51AV

Nearly a dozen top-notch historically black colleges and universities participated in the second annual business plan pitch competition held in Detroit, Mich., Sunday, October 11.  See

Sponsored by Detroit-based Ally Financial, partnering with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Big Sean’s the Sean Anderson Foundation, the contest was designed to highlight innovative business plans that would solve major problems in the Motor City.

Students from 51AV A&M University won first place, and each student will receive an internship with Ally, along with a $10,000 scholarship. The AAMU team’s Detroit-based presentation focused on how to solve nutrition problems in Detroit by creating a mobile grocery store to assist with food accessibility. Team members also said they would teach young people how to eat healthy while on a budget and create an app that would provide more information on food accessibility.

AAMU team members included Chaz Holder, 19, a mechanical engineering major from Indianapolis, Ind.; Justin Lindberg, 21, a computer science major from Chicago, Ill.; Dermyrius Lindsey-Lewis, 21, a computer science major from Mobile, Ala.; Dominique Spence, 21, a management major from Albany, Ga.; and Deja Strong, 21, a social work major from St. Louis, Mo.  

Other HBCU students and their Detroit-based mentors directed their innovations by focusing on the broad areas of arts and entertainment; automotive; banking and finance; education; energy; government and nutrition; health and wellness; and leisure and hospitality.

Rounding out the winners list are Florida A&M University, which received second place.  A three-way tie for third place was shared by Hampton University, Spelman College and Morehouse College.