Young Entrepreneurs Join Forces To Create PWR Detroit

Three metro Detroit teenagers -- Devin McIntyre, Chase Rosett, and Grant Gilbert -- combined their passion for Detroit to highlight something positive coming out of the city.

In the beginning, the focus for their company was based on creating a product and learning about business. As the company started to develop, their passion for helping true Detroit transformed their business into a way to give back to Detroit. As a result, they decided to change the initial name of the company from PWR Beads to PWR Detroit.

"The whole inspiration for PWR Detroit is to give back, help other people, and to give a cool product but have a cool story behind it," Co-founder of PWR Detroit Devin McIntyre said.

McIntyre, Gilbert and Rosett want to get teens excited about something that came out of Detroit. It's something that excites them as business people but excites them even more because of their love for the city.

Related Link: Detroit-Area Comedians Make Difference In Community

Over time, PWR Detroit has partnered up with other charities. McIntyre said 10 percent of each bracelet purchase goes towards Make-A-Wish Foundation and 10 percent goes to the Caliber Collection. A unique part about PWR Detroit is their partnership with the Caliber Collection. The Caliber Collections transforms instruments of destruction, illegal and unwanted weapons and shell casings swept from crime scenes into jewelry.

PWR Detroit works with the Caliber Collection Detroit section, which helps buying back guns off the streets of Detroit.

"One of our bracelets called PWR Detroit Caliber bracelet is made using shell casing from crime scenes in Detroit that we get from Detroit police," McIntyre said, "They are melted down, we engrave Detroit on the bead and dip them in gold. It shows a positive change. It shows turning something negative into something positive."

The PWR Detroit bracelets are made from beads around the world. From African trade beads to Lapiz from Brazil, PWR Detroit bracelets are comprised of beads from across different cultures.

PWR Detroit is getting teens excited about Detroit. It hopes to inspire people around the world to look at the city in a different way. McIntyre says people from around the world buy bracelets and often have a preconceived negative perception of Detroit. The goal of PWR Detroit is to show growing positive energy.

McIntyre said they are passionate about raising awareness to end gun violence because it is such a problem in Detroit. He said that if PWR Detroit can help take guns off the street, then they can make a difference.

PWR Detroit is currently working on a blog that is going to help highlight positive changes going on. McIntyre feels it is PWR Detroit's job to help show the rest of the world the positive in Detroit.