Love Publicity, headquartered in Detroit, is a full-service public-relations firm catering to clients in music, film, books, fashion, nightlife, dining, business and a wide assortment of retail products. Combining traditional and nontraditional techniques, Love Publicity specializes in social media, event planning and marketing.

HOW MENTORING WILL HELP: “I’m excited about the 100 Urban Entrepreneurs mentoring program,” Harris says. “Through it, I expect to connect with other established business owners who will be honest about the journey and offer solid advice to help small-business owners like me build a stronger foundation. I also expect to develop a solid relationship with the mentors that will continue once the program is complete.”

HOW $10,000 WILL HELP: The funding will help defray both administrative and technological costs — computer hardware and software, Web site development, legal, trade-show expenses and more. It’ll also go toward a variety of membership fees: the Public Relations Society of America, the National Association of Black Journalists, BizBash, the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network and the Detroit Regional Chamber.

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TEIA HARRIS, 26, has a grounding in education both formal (she has a degree in mass media arts, with a concentration in public relations, from Clark Atlanta University) and practical (an entrepreneur at heart, she founded her own boutique, Love Publicity, in 2008). She has coordinated events in Atlanta, Miami and Detroit for luminaries including Grammy-winning producer Bryan-Michael Cox.

She named her business Love Publicity, and her choice was carefully considered — love is a credo she lives by. How does she describe her company, for example? “Love Publicity is a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward exposure for its clients,” she says. “We do what we love to do only because you have done what you love to do.”

A Detroit native, she attended Cass Technical High School in the Motor City and returned home after college to start her business; she has since spearheaded events at Detroit’s Music Hall, among other venues. In her spare time, she’s an avid photographer. •