Houston students turned entrepreneurs Wednesday night, pitching their big ideas to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson during the third annual G-Unity Hustle Tank.
The Shark Tank-style competition is part of a year-long entrepreneurial program created by Jackson’s G-Unity Foundation in partnership with Horizon United Group. Students from Cashmere, Wheatley, Worthing, North Forest, Booker T. Washington, and Yates high schools spent 15 weeks learning business skills, forming companies, and developing business concepts for a chance to pitch in front of real business leaders, including 50 Cent himself.
Recommended Videos
READ MORE: 50 Cent and Calvin Murphy chat ‘Houston Rockets & G-Unity Foundation Turkey Distribution’
The night’s top prize went to GDC Vital Vending from Worthing High School, earning $100,000 in seed money to launch their business.
“They have studied for 15 weeks to learn entrepreneurial skills and prepare their pitches to present for 50 Cent today in an effort to seek funding and resources to support their entrepreneurial journeys,” said Dr. Patricie Allen, Director of Student Experiences.
The G-Unity Business Lab launched in 2021 and has since expanded to six HISD high schools, offering students hands-on experience in an accelerated, MBA-style business environment.
Washington High School student Chloe Cleare and her team created a business concept of a speakeasy called The Jazzy Gator.
“We are the community because we live in the community. So we [thought], let’s just combine all of that,“ Cleare said.
For more on the program and how to support it, visit www.gunityfoundation.com.