Student's Internably Wins Top Prize at HBCU Pitch
Alabama A&M University student Bryson Hannah won $5,000 for his networking platform for college interns at the 2026 HBCU Business Pitch Competition.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Internships
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Bryson Hannah, a 21-year-old Alabama A&M University student, won the grand prize for Internably, a networking platform for college interns, at the 2026 HBCU Business Pitch Competition in Birmingham on October 29. Three Alabama A&M student-led ventures collectively secured $12,000 in competition funding.
Why it matters
The competition highlights student entrepreneurship at historically Black colleges and universities across Alabama, where 51 teams from 10 schools competed for a share of $20,000 in cash prizes. Hannah's idea grew from his own difficulty connecting with other young professionals during an internship at Alabama Power.
Hannah received $5,000 in total funding, the grand prize plus an earlier round award, from a $20,000 cash pool shared among 51 teams from 10 Alabama HBCUs. Results beyond the competition, including user adoption after the planned November iOS launch, have not been reported.
The players
Bryson Hannah
Bryson Hannah is a 21-year-old Alabama A&M University student and founder of Internably, a networking platform for college interns.
Alabama A&M University
Alabama A&M University is a historically Black public university in Huntsville, Alabama, whose student-led ventures earned funding at the competition.
The details
Internably connects college interns by location, employer, and university. The platform was presented during Magic City Classic festivities, and Hannah plans to use the funding to expand development and marketing through campus ambassadors at colleges nationwide.
Timeline
October 29, 2026: Internably wins the grand prize at the HBCU Business Pitch Competition in Birmingham.
November 2026: Internably is scheduled to launch on iOS.
Market Landscape
The competition sits within digitalundivided's START program, which provided $250 stipends to 17 teams and signals a structured pipeline for HBCU entrepreneurs. Internably's grand prize places a campus-focused networking tool within a growing set of student-built ventures seeking early capital.
Students seeking internships can look for platforms that match interns by location, employer, and university. Reviewing app availability on their device type will help them plan when to start using such tools.
The takeaway
Student-built tools that connect interns with peers can close networking gaps early in a career. Students should look for campus programs and competitions that offer both feedback and funding to test ideas.
What happens next
Internably is scheduled to launch on iOS in November 2026.
Further reading
Explore more Internships coverage for Alabama students building careers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Black Enterprise.
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