A message from our President.
As we bring 2025 to a close, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our students, alumni, university partners, mentors, donors, and advocates, who continue to fuel the mission of the HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI). With tightened philanthropic budgets, increased competition for institutional funding, and uncertainty in public markets, this year has tested nonprofits across the country, including organizations like ours that support emerging innovators and entrepreneurs. Yet, despite a challenging economic climate, the HBCUFI community has demonstrated resilience and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity for HBCU founders.
Thank you for believing in this mission and for standing with us through an unpredictable economic environment. Your continued support—whether through mentorship, funding, advocacy, or simply spreading the word—helped hundreds of innovators build impactful solutions through our designing for social good workshops, pre-accelerator programs, and pitch competitions.
Next year marks our 5th anniversary. We are excited to celebrate 5 years of equipping HBCU students and alumni with the tools, resources, and community needed to build scalable, impactful ventures. Please stay tuned for new partnership opportunities to strengthen our programming and accelerate pathways to entrepreneurship in 2026 and beyond. Together, we will continue to build a future where HBCU founders thrive and lead.
Sincerely,
Marlon Evans
We partnered with amazing organizations.
This year, we established partnerships with Cisco, Deloitte, Bank of America, and Chase for Business.
We continued our partnerships with Costco, Microsoft, the Walton Family Foundation, Skoll, Blackstone Launchpad, and Ally Bank, while also building on our work with UNC’s Eshelman Institute for Innovation, Cooley, and Venturewell.
Through these partnerships, we’re expanding access to entrepreneurial education and training, fueling opportunity and innovation across HBCU campuses. Dive in and discover the groundbreaking moments that defined HBCUFI this year.
We built connections.
AllPeep, Fall 2025 – For our Fall Pre-Accelerator, HBCUFI joined forces with AllPeep, an innovative community platform launched by 2021 Pre-Accelerator alumnus D’Angelo Senat. Designed for nonprofits, startups, and enterprises, AllPeep, a Nex Cubed HBCU Founders Fund portfolio company, delivers a fully customizable, open-source, and privately hosted digital community. For HBCUFI founders, the partnership meant more than trying out new technology. It offered a chance to learn from someone who began in their shoes and turned a vision into reality, leaving them inspired, empowered, and equipped to continue building communities of their own.
Bank of America, Summer 2025 – This year marked our first partnership with the Bank of America Student Leaders® program, which annually connects more than 300 community-minded high school juniors and seniors from nearly 100 communities with paid employment, skills development, and meaningful service opportunities. Abby Zheng and Maya Gee, rising high school seniors from the Bay Area, joined HBCUFI through the program. Together, they supported HBCUFI’s work by contributing to multimedia projects that expanded our social media reach, identifying grant opportunities, and organizing outreach contacts to strengthen program delivery.
Blackstone LaunchPad, Summer 2025 – HBCUFI entered the fourth year of our partnership with the Blackstone Charitable Foundation as one of their employer partners for the LaunchPad Summer Internship Program. This summer, we placed 40 HBCU students from 16 different campuses in internship positions at startups led by HBCU alumni, giving them direct exposure to entrepreneurial skill-building programs and work-based learning that help students launch successful careers.
We leveled up our Pre-Accelerator.
Since launching in 2020, HBCUFI has grown into the largest HBCU-centered pre-accelerator in the country — and we’re only getting stronger.
This year, we deepened our partnerships with 22 HBCUs while expanding our affiliate community. Founders from our affiliate HBCUs—institutions that have previously hosted HBCUFI events and programming—receive priority consideration for admission to our virtual programming.
As a result, in 2025, we welcomed more than 200 startup founders from 40 HBCUs nationwide into our 8-week Pre-Accelerator programs. These innovators are developing tech-enabled solutions across every imaginable industry, including social impact, AI, fintech, health tech, retail, and beyond. You can meet them and explore their ventures in our Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 yearbooks.
Our 2025 curriculum delivered the core essentials of early-stage entrepreneurship, guiding founders through idea validation, prototyping, and customer discovery, while building a strong foundation in branding, legal operations, and fundraising strategy.
To date, over 1,500 students and alumni from 80+ HBCUs have benefitted from HBCUFI's programming, with participants raising over $2M for their startups.
“When I joined HBCUFI, all I had was an idea, a half-built app, and a deep need for direction. As a Black woman, you can dream endlessly, but without guidance, so many ideas never get the chance to breathe. I thought I was building a police accountability app, but class after class showed me I was shrinking my own voice. Activism doesn't mean carrying every cause. It means giving people the power to advocate for themselves. From Grapevine, CivicLink was born, the first Civic Advocacy app of its kind. To my classmates I look forward to seeing you at the top. We're halfway there.”
