10 HBCU Initiatives and Programs for Black Innovators
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) have been producing elite talent since their conception. In the world of digital innovation HBCU’s are continuing their innovative strategies to empower Black communities. Here are 10 innovation initiatives that are either hosted by HBCU’s or officially affiliated with HBCU’s that are worth keeping on your radar.
The HBCU VC Fellowship program is the only one of its kind that supports startups from the HBCU ecosystem, provide culturally-affirming investor curriculum, and connect you to a network of prominent entrepreneurs and investors.
HBCU VC equips both HBCU students and alumni with the tools to break into venture capital by providing access to a 1-year program that provides the fundamental skills necessary.
The MEPE Fellowship is a 10-week paid internship with The Whether, a mentor-led community focused on career preparation, quality support, and outcomes for HBCU students. Fellows are provided a virtual education on entrepreneurship, leadership, and team collaboration. Partnering schools include Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, North Carolina A&T University, and Tennessee State University.
Nex Cubed HBCU Founders Program
Through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Nex Cubed is engaging rising students and recent alums across multiple HBCUs interested in developing business concepts within Digital Health, FinTech, PropTech, and EdTech.
Nex Cubed is currently seeking students and recent alums from HBCUs across the U.S. that are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship to join us this Fall for our HBCU Founder’s Program. The program launches this fall with a series of virtual workshops and panel discussions featuring industry experts from the Digital Health, FinTech, PropTech, and EdTech sectors.
UNCF Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship
The UNCF Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Initiative is a collaborative STEM program that impacts the HBCU student, faculty and institutional/communities.
Our mission is to transform our campuses into high-performance STEM hubs and nodes of innovation and entrepreneurship that will have increased economic impact for the African American community, to significantly increase the post-secondary yield of African Americans pursuing STEM careers; foster innovation and entrepreneurship across HBCU campuses and to connect our campuses to economically productive innovation and tech-ecosystems (e.g. Silicon Valley) around the country.
Bowie Business Innovation Center
Headquartered at Bowie State University, Bowie BIC is the only business accelerator in Maryland located on the campus of a historically black college or university (HBCU).
Bowie BIC celebrated the dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives its growth at the INNOVATEBowie! Event at Bowie City Hall October 16, 2018. Angel investor workshops, entrepreneur pitches, the Maryland Start-Up Bus, and a keynote from Dr. Keith R. Dunleavy, CEO and Chairman of data-driven healthcare leader Inovalon, one of the publicly traded companies in the City of Bowie, all contributed to the excitement that evening.
HBCU Making & Innovation Showcase
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, with funding from the National Science Foundation, supports students and faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to participate in the Making & Innovation Showcase. The showcase coincides with the Emerging Researchers Network Conference (ERN) (http://new.emerging-researchers.org). The showcase is designed to provide an opportunity for students to showcase the talent and innovation at their institution.
Participants receive a travel award that covers the ERN conference registration fee, housing, airfare, and ground transportation.
Students will design and implement prototypes using hardware and software to address one of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Shaw University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center
Carolina Small Business Development Fund in partnership with Shaw University has established an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in Southeast Downtown Raleigh. The Center’s purpose is to: inspire, connect, encourage, and support startups, students, and existing entrepreneurs. Through educational training, entrepreneurs and students will have access to the tools needed to build valuable companies and technical prowess.
Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center
The Morehouse Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) is a global model for higher education and industry collaborations, programs that connect education with student leadership development, and community-focused resources and support.
UNCF founded the HBCU Innovation Summit program in 2013 — a national movement to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and access for African American communities in the worlds of tech and science. Our work is fueled by our fundamental belief that any young person empowered with resources and access is capable of achieving amazing things in changing landscapes. Through this initiative, we have introduced hundreds of students to the giants of the tech world, created a pipeline of the next generation of young black innovators, and contributed to a culture that inspires students to disrupt industries and change their communities.
Benedict College Women’s Business Center
The mission of the Benedict College Women’s Business Center (BC WBC) is to support economic prosperity for women and strengthen communities through entrepreneurial and financial education services that create and grow sustainable jobs and businesses across South Carolina.
The BC WBC will provide a statewide ecosystem for minority women-owned businesses through job creation, increased revenue, and the achievement of economic independence.