New Voices at ESSENCE Festival of Culture

For the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the New Voices Foundation presented a robust lineup of programming designed to empower entrepreneurs from New Orleans and across the country.

At the heart of this year’s activation were the New Voices Village™, New Voices Entrepreneur Hub™, and SOKO MRKT Stage, which were vibrant spaces where current and aspiring entrepreneurs could connect with their peers, consumers, retailers, funders, and ecosystem partners.

The Village featured Founder Pop-Ups and a Makers’ Studio with hands-on workshops (e.g., headwrapping and floral arranging) that allowed entrepreneurs to showcase their products and engage directly with Festival-goers. Founders could also participate in New Voices Office Hours, offering one-on-one professional guidance from the New Voices Fund, Townsend & Lockett lawyers, KIVA, and NMSDC.

This year, the New Voices Village debuted a Creators Corner where entrepreneurs received professional product photography and personal headshots and also conducted mini focus groups to gather real-time consumer feedback. Just steps away, the New Voices Entrepreneur Hub hosted Learning Lab LIVE workshops led by industry experts, covering essential topics such as marketing, customer acquisition, and retail strategy. The Hub also hosted exclusive networking events and curated industry meetups designed to foster meaningful connections.

The New Voices Health Innovators Hub sponsored by RWJF returned this year, located inside the Unbothered Wellness Sanctuary, to spotlight nine healthcare and health tech entrepreneurs who showcased their solutions and engaged with attendees on issues affecting underserved communities.

Located off-site, the New Voices Family Reunion (a cocktail reception) was a gathering of the ecosystem of New Voices Foundation and New Voices Fund companies, as well as our supporters and stakeholders. The expansive New Voices Family had an opportunity to connect in person with their peers, funders, media, and other allies during this event.

Finally, on Saturday, July 5, New Voices took the GBEF Stage to present its signature $150,000 POWER PITCH! competition, awarding grants of $75,000, $50,000, and $25,000, along with three months of business coaching to the winning entrepreneurs.

Through each of these initiatives, the New Voices Foundation continued to advance access to learning opportunities, mentoring & coaching, networks, and non-dilutive capital for entrepreneurs at ESSENCE Festival and beyond.

New Voices $150,000 POWER PITCH

The 2024 New Voices $150,000 POWER PITCH went live on the Global Black Economic Forum Stage at Essence Festival, showcasing three incredible brands – Hella Awkward, Vontelle Eyeware, and WellCapped – competing for $75,000; $50,000; and $25,000 cash grants plus personalized business skills development and coaching post-competition.

Health Innovators Hub @ SOKO MRKT

New Voices + In Full Health Innovators’ Hub, with the support of the American Medical Association’s In Full Health Learning & Action Community to Advance Equitable Health Innovation, partnered to feature five health innovation companies to vend at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture’s SOKO MRKT and to speak on a “Meet the Healthcare Innovators” panel on the SOKO MRKT stage.

Building and Scaling Your Apparel Business

You’ve probably seen their ads on social media or heard the buzz in your friend group and wondered, “How did they do that?” Learn from Lanny Smith of Actively Black and Milan Harris of Milan di Rouge how they started, navigated growth hurdles, built community, and scaled their apparel businesses.

Creating Inclusive Community by Educating with Humor & Authenticity

Cultivating a genuine community around your brand has a slew of benefits, including but not limited to increased brand recognition, consistent sales, and much more, but how and where do you start? New Voices Family member Mielle Organics founder & CEO Monique Rodriguez and The Honey Pot Company founder & CEO Bea Dixon sat down at Essence Festival to share how to do that.