Founded in 2015, Live6 Alliance develops programs, initiatives, and strategies that increase economic opportunity and promote an enhanced quality of life in northwest Detroit.
The Live6 Six are the founding programmatic pillars that our organization builds its output around:
Caitlin Murphy Executive Director
Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi
Co-Founder and Board Chairman
President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor, University of Detroit Mercy
We envision thriving and inclusive neighborhood development trough coordinating and stewarding strategic investments, corridor infrastructure improvements, small business support, and economic growtn initiatives.
Our board is a governing body made up of neighborhood development leaders, subject area experts, real estate developers, and social impact professionals who all have a shared purpose of driving community development goals forward.
In 2024, Live6 welcomed two new board members:
Izegbe N’Namdi is the Director of Operations at Nataki Educational Services and the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art. She is a real estate developer and a member of the Sawyer Art Apartments Development Team. Sawyer Art Apartments is a mixed-use development coming to the W. McNichols corridor between Prairie St. and Monica St.
Gregoire Eugene-Louis is a Community Development Project Manager at Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, where he leads home repair efforts. He has worked alongside Live6 since its inception and was a member of the organization’s inaugural Community Advisory Board.
Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi Co-Founder and Board Chairman
Tosha Tabron Board Treasurer
Wendy Lewis Jackson Board Secretary
Donnell White Board Member
Izegbe N’Namdi Board Member
Gregoire Eugene-Louis Board Member
We employ a diverse implementation team driven by passion and purpose for our community. Whether engaging with local residents, partnering with neighborhood businesses, or managing projects with various stakeholders, our team is dedicated to co-creating a neighborhood future shaped by local leadership and enriched by both established and emerging talent.
At Live6, we understand that a strong, resilient neighborhood is one that successfully caters to both the everyday necessities and special experiences of its residents. Small businesses play an essential role in shaping the vibrancy of our district, serving as the backbone of our communities and the economic engine of the Livernois and West McNichols commercial corridors. These locally owned businesses not only provide essential goods and services, but also contribute to the unique character of our district. Each year, they attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, many of whom are discovering the neighborhood for the first time.
Our small business support strategy is multifaceted, combining direct financial stimulus to local entrepreneurs with dynamic corridor activations designed to engage both residents and visitors year-round.
This year’s activation calendar began with a high-energy NCAA Watch Party on January 1st at the Detroit Pizza Bar, where Michigan football fans gathered to celebrate a remarkable season. They continued building momentum by hosting Detroit Lions playoff watch parties and a Super Bowl celebration. These events provided an opportunity for the Detroit Pizza Bar to showcase their offerings to both loyal patrons and new faces.
Beyond individual events, we prioritized larger-scale initiatives that programmed broader segments of the corridor. In collaboration with the University of Detroit Mercy’s Collaborative Design Center (DCDC), we hosted a Six Mile Block Party that stretched from Monica Street to San Juan Drive. This event featured unique business activations alongside a community-led placemaking feedback session facilitated by the DCDC. Additional highlights from the past year include our holidaythemed Spooktacular. We are currently developing plans for a Six Mile Homecoming and Street Festival.
This year, Live6 Alliance provided more than $78,000 in direct financial support to small businesses and curated 20 unique events along the corridor. These efforts underline our ongoing commitment to cultivating a thriving business district for residents and visitors.
20 unique events were co-hosted with neighborhood businesses, featuring prominent local names from across the city.
Gmac Cash at the Detroit Pizza Bar
Businesses were able to connect with banking leaders and capital resource experts.
Small Business Q&A Session at Huntington Bank
In 2024, we hosted over 100 community events and in-person neighborhood meetings at HomeBase, our storefront community center, bringing together residents, business owners, students, and partnering organizations to connect. Over the course of the year, we engaged with more than 1,295 stakeholders.
HomeBase also became a Neighborhood Tech Hub in District 2, offering 1-on-1 technical assistance to residents needing digital support. The average Tech Hub user is 65+, spending about an hour per visit with our Tech Specialist. In total, we directly assisted 48 residents through our digital literacy programs, providing approximately 239 hours of direct programming.
The Live6 Placemaking Initiative in 2024 leveraged an eclectic, interdisciplinary cohort of creative practitioners, resulting in partnerships with organizations like Sit On It Detroit, which hosted a six-week DROP BY + BUILD workshop. This collaboartive, hands-on effort engaged community members in the creation of both personal and public design projects, from ideation to execution.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, the Placemaking Initiative worked alongside local organizations, small businesses, institutional partners, community associations, and residents of the Livernois/6Mile area to intentionally cocreate a cohesive visual identity and strategic activations that celebrated the district’s historical significance, cultural depth, neighborhood pride, and commercial vibrancy.
