Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition, the nonprofit initiative dedicated to supporting Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs, has awarded $3.2 million to 36 entrepreneurs during its third annual Demo Day. 

Demo Day 2023 celebrated the 36 top finalists, who received awards ranging from $20,000 to $250,000. Participating founders represented companies within five distinct categories: consumer products and services, health care, media and entertainment, technology, and web 3.0. The eight finalists had the opportunity to pitch live on stage for the chance to win a grand prize of $1 million, which was won by Antoinette Banks, CEO and founder of Expert IEP, a parent-facing app that optimizes existing Individualized Education Plans with predictive AI for children diagnosed with a disability.

“Black Ambition is a feeling, it’s an overwhelming drive to show up consistently in excellence to create lasting, unapologetic impact. For so long Black and Brown kids with learning differences have been underestimated and forgotten. Earning this $1 million prize puts our kids back in the forefront, it gets people thinking deeply about solving the problems in special education,” said Banks. “As founder and CEO, I am deeply grateful to Black Ambition for believing in me, holding space for me, and breaking down barriers. It’s clear that Black Ambition is more than a prize award, it’s a shift in expectation for our culture.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/izusek)