Usher and Big Sean have come together to invest in an entertainment production facility that will benefit Detroit youth. They’ve invested $1 million in the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator, which will offer a virtual production studio, a creators lounge, and mentorship and seed funding to people ages 14 to 24. Participants will also have access to programming that equips them for “high-growth careers from film, television, and music production to AI, 3D, immersive technologies, and special effects,” according to a press release.
“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. 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,” Usher says in a statement.
Big Sean, who has now made five investments in support of BGCSM, adds that 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.”
He notes it aligns with his mission “to make sure the next generation of dreamers and innovators from my city have the access, tools, and mentorship to” be as successful as he is.
The Innovation Incubator will be located inside the new Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, set to open in February 2026.
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