BGV Foundation

BGV Foundation At BGV, we create access to capital, capacity, and community for under-resourced entrepreneurs.

BGV is a social enterprise dedicated to finding creative solutions to dissolve the race and gender gap in access to capital. Our mission is to expose women of color to economic independence via empowerment and entrepreneurship by developing initiatives in micro-finance, business development and community building. BGV was founded in August 2016 by serial entrepreneur, artist and author, Omi Bell.

The idea felt random and simple, “Women are not getting access to capital for their businesses? Well let’s get them access to capital for their businesses,” Omi proclaims. She created a Meetup.com group and within a couple weeks the membership went from 0 to 150 and kept climbing. Shelly launched the first event called “Eat, Pitch, Vote” with the simple idea to bring women of color (WOC) together to discuss entrepreneurship, partnership, and support through collective economics. About 30 women were in attendance and ready to support each other with the intent of growing their businesses. Since then, visibility has grown rapidly “Eat, Pitch, Vote” is now “Boss Up.” Event attendance has grown from 30 to over 50 people per event. The number of applications received has grown from 4 to over 40 for each event. Historically, African Americans have been finding creative ways to fund themselves for decades. The “Boss Up” Pitch Competition is patterned after what has been known in African American culture as a “rent party.” In the early 1920’s over 200, 000 negroes migrated to Harlem for job opportunities. Due to discriminatory rental rates it became challenging to pay the rent. Harlemnites would charge an admission fee, invite musicians to play and raise the money to pay the rent with basement parties.

08/25/2026

🚨 DC, this is it.

The LAST Pull Up & Pitch of the year is coming to BGV Homecoming.

Up to $30K in cash and prizes on the table and once this one wraps, that’s it for Pull Up & Pitch in 2026.

Here's How it Works:

Round 1: 60 seconds to pitch.
👍= $200.
👍👍 = $250.
👍👍👍 = $500 + you advance to Round 2.

🏆 Round 2: 3 minutes to close it out.

🥇1st place = $10K.
🥈2nd = $5K.
🥉3rd = $3K.

Don't want to pitch? Pull up anyway, come watch the next big idea take the stage and cheer the founders on.

📅 Saturday, September 12 🕙 10AM – 2PM
📍 The Westin DC Downtown, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

RSVP to watch or pitch: bit.ly/bgvdcpullup

Your job can pay for your BGV Homecoming ticket.If you have a professional development stipend, ask HR or your manager i...
08/25/2026

Your job can pay for your BGV Homecoming ticket.

If you have a professional development stipend, ask HR or your manager if it can cover your ticket.

Why it counts:
→ Panels + industry insights
→ AI trainings
→ Ask A VC
→ Founder + funder networking
→ Wellness activations

Swipe for exactly what to say.

🎟️ Get your tickets + reserve your room: bgvhomecoming.com

08/22/2026

Since you guessed it right… 👀 we’ll see you at BGV Homecoming. 😂

Come experience three days built around connection, transformation, access, and community.

Get direct access to VCs. Learn how to actually build AI into your business. Hear from leaders and creatives who’ve built, scaled, pivoted, and figured some things out along the way.

📍 Washington, DC
📅 September 10–12

🎟️ Get your tickets + reserve your room: bgvhomecoming.com

🚨 DC, this is it. The LAST Pull Up & Pitch of the year is coming to BGV Homecoming.One stage. One shot. Up to $30,000 in...
08/21/2026

🚨 DC, this is it. The LAST Pull Up & Pitch of the year is coming to BGV Homecoming.

One stage. One shot. Up to $30,000 in collective prizes on the table and once this one wraps, that's it for Pull Up & Pitch in 2026.

If you've been sitting on your pitch waiting for "the right time," this is the last time.

And you don't have to pitch to be in the room. Pull up just to watch the next big idea take the stage and cheer the founders on.

📅 Saturday, September 12
🕙 10AM – 2PM
📍 The Westin DC Downtown, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

RSVP to watch or pitch: bit.ly/bgvdcpullup

08/18/2026

We may not know how to change a tire… 😂 but we DO know you need to book your stay for BGV Homecoming.

