From global journey to local healing: Motor City Match winner brings holistic wellness to her hometown
- Kimochi Detroit, a self-care and wellness retreat center, celebrates its grand opening as the 171st Motor City Match business
- Founded by Kim Yokely, a licensed massage therapist and reflexologist with 29 years of experience, Kimochi Detroit is Yokely’s way of helping transform Detroit into a health and wellness capital
- Kimochi Detroit offers a variety of massage and reflexology services, as well as additional classes and workshops designed for self-care and healing
- Motor City Match has awarded $19.1M in cash grants; 85% of overall winners are minority-owned businesses, 70% are women-owned and 67% are owned by Detroit residents
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) celebrated the grand opening of Kimochi Detroit today, a self-care and wellness retreat center located in Eastern Market. As the 171st Motor City Match to open its doors, Kimochi Detroit was created to help residents meet their self-care needs and transform the state of wellness in the city.
Detroit native Kim Yokely’s diverse experiences shaped Kimochi Detroit’s foundation. After growing up on the east side and graduating from Cass Tech, Yokely’s journey led her to Atlanta and then Japan through a teaching program. This move sparked her passion for holistic wellness practices. She studied Shiatsu massage in Japan, traditional Thai massage in Thailand and explored yoga, meditation and body therapy across 22 countries.
Despite facing setbacks, including a head injury that led to the closure of her first massage establishment, Kimochi Atlanta, she persevered. Her resilience in trusting the healing process, culminated in her return to her hometown to establish Kimochi Detroit, a wellness center born from lifelong learning and personal growth.
“It’s like a victory story – I knew if I could heal my injury, I was going to return to Kimochi and do it in my hometown,” Yokely said. “I had to trust (the process)…and that went on for seven years until I returned in 2021. I went through a lot to get here.”
The establishment offers traditional reflexology, massage therapy, acupressure, Shiatsu, yoga, Chi Gong, sound therapy and monthly plant-based cooking classes. It can also accommodate groups of up to 40 for pop-ups, business meetings, health retreats, workshops and special occasions to have healthy self-esteem.
Through promoting holistic wellness education, Yokely envisions Detroit evolving beyond its “Motor City” moniker to become recognized as the world’s wellness capital.
“I want to see Detroit known as a wellness city. I want to give our city something (of its own), so we don’t have to go to Bloomfield Hills and Rochester Hills,” Yokely said. “I know I’m here to spread this ancient knowledge before I go.”
Yokely attributes the realization of her wellness studio dream to the support of Motor City Match and her business partner, Dr. Alexandra DePorre. After experiencing Yokely’s services firsthand, DePorre was inspired to invest in bringing the Kimochi vision to life. This partnership, coupled with the program’s assistance, proved instrumental in transforming Yokely’s concept into reality.
“Kimochi Detroit is exactly the kind of business we love to see grow in our city. Kim’s journey from Detroit to around the world and back again is inspiring. She’s bringing tremendous knowledge and healing practices to her hometown that will help Detroiters in a meaningful way,” said Duggan. “I’m thrilled to welcome Kimochi Detroit to our business community.”
Located at 1337 Division Ste. 204, the business received a $35,000 grant from Motor City Match to help with equipment costs.
“Kimochi Detroit really shows the range of businesses Motor City Match helps bring to life here in Detroit,” said Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at the DEGC, which manages the Motor City Match program. “Kim’s story is remarkable – she’s taken her worldwide wellness journey and turned it into a unique business right here in her hometown. It’s a great example of what can happen when our local entrepreneurs follow their passions and aim to make a real difference. Kim’s not just opening a business. She’s helping to reshape how people see Detroit.”
Through 27 rounds of Motor City Match:
- Total cash grants: $19.1 million (Total leveraged investment: $102.7 million)
- 85 percent are minority-owned businesses
- 70 percent are women-owned businesses
- 67 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 MotorCityMatch.com
