African American Student Union
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
African American Student Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- African American Student Union
- Website
- https://aasuconference.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
African American Student Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Leadership Conferences
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Business, Entrepreneurship & Case Competitions (DECA-style, Pitch, Case) (EDAMAGAJ)
Keywords
Where African American Student Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
African American Student Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Conference Ticket Sales: AASU generates revenue through ticket sales for the annual H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference and associated events such as the Black New Venture Competition and soiree. Tickets are sold via Eventbrite platform.
- Corporate Sponsorships: The organization solicits corporate sponsorships from companies interested in supporting Black leadership and entrepreneurship. The sponsor interest form on the conference website indicates active pursuit of partnership relationships with corporate entities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
African American Student Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AASU organizes an annual conference platform centered on the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference, which convenes HBS students, MBA peers from other programs, young professionals, and alumni for panels, keynote conversations, and networking. Its core offerings include the Black New Venture Competition (BNVC), Harvard's largest pitch competition for Black pre-seed and seed-stage entrepreneurs, which has awarded over $300K in non-dilutive capital, and the Black Tech Summit, a curated educational program covering tech career and entrepreneurship pathways.
Product overview
The African American Student Union operates as an annual conference platform offering the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference as its primary product. The conference features three interconnected components: the main H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference event with panels and keynotes, the Black Tech Summit with curated educational sessions, and the Black New Venture Competition for entrepreneurial pitch competition. An optional post-conference networking reception and soiree provides additional attendee engagement. The organization does not offer software products or technology platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference Annual full-day conference featuring dynamic panels, keynote conversations, and networking events for HBS students, MBA peers from other programs, young professionals, and alumni. Honors Black leadership and achievement. The 53rd edition is scheduled for February 28, 2026.
- Black New Venture Competition (BNVC) Pitch competition for Black pre-seed and seed-stage entrepreneurs offering non-dilutive capital awards. Founders pitch to a panel of judges, with applications submitted online. Applications for the 2025 cycle closed November 11, 2025.
- Black Tech Summit Curated educational summit featuring sessions on accelerator programs, deep tech, product management, non-technical tech roles, and entrepreneurial pathways, delivered with industry partners.
- Post-Conference Networking Reception and Soiree Evening cocktail-attire celebration event held after the main conference, providing additional networking opportunities for conference attendees.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $300,000 awarded in non-dilutive capital through Black New Venture Competition
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use African American Student Union
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
African American Student Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
African American Student Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Black Investment Club (BIC) at Harvard Business SchoolcoreThe Black Investment Club (BIC) at Harvard Business School co-hosts the annual H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference alongside AASU. Founded in 1973, this partnership represents a long-standing collaboration between two HBS student organizations dedicated to Black leadership and business excellence.
- Harvard Business SchoolcoreHarvard Business School provides the institutional platform, facilities, and branding for the AASU conference. The conference takes place at HBS facilities and benefits from the school's academic infrastructure and alumni network.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
African American Student Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Forté Foundation: Forté Foundation convenes women in business through MBA programming, conferences, and corporate partnerships. While gender-focused rather than race-focused, it shares AASU's model of B-school-anchored conferences and corporate sponsorship for talent pipeline development.
- Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT): MLT runs career development, fellowship, and convening programs for high-achieving underrepresented talent, including MBA-bound students. Its programming overlaps with AASU's leadership development and networking value proposition for Black professionals.
- BLCK VC: BLCK VC is a community of Black venture investors that hosts convenings and showcases. It overlaps with AASU's BNVC goal of connecting Black founders to capital, though it operates from the investor side rather than the founder pitch side.
- SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity): SEO provides career development and mentorship programs for underrepresented students, including programming at top business schools. It overlaps with AASU's talent pipeline and corporate sponsorship development mission.
Broad incumbents
- Black Enterprise: Black Enterprise hosts entrepreneurial and corporate gatherings (e.g., Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit) and operates a media platform serving Black professionals. It overlaps with AASU's audience (Black founders, executives, and professionals) with a broader, year-round brand.
Direct peers
- Reaching Out MBA: Reaching Out MBA hosts an annual conference for LGBTQ+ MBA students and professionals. Closely mirrors AASU's structure — a student-affinity-led, B-school-hosted annual conference with corporate sponsorship and networking focus.
- National Black MBA Association: NBMBAA runs the largest annual conference and professional development programming for Black business professionals and MBA students. It is the most direct peer to AASU's H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference, operating at a much larger national scale with corporate sponsorships and career fairs.
- Black Investment Club (BIC) at HBS: BIC is the co-host of the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference and a sister HBS student organization. It is the most direct institutional peer, sharing organizers, audience, and programming with AASU since 1973.
- BLK ECNMY: BLK ECNMY is a summit dedicated to building economic power for Black communities, convening founders, investors, and operators. It directly parallels AASU's BNVC and Fitzhugh conference themes around Black entrepreneurship and capital access.
Regional players
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): NSBE hosts a large annual convention for Black engineering students and professionals. While STEM-focused, it shares AASU's model of using a major student-affinity annual convention to drive corporate sponsorship, talent pipelines, and community engagement.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
African American Student Union social profiles
Digital presenceAfrican American Student Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
African American Student Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
African American Student Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
African American Student Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about African American Student Union
What does African American Student Union do?
AASU organizes an annual conference platform centered on the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference, which convenes HBS students, MBA peers from other programs, young professionals, and alumni for panels, keynote conversations, and networking. Its core offerings include the Black New Venture Competition (BNVC), Harvard's largest pitch competition for Black pre-seed and seed-stage entrepreneurs, which has awarded over $300K in non-dilutive capital, and the Black Tech Summit, a curated educational program covering tech career and entrepreneurship pathways.
Is African American Student Union a public or private company?
African American Student Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was African American Student Union founded?
African American Student Union was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is African American Student Union based?
African American Student Union is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does African American Student Union make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Conference Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships.
Who are African American Student Union's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Forté Foundation, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), BLCK VC and SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity). Black Enterprise is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Reaching Out MBA, National Black MBA Association, Black Investment Club (BIC) at HBS and BLK ECNMY. National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is listed as a regional player.
Does African American Student Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for African American Student Union.
What industry is African American Student Union in?
African American Student Union's product category is Professional Leadership Conferences. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAK, Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums, with a secondary code of EDAMAGAJ, Business, Entrepreneurship & Case Competitions (DECA-style, Pitch, Case). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8600.