Michael B. Jordan Serena Williams Giving HBCU Chance at $1 Million

Michael B. Jordan, Serena Williams and MaC Venture Capital Partner Are Giving Founders From HBCUs A Chance To Be Awarded $1 Million

The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, which will be showcasing the talents of basketball athletes this December with a tournament that will feature several Historically Black College and University (HBCU), has announced a collaboration with MaC Venture Capital, tennis legend Serena Williams’ investment firm, Serena Ventures and actor Michael B. Jordan. The partners have come together to create a Startup Pitch Competition for HBCU founders.

According to AfroTech, participants will be able to submit investor decks and business proposals from now until Nov. 18 to be selected for an opportunity to win a chance to be awarded up to $1 million from Serena Ventures and MaC Venture Capitol in structured safe investments. Williams and Jordan will be on hand during the halftime of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Basketball Showcase Finals, which is taking place in December, to award the winning founders.

“At MaC we like to say that talent is ubiquitous but access to opportunity is not. Two of our partners are HBCU alumni & we could not be more excited to uncover and support the amazing entrepreneurial talent we know is thriving at these universities.” https://t.co/q0pQxNdxVL

— MaC Venture Capital (@MaCVentureCap) October 18, 2021

“HBCUs are an integral part of our educational ecosystem and have long been centers of entrepreneurial excellence,” Serena Ventures General Partner Alison Stillman, CFA said in a written statement. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Michael B. Jordan and MaC ventures on highlighting the brilliant student and alumni founders.”

The winning founders of the Startup Pitch Competition will be advised by executives from MaC Ventures, Serena Ventures, Invesco, Thirty-Five Ventures, Harlem Capital Partners, and Cake Ventures after the competition to ensure their longtime success.

The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic will be happening at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Tickets for the HBCU basketball showdown can be purchased online via Prucenter, Ticketmaster, and in person at Prudential Center’s Box Office. The competition, which will air on Dec. 18 on TNT, will feature a doubleheader competition of Hampton University versus North Carolina Central University and Howard University versus North Carolina A&T University.

Partial proceeds from the basketball competition will go toward organizations that make it their mission to advance HBCUs, as well as the local Newark community. For those who would like to apply for the Startup Pitch Competition, they can click here to obtain more information regarding rules and details for submitting.

Four HBCUs + @michaelb4jordan + Invesco QQQ = Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic! Learn more about the December hardwood showdown and events surrounding the games here: https://t.co/6GpgFTLc0d #QQQ #LegacyClassic pic.twitter.com/EIl9PhH5z3

— Invesco US (@InvescoUS) September 1, 2021