NBA Foundation

The NBA Foundation has partnered with Pacers Sports and Entertainment to showcase diverse and innovative tech companies in Indiana through the All-Star Pitch Competition during NBA All-Star 2024. In collaboration with Be Nimble Foundation, Elevate Ventures, and Sixty8 Capital, the competition invites local entrepreneurs to compete for a spot among six finalists.

Applications are open until Dec. 13, with ten early-stage startups selected for the semi-final pitch competition on Jan. 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The final round, offering a total of $150,000 in cash prizes, will take place on Feb. 17 at the Indiana Convention Center during NBA All-Star 2024.

“We’re thrilled to bring the All-Star Pitch Competition back for All-Star 2024 in Indiana,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.  “Supporting local tech-focused small businesses and spurring investment in these critical ecosystems is vitally important.  We look forward to a fun but rigorous contest that will feature emerging entrepreneurs from Indiana on our biggest stage.”

“When we invest in the ecosystem of diverse entrepreneurship in our community, we are building the human capital needed to make generational change on a larger scale,” said Steve Simon, Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner and alternate governor. “The NBA Foundation’s Pitch Competition will highlight and showcase some of the most talented, innovative entrepreneurial talent Indiana has to offer, and it will be an important part of our NBA All-Star 2024 experience.”

“As a Black-led organization that believes traditionally undercapitalized entrepreneurs deserve investment, Be Nimble is excited to partner in showcasing the brilliance of Indiana-based small business founders this upcoming All-Star Weekend,” says Jeff Williams, co-founder of Be Nimble Foundation. “For six years we have ensured these entrepreneurs receive the resources and capital they need to grow and scale their ventures.  In partnership with the NBA Foundation, we look forward to continuing this work on the global stage set in our hometown of Indianapolis,” finishes Be Nimble Foundation & Sixty8 Capital Co-Founder, Kelli Jones.

“We are honored to assist in building the All-Star pitch competition with the NBA Foundation, Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Be Nimble for NBA All Star 2024,” added Christopher Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures. “We have many diverse founders leading innovation-driven enterprises throughout the state of Indiana and this provides the opportunity to shine a spotlight for the world to see the exciting businesses they are building.” 

The NBA Foundation aims to address investment disparities by supporting local entrepreneurs and fostering innovation in communities. For more information, visit nbafoundation.com.

The post NBA Foundation and Pacers Sports Collaborate for All-Star Pitch Competition Celebrating Tech Entrepreneurs first appeared on The Source.

The post NBA Foundation and Pacers Sports Collaborate for All-Star Pitch Competition Celebrating Tech Entrepreneurs appeared first on The Source.

The NBA Foundation kicked off its second year of grantmaking today, announcing 40 new contributions totaling $11 million to organizations helping Black kids in the United States and Canada find work, progress their careers, and gain more economic empowerment. The grants, which are part of the Foundation’s fifth grant cycle and the first of 2022, are aimed at helping Black children with career development, higher education paths, mentoring, and entrepreneurship.

The NBA Foundation, established in 2020 with a 10-year $300 million commitment from the NBA Board of Governors, has now given out 118 grants totaling more than $33 million to non-profit organizations. The exalt, Marcus Graham Project, Operation DREAM, TEAM Inc., The Knowledge House, and the Youth Empowerment Project, are among the six grant renewals in the Foundation’s fifth grant round, over $1 million. These awards will promote pipeline development in their communities for high school, college-aged, job-ready, and mid-career people.

“As we enter our second year of funding and surpass the $30 million initially provided by the NBA Board of Governors to establish the Foundation, our work with national and local organizations that are driving economic opportunity for Black youth in the NBA’s 28 markets continues to strengthen and evolve,” said Greg Taylor, NBA Foundation Executive Director. “We look forward to our growth in the year ahead and are excited to establish new relationships with non-profits serving Black youth and to further collaborate with the organizations who have demonstrated their impact.”

The NBA Foundation, established by the 30 NBA teams, collaborates with the teams’ affiliated charitable organizations and the NBPA to support national and local organizations focusing on team markets, leveraging the NBA Board of Governors’ collective $30 million annual commitment as well as other funding sources. Visit www.nbafoundation.com or follow @NBAFoundation on Twitter and Instagram to learn more about the NBA Foundation or apply for a grant.

The complete list of the 40 grantees and their efforts can be viewed here.

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