Student Entrepreneur Selected for Venture Capital Master Class

Computer Tech Major Richard Clay Brings VC Expertise to Campus

(BOWIE. Md.) – Bowie State University junior Richard Clay was selected as one of 30 undergraduate and graduate students representing universities from across the nation to participate in a venture capital master class hosted by The Blueprint Project. Clay, an active member of BSU’s Entrepreneurship Academy[BROKEN LINK], used the course to expand his knowledge of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and further prepare him for a career in investing.

The student-run venture capital firm Dorm Room Fund, launched the Inaugural Blueprint Investor Track Cohort to promote diversity in the venture capital industry by helping Black, Latinx and Indigenous student investors learn the intricacies of the business. For six weeks this summer, the cohort connected with peers, mentors and venture capitalists already in the field to share ideas and learn from each other.

Through the program, Clay was able to grow his expertise and his network by completing an individual project while building relationships with a talented pool of minority students from Ivy League institutions and other distinguished HBCUs. "I crafted a venture thesis around event technology, connected with peers who are older than me and have more experience. I was able to collaborate with talented students from universities like Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Morehouse and Spelman."

Now that the program is complete, Clay hopes to help Bowie State students and alumni with scalable, technology-based startups find the right venture capital partners to grow their businesses. "It's critical for us to start building generational wealth and stability at HBCUs and in our communities. It starts with understanding the importance of entrepreneurship and finding the financial resources to get started."

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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.