— Philomena Wankenge, Virginia State University, Founder of Civic Link
We grew our Designing for Social Good Workshop series.
In 2025, HBCUFI hosted a Designing for Social Good Workshop at Mississippi Valley State University in collaboration with Jackson State University. During the event, students from both institutions developed innovative solutions to address the socioeconomic impacts of climate change.
Launched two years ago to empower students in addressing society’s most pressing challenges, our Designing for Social Good Workshop has been delivered in seven locations nationwide, engaging more than 250 students from Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, Fisk University, Prairie View A&M University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Philander Smith University, North Carolina A&T State University, and the Atlanta University Center.
This immersive, eight-hour workshop equips HBCU students to apply design-thinking principles to build solutions that address maternal health, food insecurity, access to AI and technology, the future of work, mental health, and education.
254
Workshop Attendees
39
Winning Teams
8
Proposed Solutions
Thank you to our 2025 workshop sponsors:
Designing for Social Good Workshop Wins.
After winning first place at our Mississippi workshop, the winning team, Rapid Relief AI—an AI-powered solution designed to accelerate emergency response and resource coordination during climate-related disasters—went on to become a 2025 Better Futures semi-finalist. Since then, Founder and CEO Joel Murchison has graduated from Jackson State University and has been featured in EBONY and AfroTech for his leadership as an emerging social impact and climate innovator.
“The Designing for Social Good Workshop not only helped me enhance my critical thinking skills and approach to problem solving, but it also connected me with HBCU students I would not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Beyond that, I was able to meet with representatives from Microsoft and the Walton Family Foundation, where I shared my experience as a student at UAPB and highlighted the urgent need for HBCUFI’s programming on our campus, advocating not just for myself, but for the growing community of innovators at Pine Bluff.”
— Mateo Cook, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
We hosted our third annual Better Futures Pitch Competition.
Since 2023, HBCUFI has hosted the Better Futures Pitch Competition — a national showcase of entrepreneurial talent emerging from the nation’s 100+ Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The 2025 competition, held at the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center in Washington, D.C., featured innovative startups led by HBCU students and alumni from across the HBCUFI network, all developing solutions aimed at shaping a better future. This year’s competition featured 12 semi-finalists, with 6 founders advancing to the final round to compete for $25,000 in prizes. To date, HBCUFI has awarded $75,000 in funding to HBCU founders through Better Futures.
Our 2025 Better Futures Cohort
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Joey Taylor, Oakwood University
First Place: Mycelium, a cutting-edge brain-computer interface (BCI) that integrates AI and neural signal processing to enable seamless interaction between the human mind and digital systems.
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Hannah LaCon, Hampton University
Second Place: RadonLock Innovations, a developer of cost-efficient, energy-saving solutions for radon mitigation and monitoring, creates accessible pathways to healthier living environments.
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Eno Oduok, Prairie View A&M University
Third Place: el powr, an AI-backed energy management software platform that enables commercial buildings and school systems to optimize energy consumption, lower costs, and reduce carbon emissions in a centralized hub.
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Kennedy Abanihe, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
People’s Choice: MyDiabetiCare, a digital health platform that supports individuals with diabetes to manage their condition through comprehensive tools that help prevent complications and avoid costly surgeries.
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Ari’Anna Elizabeth Redmond, Bowie State University
Finalist: Tony’s Kitchen and Bakery, a food tech company that uses safe alternatives to replace animal products and allergens in everyday baked goods without diminishing the taste.
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James-Owolabi Olaoluwa David, Philander Smith University
Finalist: MedEdge, an AI-based health solution designed to reduce medical errors by offering real-time prescription suggestions, patient condition alerts, and predictive analytics to help healthcare providers prevent diseases.
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Robert Wilson, North Carolina A&T State University
Semi-Finalist: Parking Pin, a platform revolutionizing university parking with accessible, affordable, hardware-free solutions—empowering campuses to make data-driven decisions that alleviate traffic and improve the commuter experience.
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Veralyn Bingham, Spelman College
Semi-Finalist: Musa, a social networking app that connects artists and musicians through smart matching algorithms, offering curated opportunities like gigs and open mics to help them grow their networks and advance their music careers.
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Peter Iwuh, Morgan State University
Semi-Finalist: Tykoon Sports, an AI-driven software and sports marketing agency helping student-athletes maximize their NIL opportunities through tailored solutions in marketing, brand partnerships, and apparel distribution.
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Caleb Justin Dixon, Morehouse College
Semi-Finalist: GiveUp, an edtech platform that connects financially burdened college students with donors through an intuitive matching program to provide support for tuition, books, or housing.
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Joel Murchison, Jackson State University
Semi-Finalist: RapidRelief, an AI-driven platform that connects insurance providers and government agencies with individuals affected by natural disasters to streamline support and response.
