This is a huge win for the culture!
Eventnoire, a Black-owned ticketing platform, recently won first place in Mountain Dew’s $1 million startup competition, BlackNews reports.
Jeff Osuji and Femi Masha created Eventnoire in 2018, inspired by their 15+ years of experience in the entertainment industry, with a desire to curate a more innovative platform that could meet the social needs of the Black community. The serial entrepreneurs recognizd a need for event planners, organizations and marketers to have access to a platform that allowed for a more nuanced approach to live events that other ticketing platforms missed the mark on. Eventnoire services those needs, allowing for the curation of fun, engaging and impactful events that connect Black communities with cultural and social experiences.
Recently, the founders participated in Mountain Dew’s Real Change Opportunity Fund Competition, a shark-tank-esque contest alongside hundreds of other start-ups, judged by DJ Envy, Morgan DeBaun and LaLa Anthony. The duo endured rounds of pitching, focused on their business model and concept, beating out the competition to be crowned the winners and receive a portion of the $1 million prize. Along with the cash prize, the competition is also rewarding Howard University with a six-figure donation to assist students with scaling entrepreneurial endeavors and teaching students how to turn their ideas into profit earning businesses.
Osuji spoke about the importance of Eventnoire for the current landscape, saying, “We realized this was an opportunity to vertically integrate and launch our own ticketing solution that actually recycled dollars back into organizations that worked with us as well as other event curators.”
The platform allows event planners and organizations to earn more money from their ticket fees through faster payouts, commission based structures for frequent users, and fee adjustments that ensure optimal pricing power. Eventnoire also offers a number of sponsorship opportunities. In addition to their live event focus, the company is deeply committed to recycling their dollars within the Black community, focusing on economic empowerment among Black event curators.
The cash prize will go towards investing in new technology upgrades and expanding the Eventnoire team. Both founders are committed to recycling $1 million back into Black organizations annually as a way to boost the Black creative economy. The organization has already raised a quarter million dollars since its inception and has attracted a number of high profile investors, including music mogul John Monopoly, who discovered Kanye West, Virgil Abloh, and Don C.
To learn more about Eventnoire, visit their website here.
Congratulations guys!
Photo Courtesy of Eventnoire