This article originally appeared in The Detroit News August 30, 2024. 

Adrian Montague and James Shuttleworth believe that $5 can change the world.

And if you’re going to change the world, why not start with an overlooked and much-maligned city like Flint?

Four times a year, dozens of people gather at First Presbyterian Church of Flint. Each attendee pays $5 at the door. That entry fee gets the attendee a simple meal of soup, salad and bread. During the meal, a handful of preselected entrepreneurs pitch their startup ideas and business needs. The attendees vote, and the top vote-getter takes home a microgrant. One hundred percent of the funds collected at the door go to the winner.

They call it Flint SOUP. Inspired by a similar program in Detroit, Montague wanted to rally people together in Flint. The idea, says Montague, was to focus on “early stage, underserved entrepreneurs.” These small businesspeople may not have fancy MBAs or access to capital, and they might not meet the minimum requirements of the Young Presidents Organization, the community of chief executives.

Montague and Shuttleworth cofounded Doxa Development, which runs Flint SOUP. Montague came from a career in politics; Shuttleworth worked in international health outreach programs.

It all started, says Montague, with a simple question: “How do we love our neighbor?”

Today they’re embedded in the Flint community, promoting the idea of pursuing your dream. They offer personal financial training, business incubation and professional coaching. Another program covers the filing costs to start a business for two people every quarter.

The community event in July provided a micro-grant of $1,715 to Erika Davis of Teach Me How to Bank, which teaches people the basics of banking and building wealth. Amazing Tents and Chairs, a party rental shop run by three life-long friends that serves Flint and surrounding cities, won $2,185 at the March event.

Since 2017, Flint SOUP has awarded over $80,000 in micro-grants in the local community, with an estimated economic impact of $7 million.

The real magic happens when the network of individuals — 200 and counting who have launched and built a venture — begins to help each other. An established business owner meets a young entrepreneur and can offer counsel, connections and investment. The social capital may be just as important as the financial support to a new business owner who is facing those challenges for the first time. This begins a virtuous cycle in the community.

Last week, the team at Doxa Development won some well-deserved national recognition at the annual meeting of the State Policy Network, held in Phoenix, Arizona. The Pathways to Prosperity Prize seeks to identify the “most creative people and organizations pursuing innovative, market-based solutions that will eradicate poverty in their communities.”

SPN recognized three groups, including Doxa Development, with its inaugural Pathways to Prosperity Prize.

Montague and Shuttleworth plan to expand across Michigan. In March they held an event in Midland, awarding a $1,000 micro-grant to Wild Freedom Financial Coaching. The firm coaches young professionals on personal finances, helping them get out of debt and move toward financial goals.

This program confers trust and respect on the participants. It’s not assistance or a handout. Instead, a person has an idea and makes the case that he or she can succeed. The person who invests does so willingly, and continues to have a relationship with the beneficiary.

Doxa Development doesn’t just believe that $5 can change the world. They are doing it, with infectious enthusiasm.

Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited.