MVMT50 is pleased to announce that we have selected the finalists for Pitch Black: The Future is Female.

From more than 30 empowering applications, only 10 women were chosen to compete for a chance to win $10,000 in venture capital to elevate their businesses. Also on the table for the taking is a $2,500 cash prize provided courtesy of the HBCU Battle of the Brains.

The competition was stiff, but the group of phenomenal Black women we’ve selected are committed to changing the world around them. From mentoring platforms to create more inclusive work places, to medical devices that allow for early-detection of pneumonia, these innovators are the ones to watch.



TINIA PINA
RE-NUBLE is the leading pioneer of biologically superior, chemical free hydroponic fertilizer.

ASHA OWENS
BEST FIT is transforming the way students and colleges find one another.


ROSHAWNNA NOVELLUS
ENRICHHER is a platform created to provide funding opportunities for the vastly-underserved women-led business community.

ASHLEY BEHNKE
SPOT LOC8R is a digital media platform that helps content creators such as brands, ad agencies and influencers scout locations quickly and easily.


SHAMBREKIA WISE
FUZEU offers STEM majors the opportunity to connect with industry experts during their college journey.

MUHGA ELTIGANI
NaturALL Club is the first company to deliver fresh fruit-based hair products.


JANICE OMADEKE
MENTOR METHOD create inclusive workplace cultures through mentoring diverse tech talent.

DE JUANA LOZADA
SOUL POPPED is a Gourmet Popcorn that uses only the finest of ingredients to create a growing list of designer soul food-inspired flavors.


WHITNEY TURNER
LENDIVE helps underserved women entrepreneurs become self sufficient no matter their background or their goal.

TEMILOLUWA ADENIYI
NOPNEU empowers caregivers to say no to pneumonia.

Pitch Black: The Future is Female, will be held at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 11, on the 4th floor of the JW Marriott at 110 E. Second St. Entry into Sunday’s Pitch Competition must include an RSVP, (you must already have an official SXSW badge or day pass). 

Pitch Black is a part of a three-day series of events presented by MVMT50 – a coalition of Black thought leaders committed to sustained and systematic improvement in employment diversity, cultural representation and leadership development in the innovation, technology and digital sectors.

MVMT50 will celebrate the beginning of the SXSW Interactive Weekend with an Opening Reception, Austin’s largest annual gathering of professional and creative innovators. The reception includes complimentary beverages and bites with auditory beats from a select sound ambassador. This year will also feature a Fire Side Chat with MARLON NICHOLS, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Cross Culture Ventures. Cross Cultures is an early stage venture capital firm with a focus on cultural investing (global trends and shifts in consumer behavior. Free entry with an RSVP. This event is open to the public.