🏨 Last call for our discounted hotel block!

We locked in rooms at The Westin DC Downtown for Sept. 9–12 at just $223/night instead of $289/night.

But that rate won’t be around much longer.

🚨 Hotel block closes August 19th!

🏨 Book your room now and we’ll see you at Homecoming: www.bgvhomecoming.com

08/18/2026

🎉BGV Homecoming is here, and this is not your average conference.

Three days in Washington, DC built for capital, capacity, and community, and this time, we're naming names.

🤖 Build your own AI team, live, with Nicky Saunders. Bring your laptop, you're walking out with tools you'll actually use, not a sit-and-get.

🎤 Storyteller Michelle Antoinette Nelson (aka LOVE the poet) sets the tone for the whole day, hosting Day 1 and our brunch. Real energy. Show-stopping entrance.

💰 Ask Real VC's Real Questions with Haley Bryant (Hustle Fund), Ollen Douglas (Hanover Street Advisors), and McKeever Conwell (Rare Breed Ventures). Three investors, one room, no soft questions.

💄 A live beauty product demo with Rahama Wright, CEO of Shea Yeleen, watch a brand go from ingredients to shelf. Not a slide deck. The real thing.

📅 September 10-12
📍 Washington, DC

⏰ 23 days until BGV Homecoming. Tickets are moving fast. Purchase yours today.

Get tickets here: bgvhomecoming.com

08/17/2026

They’ve been in the room. They know the feeling. 💙

We could tell you about the connections, the support, and the energy at BGV.

But hearing it from the people who’ve actually experienced this community? That hits different.

They’ll tell you about finding their people. Sharing resources. Feeling seen. And being surrounded by people who genuinely want to see them win.

That’s the community coming together at BGV Homecoming. And we’re bringing some incredible people into the room with you. 👇🏾

💰 Ask A VC with Haley Bryant, Hustle Fund Partner; McKeever Conwell, Founder & Managing Partner at Rarebreed Ventures; and Ollen Douglass, who scaled a $250M venture platform, moderated by BGV’s own Omi Bell.

🤖 Build Your AI Team with Nicky Saunders, 213K followers and cosigned by ChatGPT’s Instagram.

🎤 Michelle Antoinette Nelson is in the building too, CNN-featured, 2x author, and 50K+ following.

That's just to name a few..

Come for the community. Get in the rooms. Make the connections.

📅 September 11, 2026
📍 The Westin DC Downtown, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Come experience it for yourself. 💙

🎟️ Get tickets here: bgvhomecoming.com

08/14/2026

💎 POV: Me finding out BGV got a Brunch in Blue at Homecoming.

Me 2.5 seconds later: "Yeah... I need a new fit." 😭💙

And not just any fit.

We talmbout... walk in, shut it down, and make the whole table ask where it's from type of fit.👀

Because if the girlies are outside, we're coming correct.

Brunch in Blue
📅 September 11, 2026
📍 The Westin DC Downtown, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Start adding them lil blue fits 👗to your cart, because we're pulling up to eat, network, catch a vibe, and connect with a room full of founders getting to the bag💰 .

Sis, stop playing. Come outside with us!

Get tickets here: bgvhomecoming.com 🎟️

08/14/2026

Tune in as 15 founders from Austin, LA & NYC pitch their businesses live for a chance to win up to $15,000! ��

This is the BGV Emerging Leaders Fellowship 2.0 Multi-City Pitch Competition!

Voting opens today! Head to www.raisify.co to vote for your favorite pitch and help these founders win.

For more info on BGV, visit www.bgvfoundation.org

The clock's ticking on our discounted hotel rate for BGV Homecoming! 🎉We secured a room block at The Westin DC Downtown ...
08/14/2026

The clock's ticking on our discounted hotel rate for BGV Homecoming! 🎉

We secured a room block at The Westin DC Downtown for September 9–12. Regular rate $289, discounted rate $223 for our community. This rate closes August 19th, so don't wait too long.

If you're coming to Homecoming and need a place to stay: bitly/bgvhotel

We can't wait to see you in DC.

Address

Washington D.C., DC

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12027094522

Website

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