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Andre Buchanan, Texas Southern University
Semi-Finalist: Athletech, an AI-backed coaching platform making professional training affordable and accessible for athletes at all skill levels.
Our voices were heard.
HBCUFI helped shape the conversation across conferences, panels, and key industry convenings. Read on to see where our voice was present this year.
Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit – This year, we had the pleasure of attending the 29th Annual Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit at Tuskegee University. The summit convened leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs to explore innovation, economic empowerment, and the continued relevance of Booker T. Washington’s vision today. HBCUFI led a presentation and participated in a panel discussion, which underscored the importance of HBCUs as engines for economic development and pathways for sustainable, mission-driven entrepreneurship.
HBCU+ Conference – We participated in the 5th Annual HBCU+ Conference, hosted by Bowie State University, centered on advancing innovation and entrepreneurship at HBCUs through emerging technologies. The HBCUFI community was present across multiple sessions, engaging with students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders on access to capital, startup growth, and strategies for integrating innovation into HBCU curricula.
This year’s conference included panels featuring HBCUFI President, Marlon Evans, Program Coordinator Miranda Perez, and HBCUFI Founders: Quincy Box, Ari’Anna Redmond, Garry Johnson III, and Eno Oduok. To view the panels, visit this link.
IFA Emerging Franchisor Conference – We were grateful to gift a Fisk University student with a free ticket to the IFA Emerging Franchisor Conference, where aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage founders explored what it takes to build franchise brands that last. Through candid conversations, hands-on sessions, and meaningful networking with industry leaders, Sudin Beagle, a sophomore Computer Science major, gained valuable insight and validation for a developing project.
The International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising. Learn more about Beagle’s experience in his vlog.
Our founders excelled.
Beyond their work in the HBCUFI program, our founders went above and beyond—seeking out external opportunities that helped accelerate their startups’ growth. Read on to discover more of the exciting progress they’ve achieved this year.
Expanding Representation in Media and Aviation – Spring 2023 Pre-Accelerator graduate Alexis Jacobs, founder of Butterbean Shots and Spelman alumna, earned her drone pilot certification, placing her among the less than 3% of women of color represented in the U.S. drone aviation workforce.
Better Futures Alumni Earn Black Ambition HBCU Prize – 2025 Better Futures Pitch Competition Winner, Eno Oduok, and 2024 Better Futures Semi-Finalist, Aalliyeh Clinton, are 2025 recipients of Black Ambition HBCU Prize. The $20,000 in funding will fuel Oduok’s AI-powered energy management platform, El Pwr, and Clinton’s advanced textile lab coat company, Monneah’s Engineered Materials.
Baltimore Christmas Village Partners with HBCUFI Founder to Spread Joy – Naomi Winston, founder of The Creative Representation Empire, partnered with the Baltimore Christmas Village to create custom coloring cards that double as letters to Santa, bringing children a fun and imaginative way to engage with the holiday season. As an HBCUFI alumna leading this initiative, she is turning her passion for creativity and representation into a meaningful project that supports literacy, celebrates culture, and spreads joy throughout the Baltimore community.
We were featured in news outlets nationwide.
The HBCU Founders Initiative Teams Up with Chase and Sloane Stephens to Empower Young Entrepreneurs
HBCU Founders Initiative Recognizes Top Startup Talent with $25K in Awards at Third Annual Better Futures Competition
This HBCU Graduate Built A Brain-Controlled Tech Prototype And Won Big
How Founder Eno Oduok Is Bringing AI To The Future Of Energy
Unlocking Insights: Add These Founders to Your Career Mood Board
Jackson State Student Joel Murchison Builds AI Platform for Disaster Relief
Morgan State University Graduate Launches AI Agent For Overlooked HBCU And Small-School NIL Athletes
Garland D. Trice III On The Road To Tech Entrepreneurship
This 24-Year-Old Built An AI-Powered Disaster Relief Platform After Experiencing A Snowstorm During Undergrad
Mateo Cook: UAPB, the school of opportunity
We are looking for community-driven partners.
If your company is seeking meaningful and lasting ways to support the future of entrepreneurship, we invite you to partner with us.
HBCUFI partners have the unique opportunity to engage directly with students and innovators who are building the businesses and ideas of tomorrow. By partnering with us, companies gain early exposure to emerging talent entering the workforce while helping shape the next generation of founders from HBCUs.
With your support, we can continue to expand our programming, foster innovation, and take meaningful steps toward closing the 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.
Help us build lasting opportunity.
If you are able, we invite you to donate to the HBCU Founders Initiative, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Your contribution helps ensure that HBCU students, alumni, and faculty have access to the technical expertise and financial resources needed to launch impactful, digitally enabled businesses.