Elevate Black Entrepreneurs Scholarship
A $500 grant designed to empower the next generation of Black entrepreneurs.
About the Scholarship
Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not. Although African-Americans comprise 13.4% of the US population, just 1% of start-ups receiving venture funding have Black founders.
While entrepreneurship is one of the most impactful ways to move communities and the country forward, the pipeline of funded entrepreneurs does not reflect the diversity of our country.
And since the focus of funded start-ups tends to reflect the experience of their founders, lack of representation means blindspots in innovation. Critical, solvable problems go unaddressed. Concurrently, funding often flows in favor of ideas for businesses in saturated markets with less potential for impact and scale.
Solving this problem will take deep dedication across the start-up, tech, and venture capital world.
As one small part of this, the Elevate Black Entrepreneurs Scholarship will be awarded to a Black undergraduate or graduate school entrepreneur who is currently building or who aspires to build a new business.
You can learn how to start your own scholarship fund here.
Scholarship Details
The scholarship will be awarded to one undergraduate or graduate school student.
Timeline
The next application deadline is March 30, 2025.
$500 Cash Award
Life and school are expensive. The $500 cash award is designed to lessen the financial burden of life.
Pay it Forward
If you know someone who might be a good fit, encourage them to apply. If you win the scholarship, pay it forward by helping others.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must meet the requirements below. Please read the requirements carefully to ensure you meet eligibility before applying.
- Current Black undergraduate or graduate school student.
- Current or aspiring Black entrepreneur.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident.
- All GPAs will be considered.
- All majors are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
You can apply for this scholarship on the Bold.org scholarship platform. To apply, you will need to set up a student profile on Bold.org and write a 500-1,000 word essay about the following:
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your business (or business idea). What inspired you to start it? What do you hope it will achieve?
The scholarship is open to current or aspiring Black entrepreneurs across any field or business stage will be considered. Winners will be selected on the merit of their business idea, and on the impact that additional support would have for them.
Meet Mazey, the 2020 Scholarship Winner
I aspire to provide opportunities for talented and underprivileged filmmakers to tell their stories.
Mazey Copeland is a a 19-year-old student at Mt. Hood Community College who is building a production company that will help break down barriers and equalize opportunity in Hollywood. The company’s purpose is to be able to develop films and projects outside of the constraints of Hollywood and large-scale funding. In doing so, the company hopes to provide independence for artists and give them more ownership over their creative ideas.
Scholarship FAQ
When is the scholarship deadline?
The application deadline is March 30, 2025.
What is the scholarship prize?
The scholarship award is $500.
When will the winner be chosen and notified?
The winner will be publicly announced in April 2025. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
How will the scholarship be paid?
We will send the $500 award check to the winner’s academic institution in their name, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school’s requirements).
How will my application be verified?
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to verify their academic enrollment status by providing a copy of their most recent transcript.
How can I contact you with questions?
If you have any questions about the scholarship, you can email [email protected]. You can also reach us by phone at 858-264-3028 and by mail at:
Calvin Rosser
2460 17th Avenue #1051
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
How will my application information be used? What are the scholarship terms and conditions?
We manage this scholarship with the support of the Bold.org scholarship platform. Bold.org takes student confidentiality and privacy incredibly seriously. Please refer to the application page on Bold.org for full details. See advertiser disclosure.