Luke Lawal: The Entrepreneur Who Continues to Break Down Barriers in the HBCU Community

We all know the phrase “hard work pays off” has been around forever, and while that may be true everyone’s journey is different and so is the payoff. Serial Entrepreneur, founder and CEO, Omega Psi Phi fraternity member, and HBCU graduate are just a few accomplishments held by none other than Luke Lawal. His work in the HBCU community speaks for itself as he created the highly renowned HBCU Buzz multimedia platform all while attending the University of Bowie State.

HBCU Buzz is a platform that delivers HBCU news, insights and editorials from the Black College community. Luke created the platform in his dorm room and was inspired by an incident where a young woman died on campus. This shed such a negative light on the university and Luke wanted to change the narrative. He wanted news outlets to see the positive aspects of not only his alma mater but other Black colleges and HBCU’s around the world.

Luke’s success has always been accompanied by his strong will not only succeed but also excel. His upbringing surely has a lot to do with the man he is today as his parents provided great guidance from an adolescent until now. Luke recalls his mom waking him up at 4:30 am, the same time she’d wake up, to do what she liked to call “pre-homework”. While at the dinner table they would go over the work for the week and that would happen even before breakfast. His father provided him with a lot of tools to be entrepreneurially driven. He’d see something and say “you can make money by doing this”. Luke called the experience of having both parents “the best of both worlds”.

While speaking with Luke about what he learned while attending Bowie State he touched on many things. Although he ran track, won several championships, and was also a member of SGA, Luke credits Bowie State with teaching him how to not only stand up but also fight for any and everything that he wanted. He spoke on how important it was to create networks outside of campus. Luke has been awarded many accolades, but last year took things to the next level. Never one to seek out recognition, Luke was honored by Nike for his effortless contributions to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. #Yardrunners was created by Nike to highlight individuals who continue to uplift and change the way HBCU’s are viewed. Luke could have simply graduated and gone on about his professional career, but he chose to continue to fight for change just as he did as a freshman in college.

As Fall has finally approached us so has the soon-to-be 10th anniversary of HBCU Buzz. That’s major due to the fact that most Black-owned businesses usually die out after their first year, but Luke and many others have assisted in changing that narrative. As a token of appreciation, HBCU Buzz will be celebrating all their case studies success including a young lady he met at Netflix who stated that she wrote for the company years ago. She even went on to say that HBCU Buzz was a major part of the reason she's where she is today. Celebrating everyone’s testimonials and their growth is what the 10th anniversary will focus on.

Outside of entrepreneurship, Luke continues to show his interest in marketing because it allows him to create really dope partnerships. Another skill he has continued to embark on since his undergrad years. HBCU Buzz is currently partnered with Xfinity to create content to showcase all the wonderful things about an HBCU homecoming. Luke is also doing the same thing with Target as they are highlighting African American creators that have products within the store. Luke has even partnered with Allstate in a campaign to support all HBCU campuses and their students.

HBCU Buzz is considered the most influential brand in the HBCU and Black Colleges space just because of how they can bring in those Fortune 500 companies and educate them on how to build and create those sponsorships. Luke’s success in many industries has come based on the research he has put in over the years to not only build his brand but also bring as many of his peers and counterparts with him. The negative stigma that has been placed on so many Black-owned businesses and universities has been lifted thanks to HBCU Buzz and the efforts they have made over the years supporting the Black college experience as a whole. Luke has other great business ventures which include Taper, Inc. a booking app for beauticians and barbers, Root Care Health, The Registry, and a nonprofit called the Suited Lifestyle that helps creates a network for eager young professionals.

Make sure you are following HBCU Buzz on Instagram.