SLIP-N-SLIDE CEO OPENS TECH TRACK AT FLORIDA HBCU

Slip-N-Slide Records founder/CEO Ted Lucas and Florida Memorial University plan to develop a program to position and promote South Florida’s only historically black college or university as a technology and innovation hub.

Lucas’ tech- and entrepreneurship-focused nonprofit, TechNolij, will inaugurate its on-campus presence with the launch of the Institute of Black Wealth, which will bring together various partners, community leaders and entrepreneurs for dealmaking. The plan is for the Institute of Black Wealth to create a similar presence on HBCU campuses around the country.

“Miami and the entire South Florida region are quickly becoming the epicenter for all things tech and entrepreneurship, but in my view, we’re still falling short in how Black and underserved communities are represented,” said Lucas, who has spent nearly 30 years at Slip-N-Slide Records, discovering and signing Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Trina and Plies. “My objective is to have Florida Memorial University serve as the hub for creating and fostering Black business opportunities, where tech and innovation companies come to find diverse talent and startups and where Black entrepreneurs new to South Florida come for support.”

FMU aims to build a talent pipeline for cybersecurity and emerging tech and accommodate the workforce needs of the community. Said university president Jaffus Hardrick, "This will allow us to expose our students to opportunities within the greater economy and invite corporate partners and technology companies to collaborate on programming that will help close the knowledge and access gaps in the Black community.”

All programs and initiatives of TechNolij and the Institute of Black Wealth will occur independent of the university.