Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Awards $2.7 Million to Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

NEW YORK — Pharrell Williams’ non-profit organization, Black Ambition, awarded over $2.7 million to 30 trailblazing Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs at its Fourth Annual Demo Day celebration last weekend. The event celebrated the innovation and resilience of underrepresented founders, reinforcing Black Ambition’s mission to close opportunity and wealth gaps in marginalized communities.

The $1 million grand prize was awarded to Dr. Monica Williams and Dana Roberts, Co-Founders of RedDrop, a brand dedicated to empowering tweens with period kits. RedDrop’s mission is to educate, support, and uplift young girls during their formative years. “Having $1 million to invest in our business is life-changing and will give us opportunities to grow and continue to impact our community,” said Dr. Williams, who highlighted the invaluable mentorship and networking opportunities provided by Black Ambition.

Thomas Fields, Founder and CEO of GRIND, a sports technology company aimed at inspiring inner-city youth to pursue careers in engineering and technology, secured the second-place prize of $250,000.

This year’s Demo Day welcomed over 3,000 entrepreneurs who competed for monetary prizes and mentorship opportunities. Eight finalists pitched their ideas across categories including AI, consumer products, healthcare, media, and technology. A distinguished panel of judges, including Lisa Price, Pinky Cole, Matt Story, and Erik Moore, selected the winners.

A Platform for Change

Speaking to the event’s impact, Black Ambition Founder Pharrell Williams said, “Hearing the stories and seeing their products reaffirmed that Black Ambition is needed to create more opportunity and wealth for Black and Brown communities.”

Winners will receive additional support beyond their monetary prizes, including mentorship sessions with Pharrell Williams and senior brand partners, office hours with industry leaders, wellness coaching, and access to premier networking events.

The event was emceed by renowned actor and advocate Hill Harper and included a discussion with Williams, Black Ambition CEO Felecia Hatcher, and entrepreneur Charles Phillips, who discussed the importance of entrepreneurship and community building.

A Legacy of Empowerment

Since its launch in 2020, Black Ambition has awarded $13 million in capital to 131 entrepreneurs, providing mentorship and support to over 1,000 founders. The network has generated over $265 million in revenue, proving the transformative power of investing in underrepresented communities.

Participating brand partners for this year’s Demo Day included Visa, Comcast, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, and the Lennar Foundation. The evening concluded with a celebratory networking reception, where winners connected with industry leaders.

Black Ambition CEO Felecia Hatcher noted, “This year’s Demo Day was another shining example of how Black Ambition is driving meaningful change. We are excited to work alongside this new generation of leaders and expand on the successes our network has achieved.”

To learn more about Black Ambition and view the complete list of winners, visit www.blackambitionprize.com. Follow Black Ambition on social media to stay updated on their mission to support Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.

Winners Include:

• National Prize Winners: AskSAMIE, Black Paper Party LLC, CPRWrap Inc., Farm to Flame Energy, GloveScaler, GRIND, Hire Ground, Homebody World, JustAir, Knowlej, LASARRUS Clinic and Research Center, Mela Vitamins Inc., Purpose Connect, PUZZLES OF COLOR, RedDrop, SMARTCharts, Sparen, Spoonful, Springrose, TANTV.
• HBCU Winners: Beebz, Forefront, Gamenite, LegacyHistoryPride, Mecca Made, Norn, Pluff, Recall Aid, The Felix Experience, Trameter.

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