Inside Detroit hires 9 new employees downtown

metromode, 1/28/2010

It's been a long, interesting ride for the two women behind Inside Detroit, and the journey is just gaining speed.

Jeanette Pierce and Maureen Kearns started the tour-based venture four years ago when Pierce was working in marketing for the United Way and Kearns was working in IT for Wayne County. It became their full-time jobs two years ago, and the duo just brought on nine part-time employees and three interns, primarily through social media.

"They're all Detroit residents," Pierce says. "They have their fingers on the pulse of what's going on inside Detroit."

Inside Detroit started to make strides last year when it became a non-profit and set up shop in a storefront on Woodward Avenue downtown, next to the Detroit Breakfast House & Grill. There they have started the instantly popular Segway Tours and are sharing the 4,500 square feet of space with local volunteer groups like Detroit Synergy. They also run a retail store and offer free Wi-Fi to tourists and locals alike who just want to hang out.

"2009 was our best year yet and 2010 is shaping up to be even bigger and better than that," Pierce says.

Among the ideas for expansion of services are expanding the Segway tours to two per day. The company also wants to expand its walking tours, begin bus tours of the city, and further expand its popular party tours. The latest offering is a Happy Hour bar tour on Feb. 12. For information, call (313) 962-4590 or (313) 268-6562 or send an email to info@insidedetroit.org.

Source: Jeanette Pierce, co-founder of Inside Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke

Downtown Living , Entrepreneurship , Entrepreneurship , Nightlife , Tours , Wayne County

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