Downriver Community Conference

What Downriver Community Conference does

Downriver Community Conference (DCC) is a 501(c)(3) Michigan non-profit corporation founded in 1981 that operates as a regional partnership of 20 member municipalities in Southeast Michigan's Downriver/Wayne County area: Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven, and Wyandotte. The organization delivers a portfolio of community and economic services, including workforce development and career services through six SEMCA Michigan Works! American Job Centers (Wyandotte, Dearborn, Highland Park, Wayne, Monroe, Detroit); economic development planning, brownfield redevelopment (Downriver Area Brownfield Consortium), small business technical assistance, and a University of Michigan partnership offering matching grants; weatherization and energy assistance; transportation coordination; and emergency communications infrastructure (e-911, Text-to-911) and public safety interoperability through the Downriver Mutual Aid network spanning 12 public safety answering points (PSAPs) and inter-agency teams including S.W.A.T., Crisis Negotiations, Underwater Search & Recovery, and Major Crimes Task Force. DCC also convenes a Department of Public Works (DPW) Collaborative for consolidated purchasing across member communities alongside Wayne County DPS and MDOT.

DCC's go-to-market motion is community-led: programs are delivered through member municipalities, partner organizations (ACCESS, ETD, MCETD, DESC, EDSI, SEMCA), and physical job center locations rather than commercial sales channels. Revenue mechanics are grant-dependent, with primary funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), federal workforce development funds, and state/county sources—exemplified by the $1.6 million EDA grant in 2021 for the Downriver Riverfront Communities Economic Recovery Implementation Project following the closure of two DTE coal-fired power plants, a follow-on EDA planning grant in 2022, and an AT&T youth training grant in 2021. DCC also accepts charitable contributions (501(c)(3), EIN 38-2160259). Services are provided at no cost to eligible participants, consistent with its non-profit, government-funded model. Customer segments include job seekers and unemployed workers, area employers, small businesses, veterans (via the DCC Veterans Center), youth and young adults, and the 20 member municipalities themselves. Leadership is led by Executive Director Jim Perry, with Lisa Wayne as CEO/Administration, Lisa Kurtzhals as COO/Programs, and an extended management team across workforce development, fiscal, economic development, and public safety divisions.

Name

Downriver Community Conference

Legal name

Downriver Community Conference

Website

https://dccwf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Downriver Community Conference is a 501(c)(3) regional partnership of 20 Southeast Michigan municipalities delivering workforce development, economic redevelopment, public safety coordination, and community services through Michigan Works! job centers, brownfield programs, and Downriver Mutual Aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community & Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Economic development planning
• Emergency communications coordination
• Brownfield redevelopment programs
• Community partnership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Southgate

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary funding from U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), federal workforce development funds, and state/county funding sources. Government grants include the $1.6 million EDA grant for Downriver Riverfront Communities Economic Recovery Implementation Project.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Accepts donations through Amazon Smile program (EIN 38-2160259) and other charitable channels. DCC is a 501(c)(3) Michigan Non-profit Corporation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Downriver Community Conference is a 501(c)(3) non-profit regional partnership of 20 municipalities in Southeast Michigan that delivers workforce development through SEMCA Michigan Works! American Job Centers, economic development planning and brownfield redevelopment, regional e-911 emergency communications and public safety interoperability coordination via Downriver Mutual Aid, weatherization and energy assistance, transportation coordination, small business technical assistance, and shared municipal services. Programs are funded primarily by federal, state, and county government grants and delivered through six physical job center locations and partner agencies.

Product overview

Downriver Community Conference is a partnership of 20 member communities in Southeast Michigan providing a comprehensive suite of workforce development and community services. The organization operates through its core programs including the Michigan Works! workforce development system, brownfield redevelopment, weatherization, transportation, and emergency 911 services. Additional services include economic development initiatives, small business technical assistance, veterans business assistance, public safety interoperability through Downriver Mutual Aid, and the DPW Collaborative purchasing consortium. The organization serves as a regional coordinator for community development, economic recovery projects, and public safety communications across the Downriver area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workforce Development / Michigan Works!

