Morgan State University has partnered with the PNC Foundation to launch a new business hub designed to provide the Black community with the resources and education needed for pursuing entrepreneurship.

According to CBS News, the center will help students of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality.

Dr. Mary Foster, a business professor at Morgan State University, highlighted the significance of educating Black students about entrepreneurship.

“There are many rich resources already out there, so we want to not reinvent the wheel, not duplicate things. We want to create new things that are needed to help reduce those disparities for Black entrepreneurs” Foster said.

Cierra Jones, a West Baltimore native, and owner of Noble Gems Community Health Services, recently completed a program as part of the collaboration. She reflected on the invaluable experience of being apart of the program.

“It’s deeper than a Google search, it’s deeper than what you can find in a dictionary or encyclopedia, right, or even a newspaper, but it’s about having access directly handed to you or having those direct relationships with the most important people that can bring you those resources and direct you to the right opportunity,”  Jones told CBS News.  

Morgan State along with its HBCU partners and the PNC foundation will hold an inaugural conference for Black entrepreneurship, June 14-16th in Washington, DC.