{"id":89021,"date":"2025-08-02T06:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T11:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/?p=89021"},"modified":"2025-07-30T11:35:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T16:35:06","slug":"fueling-future-generations-with-entrepreneurship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/fueling-future-generations-with-entrepreneurship\/","title":{"rendered":"Fueling Future Generations With the Power of Entrepreneurship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Entrepreneurship runs deep in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/feleciahatcher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Felecia Hatcher\u2019s<\/a> family history\u2014from her Jamaican grandfather\u2019s sugar and yam farm to her father\u2019s roots in construction and development.\u00a0Following suit in her personal business dreams, she co-founded ventures in food and tech to provide vegan-friendly desserts and educational experiences that included social impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, she carries her family legacy forward as CEO of Black Ambition, where she empowers and inspires up-and-coming Black creators and entrepreneurs to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/offer.success.com\/leadership-lab\/?utm_medium=ad-banner&#038;utm_source=website&#038;utm_campaign=leadership-lab&#038;utm_content=dts-01-v01&#038;utm_term=inline-banner-v1\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/RoS-InlineBanner_v1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Leadership Lab offer\"><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lighting-the-path-nbsp\">Lighting the path&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hatcher&#8217;s first foray into entrepreneurship, which she engaged in while she was in college, began with an educational consulting company that helped adolescents enroll in college and secure tuition funding. Then, after leaving college to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/navigating-the-entrepreneur-roller-coaster\/\">pursue entrepreneurship<\/a> full-time, she led product launches and social media campaigns for major brands like Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Walgreens and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, she soon faced a setback that almost crushed her spirit as a budding entrepreneur. \u201cMy very first business had a lot of really bumpy roads, including an employee [who] stole my biggest contract from me,\u201d Hatcher says. \u201cI had sworn off ever, ever, ever being an entrepreneur again in my entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/how-to-build-resilience\/\">resilience<\/a> won out. She soon reignited her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/characteristics-of-successful-entrepreneurs\/\">entrepreneurial spirit<\/a> and was inspired to launch a gourmet popsicle manufacturing company with her husband. Thanks to her strong background in brand management marketing, she knew how to get vegan popsicles onto the market for events and private-label production.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After building a <em>Fortune<\/em> 500 client list that expanded her business and venture capital backing, Hatcher and her husband opened their brick-and-mortar shop and committed to operating under sustainable practices. They also founded a youth entrepreneurship program where they coached kids in the community on entrepreneurship and tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-spearheading-innovation\">Spearheading innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, she and her husband started their nonprofit organization, Code Fever, now known as the Center for Black Innovation.\u00a0Driven by her passion to promote and create spaces for Black innovation, Hatcher also co-founded Black Tech Week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her efforts to create accessible learning spaces for Black communities and contribute to STEM were recognized when she was named a 2014 Obama White House Champion of Change for STEM access and diversity. Her work has also been acknowledged by Harvard University and various business publications, and she\u2019s received numerous awards for championing change.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all this, she caught the attention of Pharrell Williams, whose team invited her to join the Black Ambition Opportunity Fund as CEO. But at the time, Hatcher says, the project was still in development. \u201cIt did not have a CEO prior to that, and it was initially just a dream that [Williams] had of wanting to close the wealth and opportunity gap for diverse entrepreneurs and then go build and scale the [business],\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, the opportunity was one she couldn\u2019t pass up. \u201cThat&#8217;s where we first started\u2014wanting to make sure that entrepreneurs that need the support [and] resources to grow and scale significantly had exactly what they needed, when they needed [it] and how they needed it,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd that was really Pharrell\u2019s vision around that\u2026 really being able to create uninterrupted pathways to entrepreneurship and through entrepreneurship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pioneering-movements\">Pioneering movements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Black Ambition is a vibrant virtual platform, and its reach extends beyond North America to countries in Africa, South America and Europe. It also offers an annual competition that attracts thousands of applications. Out of the entries, anywhere from 150\u2013250 semifinalists are selected and offered a three-month mentorship program, along with capital and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/how-to-network-101\/\">networking<\/a> connections. This hands-on approach allows Black Ambition to foster diverse, uninterrupted pathways for young entrepreneurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After investing in the contestants\u2019 companies, Hatcher says, the foundation works closely with the finalists for six to eight months, laying the groundwork for what their businesses truly need to thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOftentimes, my team asks them, \u2018What&#8217;s your Christmas list of three to five things that will really drastically scale [your] company?\u2019\u201d Hatcher says. \u201cAnd then it&#8217;s my team\u2019s [job] to help them get to those&#8230;. [We also help] them get world-class contacts that will drastically grow and scale their company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Hatcher, the organization\u2019s mission is to help young Black entrepreneurs maximize their potential. \u201cWe want the budget to match their imagination [so that] there is nothing that stands in the way of their greatness,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause not only are they going to be amazing entrepreneurs, but they are going to figure out some world-bending, world-changing way to be radically impactful back to their communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leaving-a-mark-nbsp\">Leaving a mark&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hatcher hopes to leave her legacy through the people and communities she\u2019s helped grow. By dedicating her work and energy toward spreading positivity, she aims to make a meaningful impact through entrepreneurship.