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• University of MichiganflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to offer small business assistance with matching grants available for business improvement projects as part of DCC's expanded economic development initiative.
• ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACCESS operates the SEMCA Michigan Works Center for Central Wayne County in Dearborn. Founded nearly 29 years ago as a volunteer grassroots movement, ACCESS has grown to five facilities offering 45 different programs.
• Consumer Financial Protection BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial coaching initiative providing guidance to recently-transitioned veterans and vulnerable families through certified coaches placed in DOL American Job Centers and community non-profits across the country.
• DESC (Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates Detroit At Work career centers - visits by appointment only. Provides workshops and job opportunities available online through Detroit At Work account.
• EDSI (Educational Data Systems, Inc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates WIOA and PATH programs and Business Services at Livonia Michigan Works! American Job Center. National workforce development company founded in 1979, headquartered in Dearborn, employing more than 800 people across 70+ contracts.
• ETD (Employment & Training Designs, Inc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides job training and placement services through federal and state funded programs, operating SEMCA Michigan Works Centers in Highland Park and Wayne. Dedicated to 'Matching People with Jobs' since many years.
• Great Start Collaborative WayneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration of service providers, parents, business and community leaders working to link and enhance services for families of children from birth through age five. Part of statewide system through Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
• MCETD (Monroe County Employment & Training Department)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates SEMCA Michigan Works Center for Monroe County providing One Stop system co-locating workforce development programs, welfare reform programs, and employer services.
• SEMCA (Southeast Michigan Community Alliance)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of 25 Michigan Works agencies created by the state to provide initial contact and assessment services, case management, and referrals to One-Stop Centers across Southeast Michigan.
• SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership organization of local governments working on regional issues including transportation, environment, community and economic development. Covers Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties.
• SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheast Michigan's only regional public transportation provider serving Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties with fixed-route and small bus services connecting people to employment and educational institutions.
• Southern Wayne Regional Chamber of Commerce (SWCRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness membership organization providing networking, collaboration opportunities, and advocacy for local businesses in the Southern Wayne County region.
• Wayne County DPS and Wayne County CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentatives from Wayne County Department of Public Services and Wayne County Commission participate in DPW Collaborative meetings alongside member community directors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA): Regional oversight body for Michigan Works! agencies across Southeast Michigan, including DCC. Both organizations administer WIOA workforce programs and American Job Centers in overlapping Southeast Michigan counties — SEMCA as the umbrella, DCC as one of its affiliated service operators.
• Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC): Operates Detroit At Work career centers and workforce development programs serving Detroit and Wayne County. DESC is a channel partner that runs one of DCC's affiliated American Job Centers, and the two organizations deliver directly comparable workforce services in the same metro.
• Employment & Training Designs, Inc. (ETD): Federally funded workforce development operator running SEMCA Michigan Works! centers in Highland Park and Wayne. ETD delivers the same WIOA-aligned job training and placement services as DCC, in adjacent Wayne County locations.
• Monroe County Employment & Training Department (MCETD): County agency operating the SEMCA Michigan Works! Monroe center. MCETD co-locates workforce, welfare, and employer services in a One-Stop model directly parallel to DCC's integrated service delivery.
• ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services): Dearborn-based nonprofit operating the SEMCA Michigan Works! center in Dearborn. ACCESS provides overlapping workforce development, social services, and community programs in the same Wayne County footprint as DCC.
• Educational Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI): National workforce development company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Dearborn, MI. EDSI operates WIOA and PATH programs and Business Services at the Livonia Michigan Works! American Job Center — directly comparable WIOA workforce delivery to DCC, in the same region.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National nonprofit that finances and supports community development, including small-business and place-based initiatives in distressed geographies. LISC's small-business and economic-development programming is thematically parallel to DCC's U of M–backed small business assistance work.
• Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG): Regional council of governments covering seven Southeast Michigan counties for transportation, environment, and economic development planning. SEMCOG operates at a larger geographic and policy scale than DCC but addresses overlapping regional coordination priorities.

Regional players

• Michigan League for Public Policy: Statewide Michigan nonprofit advocating for economic security and workforce policy. It addresses the same vulnerable-worker and community-development populations as DCC but at a state policy/advocacy level rather than direct service delivery.

Others

• National Association of Workforce Boards: National membership association representing the U.S. network of workforce development boards. It is a peer in organizational form (workforce-board governance, regional coordination) rather than direct competition, and serves as an ecosystem/peer-learning resource for organizations like DCC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/downriver-community-conference---mi-works

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Downriver Community Conference