The late rapper Nipsey Hussle’s commitment to Black financial empowerment lives on through a new initiative. His estate has partnered with the financial-focused podcast Earn Your Leisure to launch a $100,000 pitch competition to support emerging Black entrepreneurs.
Empowering the community through investment
The Nipsey Hussle Business Grant: $100,000 Invest Fest Pitch Competition, in collaboration with Microsoft and The Marathon, offers a platform for aspiring founders to pitch their business ideas. The competition is a highlight of the third annual Invest Fest event, where four finalists will have the chance to win substantial funding to scale their businesses.
Competition details and participation:
Submissions are open from June 3 to August 10.
Finalists will be notified by August 16.
Participants must hold an Invest Fest ticket and create an Instagram video explaining their business and funding needs.
All submissions must tag @investfestival, @themarathonclothing, and @earnyourleisure on Instagram.
Judging panel and process
The judging panel includes influential figures from The Marathon, such as Blacc Sam, Jorge Peniche, and Adam Asghedom, alongside Earn Your Leisure hosts and Invest Fest co-founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. Finalists will have three minutes on the main stage to persuade the judges of their business’s potential.
The growth of Earn Your Leisure
Since its inception less than a decade ago, Earn Your Leisure has evolved into an international brand that educates millions on financial independence. Co-founder Troy Millings, a former Bronx elementary school teacher, recognized the need for financial literacy and incorporated money basics into his lesson plans, which has now translated into a broader mission to empower the Black community.
With initiatives like the Nipsey Hussle Business Grant, the legacy of Nipsey Hussle continues to inspire and support the growth of Black businesses, ensuring that his vision for economic empowerment and community upliftment endures.
