Four metro Detroit businesses have been selected for a cohort Apple Inc. put together for a new environmental sustainability accelerator aimed at growing Black- and Brown-owned companies.
The technology giant chose 15 companies total, including three that are Detroit-based: chemicals manufacturer Diversified Chemical Technologies Inc., environmental services provider VMX International and industrial cleaning compnay RFG-MPW Environmental & Facility Services. Also participating is Southfield-based sustainable energy supplier Dunamis Clean Energy Partners.
The three-month program is part of Apple’s $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative announced in June 2020 — one of many lofty such pledges made by big companies in the last year and a half.
Accelerator participants, chosen for their interests in environmental issues, will get mostly virtual customized training as well as mentorship from Apple experts and networking opportunities.
Following the three-month program, the companies will be considered for opportunities to act as suppliers to Apple as it works to become carbon neutral for its supply chain and products by 2030, Apple said in a news release.
There is no monetary aspect to the program, at least as far as Diversified Chemical President Karl Johnson knows, he told Crain’s. Becoming a supplier to Apple would be more a “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Johnson said.
Johnson and Diversified founder George Hill said they were invited to apply for the accelerator and are excited to participate, but they don’t know exactly what’s in store because it’s so new.
Diversified and the other companies will be building a business plan to present to Apple at the end of the program. Johnson said he already sees opportunity for collaboration with some of the other participants. It’s also a chance to learn about the operations of a company like Apple, see best practices on sustainability and decide how Diversified might grow using pieces of what it learns over the next 90 days, he and Hill said.
It’s also a moment for Apple itself to show what it wants to do to help Black- and brown-owned businesses in the U.S., Johnson said.
“We are thrilled to welcome our first Impact Accelerator class, and look forward to seeing how these innovative businesses will expand their work to protect the planet and our communities,” Lisa Jackson, Apple vice president, said in a news release. “On our journey to our 2030 carbon neutral goal for our supply chain and products, we’re determined to help create a greener and more equitable future for all people. The businesses we’re partnering with today are poised to become tomorrow’s diverse and innovative industry leaders, creating ripples of change to help communities everywhere adapt to the urgent challenges posed by climate change.”
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