The HBCU Founders Initiative Teams Up with Chase and Sloane Stephens to Empower Young Entrepreneurs

Helping HBCU founders go further, faster—with capital, connections, and champions.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI), a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting over 1,400 students and alumni from more than 80 Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) in launching and scaling tech startups, announces a year-long collaboration with Chase Bank.

This collaboration comes on the heels of HBCUFI’s most impactful year yet, having supported nearly 200 founders during the 2024-2025 academic year. To date, HBCUFI founders have collectively raised over $2 million to develop their startups further.

“It is both energizing and humbling to partner with Chase, a legacy corporation, on our mission to ensure that innovative ideas at HBCUs do not die on a vine due to a lack of resources and a supportive ecosystem,” Marlon Evans, President of HBCU Founders Initiative, said. “Chase’s commitment reinforces the importance of our mission and sends a powerful message: investing in entrepreneurial success with HBCUFI is not just impactful—it is a transformative way to drive solutions that even out the playing field for entrepreneurs at HBCUs.”

HBCUFI’s Pre-Accelerator program guides founders in developing their minimum viable product and crafting a venture-ready pitch deck. The program culminates in on-campus pitch competitions and a virtual demonstration day that allows founders to compete for non-dilutive grant funding to propel their ventures forward.

“Building relationships with the innovation ecosystem at HBCUs is a natural extension of our ongoing efforts towards creating access to opportunity and helping to build an economy that works for all,” Lischele Adams, Vice President of Marketing at Chase, said. “Expanding on our existing commitments to HBCU students and institutions across the country, we’re excited to support HBCUFI’s work and connect talented entrepreneurs with the tools, insights, and resources to grow strong, lasting businesses.”

Chase has committed a $150,000 donation and will provide mentorship through its employees to enhance the country's largest HBCU-centered Pre-Accelerator Program.

In a dynamic start to the collaboration, Chase introduced tennis champion and entrepreneur Sloane Stephens, who recently sat down with Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, on his iHeartMedia podcast, The Unshakeables. Stephens has achieved a career-high WTA ranking of No. 3 in the world and now leads Doc & Glo, a clean, high-performance body care brand, built on her family’s legacy.

“As I build Doc & Glo, the value of reconnecting with entrepreneurs at all stages of life has become increasingly meaningful to me. Engaging with HBCUFI entrepreneurs allowed us to connect, not just over our ambitions, but over a shared legacy of resilience,” said Sloane Stephens, founder of Doc & Glo. “As someone who proudly supports students through my foundation, this experience emphasized that building something great is never a solo journey — it’s about community, vision, and pouring back into the next generation of leaders.”

Last year, Stephens organized a $30,000 scholarship in memory of her grandparents during Black History Month for students majoring in the health/medical field and/or attending an HBCU. Her grandfather, Doc, studied Medicine at Howard University, and her grandmother, Glo, served as the President of the National Council of Negro Women among other positions.

The HBCUFI founders resonated deeply with Stephens, especially upon learning of her family's HBCU legacy, fostering a meaningful connection rooted in shared community.

Media Contact: Miranda Perez
Email: miranda@hbcufi.org

About the HBCU Founders Initiative
Launched by Nex Cubed, the HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that aims to decrease the wealth gap by supporting HBCU students and alumni along their entrepreneurial journey, encouraging them to pursue the launch of tech-fueled ventures across HBCU campuses. From the ideation stage to the investment stage and beyond, HBCUFI offers programs, financial and technical resources, and a vast network of advisors who are committed to supporting HBCU founders pursuing entrepreneurship. To date, over 1,400 students and alumni from 80+ HBCUs have participated in the HBCUFI programming. Participants in our programming have raised over $2M for their startups.

About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America with assets of $4.4 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves more than 84 million consumers and 7 million small businesses, with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: Nearly 5,000 branches in 48 states and the District of Columbia, more than 15,000 ATMs, mobile, online, and by phone. For more information, go to chase.com.

About Sloane Stephens
Sloane Stephens is a Grand Slam champion, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. After turning pro in 2009, she quickly rose through the ranks, making history by winning the 2017 US Open. With multiple WTA titles and a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world, Sloane has become a global tennis icon known for her power, grace, and resilience on the court. Off the court, Sloane is the founder of Doc & Glo, a clean body care brand for active lifestyles. Deeply committed to social impact, she launched the Sloane Stephens Foundation in 2013 to create educational and athletic opportunities for underserved youth. Her community work has earned her honors, including the Sports Business Journal Celebration of Service Award and two nominations for ESPN’s Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

Miranda Perez
The HBCU Founders Initiative
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