WSU’s APEX Accelerator helps Detroit businesses compete

On any given week, Detroit native and entrepreneur Vickie Lewis opens an email that could change the trajectory of her business.

Inside is a curated list of government contracting opportunities - federal, state and local bids that match her company's specialty codes and capabilities. Some deadlines are only days away. Others could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some could transform the future of her company.

VMX International founder and president Vickie Lewis characterizes the APEX Accelerator as her waste management company's "lifeline" to government contracts: "I don't know where we would be without this resource."

For Lewis, founder and president of Detroit-based environmental services company VMX International, those emails represent far more than leads.

"They give us a leg up," Lewis said. "Government contracting is humongous. The window to bid is short. So to have someone narrow it down and say, 'Here are opportunities that fit your business,' it changes everything."

That "someone" is Wayne State University's APEX Accelerator.

"We don't just help companies bid. We help them win," says APEX Accelerator program manager Abby Cheatham.

Housed within Wayne State's Executive and Professional Development office under the Division of Partnerships and Workforce, the APEX Accelerator helps businesses in Detroit and across Wayne County navigate the often-confusing world of government contracting. Through no-cost counseling, workshops, bid-matching tools and technical assistance, the program connects local companies with opportunities many never knew existed.

For Lewis, the impact has been enormous.

"I don't know where we would be without this resource," she said. "It's our lifeline for government services."

Lewis estimates that over the course of her relationship with the program, VMX International has secured tens of millions of dollars in government-related contracts.

Founded in 2001, VMX International specializes in environmental sustainability, waste diversion and recycling solutions. The Detroit company helps organizations reduce landfill waste by repurposing or recycling materials ranging from plastics to electric vehicle batteries.

But Lewis, who started the business after being laid off, did not set out to build an environmental services company.

"Generally when entrepreneurs start a business, it's because you got laid off from something else," Lewis said. "I knew waste. I knew sales. And I just put it all together."

Early on, Lewis heard about a small-business support program at Wayne State - then known as PTAC before becoming the APEX Accelerator. She began attending workshops and training sessions, learning about certifications, contracting regulations and government procurement systems.

"It was classes, classes, classes," she said. "And then I found out about the 8(a) program."

The federal 8(a) Business Development Program helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses compete for government contracts. Lewis said the APEX staff guided her company through the complicated certification process and helped position VMX International for opportunities that would have otherwise been out of reach.

Entrepreneurs attend a no-cost APEX seminar held in March for local companies interested in international business and government contracting.

"They assisted us and guided us to eventually get certified," Lewis said. "A lot of companies pay somebody to help them through that process, but Wayne State helped us do it ourselves."

Today, Lewis' company employs about 25 people and continues to bid on government work across the country.

Her story is exactly the kind of impact Wayne State leaders hoped the APEX Accelerator would create.

"We work one-on-one with businesses to demystify the government contracting process and position them for success," said Abby Cheatham, APEX Accelerator's program manager. "Through personalized counseling and hands-on support, we don't just help companies bid, we help them win."

The Wayne State APEX Accelerator is one of several APEX centers in Michigan. According to Ranae Hamama, associate director of Executive and Professional Development, the program has operated for more than 35 years and supports companies of all sizes and industries.

Businesses working with the center receive support with SAM.gov registration, capability statements, bid preparation, subcontracting strategies and procurement readiness. The center also hosts workshops on cybersecurity compliance, federal contracting updates and supplier diversity initiatives.

One of the program's most powerful tools is BidMatch, a system that helps businesses identify government contracting opportunities aligned with their products and services.

Ranae Hamama, associate director of Executive and Professional Development at APEX, describes the program as "a powerful example of how workforce and economic development intersect."

"We support them through that process," Hamama said. "Businesses can select codes for their services, and then the system matches them with contracts they could potentially bid on."

The program's reach extends beyond Wayne State's campus.

APEX representatives regularly attend regional conferences, supplier diversity events and economic development forums to connect with business owners who may not know the resource exists.

"Honestly, a lot of businesses don't know about APEX," Hamama said. "Part of what we're trying to do is get the word out about the services that we provide."

According to the program's fiscal year 2024 impact data, Wayne State's APEX Accelerator supported hundreds of businesses and helped clients secure millions of dollars in government contract awards. APEX also had helped create more than 170 jobs.

Hamama said the work aligns directly with Wayne State's broader mission of economic and community development.

"The APEX Accelerator is a powerful example of how workforce and economic development intersect," Hamama said. "By equipping businesses with the knowledge, tools and confidence to compete for federal, state and local contracts, we are driving measurable impact, supporting hundreds of businesses, increasing contract awards and strengthening our regional economy while contributing to the continued revitalization of the city of Detroit."

The program is funded in part through agreements with the Department of Defense and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

For many entrepreneurs, the support goes far beyond paperwork.

Lewis said the Wayne State team became a trusted partner as her company grew, helping her navigate everything from contracting requirements and billing systems to succession planning and workforce development.

"If I have a question, they find resources," Lewis said. "The program is only as good as the people that are there, and the people who are there are excellent."

She recalls moments when APEX staff connected her to additional organizations, guided her through changing federal regulations and encouraged her to keep pursuing opportunities even during uncertain economic periods.

"They see me," Lewis said. "That matters."

Christine Jackson, Wayne State's vice provost for partnerships and workforce, said the program reflects the university's longstanding commitment to Detroit and the region's economic future.

"At Wayne State University, our commitment to community impact is at the core of everything we do," says Christine Jackson, Wayne State's vice provost for partnerships and workforce.

"At Wayne State University, our commitment to community impact is at the core of everything we do," Jackson said. "The APEX Accelerator reflects that mission by connecting local businesses to government contracting opportunities that fuel job creation, innovation and long-term economic resilience. This work not only uplifts individual companies but also advances the broader prosperity of Detroit and Wayne County."

For Lewis, the impact is visible every day - in the employees her company supports, the contracts it continues to win and the possibility of what comes next.

Now exploring expansion into electric vehicle battery recycling and sustainability services for data centers, she still regularly turns to Wayne State's APEX Accelerator for guidance.

After more than two decades in business, she said the program remains one of the most valuable resources she has ever encountered.

"When small businesses start out, we have the vision, but we don't know how to get out here and do it," Lewis said. "APEX helps you figure it out. And then they stay with you while you grow."