November 2, 2025
Entrepreneurs must be considered “under resourced” to participate in the Black Girl Ventures competition.
Black Girl Ventures (BGV) is bringing its crowdfunded pitch competition to New York City on Nov. 7.
The event, led by BGV Founder Omi Bell, is part of the organization’s multi-city effort to boost entrepreneurship efforts for Black women in business. The BGV Pitch Competition merges traditional pitching with crowdfunding, allowing the audience to “vote with their dollars.” The organization solicits donations through its Raisify platform. Each founder will give a three-minute presentation followed by a two-minute Q&A session. The winner will be determined by the number of crowd contributions received rather than evaluations by investor panels.
The upcoming competition will take place at The Mezzanine in Manhattan’s Financial District. More than a dozen women-of-color entrepreneurs are expected to pitch. Entrepreneur sectors range from tech to wellness to consumer goods.
“We created this because women and people of color get less than one percent of venture funding,” Bell told Amsterdam News. “Our work is about building capacity and creating a sustainable community around that funding.”
Participants in the New York event must be women-identifying, revenue-generating business owners who meet BGV’s under-resourced criteria. Finalists gain entry to the organization’s alumni ecosystem, which provides ongoing access to networking opportunities, financial coaching, and brand-building support.
According to Black Girl Ventures site, since its founding in 2016, the organization has funded more than 450 founders. Additionally, their work has supported over 10,000 entrepreneurs nationwide through mentoring, accelerator programs, and workshops. Its pitch model—where everyday supporters contribute small amounts—has been replicated in cities including Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles.
The timing of the New York launch coincides with increased national attention on equity-focused entrepreneurship. Reports from Crunchbase and the National Venture Capital Association show Black women founders continue to receive less than 1% of total venture capital funding, a figure Bell says “must be reversed by community-driven solutions, not waiting for gatekeepers.”
The pitch format’s transparency is what Bell believes makes it powerful.
“When people in the audience invest, they’re not just funding a business,” she said. “They’re joining an ecosystem that believes in collaboration over competition.”
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