WARNING: Extreme Levels of Black Excellence Ahead

By Ava Marshall

So look, 13 percent of the American population is Black, right? But only one percent of venture capitalist-backed start-ups have Black founders. The Moguls in the Making program is out to change that.

Big Sean

What’s a fire new collab you may not have heard of? The one Ally (an online financial services organization) recently launched with Big Sean’s the Sean Anderson Foundation and The Thurgood Marshall Fund. In a new video for this partnership’s pitch competition program, known as Moguls In The Making, we get a look inside, as 50 students from 10 HBCUs spent 48 hours in Detroit last spring vying for a win.

During the competition, participants were split into 10 groups of five — all members from the same school made up a team — and they were tasked with finding solutions for employment, education, and real estate in Detroit. On the final day, their pitches were judged by a panel, and the team that placed first would get $1,000 scholarships and internships with Ally.

Mad impressed with the pure talent shown by these students, though, Ally ended up offering each one of them an internship — 15 accepted. Watch the video below and peep interviews with a few of the participants. And be sure to keep a lookout for their second competition year coming up in the ‘2-0.

*Sesi, is a Black-owned, indie, print magazine that has never been backed by traditional investors. All of our funding comes from donations, subscriptions, and self-funding. You can donate here and subscribe here.