November 6, 2025
The two-day festivities will showcase the future of entrepreneurship.
Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition will host its fifth annual Demo Day to champion diverse entrepreneurs and innovators.
The Pharrell-founded initiative will bring a cohort of trailblazing founders, visionaries, icons, and investors to connect with those next up to change their industries. The two-day festivities, starting Nov. 14, aim to amplify the work and vision of Black and Brown entrepreneurs. For Pharrell, this platform offers diverse leaders the spotlight and funding often denied them.
The Demo Day will award the 2025 Black Ambition Prize. With almost 2,500 entrepreneurial applicants, 25 finalists will receive awards of over $1 million in funding. The top prize winner will earn $100,000, with 19 other finalists securing $50,000 each for their ideas. The prize will also award 5 HBCU Pre-Accelerator winners with $20,000 each, with a People’s Choice Award winner earning $25,000.
Day One, emceed by comedian Jay Pharoah, will feature founder showcases and alumni spotlights of previous winners. Attendees will also witness a fireside chat between Pharrell and Mellody Hobson, President and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments. At the Fundable Founders Forum taking place the following day, its schedule will include masterclass experiences focused on uplifting and connecting this network of thinkers and founders, while further exploring the rise of previous Black Ambition prize winners.
Pharrell released a statement on the “brilliance” of these underrepresented visionaries. He also emphasized how Black Ambition has built a pathway to bring their ideas to life.
“There’s so much brilliance out there that never gets seen, Pharrell shared in a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“So many ideas that could change the world if they just had a chance. That’s why we built Black Ambition — to make sure talent doesn’t stop at potential. It has the chance to be seen, funded, and believed in. It’s about turning vision into reality, and making opportunity something everyone can touch.”
With mentorship, programming, and funding opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs, Demo Day continues to change the tide and diversify business in all sectors. Celebrating five years of fostering change, Black Ambition also seeks to be the difference for Black and Brown entrepreneurs, helping them get the support they need to revolutionize their industries.
Access changes everything,” added Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition. “Five years proves that our impact is real, but the future demands more. More scale…More courage…More investment in founders who are rewriting what’s possible. In this climate, scaling isn’t just growth, it’s survival, power, and legacy.”
Free registration is available for Demo Day at The Sacred Space Miami. Tickets are also available for the Fundable Founders Forum.
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