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 · Strategy & Social Impact
VIEW PROFILE →Jotaka Eaddy
Founder and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, investor and movement strategist. She teaches coalition building, advocacy, leadership and network-driven influence.
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 →01Fintech & Social Impact
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins
Co-founder and CEO of Promise and an experienced civic and technology leader. She publishes about fintech, public systems, entrepreneurship and designing services that improve economic mobility.
02Travel Business
Martinique Lewis
Travel consultant, technology founder, author and host of Black Travel Across America. She builds tools and partnerships that connect travelers and brands with Black-owned tourism businesses.
03Venture Capital
Melissa Bradley
Investor, professor, exited founder and founder of 1863 Ventures. She teaches entrepreneurs about capital, business development and growing New Majority companies from high potential to high growth.
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 →