HBCU Entrepreneurs Earn $10K Prize At NBA Foundation’s First Pitch Competition

Entrepreneurs Daa’iyah Fogle, a Claflin University alumnus, and Malcolm Lee, a graduate of Virginia Union University, are the winners of the NBA Foundation’s first-ever pitch competition in partnership with Black Girl Ventures. The joint competition, held in Cleveland, allowed college-aged entrepreneurs from HBCUs across the US to participate and pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges.

The entrepreneurs eligible to participate in the competition were all Black Girl Ventures’ NextGen Program members. The scheme was created to support the next generation of Black and brown business leaders attending HBCUs nationally and has provided them with access to capital, training, mentoring, and new networks.

Fogle and Lee tied for first place in the competition and both received $5,000 to develop their business.

Day’s Design, which was founded by Daa’iyah Fogle in 2021, is a boutique marketing agency committed to producing creative solutions to help small businesses excel in today’s digital-driven world. The organization offers various services including brand identity design, social media marketing, and graphic design.

Additionally, Gabb Global founded by Malcolm Lee in 2017, is an educational tech firm that uses immersive language learning tools to help eliminate the language barrier. The platform uses pocket parent tutors, natural language processing tools, and virtual reality immersion to make practicing a foreign language easier for English as a Second Language (ESL) students.

The second and third winners are yet to be revealed, but supporters can still view pitches and vote for the remaining contestants over the next few days. Second and third place winners will receive $6,000 and $2,000 respectively.