Advancing Black Entrepreneurs: Discover your pathway to wealth on StartupBus!
A road trip and global startup championship for self-identifying Black technologists, creatives, and entrepreneurs, powered by JPMorgan Chase Advancing Black Pathways and Chase for Business.
Since its inception, StartupBus has been on a mission to empower people who are driven to change the world. Our annual entrepreneurship boot camp and startup competition, hailed as “the rite of passage for the tech industry” by HuffPost, brings together the brightest, most adventurous, and innovative talents across the globe and equips them with the experience, business skills, and social capital needed to launch the next generation of companies that disrupt the status quo — for the greater good.
This year, we are extremely proud to announce StartupBus: Advancing Black Entrepreneurs — the newest addition to our cohort of buses entering our 2019 North American championship — in partnership with JPMorgan Chase Advancing Black Pathways and Chase for Business.
The Advancing Black Entrepreneurs bus represents a huge step forward in our efforts to make tech entrepreneurship a truly diverse and inclusive industry. The bus will be comprised entirely of talents qualified by our Diversity Fellowship Program, which requires a commitment to contributing to their communities at home and advocating to support our mission for a diverse, inclusive, and accepting global StartupBus community.
Unlike any other buses we’ve ever hosted, we welcome all qualified tech talents, designers, and entrepreneurs who self-identify as Black to apply from not just one, but six, origin cities: New York City, Baltimore, MD, Washington D.C., Detroit, MI, Atlanta, GA, and Oakland, CA. If you’re applying from one of these cities, our crew will find a way to get you to Harlem, New York, where the journey will commence on July 24th, 2019.
Important Details
- Dates: July 24th to 28th, 2019.
- Launch city: New York, NY (Harlem)
- Destination: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Who can apply? Self-identifying Black technologists, designers, and entrepreneurs from: New York, NY; Baltimore, MD; Washington, D.C.; Detroit, MI; Atlanta, GA; and Oakland, CA.
- Cost: 🤜🏿💥only $99!💥🤛🏿
Thanks to our sponsors JPMorgan Chase Advancing Black Pathways and Chase for Business, lodging, meals, and return transportation stipends are all included for all of those who qualify for our Diversity Fellowship Program!
For more information on your eligibility and our application process, visit us at https://startupbus.com/abp.
Why Advancing Black Entrepreneurs?
Representation of Black people in tech is disproportionately low. Despite representing 12.6% of the US population, only 2% to 5.3% of tech executives are Black. The lack of diversity is so evident; even we had a hard time ourselves finding good photos and videos footage of Black Buspreneurs from our own archives.
Beyond tech, economic opportunities continue to remain out of reach for many Black Americans. That’s why we’re working to expand their pathways to wealth. We’re focused on improving the financial health of Black Americans through a focus on increased savings, improving credit, homebuyer counseling and helping black-owned small businesses get access to the capital they need.
During our epic road trip, we will be developing and creating pathways to financial empowerment. Our Black Buspreneurs will develop products aimed at improving the financial health of Black Americans. We’ll provide them with the ideal environment and tools to help them develop the confidence, negotiation skills and communication tactics needed to reach their full potential on the bus — and beyond.
What is StartupBus?
StartupBus is an entrepreneurship boot camp and global startup competition on-wheels spanning across 4 continents, 26 countries, 18 competitions, and a global community of over 1800+ alumni. It’s transformed hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs into founders that have raised over a $1B worth in venture capital and acquisitions. Not to mention all of the incredible media coverage.
Our legendary curriculum will accelerate you through an entire first year of launching a startup into just five days. You’ll form teams, conceptualize an idea together, build a product, pitch it to users and investors, and get traction with the goal of launching your dream startup within 72 hours en route to New Orleans. Better yet, you’ll receive guidance and support from world-class conductors, founders, technologists, and investors along the way.
Apply for #StartupBus2019 today!
Get involved!
Ride the bus
To get your invite code, pitch to us why you’re the perfect candidate for StartupBus by tweeting at @TheStartupBus, replying to this post on Medium, and hustling to get our attention. Get creative!
Partner with us
Interested in contributing to our mission? Please contact us to host a stop, sponsor our buses, donate to our diversity scholarship fund, spread the word, or mentor our participants.
We can’t wait to see you for our 10th anniversary!
From the StartupBus Team,
Elias, Madelena, Colleen,
Stefan, and Brandi, the Advancing Black Entrepreneurs bus organizers.
