Special to The Times
The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) recently celebrated the graduation of its Spring 2025 HBCU Innovation Internship cohort. The event featured professional development, presentations from interns regarding their work, and dynamic pitches and group interviews with intern candidates for Fall Semester 2025.
The HBCU Innovation Internship program, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc., and the Innovate Alabama, connects students from Alabama’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with leading startups, accelerators, and innovation hubs across the state.
Now entering its fourth cohort, the program continues to expand. A total of 29 students have been placed across both the spring and fall cohorts in 2025—nearly doubling the number from 2024, when 16 students completed the program. Designed to increase representation of HBCU students in Alabama’s innovation economy, the internship provides hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, investment, and startup operations by embedding students directly within high-growth organizations.
“This internship completely reshaped how I see Alabama’s startup ecosystem. I used to think there wasn’t much happening here, but now I can genuinely see myself building a career in this state,” said Munachimso Arubaleze, a spring 2025 intern at the HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator. “This program pushed me to think critically about evaluating high-potential startups and helped me understand the broader startup landscape. More than anything, it taught me how to carry myself professionally. As an engineer, you can have all the technical skills, but if you can’t communicate or lead, it limits your impact. This experience gave me a bigger picture—and a better future.”
The program has drawn support from a wide range of employer partners, including Analytical AI; several gener8tor accelerators including Bronze Valley, HudsonAlpha AgTech, and Prosper HealthTech; Immediate; Innovation Portal; the Chambers County Innovation Center; EDPA; Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator; The E-Center; Birmingham-Jefferson County Port Authority; Innovation Depot; and SmartWiz. Internship placements span startups, accelerators, public-private partnerships, and incubators—each committed to building a more inclusive and dynamic innovation ecosystem in Alabama.
“The talent is absolutely here—it’s just about capturing it,” said Kelly Clark, managing director of the Prosper HealthTech Accelerator. “Our interns are building machine learning models, fluent in multiple coding languages, and excelling in data analytics. This program doesn’t just place students; it creates meaningful, relationship-driven experiences that expand their social capital. HBCUs have a rich legacy in our state and bring together students from across the globe. When you zoom out, the question becomes: why wouldn’t you want that kind of diverse, global perspective powering your company?”
The Fall 2025 cohort includes students from across Alabama’s eight partnering HBCUs: Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Bishop State Community College, Lawson State Community College, Miles College, Shelton State Community College, Stillman College, Talladega College, and Tuskegee University. Throughout the semester, interns will gain hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, investment, and startup operations.
“The growth of this program reflects what’s possible when HBCU students are given meaningful access to Alabama’s innovation economy—they bring fresh perspective, talent, and skills that strengthen the ecosystem for everyone,” said Estes Hughes, vice president of innovation and talent at EDPA.
