PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Oct. 8, 2025) – Five Prairie View A&M University students were among 50 from 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) nationwide selected to compete at the seventh annual Moguls in the Making entrepreneurial pitch competition.
They were chosen out of more than 460 students nationwide to compete in the event held Sept. 11-14 in Detroit, hosted by Ally Financial and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).
Over the four days, students heard from motivational speakers and industry leaders, attended workshops and fireside chats, and engaged with mentors. In the competition, students pitched innovative solutions to address economic mobility challenges in Detroit.
“Moguls in the Making provides invaluable early business experience for future leaders, offering students the opportunity to learn from experts and explore how different industries can make an impact,” said Kathie Patterson, Ally’s chief human resources and corporate citizenship officer.
Josiah Moore, a PVAMU senior majoring in computer science with a mathematics minor, and a member of the University’s Honors Program, was among the five representing Panther pride.
“To me, it meant building a legacy,” Moore said about the empowerment of representing his university. “My actions helped showcase the spirit, talent, and resilience of Prairie View A&M University students on the national level.”
While PVAMU did not place in the competition, Moore said he and his team gained invaluable real-world experience while developing their business plan and pitching their idea: energy community hubs. The hubs were designed to provide small businesses with affordable, reliable energy, repurpose end-of-service solar panels, create local jobs with hub installation, maintenance, and operations, and offer data centers for small business use.
Moore said the idea was inspired by a teammate, Elanah Hassan. The team also developed an interactive website with a map showing areas of energy burden in the city.
“My team and I were able to put our best work out there and truly see how it could be invested in to help the city of Detroit,” he said.
The five PVAMU students who competed in the Moguls in the Making were:
- Amina Washington, Senior, Computer Science
- Elanah Hassan, Junior, Computer Engineering
- Josiah Moore, Senior, Computer Science
- Karmen Cuthrell, Senior, Business Management
- Semaj Barnett, Senior, Finance
Each participant received a $1,000 scholarship. Since its inception in 2019, Moguls in the Making has engaged nearly 400 students and awarded almost $1.5 million in scholarships and prizes.
This year’s competition winners were:
- First place: Spelman College
- Second place: Hampton University
- Third place: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Dr. Harry Williams, TMCF president and CEO, said this investment “in the innovation and entrepreneurial talent at HBCUs” empowers “students to improve their socioeconomic standing—benefiting not only the students but also their communities.”
Moore said the competition shaped his perspective on entrepreneurship and innovation by giving him the confidence to pursue his ideas. It also connected him with entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and mentors who offered encouragement and insight for his future career.
One of the most impactful lessons for him came from a workshop by a speaker who reframed artificial intelligence as “assisted intelligence.”
“It changed my mindset and showed me how to use AI to my advantage, but not as a crutch,” Moore said.
For future students considering competing next year, Moore advised doing background research beforehand and familiarizing oneself with key industries, saying he had to catch up on Detroit’s energy landscape in real-time.
Moore hopes their participation inspires more Panthers to embrace opportunities and face challenges with the same fierce fearlessness of their mascot animal.
“I hope it shows that PVAMU students are among the best in the nation,” he said. “I want it to encourage them not to fear stepping onto big stages, but to embrace the opportunity, represent with pride, and show that Panther spirit.”
By Christine Won
-PVAMU-