The HBCU Founders Initiative and UNCF Host Better Futures Pitch Competition for Startup Founders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI), a startup accelerator and non-profit that works with founders at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), a philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for Black students and 37 HBCUs, have partnered to host the Better Futures competition.

The competition will be held on April 21st at the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. and will feature 10 top-performing startups from the HBCU Founders Fellowship program who will compete for up to $25,000 in funding.

“At UNCF, we are excited about our partnership with HBCUFI and look forward to co-hosting the Better Futures competition,” said Dr. Chad Womack, vice president of National STEM Programs and Tech Initiatives at the UNCF. “The pitch competition represents a capstone experience for students participating in the HBCU Founders Fellowship program and provides a wonderful showcase of their entrepreneurial talents so the world can see the nextgen innovators and leaders from across our HBCU campuses.”

Expected attendees at the Better Futures competition include founders, corporate executives, investors, government officials, university administrators, and HBCU faculty, students, and alumni from the DMV region.

“For early-stage startups, exposure to investors and potential enterprise customers is critical,” Marlon Evans, President of the HBCU Founders Initiative said. “We are excited to showcase HBCU founders, who often lack access to the resources necessary to scale their businesses, at the Better Futures competition.”

The 10 Better Futures finalists are students and alumni from the following HBCUs: Bowie State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, and Oakwood University.

The founders are creating tech-fueled solutions in education, e-commerce, transportation, health/wellness, and more.

Presenting companies include:

• Co-Lab Instrumental Radio – Instrumental Radio generated by hosting beat submission contests and DJ mix contests (Bowie State University)
• Car Seat Companion – Improving car seats today, to make them safer tomorrow (Elizabeth City State University)
• Vaila Shoes – A modern dress shoe brand for women with extended shoe sizes (Fayetteville State University)
• Idhini, Inc – Connecting the BIPOC community to medical research (Morgan State University)
• Monocle – A social e-reader that enables a community-focused reading experience through shared notes within a book (North Carolina A&T State University)
• Scholist App – A scholarship platform designed to help students discover, apply, and keep track of scholarships (Prairie View A&M University)
• WellMiss – Virtual and holistic healing space for women of all backgrounds to work through trauma (Spelman College)
• Back to the Roots – Solving food insecurity by providing quick, accessible, and healthy solutions (North Carolina A&T State University)
• Covered Always – Protect your investment with Covered Always Car Warranty (Oakwood University)
• All Things College – Informing students and parents nationwide on college readiness, standardized test prep, and scholarships (Spelman College)

For press inquiries, please email Miranda Perez at [email protected].

For general inquiries, please email Maggey Hoffmann at [email protected].

About the HBCU Founders Initiative
Launched by Nex Cubed, the HBCU Founders Initiative aims to catalyze investment in African Americans by supporting HBCU students and alumni along their entrepreneurial journey, encouraging them to pursue technology solutions that close the racial wealth gap ranging from increasing access to healthcare, education, and financial services.

From the ideation stage to the investment stage and beyond, the HBCU Founders Initiative offers programs (accelerators, hackathons, industry webinars, and pitch competitions), financial and technical resources, as well as a vast network of advisors committed to supporting HBCU founders pursuing entrepreneurship.

As of the beginning of 2022, over 650 students and alumni from 75+ HBCUs have benefitted from the program. Participants in our programming have raised over $2M for their startups, positioning them to create jobs in their community.

About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness.

While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 13% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees, and 24% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education.

UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” ® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

SOURCE HBCU Founders Initiative