PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Black Business Association awarded more than $16,000 to young entrepreneurs during its 2026 Young Adult Business Pitch Competition, celebrating the nonprofit’s 16th anniversary while supporting emerging business owners from across the state.
The annual event, held Aug. 8 at RIBBA’s Hub for Economic Opportunity & Advancement in Providence, featured seven finalists ages 22 to 28 who completed a five-week accelerator program focused on business development, financial planning and pitch preparation.
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Paul Ogundana, founder of Cozy HQ, won first place and a $5,000 prize. Second place and $3,000 went to Rodney Wilson of SABU, while Daisha Jackson of Floara Active earned third place and a $2,000 award.
In addition to the top prizes, RIBBA awarded $500 to each of the remaining finalists who completed the accelerator program but did not place in the top three. The organization said it has awarded more than $68,000 through the competition since its launch in 2019.
The competition is part of RIBBA’s Youth & Young Adult Investment Initiative. According to the organization, the initiative has invested more than $130,000 in scholarships, internships, entrepreneurship opportunities and other programs designed to support young Rhode Islanders.
“Sixteen years is a milestone worth celebrating, but for us, the most important part of that milestone is what we have invested in and what we are building for the future,” said Lisa Ranglin, RIBBA CEO and president. “These young entrepreneurs represent exactly why we continue to invest in the next generation.”
This year’s event also included RIBBA’s Creative Enterprise Mural Challenge, which connected entrepreneurship with the arts. Jovani Delgado, a second-year architecture major from Pawtucket, was selected to receive a $5,000 commission to create artwork for three interior feature walls at the organization’s facility.
Ranglin said the mural project reflects the organization’s long-term vision for its facility and the community it serves.
“Whether someone walks through our doors as an entrepreneur, an artist, a student or a community member, we want them to see opportunity and understand that there is a place here for their ideas and ambitions,” she said
RIBBA said the Young Adult Business Pitch Competition has become one of its signature annual events, providing participants with opportunities to strengthen their businesses, gain visibility and connect with community and business leaders. The nonprofit works to help entrepreneurs start, grow and sustain businesses through advising, workforce development, access to capital and other support services.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor at Providence Business News and covers the nonprofit and education sectors. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
