Ann Arbor Times

Ebony Cochran, a 2017 graduate of Eastern Michigan University (EMU), has used her business education to support financial literacy and entrepreneurship in Detroit. Cochran entered EMU as an established business owner seeking to enhance her skills and expand her impact.

“My time at EMU solidified the path I chose,” said Cochran. “Classes like marketing with Professor Harry Derderian taught me how to truly connect with my audience, something I hadn’t mastered before. The practical lessons and the stories shared by professors gave me insights I couldn’t get anywhere else.”

After selling her tax preparation business to H&R Block in 2013, Cochran noticed that many clients were denied refund loans due to low credit scores, which she attributed to limited financial knowledge. This experience motivated her to improve her own credit score and help others do the same.

Cochran went on to establish Blackwood Credit Services and The Debt Survivor brand, both aimed at providing clients with resources for managing debt and building wealth.

She later became a Little Caesars franchise owner in Michigan. “I didn’t know I was breaking barriers at the time,” she said. “I just wanted to try something new and challenge myself beyond the service-based businesses I had run before.” Her approach focused on taking risks and exploring new opportunities.

Cochran’s latest project is the Detroit Wealth Club, a community business school designed to teach credit management, ownership, and entrepreneurship. The club opened with more than 220 members in its first month and received over $59,000 in grant funding, including $50,000 from Motor City Match.

“I built the kind of club I wished existed when I started,” Cochran explained. “Detroit Wealth Club isn’t just about business, it’s about breaking generational cycles. It was my EMU experience that taught me how to merge structure with purpose.”

Looking forward, Cochran plans to consolidate her ventures under the Detroit Wealth Club name and offer services exclusively through membership.

She also advised current students: “EMU gave me a toolkit I still use today,” said Cochran. “My advice to students is to stay connected, not just to your coursework, but to the people around you. Your professors, your peers, and the alumni community are all part of a larger ecosystem that can support your growth long after graduation. Whether it's collaborating on a project, attending events, or simply learning from someone else’s journey, it all matters.”

Eastern Michigan University was founded in 1849 as Michigan's second oldest public university. It currently enrolls nearly 13,000 students across more than 300 academic programs spanning arts and sciences; business; education; engineering and technology; health and human services; as well as graduate studies.