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI hope to live to 100,\u201d she says. \u201cIf I look back and I can say, \u2018Job well done around that,\u2019 that means [I\u2019ve had] the impact that I want to have on the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong><em>Photo by GaudiLab\/Shutterstock.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how Felecia Hatcher of Black Ambition is using her position to help aspiring young entrepreneurs grow their businesses\u2014and give 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href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/feleciahatcher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Felecia Hatcher\u2019s<\/a> family history\u2014from her Jamaican grandfather\u2019s sugar and yam farm to her father\u2019s roots in construction and development.\u00a0Following suit in her personal business dreams, she co-founded ventures in food and tech to provide vegan-friendly desserts and educational experiences that included social impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Today, she carries her family legacy forward as CEO of Black Ambition, where she empowers and inspires up-and-coming Black creators and entrepreneurs to do the same.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n\n<!-- \/wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lighting-the-path-nbsp\">Lighting the path&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Hatcher's first foray into entrepreneurship, which she engaged in while she was in college, began with an educational consulting company that helped adolescents enroll in college and secure tuition funding. Then, after leaving college to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/navigating-the-entrepreneur-roller-coaster\/\">pursue entrepreneurship<\/a> full-time, she led product launches and social media campaigns for major brands like Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Walgreens and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>However, she soon faced a setback that almost crushed her spirit as a budding entrepreneur. \u201cMy very first business had a lot of really bumpy roads, including an employee [who] stole my biggest contract from me,\u201d Hatcher says. \u201cI had sworn off ever, ever, ever being an entrepreneur again in my entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/how-to-build-resilience\/\">resilience<\/a> won out. She soon reignited her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/characteristics-of-successful-entrepreneurs\/\">entrepreneurial spirit<\/a> and was inspired to launch a gourmet popsicle manufacturing company with her husband. Thanks to her strong background in brand management marketing, she knew how to get vegan popsicles onto the market for events and private-label production.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After building a <em>Fortune<\/em> 500 client list that expanded her business and venture capital backing, Hatcher and her husband opened their brick-and-mortar shop and committed to operating under sustainable practices. They also founded a youth entrepreneurship program where they coached kids in the community on entrepreneurship and tech.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-spearheading-innovation\">Spearheading innovation<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Later, she and her husband started their nonprofit organization, Code Fever, now known as the Center for Black Innovation.\u00a0Driven by her passion to promote and create spaces for Black innovation, Hatcher also co-founded Black Tech Week. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Her efforts to create accessible learning spaces for Black communities and contribute to STEM were recognized when she was named a 2014 Obama White House Champion of Change for STEM access and diversity. Her work has also been acknowledged by Harvard University and various business publications, and she\u2019s received numerous awards for championing change.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After all this, she caught the attention of Pharrell Williams, whose team invited her to join the Black Ambition Opportunity Fund as CEO. But at the time, Hatcher says, the project was still in development. \u201cIt did not have a CEO prior to that, and it was initially just a dream that [Williams] had of wanting to close the wealth and opportunity gap for diverse entrepreneurs and then go build and scale the [business],\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Still, the opportunity was one she couldn\u2019t pass up. \u201cThat's where we first started\u2014wanting to make sure that entrepreneurs that need the support [and] resources to grow and scale significantly had exactly what they needed, when they needed [it] and how they needed it,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd that was really Pharrell\u2019s vision around that\u2026 really being able to create uninterrupted pathways to entrepreneurship and through entrepreneurship.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pioneering-movements\">Pioneering movements<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Today, Black Ambition is a vibrant virtual platform, and its reach extends beyond North America to countries in Africa, South America and Europe. It also offers an annual competition that attracts thousands of applications. Out of the entries, anywhere from 150\u2013250 semifinalists are selected and offered a three-month mentorship program, along with capital and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/how-to-network-101\/\">networking<\/a> connections. This hands-on approach allows Black Ambition to foster diverse, uninterrupted pathways for young entrepreneurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After investing in the contestants\u2019 companies, Hatcher says, the foundation works closely with the finalists for six to eight months, laying the groundwork for what their businesses truly need to thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cOftentimes, my team asks them, \u2018What's your Christmas list of three to five things that will really drastically scale [your] company?\u2019\u201d Hatcher says. \u201cAnd then it's my team\u2019s [job] to help them get to those.... [We also help] them get world-class contacts that will drastically grow and scale their company.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>According to Hatcher, the organization\u2019s mission is to help young Black entrepreneurs maximize their potential. \u201cWe want the budget to match their imagination [so that] there is nothing that stands in the way of their greatness,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause not only are they going to be amazing entrepreneurs, but they are going to figure out some world-bending, world-changing way to be radically impactful back to their communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leaving-a-mark-nbsp\">Leaving a mark&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Hatcher hopes to leave her legacy through the people and communities she\u2019s helped grow. By dedicating her work and energy toward spreading positivity, she aims to make a meaningful impact through entrepreneurship.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI hope to live to 100,\u201d she says. \u201cIf I look back and I can say, \u2018Job well done around that,\u2019 that means [I\u2019ve had] the impact that I want to have on the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong><em>Photo by GaudiLab\/Shutterstock.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","tag_names":[],"post_attachment_urls":[],"author_email":"maria.mantas@success.com","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/82024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}