WASHINGTON, DC (April 2, 2019) – The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), in collaboration with Detroit-based Ally Financial, Inc., and Detroit native, entertainer and entrepreneur Sean ‘Big Sean’ Anderson, hosted Moguls in the Making, Friday, March 29 through Sunday, March 31 in Detroit, Michigan. This innovative program prepared entrepreneurially minded students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to become future corporate and small business leaders.
From a pool of more than 500 applications, TMCF selected 50 student participants from 10 TMCF member-schools: Alabama A&M University, Elizabeth City State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, Jackson State University, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Tennessee State University, and Virginia State University.
The entrepreneurial development, mentoring and pitch competition gave the students the opportunity to hear from leaders such as Ally CEO, Jeff Brown; Andrea Brimmer, Ally chief marketing and public relations officer; Anand Talwar, deposit and consumer strategy executive; Tommey Walker, principal, Detroit vs. Everybody; and George Spencer, TMCF executive vice president of business development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
“We are proud to work with amazing corporations like Ally Financial, Inc. and stars like Big Sean to identify the next generation of global entrepreneurs from our nation’s HBCUs,” said Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO. “The creative energy and ideation our students demonstrated during this competition was palpable. I look forward to following the careers of these young innovators, who are now Moguls in the Making.”
The students also participated in mentoring and financial literacy sessions, in addition to pitching their solutions for critical areas in the city of Detroit to an expert panel of judges that included Big Sean, founder of The Sean Anderson Foundation. The winning team from Florida A&M University created a unique artificial intelligence system that crafted tailored solutions to empower small, minority-owned businesses in Detroit.
The Florida A&M University team walked away with an internship opportunity at Ally, $5,000 scholarship for each team member and MacBook Air computers.
“It brings me great joy to know I was able to help lead our FAMU team to win the first Moguls in the Making competition as team captain,” said Emmanuel Blake Dawson, FAMU supply chain management student. “I was able to step out of my comfort zone, and all of us were able to make lifelong connections and friends. I am so thankful to TMCF, Ally Financial, and The Sean Anderson Foundation for giving us this amazing opportunity.”
For more information on TMCF entrepreneurship programs visit: https://www.tmcf.org/entrepreneurship
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ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.