located in Detroit, MI. The company empowers formerly-incarcerated women with transitional employment, resources, and a caring network. They are taking an innovative approach to create jobs using a common women’s accessory: a handbag. Their handbags are one-of-a-kind and created using repurposed wood. Bags and Butterflies selected this material to demonstrate how something (or someone) can be transformed into something new and beautiful, and their employees are shown how that same transformation can take place in their lives with commitment and dedication on their part.
Best Practices Consulting Services • Detroit, Michigan
Best Practices Consulting Services is a consultation company led by Laura Sigmon and located in Detroit, MI. Their services include comprehensive consults to help identify gaps and opportunities, comprehensive reports that include a project plan with timelines and milestones, cost analyses, and schedules. Best Practices Consulting Services also offers a suite of quality products that will help clients achieve success quickly and smoothly.
Black Girl MATHgic • Detroit, Michigan
Black Girl MATHgic Box – $39.95
Black Girl MATHgic is an educational monthly subscription founded by Brittany Rhodes and located in Detroit, MI. This company offers the first and only subscription box designed to increase math confidence and decrease math anxiety in girls on a 3rd-8th grade math level. Each box is curated to address the phenomena that contribute to low math confidence and high math anxiety, especially in girls.
Breathe Vape Lounge • Wyandotte, Michigan
Cirkus Strawberry Kiwi e-liquid – $24.99
Breathe Vape Lounge is a high-end luxury vape boutique led by Karam Nasser and located in Wyandotte, MI. This company offers the best selection of personal vaporizers, e-liquids, and accessories. Their hardware selection spans the spectrum of what is offered in the industry, ranging from affordable starter kits to high-end luxury devices. Breathe is home to a one-of-a-kind experience in both atmosphere and amenities.
Colorful Teez Imagine That • Detroit, Michigan
Colorful TEEZ is a commercial printing company that is led by CEO and President Zepora Starts and located in Detroit, MI. The company offers a variety of customized clothing printing options and services, including t-shirts, logos, hoodies, polos, school uniforms, and more.
Cookie Colab • Ann Arbor, Michigan
DIY Holiday Cookie Decorating Kit – $25
Cookie Colab is a bakery that is led by Owner and Cookier Amy Lugo and is located in Ann Arbor, MI. Lugo makes custom decorated butter cookies with buttercream frosting for a variety of events, including holidays, special occasions, corporate retreats, gifts, and everyday enjoyment. In addition to a signature set that is available year-round, Cookie Colab also sells DIY decorating kits, hosts decorating parties and workshops, and offers packages that can be used for fundraising. Lugo founded Cookie Colab in 2019 after years of being inspired by her Aunt Mary’s one-of-a-kind animal cookie recipe.
Daddy’s Diner and Cream CheeseCakes • Detroit, Michigan
Cream Cheesecakes – Visit Facebook Page for Details – $5
Daddy’s Diner & CreamCheeseCakes is a food service company owned by Taneisha Register Muhammad and located in Detroit, MI. The company specializes in their signature CreamCheeseCakes, as well as other grab-and-go foods. Daddy’s Diner also has a food truck and engages in many vending opportunities.
DOLLed Up By Darnishous • Detroit, Michigan
DOLLed Up By Darnishous is an accessory retail company led by CEO Darnishous Thompson and located in Detroit, MI. The company provides a wide selection of unique handcrafted jewelry and accessories. Many of the items are created using denim, wood, natural stones and beads. For men, DOLLed Up BY Darnishous offers a selection of jewelry that includes custom cufflinks, bracelets, rings, and unique statement watches. For women, they offer a wide selection of watches, earrings, bracelets, rings, and statement necklaces. The company also creates custom “Mirrored Reflections of You” bling mirrors that reflect words of inspiration and motivation with beautiful rhinestones, pieces of jewelry, and lots of bling. DOLLed Up By Darnishous is committed to helping customers feel great and look amazing by providing unique, handcrafted accessories that helps them to stand out in the crowd, elevate confidence through style and expressing a bolder version of themselves.
