Empowering Black Entrepreneurship: Stories of Success, Strategy & Growth
A High-Voltage Celebration of Innovation, Access, and the Future of Entrepreneurship Mellody Hobson, Steve Stoute, and the nation’s top founders take the stage
Pharrell Williams and Black Ambition will host the 5th Annual Black Ambition Demo Day on Friday, November 14, 2025, followed by the half-day Black Ambition Founders Forum on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at The Sacred Space Miami, located at 105 NE 24th St, Miami, FL 33137.
The two-day experience, presented in partnership with Visa, Louis Vuitton, Lennar Foundation, and Adidas, will bring together game-changing founders, visionaries, investors, and cultural icons for a celebration of Black ambition, underrepresented entrepreneurs, ingenuity, and ownership.
“There’s so much brilliance out there that never gets seen. So many ideas that could change the world if they just had a chance. That’s why we built Black Ambition — to make sure talent doesn’t stop at potential. It has the chance to be seen, funded, and believed in. It’s about turning vision into reality, and making opportunity something everyone can touch.” Pharrell Williams — Founder, Black Ambition
A Prize Designed to Change the Game
This year, nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs nationwide applied to the 2025 Black Ambition Prize.
25 finalists will receive awards totaling more than $1 million in funding:
- 5 HBCU Pre-Accelerator winners: $20,000 each
- 19 national finalists: $50,000 each
- 1 top prize winner: $100,000
- $25,000 People’s Choice Award — announced live on stage
The evening will also feature a live showcase of six breakout founders, building disruptive companies across multiple industries.
“Access changes everything,” said Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition. “Five years proves that our impact is real, but the future demands more. More scale. More courage. More investment in founders who are rewriting what’s possible. In this climate, scaling isn’t just growth, it’s survival, power, and legacy.”
Day One: Black Ambition Demo Day — Friday, November 14th, 2025
- Emcee: Jay Pharoah
- Live founder showcases
- Alumni spotlights celebrating past success stories
- Featured Fireside Chat: Pharrell Williams × Mellody Hobson, President & Co-CEO of Ariel Investments
- Live auction & networking reception with investors and cultural leaders
Day Two: Black Ambition Founders Forum — Saturday, November 15th, 2025
The Founders Forum will bring together founders, investors, and visionaries for a power-packed half-day of strategy, storytelling, and connection.
Highlights include:
- “Access. Ownership. Impact.” — A blueprint for the next generation of founders
- Fireside chat with Steve Stoute, CEO of UnitedMasters, moderated by Felecia Hatcher
- Masterclasses + storytelling with past Black Ambition winners
- Opportunities for local founders to plug into the movement
A Movement That’s Bigger Than a Prize
Since its launch in 2020, Black Ambition has:
- Supported 25,000+ entrepreneurs through programming and content
- Provided mentorship to over 1,175 founders through its Black Ambitionist accelerator
- Awarded millions in capital to 155+ startups nationwide
- Reimagined what access, ownership, and wealth creation can look like for underrepresented communities.
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