Licenses Earned, Not Promised
Power Movin' participants complete the Secretary of State process with PPE staff alongside them — documented, dated, and celebrated. We remove the barriers that keep young people sidelined.
Elevate Excellence Everytime
Turning lived experience into leadership — and community trust into community strategy.
PowerPiece Enterprises (PPE) is a Ypsilanti-based organization serving youth and young adults ages 10–24 across Washtenaw County's 48197 and 48198 communities.
10–24
Ages We Serve
48197 / 48198
Ypsilanti ZIPs
04
Program Pillars
100%
Community Rooted
About Us
Built by the community, for the community.
DaRon Weatherspoon, Sr.
Founder & CEO
PowerPiece Enterprises was founded by DaRon Weatherspoon, Sr. — born and raised in Ypsilanti as well as Taylor, Michigan, whose life work grew directly out of the streets, schools, and neighborhoods he now serves. There was one face that didn't show a look of panic. PPE exists because someone who has walked the road can build the bridge others need to cross it.
DaRon built PPE on a simple conviction: that lived experience is the foundation of trust — and trust is the foundation of every meaningful program we run. He believes in amplifying all human voices and turning pain into purpose to combat systematic oppression through entrepreneurial academic cultivation and cognitive behavior therapy. That's what allows PPE to reach young people other institutions can't, and it's what makes our work impossible to replicate from the outside.
Who We Serve
10–24
Youth & Young Adults
We focus where the need is greatest — so every other young person can be reached by someone else.
Priority Criteria
- 01Exposure to street-level violence
- 02Extreme poverty
- 03Loss of an influential person
- 04Incarceration exposure (self or family)
- 05Physical trauma
- 06Racial marginalization
Program Goals
Four aims that shape every program we run.
Every PPE initiative — from mentorship to civic engagement — is built around these four goals.
01
Empower Participants through Skill Development
Marketable, practical skills that open doors to independence and opportunity.
02
Reduce Circumstantial Challenges
Address systemic barriers that block stability and forward momentum.
03
Cultivate Community Engagement and Leadership
Civic pride, accountability, and leadership built through collaborative programming.
04
Promote Holistic Well-Being
Mental, social, and professional health for every young person we serve.
Program Objectives — Four Pillars
The structure behind the outcomes.
Pillar 01
Educational Impact
Critical thinking, literacy, and academic support that expands what's possible.
Pillar 02
Behavioral Impact
Emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and habits that unlock growth.
Pillar 03
Community Impact
Service, civic pride, and neighborhood investment that outlast any single program.
Pillar 04
Leadership Development
Voice, agency, and executive-level exposure — young people leading in real rooms.
Our Signature Programs
Four programs. One throughline — meeting young people where they are.
Program 01
Power Movin'
Work with clients to help them get drivers licenses while developing social emotional skills.
Program 02
Literary Legends
A phased self-knowledge and civic-connection curriculum — from foundational life skills to direct relationships with civic leaders shaping the community.
Program 03
Thought Vault
A space for reflection, ideation, and creative expression — where young people build the mental models and voice they'll carry into every room they enter.
Program 04
Let's Go to Work
A program designed to help community members find jobs and secure jobs and provides secure transportation to and from work.
Youth Leadership in Action
Real roles. Real ventures. Real proof.
Ages 10–17
PPE Youth Executive Board
A working board of young people making real decisions about programs, partnerships, and priorities. They meet, they vote, they build.
Outcome in progress
A youth-launched county-wide youth club alliance — built and led by board members.
Ages 18–24
Next Gen Executive Advocates
For young adults stepping into professional life — a peer network paired with adult mentors, focused on turning ideas into revenue and stability.
Outcome in progress
A youth-designed entrepreneurial hub.
Answering the Call
Steppin With Power!
PPE answers the call of the community — standing against social injustice and showing genuine support to all people. Every figure below traces back to a real cohort, a real room, and real insight into the boots-on-the-ground movement amplifying voices across Washtenaw County.
10–24
Age range served
Washtenaw County youth and young adults answering the community's call together
4
Signature programs
Power Movin', Literary Legends, Thought Vault, Let's Go to Work — each a direct response to community need
100%
Community-recruited
Every participant reached through grassroots relationships — we meet people where they are, no waitlists
Youth-led
Governance
PPE Youth Executive Board sets priorities and advocates in public rooms against injustice
Youth Voice at the Council Table
PPE members sit and speak at City of Ypsilanti public meetings, turning lived experience into testimony that shapes policy and pushes back against systemic silence.
Certificates of Completion
Every cohort ends with verifiable completion records for Let's Go to Work and Provision Programs — genuine support proven by finished work, not attendance.
Cognitive Behavioral Sessions
Structured reflect-and-regulate curriculum delivered in full-room sessions with mentors, families, and community partners present — a communal response to the trauma injustice leaves behind.
We don't just serve the community — we answer it. If you have data or a research partnership that advances genuine support for all people, reach out through Get Involved below. We track, report, and share what works.
PPE Grassroots Connect
PPE Amplifies Voices in Any Room.
Through our ORA (Outreach, Rescue, and Awareness) initiatives, we use our deep community connections to recruit youth from neighborhoods that are too often overlooked, engage them through our own programming, and connect them to organizations that have the structure to serve them — but not the reach to find them.
PPE Grassroots Connect is the consulting practice built on this capability. Local governments, health systems, researchers, and nonprofits partner with PPE because we take the time to understand their goals — then design and execute the outreach strategy to achieve them.
01
Mass Messaging & Information Campaigns
02
Community Surveying & Needs Assessments
03
Event Turnout & Mobilization
04
On-the-Ground Resident Feedback
Get Involved
There's a place for you here.
Partner. Volunteer. Donate. Refer a young person. Every relationship is a piece of the work.
Partner
Volunteer
Donate
Refer a Youth
Founder & CEO
DaRon Weatherspoon, Sr.
Address
20 South Washington Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Phone
QR
Community Sign-Up
QR code placeholder — link to social channels and community mailing list.
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Contact Us
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Scan the code with your phone camera to reach out — we'll get you connected with the right person on the PPE team.