Community Wealth Building

The Everly
Collective

Social enterprise · Community land · Local ownership

Michigan

The Problem

Wealth leaves Michigan communities faster than it's created.

0%

of Michigan businesses are women-owned — yet women remain locked out of capital and commercial property.

0%

are owned by racial minorities — underrepresented in ownership across the state.

0%

poverty in Wayne County, against 62% homeownership — the ownership gap is measurable.

Sources: SBA Office of Advocacy, Michigan Small Business Economic Profile (2022); U.S. Census Bureau — SAIPE 2021, ACS 5-Year Estimates 2014–2018.

What We Do

Three practices, built to reinforce each other.

Social enterprise curation

Scouting, incubating, and connecting mission-driven businesses — especially ventures owned by women and entrepreneurs of color.

Community land stewardship

Land trusts, shared equity, and cooperative real estate that keep property in local hands and prevent displacement.

Equitable economic development

Place-based strategy with residents, foundations, and anchor institutions — measured in ownership, not just output.

Our Approach

Every engagement ends in community ownership.

1

Listen & map

Resident listening sessions and asset mapping surface what a place already holds.

2

Design the model

A land trust, cooperative, or blended enterprise — matched to the community's goals.

3

Capitalize & launch

Mission-aligned capital, technical assistance, and market relationships.

4

Transfer ownership

Governance, equity, and returns move to community hands — for good.

What This Looks Like in Place

Rural countyCass County

An agricultural land trust and grower-owned cooperative keep farmland and food dollars local as farmers retire.

Small urban cityHighland Park

Vacant parcels move into a resident-governed land trust, anchored by a storefront social enterprise hub.

County-scaleKalamazoo County

A succession pipeline converts retiring owners' businesses to employee ownership, countywide.

The Everly Collective

Wealth and health
in local hands.

Start a conversation — crystallee.crain@gmail.com

everlyoverview.netlify.app

The EverlyCollective