ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 27, 2024 – The 6th annual Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) the PITCH awarded the top two winning teams with over $55,000 in scholarships this past week in front of a packed house at the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia to further provide access and opportunity to Historically Black College and University (HBCU) scholars from across the country.
This year’s event featured nearly 200 HBCU scholars in a five-day program that involved generating business ideas and models, creating prompt engineering, and honing presentation skills. The competition aimed to test the abilities of student innovators and budding entrepreneurs in creating solutions for corporate, societal, or educational concerns. Teams competed in three elimination rounds before panels of industry experts and representatives from the entertainment industry, venture capitalists, and angel communities.
In partnership with Wells Fargo, CBRE, Coca-Cola, and United Airlines, The PITCH helped students foster their entrepreneurial drive, guiding them from the first idea to securing financing and transforming their campus concepts into successful enterprises.
“By participating as coaches, we have the opportunity to help students solutions through collaboration, as well as support them with conflict resolution and navigating team dynamics to ensure that they’re able to develop the best possible business solution and deliver a phenomenal pitch,” says presidential partner representative, Toya Everett, Global Director, Enterprise Programs Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team.
The final pitch competition, held at the Coca-Cola headquarters on Thursday, May 23, showcased the top teams in the following categories: Social Impact Entrepreneurship – Business Success with Mission for Societal Betterment; Next-Gen Tech – AI, Machine Learning, EduTech, FinTech, and Blockchain; Global Sustainability – Renewable Energy, Waste Reduction, and Clean Tech Innovation; Transforming Health & Wellness – Digital health, telemedicine, biotechnology, medical devices, and personalized medicine; and Arts, Entertainment & Cultural Advancement.
Winners Announcement:
- First Place Team – Heavenly Tech: Won $35,000. Each student received $5,000. Student participants included Michayla George from Tennessee State University, Jayden Petrus and Eryn Glover from Johnson C. Smith University, Kaori Adams and Magalie Salomon from Howard University, Maliqua Kamau from the Virgin Islands, and Destiny Hodges from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.
- Second Place Team – The PACEmakers: Won $17,500. Each student received $2,500. Student participants included Victoria Hall, Ashley Adams, and Hojahnea Hodges from Bluefield State College; Brittney Henry from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Tomisin Adebari and Joy Jairus from Morgan State University; and Kaiden Levy from Jackson State University.
Winning teams and the most outstanding participants received over $50,000 in prize and scholarship funding. Many of the participants are encouraged to continue to develop their pitch ideas at their respective colleges and universities. TMCF the PITCH is open to all TMCF HBCU and PBI member schools interested in launching new business and social impact ventures through the Innovation and Entrepreneurship division.
ABOUT THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND:
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s leading advocate for the Black College Community. TMCF’s member schools, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), serve as pillars of excellence in higher education, enrolling nearly 80% of all Black college students. Through scholarships, capacity-building initiatives, research programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF empowers students and institutions to excel in PK-12 and higher education. Additionally, TMCF connects top employers with diverse talent, facilitating internships and job opportunities for aspiring professionals.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to advancing equity and excellence in education. For more information, visit www.tmcf.org.
