Welcoming Franklin Templeton to Our HBCU Founder’s Family
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since we launched the Nex Cubed HBCU Founder’s Program in the wake of the series of devastating racial injustice events last summer. What started as a program to support and inspire HBCU students and alumni, has become a major pillar of Nex Cubed’s mission to promote diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. Over the course of the past year, we’ve been humbled by the ongoing support from our committed network of advisors, HBCUs, and corporate partners in making this program a success. On that note, we’re thrilled to officially welcome Franklin Templeton, a leading global investment firm, as our newest Founding Partner!
Joining our previously announced Founding Partner AT&T, Franklin Templeton will help inform the FinTech program offerings as well as provide hands-on support to the program members through its employees as they serve as mentors and advisors.
“We are proud to partner with organizations such as Nex Cubed who have a shared commitment to diversity and creating a more inclusive investment environment,” said Regina Curry, Chief Diversity Officer at Franklin Templeton. “We believe the HBCU Founder’s Program will play a critical role in creating equal representation and access to opportunities within the startup ecosystem.”
To date, more than 350 students and alumni from over 50 HBCUs have enrolled in the Nex Cubed program and participated in informative industry webinars and virtual ideation sessions. The events are led by corporate executives, successful entrepreneurs, and top-tier investors across FinTech, EdTech, Digital Health, and PropTech – key social determinants in desperate need of systemic reform that technology can help enable. Earlier this spring, Nex Cubed debuted the nine startups and their founders who were selected to participate in the inaugural HBCU Founder’s Summer Acceleration Program, which kicked off virtually on June 1st.
“It is fairly common knowledge that there is a lack of diversity in the VC space, and therefore the startup ecosystem, and a lot of work needs to be done in order to improve this,” commented Nex Cubed CEO, Marlon Evans. “Our HBCU Founder’s Program aims to close the racial disparity gap and provide not only monetary support for aspiring entrepreneurs, but also advisory support, mentorship, and networking opportunities. We’re proud to partner with organizations like Franklin Templeton who are committed to locking arms and achieving this goal.”
We’re excited to welcome Franklin Templeton into our growing HBCU Founder’s community and look forward to working together to take the steps needed to close the racial wealth gap in the tech industry.
To learn more about the HBCU Founder’s Program click here. If you are interested in learning more about partnership opportunities, contact us here.