Ticket to the FastTrac has quickly become one of TechTown’s star programs. Budding entrepreneurs flock to TechTown for this event, seizing the opportunity to shop their idea among experts trained to help them identify the next step. However, since February, Ticket to the FastTrac has been on something of a road tour, stopping at Washtenaw Community College and Wayne County Community College District, plus an upcoming March 24th stop at Lighthouse of Oakland County.

These open houses are a part of FastTrac to the Future, a three-year initiative to reshape Southeast Michigan’s economy by encouraging entrepreneurship and small businesses. Funded by the New Economy Initiative and created in partnership with the Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation, FastTrac to the Future aims to create 1,200 startup companies in the next three years. TechTown, the Wayne State University research park and business incubator, is a key partner in the project, providing services and resources to empower and encourage entrepreneurs in Detroit.