Dribble Stick Training • Flint, Michigan
Dribble Stick Training is a basketball training system created by Luke Lloyd and based in Flint, MI. The training system is designed to help basketball players of all ages perfect the fundamentals of the game. The Dribble Strick Training package consists of Michigan-made hardware in the form of the dribble stick itself, access to one-of-a-kind mobile app technology with video guided workouts, and a basketball workbook with coaching tips to hold players accountable.
Easy Mobile Advertising of Detroit • Detroit, Michigan
Easy Mobile Advertising of Detroit is an advertising service that is led by Owner and Founder Jamal “JB” Wheeler and is located in Detroit, MI. The company helps local small businesses, organizations, and campaigns save money by sending ads through cellphones. They utilize text ads, location ads, and augmented image ads.
Estella’s Vegan Cuisine & Desserts • Detroit, Michigan
Estella’s Vegan Cuisine & Desserts is a pop-up restaurant and bakery owned by Chantele Jones and located in Detroit. The restaurant is dedicated to offering its customers a wide range of plant-based dishes that are both healthy and flavorful.
For the Love of Sugar • Detroit, Michigan
French Macarons – Local Pickup and Delivery Only – $15
For the Love of Sugar is a cakery and café owned by Manal Hussein and located in Detroit, MI. The business offers cakes by the slice, cookies, brownies, French macarons, and other goodies, as well as different daily coffees and lattes. For the Love of Sugar also make custom cakes including wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and cakes for other occasions.
God Got Me • Farmington Hills, Michigan
God Got Me OG T-Shirt – $14.99
God Got Me is an apparel company owned by Travis Wilder and located in Farmington Hills, MI. They offer clothing products branded with the “God Got Me” slogan. God Got Me aims to promote a lifestyle guided by the idea that, no matter what life throws somebody’s way, they can rest in the fact that God always has their back.
Good Cakes and Bakes • Detroit, Michigan
Good Cakes and Bakes is a bakery that is led by Co-Owner and Pastry Chef April Anderson and is located in Detroit, MI. The bakery specializes in producing quality baked goods made with organic ingredients. Good Cakes and Bakes also identifies itself as a triple bottom line company, as they are also committed to providing jobs to the community and returning citizens.
Healthy Roots Dolls • Detroit, Michigan
Healthy Roots Dolls: Zoe – $79.99
Healthy Roots Dolls is a toy company founded by Yelitsa Jean-Charles and located in Detroit, MI. The company creates dolls and storybooks that empower young girls and represent the beauty of our diversity. They go beyond just painting a doll brown. They create an educational play experience with curl care.
ILERA Apothecary • Detroit, Michigan
Moisturizing Discovery Set – $14.99
ILERA Apothecary is a personal care company led by CEO Chinonye Akunne and located in Detroit, MI. The company was launched in 2015 with the values of creating plant-based skincare products with high-quality and ethically-sourced ingredients. ILERA Apothecary believes in the power of love and support found in the community. They are committed to making an impact on their customers, employees, and local areas through our store, which is more than an online marketplace and physical retail location – they provide a diverse, inclusive space for in-person wellness events, curated pop-up shops, and community building.
InBooze • Grand Rapids, Michigan
Spiced White Sangria Cocktail Kit – $15
InBooze is a cocktail kit company founded by Ashleigh Evans and located in Grand Rapids, MI. The company offers a line of cocktail kits that a customer can use to infuse their favorite alcohol. Each kit contains a tea-style bag of dehydrated fruits, spices and herbs that can be used to infuse at least 2 cups of alcohol. After 3 days of infusion, the customer will have enough contents for 8-10 cocktails. Each batch has a shelf life of 6 months.
Max Out Fitness • Pontiac, Michigan
Max Out Fitness is a health company owned by Jermaine Branner and located in Pontiac, MI. The company specializes in helping clients achieve wellness. Their goal is to educate and serve urban communities that are considered food deserts and are lacking in financial literacy.
