When it comes to leaving a legacy, Usher is thinking far beyond the stage. The Grammy-winning global icon has unveiled a massive philanthropic blueprint: a plan to open 500 innovation hubs by the year 2050, with the ultimate goal of building a powerhouse network of one million Black creators.
Recently sitting down with Forbes senior writer Jabari Young on The Enterprise Zone in Detroit, Usher opened up about his long-term vision for human capital, reflecting on his own upbringing, missed business investments, and why empowering the next generation is the ultimate power move.
Usher is already putting his ambitious plan into motion. He recently teamed up with Detroit native Big Sean to launch the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator, a $1 million state-of-the-art facility housed inside the new Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club.
Designed to transform youth into world-class entrepreneurs, the incubator is equipped with what they are calling “Spark Labs.” The 15,000-square-foot space features a virtual production studio, a special effects lab, and a creators’ lounge. It offers young people (ages 14 to 24) hands-on experience in high-growth careers ranging from film and music production to AI and immersive technologies.
Through his Usher’s New Look foundation (co-founded with Shawn H. Wilson) and Big Sean‘s Sean Anderson Foundation, the duo also partnered with Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School to ensure the youth have access to industry-recognized credentials and mentorship.
For Usher, the mission is personal. Both he and Big Sean are alumni of the Boys & Girls Club, making this milestone a full-circle moment.
“I’ve always been a true believer in igniting a spark in the next generation to be better and have access to things we didn’t,” Usher shared about the launch. “This new spark lab in Detroit with my friend and fellow Boys & Girls Club alum Big Sean will not only minimize the access gap for the youth but also prepare them for greatness. It takes just one person to believe in your success.”
By aiming for 500 of these innovation hubs across the country by 2050, Usher is actively working to ensure that the creative economy becomes a viable pathway to ownership, equity, and generational wealth for Black youth.
As Big Sean shared during the launch, the goal is to show young people that they don’t have to leave their hometowns to chase their dreams, they can build them right where they are.
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