Motor City Match winner Balance & Flow Yoga Studio brings well-being services to Warrendale neighborhood
- Balance & Flow Yoga Studio is the 148th brick-and-mortar businesses opened by Motor City Match
- The studio offers a variety of yoga classes and workshops for all levels, as well as private sessions, retreats and other wellness services.
- Studio expected to contribute to Detroit’s growing wellness community.
- The owners are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of their students.
Mayor Duggan, Councilmember Fred Durhal and Motor City Match officials welcomed a new yoga studio to Detroit’s growing wellness community. Balance & Flow Yoga Studio, located in the Warrendale neighborhood, celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its facility, marking the 148th Motor City Match business to open its doors.
Founded by Detroiters Dr. Thaddeus Irby and Princess Galloway, the studio offers a variety of yoga classes and workshops for all levels of practitioners, as well as private sessions, retreats and other wellness services. Owners note they teach forms of yoga not commonly found at other area yoga studios, including Vinyasa, Shanga and Rocket.
"We believe that yoga is for everyone, regardless of age, fitness level, or background," said Dr. Irby. "Our studio is a place where people can come together to find balance and flow in their lives, and we're excited to share that message with the community."
The space is designed to create a calm and peaceful environment, with natural lighting, soothing colors, aromatherapy and a spacious layout. The studio is equipped with all the necessary props, including mats, blocks and straps, to make the yoga experience comfortable and enjoyable for all.
“We tailor the lighting and the smell to feel relaxing and comforting when you walk through the door. This is a real sacred space where you come to be your complete self and you’ll feel that when you come into our facility,” said Galloway.
The studio also created its own custom product line that includes hand-crafted smudge sticks, body oils, bath salts, bracelets and more. Furthermore, the owners have forged a valuable partnership with a local massage spa, Bliss Zen Zone, to offer patrons massages, while also actively participating in the advancement of Detroit’s small business community.
“We’re not a trendy yoga studio that only specializes in two to three things,” said Dr. Irby. “You will be able to take the tools that you learn here and apply them to your everyday life.”
In 2018, yoga ranked as the number one exercise in Michigan, according to a survey based on popular keyword searches on Google, and following the pandemic, 80% of American adults said they intend to be more mindful about incorporating and regularly practicing self-care. With the opening of this new yoga studio in Detroit, the city is sure to contribute to this growing trend and provide a space for even more individuals to experience the transformative power of yoga.
“The West Warren corridor has been a vital part of the Warrendale neighborhood, which is one of our city’s strongest and most diverse,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “What Dr. Irby and Princess Galloway have created here with their new yoga studio helps to strengthen the area as it provides residents a place for self-care. I’m proud that Motor City Match was able to help them realize their dream.”
The business, located at 18728 West Warren Ave, is supported by a $25,000 grant from Motor City Match that went toward building renovations.
"We are thrilled to welcome this new yoga studio to our city," said Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, which manages the Motor City Match program. "Detroit has always been a city that values wellness and community, and this new studio perfectly aligns with those values. We believe that providing access to spaces like this, where individuals can come together to prioritize their physical and mental wellbeing, is crucial for the growth and success of our city.”
Motor City Match continues to grow Detroit’s small business landscape
After 21 rounds, Motor City Match has distributed $11.4 million in grants for start-ups and new businesses located throughout the city of Detroit. Through the pipeline of resources provided by the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation’s small business teams, more than 1,600 businesses have received assistance along their journey to open their doors. This is all part of the organization’s greater goal to enhance the city’s economic development and beautify its commercial corridors.
Combined with its other small business programming, DEGC is creating a sustainable small business environment that nurtures new concepts and ideas. Motor City Match offers business owners a wide range of assistance in five tracks: Plan, Develop, Design, Cash and Restore. The program helps Detroit entrepreneurs plan, formalize, launch, and grow their business by providing business planning classes, site-selection assistance, financial planning, legal aid, design services, and gap funding.
Through 21 rounds of Motor City Match:
- Total cash grants: $11.4 million (Total leveraged investment: $61.6 million)
- Total business open: 148
- 84 percent are minority-owned businesses
- 74 percent are women-owned businesses
- 69 percent are businesses owned by Detroit residents
About Motor City Match
Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations including, Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at www.MotorCityMatch.com