MenuBubble • Lansing, Michigan
Meal Plans – Local Delivery Only – $8.75
MenuBubble is a food service company led by CEO Malik Jackson and located in Lansing, MI. The company functions as a healthy meal-plan delivery service with costs as low as $8.75 a serving, and focuses on accessibility and convenience. MenuBubble offers fully-cooked, macro-balanced meals that are chilled and can be warmed up at a customer’s own convenience. They serve the Greater Lansing Area, Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapid Areas, and aim to cater to everyone – including those with financial and location restrictions.
Motor City Woman Studios • Southfield, Michigan
Digital Course: Podcast with Purpose – $49.99
Motor City Woman Studios is a recording studio led by President Robin Kinnie and with locations in both Detroit and Southfield, MI. The studio is focused on changing how underrepresented groups are portrayed in the media. Motor City Woman Studies are intentional in the way they provide resources, collaborating with organizations and creating a platform that amplifies those voices. They produce voiceovers, audiobook, podcasts and digital media for everyone from individuals to brands.
Olive Seed • Detroit, Michigan
Olive Seed is a personal care company led by nutritionist Latricia Wright and located in Detroit, MI. This holistic wellness company offers integrative services like nutritional counseling, wellness workshops, and wholesome products. These products include loose leaf tea, herbal-infused honey, olive oils and vinegars, handmade soap bars, and spice blends.
Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q • Detroit, Michigan
Barbecued Pork – Local Pickup and Delivery Only – $25
Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q is a restaurant that is led by Owner and President Roderick Parks and is located in Detroit, MI. The restaurant is an “old school barbecue joint” that specializes in pit-grilled pork, beef ribs, and chicken. Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q is family-owned and has been in continuous operation since 1964.
PBA Royal Performing Arts and Training School • Detroit, Michigan
Performing Arts and Sports – $30
PBA Royal Performing Arts and Training School is an educational institution led by Director Pageant Atterberry and located in Detroit, MI. The school services the Cody-Rouge District of Detroit’s west side, providing students with after-school classes in dance, music, acting, modeling, cheerleading, and sports. They work with youth aged 4-18 and also provide them with academic tracking services. Students attending classes Monday-Friday are provided with supper and snacks.
Pure Orchid Aesthetics • Warren, Michigan
Pure Orchid Aesthetics is a personal care company owned by Ashante’ Williams and located in Warren, MI. The company is committed to providing customers with natural skincare products made with quality, responsibly-sourced ingredients that they recognize. The mission of Pure Orchid Aesthetics is to craft products that will boost customers’ confidence and leave them feeling beautiful in their uniqueness. The company believes that natural skincare shouldn’t be a luxury, but an affordable staple in every skincare routine.
Shy vs Bold • Detroit, Michigan
Detroit Rhinestone Hair Clip – $12.99
Shy vs Bold is a women’s boutique owned by Tennille Payne-Glas and with retail locations in both Detroit and Southfield, MI. Shy vs Bold offers distinctive clothing, accessories, home and gift items to their customers. It is their aim to provide customers with unique, quality products from all over the globe and at an affordable price.
Sisters On A Roll Mobile Cafe and Catering • Detroit, Michigan
Vegan Meal Plans – Visit Facebook Page for Details – $10
Sisters on a Roll Mobile Café and Catering is a food service company led by Chef Harriette Brown and located in Detroit, MI. The company specializes in vegan cuisine that is made from scratch, healthy, and flavorful. They offer a variety of foods, including soups, condiments, desserts, and meat alternatives.
The Butters Hygienics Co. • Ypsilanti, Michigan
Cozy Comforts – Autumnal Body Moisturizer Collection 2020 – $34
The Butters Hygienics Co. is a personal care company led by Jerome Stuart Nichols and located in Ypsilanti, MI. The company offers a full line of 100% vegan personal care products for skin, hair, mind, body, and soul to solve unique hygienic problems.
YUMI TUMI • Cleveland, Ohio
YUMI TUMI Sidekick Sauce – $7.99
YUMI TUMI is a food company that is led by Founder and Owner Edwin Goyzeuta and is located in Cleveland, OH. YUMI TUMI strives to make sauces that enhance all varieties of food. As such, the company creates and sells a variety of sauces to compliment and elevate the plates of their customers, no matter the place, occasion, or cuisine.
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