Black Entrepreneurs in Training (BET) is a Cornell program dedicated to inspiring, informing, and initiating the next wave of black student entrepreneurs. BET was founded based on the understanding that black students either weren’t aware of the entrepreneurship resources at Cornell, or they were aware but not confident enough to participate. BET empowers black students to take advantage of the vast portfolio of entrepreneurial resources Cornell has to offer with an introduction to entrepreneurship, a close-knit community, and tailored support.
Black startup founders receive less than 1% of venture capital funding annually. Less than 100 black women have ever raised more than $1 million dollars in venture capital funding. Our first step to changing the narrative nationally is doing so right here at Cornell.
BET is open to all students, graduates, PhDs, and postdocs interested in building and strengthening the black entrepreneurship community at Cornell. The program features connections to entrepreneurial resources, community-building events, and opportunities to learn from successful founders.
Recent Speakers:
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- Jerry Raphael, CFO of Axonius
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- Tiffany Norwood ’89, 2022 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year
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- Jalil Evans ’21, 2020 eLab cohort alum and Meta product designer
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- Crystal Wallace, Program Manager of the Launch NY Founders Go Big program
