Usher, Big Sean Back $1M High-Tech Detroit Incubator to Launch Youth into Tech and Entertainment
In a major hometown investment, Usher and Big Sean announced they will each contribute to a $1 million fund launching a creative incubator for Detroit youth. This facility is set to open inside the new Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club in February 2026, aiming to bridge local talent with careers in entertainment and emerging technologies.
The incubator, named the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator, will feature industry-grade workstations and learning zones designed around hands-on collaboration. Participants will learn production workflows, experiment with cutting-edge special effects, and build projects alongside professional mentors in a space that blurs the line between classroom and studio.
Support for this initiative comes from Usher’s New Look® (UNL), Big Sean’s Sean Anderson Foundation (SAF), Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Each partner will provide expertise, funding, internship opportunities, and access to a global network of industry leaders.
Located on the youth-designated level of The Station, the incubator sits at the heart of Michigan Central’s 30-acre innovation district. The Station building itself was restored by Ford Motor Company, transforming a former train depot into a hub for startups, research labs, and collaborative workspaces that attract technology firms and creative entrepreneurs.
Inside the incubator, participants will find:
• A virtual production studio for film and digital media
• A special effects lab equipped with green screens, motion capture, and CGI tools
• A creators lounge for brainstorming, peer feedback, and small-group workshops
• A business lab for prototyping concepts and pitching ideas
“I’ve always been a true believer in igniting a spark in the next generation to be better and have access to things we didn’t,” Usher said. “This new spark lab in Detroit with my friend and fellow Boys & Girls Club alum Big Sean will not only minimize the access gap for the youth but also prepare them for greatness. It takes just one person to believe in your success, and I’m honored to be one of many in this partnership to help make that happen.”
Big Sean, known for his ongoing work to strengthen Detroit’s creative ecosystem, spoke about the project’s impact on his hometown. “Detroit is where my creativity was born. From freestyling in my mom’s basement to performing on the biggest stages in the world,” he said. “My mission has always been to make sure the next generation of dreamers and innovators from my city have the access, tools, and mentorship to do the same. The Innovation Incubator is about showing young people that they don’t have to leave Detroit to chase opportunity, they can build it right here.”
Shawn H. Wilson, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, praised the partnership as a reflection of Detroit’s inventive history. “Detroit has always been the blueprint for innovation, from the assembly line to Motown,” Wilson said. “This collaboration—especially with two heavy hitter alumni—extends that legacy by proving the creative economy can be a pathway to ownership and equity.”
This marks the fifth major joint project between Big Sean, SAF, and BGCSM since 2018. The Sean Anderson Foundation has already established four Big Sean Studios in club locations across Detroit, impacting more than 10,000 young people with music production suites, DJ stations, and recording booths.
Youth aged 14–24 will follow a curriculum covering areas such as film and music production, artificial intelligence, 3D modeling, and immersive reality. They will earn industry-recognized certificates through Emory’s Goizueta Business School and Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, benefit from one-on-one coaching by veteran professionals, and compete for grants to launch their own ventures.
Carolina Pluszczynski, COO of Michigan Central, said the incubator will prepare Detroit’s next generation of creators, manufacturers, and technologists. “By our work with BGCSM, now with the added support from Usher and Big Sean, we’re building new pathways and opportunities that will empower young people to lead in fields that shape our future,” she said.
Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, which oversees the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings business operations, has collaborated with BGCSM since 2020. Its partnership led to five Esports lounges across metro Detroit under the Red Wings’ Learn, Play, Score program, giving youth a place to learn competitive gaming skills and event management.
The 13,000-square-foot Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club will also include an autonomous vehicle training center, a mobility innovation lab focused on advanced manufacturing, robotics, and AI, plus community areas for coding clubs, workshops, and networking events.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in February 2026, inviting local families, educators, and industry partners to explore the new space and learn how programming will support Detroit’s creative talent in years ahead.
