Bowie State University to Spearhead First HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference

HBCUs and Community Leaders around the Country Collaborate and Share Entrepreneurship Best Practices

MEDIA CONTACT: Cassandra Robinson, crobinson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4336

(BOWIE, Md.) – Bowie State University will host its first HBCU Conference for entrepreneurs on September 30 - October 1, 2021 to strengthen the HBCU entrepreneurial ecosystem to provide a foundation for wealth building in the African American community. The event will take place virtually and conference attendees must register by September 24.

The conference is expected to attract HBCUs around the country, including faculty, student entrepreneurs, and campus and community entrepreneur champions. The online forum will provide opportunities for like-minded individuals to network, entrepreneurs to share best practices, and Bowie State to amplify the growth and innovations of its entrepreneurship initiatives. It’s also an opportunity for business leaders to share opportunities and resources to help HBCUs and the next generation of future leaders develop an entrepreneurial mindset and increase their knowledgebase.

“This event will empower people to help foster their entrepreneurial spirit,” said Johnetta Boseman Hardy, Executive Director, BSU Entrepreneurship Academy. “Bowie State is boldly paving the way to prosperity by laying the foundation.”

Sponsored by Truist, the conference will feature national thought leaders including representatives from Cvent, Amazon, Operation Hope, Inc., Inroads, and the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Several renowned entrepreneurs will serve as keynote speakers including Shark Tank’s Daymond John, Former CEO of Chesapeake Bay Candle Mei Xu, and serial entrepreneur and author John Hope Bryant who is also the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation Hope, Inc.

Prior to the conference kick-off, there will be a student marketplace where current and recent alums from HBCUs across the country will showcase their entrepreneurial ventures. The Student Marketplace Exhibition will take place virtually on Thursday, September 30, 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. HBCU Buzz Founder and CEO Luke Lawal, Jr. (’12) will serve as keynote speaker.

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to choose from seven 50-minute conference tracks to help improve their day-to-day teaching, enhance their entrepreneurial ecosystem, and get ideas that lead to collaborative opportunities. Some of the conference tracks include E-Ship STEAM Ideation, Entrepreneurship Research & Development, E-Ship Best Practices in Teaching Across Curriculums, and Experiential Learning to Develop the Entrepreneurial Mindset.

“Our conference will bring to the forefront the challenges that African Americans face in the entrepreneurship space and resources to address them,” said Hardy. “These renowned speakers were selected to address these challenges we face because they are well respected in their areas of expertise. The best practices that will be shared will help us to overcome the challenges so that Bowie State is seen as the go to academic institution of higher learning in the community for entrepreneurship.”

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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.