Historically Black Spelman College in Atlanta recently won the fourth-annual Market Madness competition as part of Goldman Sachs’ HBCU Possibilities Program. For placing first in the academic competition, the college was awarded a $1 million grant.
The HBCU Possibilities Program stems from Goldman Sachs’ five-year commitment to historically Black college and universities and their goal of doubling the number of campus-analysts recruited from HBCUs by 2025. The program introduces students to careers in finance through a semester-long course, access to networking events with senior leaders from Goldman Sachs, financial stipends, and the ability to compete in the Market Madness Competition.
This year’s competition received a record number of over 600 student applicants. More than 150 students from 11 different HBCUs were selected to participate. Throughout the semester, 27 teams of students conducted market research and developed a strategic business proposal for Nike. The final four teams presented their case studies and won grants for their institutions. Howard University won second place and secured a $500,000 grant. Florida A&M University and Delaware State University won third and fourth place, respectively, and each received a $250,000 grant.
