Forrest “Sam” Carter
Forrest “Sam” Carter, faculty director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and associate professor of marketing, was recognized with the Sankofa 5 Pillars of Commerce Award at the General Motors 2014 Sankofa Black Business Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC).
The MBCC presented Carter with this award in recognition of his work with the financial recovery of the city of Detroit and the resulting benefits to the entire state of Michigan.
Carter worked with the group to outline a set of recommendations using market-based economic development strategies to stimulate economic activity in the city of Detroit in a way that enhanced the environment for innovation, unlocked its citizens’ entrepreneurial spirit, and gave all sectors of the community opportunities to participate in the extensive reinvestment that was occurring. These recommendations were shared with the director of Michigan’s Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives and Detroit’s emergency manager.
He has also been involved with MBCC in establishing collegiate chapters linking institutions of higher learning to local black and Hispanic chamber chapters and in developing a curriculum and operational plan for a new entrepreneurial training program and business incubator.
“Sam has contributed a great deal of effort and brainpower to this project, and I’m very pleased that he is getting some well-deserved recognition,” said R. Dale Wilson, chair of the Department of Marketing.
The Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit enterprise dedicated to the economic development of communities across the state by empowering African-American businesses. The MBCC operates local chapters throughout the state’s urban areas, acting as a catalyst for economic change and growth among black-owned businesses.
The event was also covered by Yahoo! Finance.
