The 2022 class of HBCU Buzz’s HBCU Top 30 Under 30 is here! For the past eight years, we have been honoring the inspiring change-makers that HBCUs have produced and this year’s class is nothing short of HBCU greatness! We’re highlighting students who have been making strides in their fields and showing the world what HBCU grads can do. 

The numbers don’t lie, according to UNCF, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) enroll 10% of all African American students and produce almost 20% of all African American graduates. Additionally, 25% of African American graduates with STEM degrees come from HBCUs. These illustrious institutions have produced countless civil rights leaders, doctors, religious leaders, bankers, writers, Olympians, lawyers, musicians, engineers, actors, humanitarians, professional athletes, educators, scientists, and politicians.

HBCUs provide the foundation and support needed for their students to go out into the world and become prestigious leaders. This year we continue to honor HBCU students from various backgrounds achieving excellence and making their alma mater proud.  Some of the leaders featured include a rocket scientist, an award-winning Broadway actor, accomplished doctors, and more. 

We’re excited for this Homecoming season to partner with DIAGEO and its brands CÎROC, Crown Royal, Tequila Don Julio, and Tanqueray to honor Black changemakers creating lasting change in their communities to uplift and celebrate Black excellence. Together with DIAGEO at the Mecca of HBCUs, we will honor the next generation of Black leaders and industry changemakers at the 30 Under 30 Reception and Alumni Bison Ball to toast to each honoree’s impact and impressive achievements to build a better future.

20. Daryl Riley, Jr. – Hampton University & North Carolina A&T State University

Daryl “DJ” Riley, Jr. is a first-generation business owner and a two-time HBCU graduate. He received his bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in 2020, and his master’s degree from  North Carolina A&T State University in 2022, both in Electrical Engineering, respectively.  DJ began his entrepreneurial journey in June 2020 when he and his partners’ senior design project won the “Future of Fashion” section of the Forbes-sponsored pitch competition called “The Future is iCON.” Once he realized there were people out there who believed in their idea, he started looking for more opportunities to showcase the project which eventually became the fashion technology business, Tendaji, which means “make things happen” in Swahili. DJ says that Tendaji’s ultimate goal is to “integrate the productivity that technology provides while also giving our consumers that style and confidence that fashion provides.” Tendaji is still in its business ideation phase but looking to launch as early as January 2024.

Throughout DJ’s two-year entrepreneurial journey, he became a Class 4 Senior Fellow for the venture capital organization, HBCUvc; a Program MVP for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund pitch competition, “The Pitch 2021”; a Lead Legacy Ambassador for the first Annual Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic; a Watch the Yard content creator; a Top 7 Student Visionary for the first Annual Black Girl Ventures x NBA Foundation NextGen Program; as well as a two-time Semifinalist for Pharrell Williams’s Black Ambition Prize Competition. During his time at NCAT, he was a Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Scholar and member of the Graduate Student Advisory Council representing the COE and of the Golden Key International Honour Society. He also served as a lead ambassador for Michael B. Jordan’s Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

18 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.