Grants, prizes and pitch competitions can help founders access capital, but the rules may include scoring criteria, publicity terms, confidentiality limits, legal waivers or financing structures that deserve close review.
CAPITAL · TODAY
TODAY'S BBD500 SPOTLIGHT · Leadership
VIEW PROFILE →Vernice Armour
Hall of Fame speaker, entrepreneur, bestselling author and America’s first Black female combat pilot. She teaches leadership, courage, performance and making decisive moves through uncertainty.
MORE FROM THE BBD500More people
More people
to know.
The BBD500 is Black Biz Daily's curated stage for Black founders, executives, investors, educators, authors, consultants, creators and business authorities whose work deserves to be seen. It is not a popularity ranking; it recognizes useful authority, demonstrated impact and sustained contribution.
EXPLORE THE BBD500 →01Entertainment Entrepreneurship
Kevin Hart
Chairman and CEO of Hartbeat, entertainer and entrepreneur who has built a multiplatform entertainment company spanning production, distribution, live experiences and brand partnerships.
02Creator Economy
Mattie James
Lifestyle entrepreneur, bestselling author, podcaster and creator educator. She teaches content systems, personal branding, influencer marketing and the business practices creators need to build sustainable online brands.
03Leadership
Shellye Archambeau
Technology executive, board director, author and former MetricStream CEO. She teaches leadership, risk-taking, career strategy and how professionals can intentionally build influence and executive success.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHINGThe questions
The questions
shaping what
comes next.
The Brief tells you what matters now. This desk follows the deeper business shifts our newsroom believes deserve sustained attention.
THE CALENDARFOR FOUNDERS · STARTUPS · ENTREPRENEURS
Where our community meets next.
Discover conferences, summits and gatherings worth knowing. Dates and details are verified against official organizer information before publication.
BLACK ENTERPRISE XCEL Summit for Men 2026
ORLANDO, FLORIDA · CONFIRMEDVIEW EVENT →NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange 2026
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA · CONFIRMEDVIEW EVENT →AFROTECH Conference 2026
HOUSTON, TEXAS · CONFIRMEDVIEW EVENT →WHY BLACK BIZ DAILY EXISTS
Business coverage through our lens.
Black Biz Daily exists to document, explain and celebrate the companies, founders, executives, investors, authors and thinkers shaping our economic future.
We cover the business stories that matter to our community with seriousness, curiosity and consistency every day.
OUR VISION & PUBLISHER →