Name: Luke Lawal, Jr. (@LukeLawal & @HBCUBuzz)
Occupation: Founder of HBCU Buzz (www.hbcubuzz.com)
Bio: A native of the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, Luke Lawal, Jr. is a young entrepreneur who graduated from Bowie State University in May 2012 with a degree in Biochemistry. He is also equipped with a strong marketing and branding background and is a prime force in the social nightlife scene in DC, having served in marketing capacities at LOVE Nightclub and Park at 14th; Lawal, Jr. has also done marketing for the Washington Redskins.
What inspired you to start HBCU Buzz? Why did you think it was necessary? I got the idea after visiting an HBCU campus in Florida, just to gain some insight on how their SGA operated. When I got down there, I just loved the way FAMU’s SGA was structured. I don’t know if it was specific to the particular SGA administration or if it was part of the foundation of the University, but I was inspired by the way the SGA was operated like a business. So I when I came back to Bowie, I thought ‘wow’, why didn’t I know about this? I felt like I really needed to start touring more HBCU campuses, learn from what they are doing to improve some of the ways that we do things. The question I kept asking myself is: “Why isn’t anyone publicizing this?” It was the inspiration as to why I started HBCU Buzz. I got the idea that more of this kind of information needed to be publicized so students could know what’s happening on other campuses and take pride in their HBCUs.
What would you say has been HBCU Buzz’s biggest success so far? What does the future look like? Our big success has definitely been the HBCU Buzz Show. It streams weekly and can be found at https://hbcubuzz.com/show. For the future, I simply want HBCU Buzz to be THE leading voice in all things relative to historically black colleges & universities.
Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? Work for what you want, and remain unique. “Don’t be an imitator be an innovator, design your life and live it your way, not someone else’s way. Stand up, stand out and start living uniquely, creatively and awesomely.”
Don’t forget to follow Luke and HBCU Buzz on Twitter! @LukeLawal and @HBCUBuzz
