What was Envolve up to in the month of February? Quite a bit actually and we’re happy to share some of this past month’s highlights. As we reflect on Black History Month, we’re mindful of the amazing contributions Black Americans have contributed in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out this great article in Forbes, “Black in Business: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Entrepreneurship.”

It was also a big month for us as we held our first-ever Congressional Day of Action, entitled “Realizing the American Dream & Redefining Inclusive Entrepreneurship.” Scroll down to our Advocacy section for further highlights, but we’d like to extend a special thank you to our event sponsor and partner, AnitaB.org!

Our CEO, Christopher Upperman, spoke about the importance of community building and entrepreneurship at the Startup Summit presented by Capital One Café and Next Gen HQ. The event brought together leading young entrepreneurs for a momentum-filled day of inspirational speakers, pivotal mentor sessions, top-tier networking, and endless opportunities to build relationships with executives at Capital One.

At Envolve, we’re all about the community. In recognition of All-Star weekend in Chicago, IL, we partnered with Melvina Masterminds, founded by Comedian Hannibal Buress, for their inaugural All*Star Business Pitch Competition. The event was the brainchild of Principal Tulani Watkins and we were thrilled to engage with the local West Chicago community at Amundsen Park. We were impressed with so many talented entrepreneurs on the rise. Congratulations to Gus J. who won the competition with Mental.ly, a platform that monitors an individual’s emotional and mental sentiment over time and highlights significant topics through the use of journaling, enabled by AI engine, and makes mental health resources available at a lower cost.

Stay tuned for next month’s updates from Envolve’s engagement throughout the ecosystem!

Click here to read the rest of our newsletter.