October 28, 2020

Six Top Students to Compete for $25k in HBCU Pitch Contest

24-hour Hackathon Generates Real-world Solutions for Sponsor Company

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Top Bowie State University students with a passion for innovation and technology are set to compete for a $25,000 prize in a national business pitch contest against student teams from other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Taking place Nov. 4-7, 2020, the virtual HBCU Battle of the Brains is a 24-hour hackathon where HBCU students will use technology to solve real-world problems for corporations, startups and industry leaders, like Home Depot, National Football League and Dell Corporation. The winning teams will get to bring their innovation to life at the sponsor company.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the HBCU Battle of the Brains competition was cancelled, along with the SXSW Conference in February. The virtual event not only provides an opportunity for the students to compete for cash prizes, but it also provides a platform for networking with tech and business professionals, with the chance to jumpstart their future careers.

The BSU Entrepreneurship Academy selected the following team members through a competitive application process:

  • Ahmed Ashkar (team captain), senior, computer science major
  • Lloyd Bolodeoku, freshman, computer science major
  • Andrei Carillo, senior, computer science major
  • Cherrie Espineda, sophomore, computer science major
  • Ololade Opaola, student in the Master of Science in information systems degree program
  • Fekadu Urga, junior, computer science major

The team’s faculty advisor is Jainaba Ceesay, a lecturer in the Department of Management, Marketing and Public Administration. Joshua Adebambo (’20) serves as the alumni coach.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.