WASHINGTON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Howard University School of Business is pleased to announce the launch of Howard University’s first Center for Digital Business, created with the support of a generous donation from HubSpot, a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform. The gift from HubSpot will support the creation and management of the Center for Digital Business as well as related business education offerings and programming over the next five years.

“We are excited to announce our partnership with HubSpot to create a new Center for Digital Business,” said Anthony Wilbon, Ph.D., dean of the Howard University School of Business. “For our students to remain competitive, it is critical that they have exposure to the latest technologies and processes that are utilized in the current business environment. The new Center will certainly accelerate our goal to enhance students’ skills so they can be immediate contributors to the digital workforce.”

The Center for Digital Business will provide a vibrant, multipurpose space within the School of Business to facilitate education, collaboration and innovation among students, faculty, staff and business leaders. Programming for the Center will focus on three key areas: academic offerings, experiential learning opportunities and support for job readiness.

“HubSpot and Howard University have a long-standing relationship that has included on-campus recruiting efforts and partnering in HubSpot’s Education Partner Program. We value our relationship with Howard University tremendously and are excited to expand it,” said Andrew Lindsay, senior vice president of corporate business development at HubSpot. “As a proud alumnus of Howard, HubSpot’s support to create a new Center for Digital Business is incredibly personal. At HubSpot we feel that it’s vital for leading businesses to play an active role in the development of the next generation of Black business leaders, and this Center is just one key component of our commitment.”

The School of Business is slated to begin offering for-credit courses through the Center in the Spring 2021 semester. The first course will focus on training students to conduct a social media audit, preparing them to provide strategic business consulting in digital marketing. Ultimately, the Center seeks to provide School of Business students with a range of academic courses and offer students the opportunity to pursue digital business as a degree concentration or academic certificate.

The Center will also provide students with opportunities beyond the classroom. Guest lectures from executives at leading companies integrating digital business strategies will allow students to hear insights from seasoned professionals. The Center will also support the creation of student clubs, where students will learn to provide solutions to real businesses, participate in case competitions and more.

“The Center for Digital Business is going to empower students with the ability to apply their business education in today’s digital landscape,” said Yuvay Meyers Ferguson, Ph.D., marketing professor and assistant dean of impact and engagement at Howard University School of Business. “We hope that students engaging with the Center will take with them the current and in-demand skills needed to excel in corporate jobs. And most importantly, we plan for them to be equipped with the tools needed to create their own successful businesses.”

In line with the school’s efforts to create a pipeline of diverse professionals with relevant skills and real-world experience, the Center will also provide job-readiness training and mentorship opportunities to help students launch thriving careers in marketing, sales, entrepreneurship and the broader technology sector.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

About HubSpot

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides software and support to help businesses grow better. The platform includes marketing, sales, service and website management products that start free and scale to meet our customers’ needs at any stage of growth. Today, more than 95,000 customers across more than 120 countries use HubSpot’s powerful and easy-to-use tools and integrations to attract, engage and delight customers.

Named Glassdoor’s #1 Best Place to Work in 2020, HubSpot has been recognized for its award-winning culture by Great Place to Work, Comparably, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Inc. and more. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with offices in Dublin, Ireland; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Berlin, Germany; Bogotá, Colombia; Paris, France; Ghent, Belgium; San Francisco, Calif.; and Portsmouth, N.H. Learn more at www.hubspot.com

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu