Launching Our HBCU Founders Accelerator

Two weeks ago in Atlanta, we launched the first cohort of the HBCU Founders Accelerator Program. I couldn't be more honored and excited to have played a role in assembling this amazing group of founders. As this cohort is well on its way, I wanted to both announce these companies as well as reflect on some takeaways.

Nex Cubed Managing Director, Mike Ma, with HBCU Founders Accelerator Spring 2023 Cohort Members during kickoff in Atlanta.

First and foremost, the screening process for this cohort reaffirmed our belief that there is a massive amount of underrepresented HBCU talent in the startup community. We screened over 270 startups with founders from HBCUs, and we saw an amazing depth in industries ranging from FinTech to Fashion, from GreenTech to Digital Health. Although it was one of the most difficult selections we have ever done, the quality of the companies and founders in this group speaks for itself.

Now, let me introduce you to the companies:

1. AllPeep - D'Angelo Senat (Florida A&M University)

AllPeep offers a white-label social network solution that empowers brands by providing them ownership of their online community data, thereby addressing the social dilemma and creating a level playing field.

• AllPeep graduated from the HBCU Founders Institute Pre-Accelerator and used its free resources to secure its first round of funding, including acceptance into the HBCU Founders Accelerator.

2. BE$TOW - Jack Foster Jr. (Florida A&M University)

Bestow develops patented mobile technology to anonymize P2P Payments or connect at conferences and events.

• Bestow was recently showcased by Apple Black Entrepreneur Camp and the Propel Center to promote HBCU technology use in education.

3. Enrichly - Margo Jordan (Texas Southern University)

Enrichly is a self-esteem-based e-learning platform and gaming app that uses technology and human interaction to empower youth with essential life skills and foster personal development.

• Enrichly landed an international contract in Dubai and received its first investment of $50k from conversations on Clubhouse.

4. GRADIFY - Travis Manigan (Howard University)

GRADIFY is a LinkedIn for K12 students that schools and nonprofits utilize to connect students to college and career pathways.

• GRADIFY is scaling a National partnership with the YMCA.

5. Guilde - Donovan Wright (Howard University)

Guilde is a mobile cost estimator built on local, real-time cost data helping contractors avoid budget overages & project delays caused by underbidding.

• Guilde is the preferred platform for one of the largest contractor associations in Michigan.

6. SoleSafe - Phil Terrill (Tuskegee University)

Solesafe is an insurtech startup on a mission to create a unified collection management platform for collectors to collect, connect, track, and insure what they love.

• SoleSafe has over $1M in sneaker collection value on its platform since its soft launch in February 2023. 

7. Spendebt - Ty'Lisha Summers (Dillard University)

Spendebt helps companies recover payments from their customers with every swipe of their debit card or banking transaction.

• Spendebt’s founders were their very first customers, using the same principles the company was built upon to become debt free!

8. Transition - Kayla Wright-Jackson and Corey Shaw (Morehouse College)

Transition uniquely tackles healthcare staff shortages by streamlining training to employment for aspiring professionals. 

• Transition's leadership duo brings a powerful mix of industry experience! CTO Corey scaled solutions for healthcare training and CEO Kayla enhanced recruitment challenges during Covid-19.

As I mentioned earlier, our commitment to supporting HBCU students and alumni did not happen overnight. We have been offering a completely free pre-accelerator program for aspiring entrepreneurs who are at the idea stage through the HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI) non-profit since 2020. The program has already helped over 700 students and alumni from over 80 HBCUs.

We firmly believe that customized acceleration is the way forward for each of our founders, and the founders responded. We work with each startup individually to create a tailored work plan and choose key performance indicators to track their progress. Our approach of pairing each portfolio company with two dedicated world-class advisors to provide executive-level support throughout the program was demonstrated in abundance throughout the course of the week. 

Lastly, during the kickoff, we were thrilled to witness the founders providing coaching and encouragement to each other. This resulted in a strong sense of community amongst the group, which is exactly what we aim to foster. The founders pitched to each other and worked together to create their 16-week growth plans while providing feedback to accelerate each other's progress. We are excited to continue building this community as we head towards their in-person Showcase Pitch Event in Silicon Valley later this summer.

Venture Capital Panel at the HBCU Founders Accelerator Spring 2023 Cohort Kickoff in Atlanta, April 26, 2023. Panelists: De‘Havia Stewart, ATL Chapter Lead, BLCK VC; Anastasia Simon, Investment Principal, Techstars; Justin Dawkins, Managing Partner, Collab Capital

Jack Foster Jr., the founder of Bestow, pitching to fellow cohort members and advisors at the HBCU Founders Accelerator Spring 2023 Cohort Kickoff in Atlanta, April 26, 2023.

In sum, we are incredibly excited to work with this talented group of founders who are committed to building not just their businesses, but also a strong community of HBCU Founders. We look forward to the next steps of this journey with them. Onwards!