Ahriana Edwards, from Fayetteville State University, has won first place at the Better Futures competition for her business, Vaila Shoes.

The company offers fashionable heels and shoes for women in sizes nine to 14. Edwards took home $15,000 for the nod.

“The pitch competition represents a capstone experience for students participating in the HBCU Founders Fellowship program and provides a wonderful showcase of their entrepreneurial talents so the world can see the NextGen innovators and leaders from across our HBCU campuses,” Dr. Chad Womack, vice president of National STEM Programs and Tech Initiatives at the UNCF, said in a statement.

The HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI) and the United Negro College Fund hosted the Better Futures competition, a startup contest for HBCU students, on April 21 at the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C.

Entrepreneur Angel Teagle captured the second-place prize for his Car Seat Companion, representing Elizabeth City State University. The company creates carseat technology that helps prevent pediatric vehicular heatstroke.

Rounding out the Top 3 was Leslie Winston, founder of Monocle, a social e-reader that delivers a community-focused reading experience through shared notes within a book.

Other businesses that ranked include Co-Lab Instrumental Radio, Idhini, Inc., Scholist App, WellMiss, Back to the Roots, Covered Always, and All Things College.

Attendees at the Better Futures competition included founders, corporate executives, investors, government officials, university administrators, and HBCU faculty, students, and alumni from the DMV region.

The 10 Better Futures finalists are students and alumni from the following HBCUs: Bowie State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, and Oakwood University.

"For early-stage startups, exposure to investors and potential enterprise customers is critical," Marlon Evans, president of the HBCU Founders Initiative, said in a statement. "We are excited to showcase HBCU founders, who often lack access to the resources necessary to scale their businesses, at the Better Futures competition."