Case Study: Merit empowers Detroit students with Shopify

How This Social Entrepreneur Is Building a Better Detroit By Empowering Its Students

Merit, founded by David Merritt, is a Detroit social enterprise that uses apparel and a youth-focused nonprofit to help underserved students stay engaged in school and pursue college. The company used Shopify to run its for-profit and mission-driven businesses, but it faced the challenge of turning a strong social mission into real, sustainable impact for Detroit youth.

Shopify helped Merit power an online and offline apparel business that funds its FATE program, which provides mentoring, workshops, and college scholarships. Through Shopify and Merit’s hands-on model, the first cohort of 22 ninth graders all earned college acceptance, 19 remained fully enrolled, and 14 received $5,000 scholarships.

Merit

David Merritt

Founder