Key Goals:
Enhance and maintain cultural, public, and commercial assets.
Establish a unified brand for the corridor.
Provide resources and support for local businesses and developers.
Promote neighborhood pride and ownership.
Sustainably manage the corridor’s growth.
Aliado Studio led the branding effort, crafting a custom Brand Strategy and Visual Identity Design that captures the spirit of the W. McNichols commercial corridor and the surrounding Fitzgerald, Bagley, Martin Park, and University District neighborhoods. Phase 1 of this process took place from September to December 2023, resulting in a comprehensive Brand Strategy that outlines the project’s:
Typographic hierarchies that simultaneously blend historical and contemporary styles.
Neighborhood crest systems.
Photography direction for generating contrasting blackand-white and color images that uplift the area’s storied legacy and contemporary culture.
These elements were applied to a series of wayfinding assets and signage, large scale public artworks, streetpole banners, trash can wraps, and storytelling campaigns, resulting in a robust, interwoven body of work that skilfully harmonizes the unique and diverse character of this corner of northwest Detroit.
Starting in January 2024, a series of neighborhood meetings brought stakeholders together to establish and refine each design element. These efforts resulted in:
Refreshed trash can wraps being implemented in Summer 2024.
The installation of a public gateway mural by Bagley resident Ndubisi Okoye in October 2024, serving as a striking visual celebration of the area’s history and resilience.
Streetpole banners that are set to debut in early 2025.
This initiative also supported local artists and public art projects:
Walter Bailey’s acrylic fusion pieces and Dr. Chanel Beebe’s “Soulful Symbolism” exhibitions were on view and open to the public at Neighborhood HomeBase throughout 2023 and 2024.
Extra Mile Playwrights Theatre hosted free monthly readings, culminating in a month-long production of Breaking Laws to Gain Freedom: Liberating Stories from Detroit at Open Book Theatre in Trenton.
Our collaboration with JIMA studio produced a set of design guidelines to enhance streetscapes, alleyways, and public spaces connected to storefronts along the W. McNicols commercial corridor. In June, we debuted temporary prototypes during the inaugural Six Mile Block Party. Permanent installations are set to begin at select Small Bussiness in Spring 2025.
From porch parties to block parties, events throughout 2023 and 2024 brought local residents together, attracted new visitors, showcased local businesses, and strengthened community bonds. Seasonal festivals like Sixmas in July and the Six Mile Spooktacular boosted local shopping and engagement, generating significant revenue for small businesses.
12th Precinct Community CompStat Meetings were re-established in June 2024 in partnership with the Wayne Sate University Center for Urban Studies, hosting six meetings with over 87 residents in attendance.
Financial support was provided to the Bagley Radio Patrol, contributing over 150 hours of neighborhood watch services.
More than 48,000 pounds (28+ tons) of waste and debris were removed from W. McNichols.
Four neighborhood clean-up and corridor beautification initiatives were held, including the planting seasonal flowers in front of eight local businesses.
Live6 Alliance leads economic development initiatives to strengthen neighborhood stability, support small business growth, and create vibrant commercial corridors. One of our key endeavors in 2024 was launching a new home repair program aimed at helping legacy residents unlock additional home equity and improve the health and well-being of the Fitzgerald neighborhood. Through this pilot program, five homeowners received home improvements, including new windows, doors, porches, and gutters, with an average project cost of $5,600.
In total:
The program aimed to improve local housing conditions, support longtime residents, and preserve the community’s character. By prioritizing current residents, Live6 reinforced its commitment to inclusive, people-centered development that benefits those who have long called the neighborhood home.
Alongside our resident support services, Live6 spearheaded new commercial development initiatives along W. McNichols, a historically significant corridor. This work included helping existing businesses attract new customers, enhancing streetscapes with seasonal fixtures, and fostering a dynamic local ecosystem where entrepreneurs can identify growth opportunities. Live6’s strategic interventions are designed to build a unified business district that increases foot traffic, generates local jobs, and lays the foundation for long-term economic sustainability.
A key element of our economic development framework is aligning with the Main Street Approach, which offers a structured methodology for business district revitalization. Through this approach, Live6 is adopting data-driven strategies, strengthening local collaborations, and implementing creative, place-based initiatives that amplify community voices. The Main Street Approach fosters economic vitality by focusing on business attraction, building operational resilience, establishing design standards, and promoting the neighborhood, ensuring that progress aligns with community needs and aspirations.
