Dozens of small business owners came to the University of Maryland’s Stamp Student Union on Saturday to deliver 60-second pitches at Black Girl Ventures’ “Pull Up & Pitch” event, where they competed for thousands of dollars for support of their ideas.
The event, which is held at venues across the country and has partnerships with the NBA Foundation, The Washington Mystics and Chesapeake Employers Financial, aims to support underrepresented founders.
Competitors participated in 60-second pitches in front of a panel of judges for the first round and those who advanced later competed in three minute pitches for the final round.
“These opportunities allow for Black and brown individuals to know that their work matters,” said Tiana Jorman, a participant in the competition. “It also allows us to level the playing field and just show up as our authentic selves and present a product or service that we know that the community needs.”
Jorman’s business, Black Satin Co., is an organic coffee brand sourcing exclusively from women-led farms. “This money will really allow me to do more sourcing from women-led farms and ensuring that the money that I make through my business goes directly to those farms.”
Other participants also felt that the prize money would support their businesses and help them contribute to their communities, and the world.
“I love the fact that people in the community are donating into our dreams and hopes to just make the world a better place,” said Brittany Symone, whose new business aims to “build a creative sanctuary for relaxation [and] decompression for adults.” Symone owns a company called Detox Art, where she sells coloring books and hosts wellness art events made for Black, Indigenous and people of color.
Symone said the event was “a blessing to have, because it just helps us fuel ourselves to get to the next step.” Pitch events like the one on Saturday help small business owners avoid high interest rates and business loans, she said. “There are multiple ways to fund your dreams.”
Participants included entrepreneurs in many different industries including artists and fashion brands.
“I create every single thing, from the logo to the designs on the tees and the accessories that I sell,” said Ifechukwude Arah, a university alumni and owner of fashion brand N.W.A.D., which “seeks to tell the stories of the children of the Black diaspora.”
Arah wants to solve the problem of misrepresentation in the Black diaspora community both through her work and through conversations surrounding it, she said.
Damien Bell, the project manager for the event said the event was important to inspire and instill hope in the local community.
“It’s scary to get up there and pitch your business, and then it’s even more scary when you don’t know anyone in the crowd, or the crowd doesn’t look like you. So it’s very important that we come together for underfunded communities and make sure that they feel like they have somebody that represents them and is batting for them.”
Bell encouraged entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds to keep pushing.
“There are more people coming up with new ideas every day, and they’re trying to make sure that underfunded folks and folks who are in minorities are seen and they’re heard, and they have a space to show up, so please keep going.”
Image credits: Cover photo by Safiyah Fatima/Al-Hikmah Staff.
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