This summer, The Alabama Collective and Builders + Backers proudly wrapped up an impactful cohort of student entrepreneurs, supported through a partnership aimed at accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship across HBCU campuses.
Four standout student-led ventures Fur Finds (Tuskegee University), Lumi (Talladega College), Thrive (Alabama A&M University), and MyFocusPal (Stillman College) successfully completed the 8-week Builders + Backers Idea Accelerator program. Each team began with a bold idea and, over the course of the program, tested real-world experiments, and refined their solutions. These students were selected as finalists and winners of The Alabama Collective’s 2024 Magic City Business Pitch Competition and have since demonstrated the creativity and vision it takes to turn ideas into action.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also looking ahead. We’re excited to welcome the winners of the 2025 App Build + Pitch Competition into the next Builders + Backers HBCU cohort, set to launch this fall. These rising innovators represent the next wave of student founders who will explore big problems, test bold ideas, and continue building toward lasting impact in their communities and beyond.