Beyond physical development, Live6 is deeply committed to supporting local entrepreneurs by providing direct assistance and technical support to neighborhood businesses. Through workshops, personalized coaching, and increased access to capital, small businesses enhance their market presence, remain competitive, and continue to serve as cornerstones of the district’s economic ecosystem.
By incorporating housing stability, effective land use strategies, sustained commercial revitalization, strategic planning, and business empowerment, Live6 is creating a blueprint for equitable neighborhood growth that benefits both residents and businesses alike.
Home Repairs Completed
Community and Commercial Events Sponsored
Small Businesses Supported Tons of Trash Removed
Total Time Spent: 10,469 hours
General Operations: (38%)
Resident Hospitality and Engagement: (15%)
Grant Management and Program Activities: (13%)
Clean and Safe: (10%)
Small Business Support: (9%)
Placemaking: (8.5%)
Real Estate Development: (6.5%)
Time Spent by Activity
General Operations: 3,943.75 hours (38%)
→ Administrative Tasks
→ Communications
→ Financial Management
→ Organizational Development
→ Professional Development
→ Stakeholder Partnership and Coordination
Resident Hospitality and Engagement: 1,597 hours (15%)
→ Resource Navigation and Event Support
Grant Management and Program Activities: 1350.75 hours (13%)
→ Implementation and Coordination of:
• CDO Fund: Key Corridors
• Connect313
• Equity Impact Investments
• HUD Section 4 (Community Development Capacity Building)
• LISC Small Business Resilience Network
• Main Street Designation
• MSHDA Neighborhood Enhancement Program
• Reimagining the Civic Commons
• Thriving Neighborhoods Fund
Clean and Safe: 1058.5 hours (10%)
→ Corridor and Alleyway Maintenance
→ 12th Precinct Coordination
Small Business Support: 938.5 hours (9%)
→ Corridor Business Events
→ Data Collection and Tracking (i.e. visitorship trends)
→ Ecosystem Partnerships
→ Outreach and Needs Assessments
→ Resource Development and Direct Support
→ Business Improvement Zone Planning
→ Shops on Six Development
→ Technical Assistance Events, Workshops, and Convenings
Placemaking: 891.5 hours (8.5%)
→ Mural Engagement and Installation
→ Local Artist Exhibition Recruitment and Management
→ Community Events
→ Visual Identity Strategy, Design, and Implementation
→ Partner Coordination (Aliado Studio, DCDC, JIMA Studio, Sit On It Detroit)
Real Estate Development: 689 hours (6.5%)
→ Commercial Corridor Strategic Neighborhood Fund
→ Fitzgerald Home Repair and Lot Development
→ Community Developer Support
Volunteer
Become a community ambassador and help us spread the word about Live6. Contact info@live6detroit.org for more information.
Participate
Join us at an upcoming event! Check out our events calendar at live6detroit.org/events to explore local offerings.
Host an Event with Us
For space rental and booking inquiries, please call us at (313) 578-0304 or email Dennis White directly at dennis@live6detroit.org.
As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, we rely on the generous support of our sponsors to sustain our high-quality programs and neighborhood services. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve experienced significant growth, but there is still much critical work ahead. By making a tax-deductible contribution to Live6 Alliance, you are investing in our neighborhood’s continued prosperity.
Donating is easy! Simply visit us at live6detroit.org and click ‘DONATE’ in the top right corner of the navigation bar, or send a check to:
Live6 Alliance - 7426 W. McNichols Rd. Detroit, MI 48221
Your tax-deductible contribution of $5, $10, $15, $25, or more is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Live6 is proud to partner with:
→ Aliado Studio
→ Ballmer Group
→ City of Detroit
→ Connect313/United Way of SE Michigan
→ Detroit Collaborative Design Center
→ Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
→ Downtown Detroit Partnership
→ Enterprise Community Partners
→ First Merchants Bank
→ Gilbert Family Foundation
→ The Hudson Webber Foundation
→ Huntington Bank
→ Invest Detroit
→ The Kresge Foundation
→ Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
→ Marygrove Conservancy
→ MI State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
→ New Economy Initiative
→ Ralph C. Wilson Foundation
→ Reimagining the Civic Commons
→ University of Detroit Mercy
→ University of Michigan – Marsal Family School of Education