As part of the recently announced partnership between Invest Detroit, New Economy Initiative (NEI), and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Paul Jones was hired as the Business Support Network Director to advance the partnership’s mission to strengthen an inclusive small business support network of nonprofit business organizations (BSOs) in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, and other Wayne County communities.
The role establishes an office inside Invest Detroit that will lead and manage the stewardship and coordination of the BSO network—a group of local nonprofits and financial institutions dedicated to providing comprehensive and inclusive small business support. As Business Support Network Director, Paul will serve as a convener, identify needs or support gaps in existing programs, mobilize the network for quick execution, and engage with business owners to ensure the network of support is known and relevant to their needs. NEI and the Community Foundation will continue as the grantmaker, and Paul and Invest Detroit will work with NEI leadership to ensure the BSOs and the small businesses they serve are equipped to meet their needs.
Most recently, Paul, a native Detroiter, served as the executive director of the Detroit site of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. In this role, he focused on identifying, attracting, and organizing community resources to support the program’s small business scholar and alumni base. Prior to Goldman Sachs, he founded TIVA Capital Advisors, a virtual CFO company that focuses on data analytics, financial literacy and value extraction. Jones was also the co-founder and CEO of IPX EG International, a telecom company headquartered in West Africa that under his leadership grew from a startup to $20M in annual revenue with over 100 employees.
