- Grammy award winning artist Pharrell Williams' Black Ambition HBCU tour is visiting Florida A&M University.
- The goal is to give undergraduate and graduate students at HBCU's experience in building their own startups.
- Watch the video to hear from one of the students taking part in the experience.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"Oh yeah for sure, I'm definitely excited!" Rahsaan Corbin is a senior engineering student at Florida A&M University. He tells me what exactly he's excited about. "This is their second time, I believe, coming to FAMU. Basically, we're having different workshops and what not to prepare people who either has a business established already or aspiring like myself to get a business established."
It's called the Black Ambition HBCU Tour. Grammy award winning artist Pharrell Williams started the idea. Here on the highest of seven hills, entrepreneurs get a chance to team up with mentors and industry leaders. They're participating in a ten-thousand-dollar pitch competition.
The goal is to give undergraduate and graduate students at HBCU's experience in building their own startups.
Corbin tells me he has a few ideas of his own. "For me, I want to do it, because I need to know more about the business side of the aspect. I know the technical side. I just need to know the business side of it as well. I want us to enjoy life to the fullest but also progressing within our individual skills."
Corbin tells me his pitch is to create a spelling fitness app. The idea is to improve literacy rates as well as well-being.
I asked Senior Program Director for the Thurgood Marshall Innovation and Entrepreneurship team, Martin G. Martin the second, if he thinks the 3-day tour is benefiting students at HBCU's. "We got to give them the content, we got to give them the instruction. We do love our students to come in almost as blank skates or canvases if you will."
So far, over 100 students registered to participate in the tour. FAMU is one of the several HBCU's on the tour. Other schools include Clark Atlanta, Texas Southern and Spelman College.
"I'm there to learn and network in a way, because I don't know who I might run into or who might be able to help me in the long term maybe a year from now or two years from now," Corbin concluded.
