Founders on the Yard brings top HBCU talent

By Lauren Ivey

Founders on the Yard, the nation’s first accelerator program and Demo Day designed to spotlight standout HBCU student and alumni startup founders from across the country, took place in Sunnyvale, California. This year’s experience brought innovation, talent and opportunity to the forefront in Silicon Valley. 

Created by Howard students Atuwatse Okorodudu and Chukwuemeka Ugorji (B.S. ’06), the program gave participants the opportunity to showcase their ventures before leading investors and ecosystem leaders while engaging in a dynamic week of live product demos, technical workshops, legal and banking sessions, and meaningful networking with operators across the startup landscape. The Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California, hosted the event.

Supported by industry-leading organizations including Microsoft for Startups, Google for Startups, B Capital, J.P. Morgan, HBCU Founders Initiative, Viable EDU, PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship, Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship, and Gunderson Dettmer, Founders on the Yard continues to expand access to resources, capital and connections for the next generation of founders.

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