Five N.C. A&T Students Compete in 2024 Moguls in the Making Pitch Competition

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 16, 2024) – Five North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University students competed in the 2024 Moguls in the Making entrepreneurial pitch competition, held Oct. 2-6 in Detroit. 

Aliya Brown, Zakiya Gilles, Brea Johnson and Sydney Lee represented the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics, and Jarrod Mason represented the College of Engineering during the sixth annual event.  

Moguls in the Making is presented by Ally and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the largest organization exclusively representing students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). 

Participants learned essential business skills while vying for scholarships and paid internships. Throughout the five-day program, they researched, developed and pitched business ideas that promote economic mobility. This year, the event included a surprise from “The Jennifer Hudson Show” that will air Oct. 25. 

Gilles, a TMCF ambassador, said she was honored to represent N.C. A&T in this national competition. 

“My goal was to secure the bag, but more importantly build meaningful connections with my team members, strengthen my network with the Ally employees, sharpen my skill sets to effectively deliver a pitch,” she said. 

The five Aggies were selected from an applicant pool of more than 600 students from 52 HBCUs. The other nine schools that competed this year were Elizabeth City State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Hampton University, Howard University, Norfolk State University, Philander Smith University, Southern University A&M College, Spelman College and Texas Southern University. 

“These Moguls stand out among their peers – they’re hungry for new experiences, to learn about potential career paths, and to make a big impact in the community,” said Reggie Willis, chief diversity officer at Ally. “They always bring insightful ideas and perspectives to showcase in their pitches, and it’s exciting to see their growth in just a few short days.  

“As an ally to HBCU students, we’re here to demonstrate what their future could look like in business and then provide the tools, mentorship and support they need to make their way. Moguls in the Making is a fun and inspiring weekend for all of us who get to participate.”  

Moguls in the Making was established in 2019 to provide HBCU students with career-launching business experience, networking access to executives, internships and scholarships while also giving Ally a new path for reaching diverse talent.  

Since then, two A&T teams have won first place in the competition: Lance Davis, Claudia Duverglas, Kameran Harris, Darren Rippy and Joshua Weaver in 2021 and Teco Bynum, Laia Garland, Nyla Ward and Javen Washington in 2023.