When Pharrell Williams spoke about his nonprofit Black Ambition in a recent interview he told Black start-up founders that the org’s mission is to “find you and then fund you.”
He and the team at Black Ambition are keeping their promise with the support of Heineken USA in a recently announced partnership with the aim of providing funding and mentorship opportunities to Black and Latinx founders across the US.
As the sole beverage and alcohol sponsor, HEINEKEN USA will support the nonprofit through funding and personalized executive coaching sessions via a Learning Lab Series. The brand will also be sponsoring Black Ambition’s podcast and the “Decode the Encoded” speaker series to discuss solutions to challenges startups face.
“We are excited about this partnership. The opportunity for our entrepreneurs to have access, mentorship and strategic support from the HEINEKEN USA team will be extremely valuable along their entrepreneurial journey,” said Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition in a news release.
Earlier this year, Black Ambition gifted Black and Latinx founders with prizes ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000.
During a virtual celebration of the prize winner, Williams along with Black Ambition CEO, Felecia Hatcher showed the recorded moments from when they shared the prize-winning news with the finalists.
This latest Heineken partnership is a continuation of their mission to close the racial wealth gap through immediate financial and social resources.
“Understanding that financial and professional support are crucial for entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed, we’re excited to begin our work with Black Ambition to achieve our shared vision of building inclusive communities and closing the opportunity gap,” said Josephine Bertrams SVP and chief corporate affairs officer of HEINEKEN USA in a news release. “HEINEKEN USA employees will donate their time and skills to support emerging entrepreneurs who will go on to create a better future for all, and we’re looking forward to learning from these inspiring leaders through this partnership. We’re equally as honored to help play a small role in their success.”
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