The Black dollar has consistently proved its power. From the impact of the historic community in Tulsa, OK, to the current cultural impact on the economy – there is no doubt that the Black dollar is a powerful and influential tool.

This power is leveraged even more with the uptick in Black and minority entrepreneurship. Kwame Egerton II, the co-founder of Black Currency, understands this concept and partnered with venture capital company, Neotribe to create a pitch competition that would ultimately support minority-owned businesses.

The Black Currency x Neotribe Virtual Pitch Competition will award participants a total of $6,000 in prize money. The aim is to create a space that cultivates growth in an environment where it’s difficult to raise funding due to macroeconomic conditions.

“The Black Currency is happy to partner with Neotribe Venture Capital to help bring our virtual pitch competition for small minority-owned businesses to life. As a small business owner myself, I understand how difficult it can be to find funding to help your business grow. Only 1.2% of venture capital dollars went to African American founders so far this year. We wanted to put together an initiative that helped to change this narrative,” Egerton told AfroTech.

The competition is scheduled for July 27 via Zoom and will last about 90 minutes. With a first-place prize of $3,000 — winners will be equipped with a boost in capital to move their businesses forward.

“I’m extremely excited to participate in The Black Currency x Neotribe Virtual pitch competition. The opportunity to win the $3k 1st prize to help grow my business is one I couldn’t pass up. I put together a pitch deck leveraging the template provided. Now I’m preparing for the 5-10 minute pitch I’ll do to Judges on July 27,” a participant expressed about the pitch competition.

Interested minority-business owners can learn more and sign up for the pitch competition by reaching out via email.