Get Involved for Students
How to Become a Student Service Provider for Detroit Small Businesses:
1) Work for DNEP
DNEP hires U-M students throughout the year to work in Detroit as student Accounting Consultants (providing 1:1 financial support to businesses), or to work directly with staff as part of our communications team,
Now Hiring for 2026-27 year:
- Accounting Consultants
Click job titles above for full job descriptions and instructions.
2) Take a DNEP Class
Gain consulting experience and support Detroit small businesses by registering for one of the engaged learning classes DNEP supports. DNEP recruits and places small businesses with classes in 6 U-M schools, both undergraduate and graduate. U-M students can often register for classes at other schools, even when they are not officially cross-listed.
3) Apply to Join TechPlus Consulting
Apply to join student club TechPlus Consulting. Overseen by Business+Tech faculty director Phil Brabbs, this interdisciplinary and inclusive student club gives students consulting experience by placing them with DNEP clients, as well as other local businesses, and U-M units. Students generally do work that includes integrating technology into a business’ workflow.
Hear from Past Students
ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Grace Aretakis
“I’m more excited than ever to pursue a career in consulting and feel well-equipped to begin the process of searching for future roles. This internship has taught me how to work collaboratively with a team, communicate effectively with a client, and look at solving problems in creative ways.”
ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Allison Wei
“Interning with DNEP has been such an amazing experience. In interdisciplinary teams, not only was I constantly learning from my peers, but I also learned so much from the clients we worked with. Especially as a business student, seeing my clients prioritize community impact and the triple bottom line in their business was such an inspiring example to me of social impact into action. The fact that we were able to not just make recommendations but implement them and see them to the finish line has been extremely rewarding.”
STAMPS SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN
Sarah Pisarczyk
“Collaborating on interdisciplinary teams of students and doing such impactful work for the small business owners of Detroit was an experience that made me a better designer, community member, and prepared me to enter the job market more confidently. I appreciate the trust you put in all of us to do this work. It means everything to be taken seriously, trusted with real clients, and see the fruits of your labor.”
