In his quest to provide opportunities for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, Pharrell Williams and Black Ambition have announced the winners of various monetary prizes at the non-profit organization’s private virtual awards show, reports Billboard.
On Tuesday night (July 13), Pharrell presented the Black Ambition Prize, which provides access to growth capital, pitch feedback, and mentorship for entrepreneurs of color with start-ups in consumer products and services, design, health, and tech. The winner of the $1 million prize was Livegistics, which built a cloud-based platform that enhances the manner in which companies manage civil projects.
Pharrell spoke on Livegistics’ embodiment of the values of the Black Ambition initiative and the impact of the team’s efforts. “If you think you’re excited, we really mean it when we say that we’re excited,” Williams said while presenting the prize. “This is a game changer. This [Black Ambition initiative] is about meeting human beings like you. You guys are the examples. You’re the dreams that we dreamt of [and] this is what Black Ambition is all about. All the game changing, it begins right now.”
Rapper Tobe Nwigwe also partook in the event, performing his song “Prosper.” Hampton University president William Robert Harvey also gave an inspiring speech praising his alma mater and its alumni’s accomplishments. In addition to the Black Ambition award, several Black Ambition HBCU Prizes were also awarded to various business owners and entrepreneurs from historically black colleges and universities community. Cash winnings ranged from $50,000 to $1 million.
See the full list of winners below:
Livegistics – Black Ambition $1 million grand prize
Alodia – Black Ambition $250,000 prize
Beereaders – Black Ambition $250,000 prize
QuirkChat – Black Ambition $250,000 prize
Emagine Solutions Technology – Black Ambition $100,000 prize
Dosso Beauty – Black Ambition HBCU $250,000 grand prize
Shea’d – Black Ambition HBCU $100,000 prize
GABA – Black Ambition HBCU $75,000 prize
PaperAI – Black Ambition HBCU $50,000 prize