A message from our President.
In our Designing for Social Good workshops, we encourage our participants to spend more time understanding the societal problem they are trying to solve than brainstorming possible solutions. This is easier said than done, especially as 2024 ushered in the democratization of artificial intelligence (AI) and seemingly left us only one effectively worded prompt away from eliminating the need for empathy as part of the equation.
At the HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI), while we believe technology is the great enabler, we also believe the first step toward impactful innovation is listening. All of our programming, from our Designing for Social Good workshops to our 8-week pre-accelerators and pitch competitions, is informed by conversations with HBCU students, alums, faculty, and administrators.
With their wisdom in hand, coupled with tremendous support from corporate and foundation partners and our human enablers (committed startup advisors and amazing staff), we successfully made 2024 our most impactful year to date.
As we turn the page on this year, we remain committed to empathy serving as the driving force behind all of our work throughout 2025 and beyond.
Sincerely,
Marlon Evans
We partnered with amazing organizations.
In 2024, we established partnerships with Cummins, Microsoft, the Walton Family Foundation, Clerky, and Mercury Bank.
We continued our partnerships with Skoll, Costco, UNCF TechVentures, Vistra Corporation, Blackstone Launchpad, Ally Financial, and AARP, while also building on our work with UNC’s Eshelman Institute for Innovation, Cooley, Venturewell, and RLJ Lodging Trust.
Each of these partnerships has allowed us to scale entrepreneurial education and training across HBCU campuses. Read on to check out more amazing moves made this year by HBCUFI.
We grew our Pre-Accelerator programming, AGAIN.
This year we welcomed five additional HBCUs into our campus-based eight-week Pre-Accelerator program, bringing us to 15 partner institutions.
The five new HBCUs that on-boarded into HBCUFI's Pre-Accelerator program include Mississippi Valley State University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Jackson State University, Philander Smith University, and Johnson C. Smith University. These institutions joined HBCUFI's previous cohort of partner HBCUs that include Hampton University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Benedict College, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T University, Oakwood University, Prairie View A&M University, and Spelman College.
As a result of our expansion, we hosted 160+ startup founders from 23 Historically Black Colleges and Universities this year in our eight-week Pre-Accelerator program.
Our 2024 program taught our cohort topics that will carry them through their journeys as early-stage founders. Our curriculum covered everything from validating the idea to building a prototype and navigating customer discovery. Other focal points of the program allowed founders to understand marketing/branding, legal operations, and how to fundraise.
To date, over 1200 students and alumni from 80+ HBCUs have benefitted from HBCUFI's programming with participants raising over $2M for their startups. Read more about our founders who are building tech-enabled solutions across fintech, health tech, sports tech, retail, gaming, and more — in our Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 yearbooks.
“The HBCU Founders Initiative program was instrumental in helping me take my company to the next level. The guidance, mentorship, and transparency I received in just 8 weeks was a masterclass in becoming a better entrepreneur. I’m grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to seeing more founders like myself grow from experiencing HBCUFI”
— Garland Trice, Founder of Bruce, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
We hosted our second annual Better Futures Pitch Competition.
Since 2023, HBCUFI has partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) — a philanthropic organization supporting scholarships for Black students and 37 HBCUs — to host the Better Futures Pitch Competition. This national event highlighted the entrepreneurial talent emerging from the nation’s 100+ HBCUs. The competition features startups led by HBCU students and alumni from the HBCUFI network, showcasing innovative solutions aimed at shaping better futures. HBCUFI and UNCF have hosted two Better Futures competitions to date, providing over $50,000 in funding to HBCU founders through this programming alone.
This year, our Better Futures Pitch Competition featured 13 semi-finalists. 6 founders were selected as finalists to compete for $25,000.
Our 2024 Better Futures Cohort
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Tyler Greene, Morehouse College
First Place: Añadir is a startup that transforms waste into valuable and sustainable materials.
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Kadidja Dosso, Hampton University
Second Place: Dosso Beauty is a producer of hypoallergenic hair extensions and organic hair care catered to sensitive scalp and skin.
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Sinclare DuPree, Spelman College
Third Place: Social Market is a startup that allows entertainment fans to make wagers on big moments in music.
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Bernard Cunningham Jr., Prairie View A&M University
People’s Choice: BRYTE is a sustainable apparel brand that inspires and builds community.
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Mphatso Khuzwayo, Oakwood University
Finalist: Yoni pHotion is a startup that boosts women’s confidence with all-natural vaginal health beverages.
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Quincy Box, Morehouse College
Finalist: QTech Solutions is a patented technology startup that designs enhanced gaming peripherals to give competitive gamers an advantage.
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Jaivien Kendrick, Bowie State University
Finalist: AidSmart is a gamifying financial aid literacy to empower students.
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James Spence III, Elizabeth City State University
Finalist: 3o7am is a fashion startup, bringing uniqueness and style to Greek paraphernalia.
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Jeremiah Smith, North Carolina A&T University
Semi-Finalist: BLKHRZN is a startup dedicated to creating more Black spaces in gaming and esports.
