Actress Sophia Bush invests in Detroit business

DETROIT (WJBK) - Sophia Bush is a popular actress last seen on Chicago PD - and now the star and activist is in Detroit to make a difference for women entrepreneurs.

You're looking at what happens when big city pride meets big-time star power.

 "Detroit has big city pride and (it is great) to see so many wonderful entrepreneurs coming in and investing their dollars and pulling dollars back into the city," said Bush.

Detroit Blows is a new business on Library Street, downtown.  Makeup, nails and a blowout - you can get it done here. But it's what you don't see that's amazing.
   
Sophia Bush decided to invest in it because of where every dollar goes. 

"Really figuring out how to do good for your community," she said. "Not just because you should, but because you want to, is the way you energetically change things in business and also for yourself personally."

Bush and co-founders of Detroit Blows, Katy Cockrel and Nia Batts, are happy to donate a dollar from every service to a group called Detroit Grows, which fuels female entrepreneurs.  Some of that money going to alternatives for girls - a non-profit helping at risk and homeless girls and women.

Bush said she is happy to announce how two local women will benefit right away.

"They both want to look at cosmetology as a career path," she said. "So the grant is going to make sure they can do that. They'll also have opportunities here to shadow staff and really get hands on experience and learn, and that's what it's all about."

Alternatives for Girls was going to get a $3,500 micro grant.  Bedrock decided to match it, resulting in $7,000 helping that group. It's a social enterprise. Business that's about boosting the community it serves.

"Affording clients the opportunity to not only take care of themselves by coming here for a blowout or makeup or a beauty service," said Cockrel. "But to be able to give back while they do that."

Aside from being good friends, or as Sophia and Nia would tell you, sisters, having the former Chicago P.D. star on board has been a gift in many ways.

"She was the first person that stepped up and said this is a great idea let’s do it," said Nia Batts. "I said I wanted to do it in Detroit first, because that's home and she said, let’s do it. So to have someone who supports your dreams in this way is just a real blessing."

Bush is proud to invest the blessing-supportive of the social consciousness here, but there's more.

"There's plenty of salons around, but what most people don't know that there's not one single one except Detroit Blows that's fully non-toxic," Bush said. "So we are thinking about how to give people what they want and positively impact the environment."