Inaugural Gig Fair at Detroit Center proves successful

April 19, 2022 (Volume 45, Number 16)
Article by Michele Coffill

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Participants engage at the April 1 Gig Fair in Detroit. The event was held at GVSU's Detroit Center.

Photo Credit: Randy Mascharka

Photo Credit: Randy Mascharka

From left to right are Detroit Is Different staff members Brittney Gillespie, Khary Frazier and Suzanne Cleage, and GVSU staff members Tina Lee,  Angelica Ellis, Kara Van Dam and Elizabeth Russell.

Photo Credit: Randy Mascharka

The university partnered with Detroit Is Different April 1 to present an innovative job fair for entrepreneurs.

The Gig Fair was held at GVSU's Detroit Center, 163 Madison St. Kara Van Dam, vice provost for Graduate and Lifetime Learning, said the Detroit area has a strong gig-based economy. Gig workers can be defined as independent contractors, freelancers, on-call and temporary workers.

Participants were grateful for the opportunity to connect and network, Van Dam said.

"What a wonderful day connecting these local entrepreneurs to the organizations that need their talents," she said. "Across the board, participants expressed their gratitude for GVSU creating this networking and pitch space, and great satisfaction and empowerment that we designed an event so carefully around their needs."

The idea for the fair came from Khary Frazier, founder of Detroit Is Different, which is a hub for Detroit culture, content, events and stories.

“The number of traditional employees has changed as many people are moving to an entrepreneurial platform," Frazier said. "This fair gave those vendors the opportunity to connect with organizations that could use their services.”

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