Chanel and Pharrell Williams get together for the Black Ambition Prize
New Ways
Chanel joins musician and producer Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition initiative for a designated prize to honor Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. Together they’re launching a two-part program that caters to emerging talents from HBCUs (Historically black colleges and universities), aimed to create new opportunities and open new doors.
Closing the gap
The first part of the initiative is titled Women Who Lead and features experts that will share career and industry knowledge with partakers of the program. Tracee Ellis Ross, Edith Cooper, Emma Grede, and Natalie Massenet will share their experience with leadership through a Woman‘s lens.
“Chanel’s support of Black Ambition is a cornerstone of Black Ambition and is vital to the success of the next generation of Black and Latinx entrepreneurs”
On top of that, the second part of the program features a mentorship program that will give access to Chanel’s leadership community. Contestants will also have access to the brand’s network of experts, who will give them the essentials of brand-building skills for today’s business landscape.
It’s supposed to be part of the Black Ambition initiative, launched by Pharrell himself.
For a better future
With Black Ambition, Pharrell is trying to close the wealth gap. It’s a non-profit initiative that “is a set of Prizes to fund bold ideas and companies led by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs”.
On the website of the program, the need for such a move is explained: “Certain communities have historically, deliberately, and painfully been excluded from access to growth capital for their businesses”.
Applicants when successful will be eligible for 50,000 Dollars in funding and on another track for up to 250,000 Dollars.
But it’s more than just access to money: With the Black Ambition Award, Pharrell will open up a network of industry leaders and professionals who will “advise on specific topics and share their expertise across all facets of entrepreneurship”.
Partners of the program – apart from Chanel – include Adidas and the Visa Foundation amongst others.