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Aalliyeh Clinton, Morgan State University
Semi-Finalist: Monneah’s Engineered Materials is a startup that creates advanced textile technology for lab coat protection.
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Tyshawn Adams, Fayetteville State University
Semi-Finalist: TimeCRFT is a startup utilizing education technology to promote positive mental health in students.
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Charmeyce Buck, Texas Southern University
Semi-Finalist: Shalom Analytics and Consulting is an LLC, fostering peace and precision through analytics solutions.
We continued our Designing for Social Good Workshop series.
HBCUFI launched the Designing for Social Good Workshop to empower students to leverage innovation in addressing society’s most pressing challenges. This immersive 2-day event offers HBCU students a hands-on opportunity to apply design-thinking principles to critical issues such as health inequity, access to AI and technology, the future of work, and education.
In 2024, we hosted workshops for students attending Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, Fisk University, Prairie View A&M University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Philander Smith University, North Carolina A&T State University, and the Atlanta University Center.
145
Workshop Attendees
24
Winning Teams
7
Proposed Solutions
Thank you to our workshop sponsors:
Designing for Social Good Workshop Wins.
HBCUFI is proud to highlight our Atlanta University Center Workshop Winning Team, Care on Demand of Morehouse College. Since winning first place at the Designing for Social Good Workshop in Atlanta, the team Care on Demand has achieved significant milestones. The students were accepted into two prestigious programs: the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) HBCU Making and Innovation Initiative, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the International Competition for Entrepreneurs (ICE). At ICE, they advanced to the finals in Montego Bay, proudly representing their school and country on the global stage.
“HBCUFI’s impact extends far beyond professional guidance. They helped me map out a clear roadmap for QTech and gave me the confidence to pursue my goals with a network of support behind me. As a Morehouse College student, I wholeheartedly support the HBCU Founders Initiative in its mission to champion entrepreneurship across HBCUs nationwide. HBCUFI’s team is truly a group of changemakers, bringing unmatched expertise and authentic commitment to helping founders succeed.”
— Quincy Box, Founder and CEO of QTech Innovations and Care On Demand, Morehouse College
Our founders excelled.
Beyond their work in the HBCUFI programming, our founders went above and beyond to obtain external opportunities that aided in the growth of their startups. HBCUFI graduates have gone on to win pitch competitions backed by Black Girl Ventures, Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Prize, 1863 Ventures, and more. Read on to check out more exciting progress made by our founders this year.
REACH WORLDWIDE - Spring 2024 Pre-Accelerator graduate, Faith Shamely, a senior at Morris Brown College and founder of Reach Worldwide, was selected out of 15,000 applicants nationwide as one of the TOP 10 finalists for the Red Bull Basement National Finals. Reach Worldwide is a social impact platform that helps emerging, young nonprofit founders simplify execution, conquer overwhelm, and achieve their goals. The Red Bull Basement is a global event that empowers a new generation of innovators to conceive, develop,p and launch their outstanding ideas, accelerated by AI technology.
BLK BEETLES - Samad Hinton, a Florida A&M University and Spring 2024 Pre-Accelerator graduate has been selected for the 2024 Adidas Community Lab Social Impact Accelerator Program for his venture BLKBeetles. BLK Beetles is on a mission to make wellness a joyful and accessible experience for all. By addressing social isolation through meaningful connections, the organization builds an equitable and restorative wellness ecosystem. BLK Beetles fosters a sense of belonging through community-focused outdoor experiences and a dedicated streaming platform, promoting holistic well-being for all.
MONNEAH’S ENGINEERED MATERIALS - 2024 Better Futures Pitch Competition Semi-Finalist, Aalliyeh Clinton, a senior at Morgan State hosted her first MEM Gala for her venture, Monneah’s Engineered Materials, an advanced textile company that aims to increase the protection level of lab coats while being inclusive to women. The gala served as an opportunity to educate the community on the importance of lab equipment safety and to fundraise for her startup’s matriculation.
Want to partner with us?
If your company is looking for ways to support the future of HBCU entrepreneurship, we encourage you to reach out to us.
Companies that partner with HBCUFI have the opportunity to work with the next generation of innovators and get exposed to diverse talent entering the workforce. Our partners activate their employees' expertise and passion by providing them with the opportunity to volunteer for mentoring and speaking opportunities within our Pre-Accelerator programming.
With your support, we can continue on our mission to expand our programming and together, we can work to close the racial wealth gap.
Interested in bringing HBCUFI to your HBCU?
Our vision at the HBCU Founders Initiative is to be present on every single HBCU campus (all 107 of them). If you are an HBCU faculty member or administrator interested in taking the lead on bringing HBCUFI to your HBCU, sign up for our waitlist here.
Current HBCU students, alumni, and allies are welcome to help introduce us to the decision-makers at your HBCU so we can continue on our mission of scaling entrepreneurial education and training across every campus.
Interested in donating to the HBCU Founders Initiative?
The HBCU Founders Initiative is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Your donation will help ensure that all HBCU students, alumni, and faculty have access to the technical and financial resources necessary to launch impactful, digitally-enabled businesses that help close the racial wealth gap. Together we can build the next generation of founders.