Pharrell was honored with the key to Miami in recognition of his influence on the city’s culture, nightlife, and support for Black entrepreneurship.
The 52-year-old visionary was presented with the key to Miami-Dade County on Friday night (Nov. 14) during the 5th Annual Black Ambition Demo Day at Sacred Space Miami, with the honor handed to him by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, per The Miami New Times.
The honor highlighted Williams’ expanding influence in Miami — not just through nightlife staples like Swan and Strawberry Moon, but also through his commitment to uplifting Black innovation and entrepreneurship, especially through Black Ambition, the nonprofit he launched in 2020 to help “close the opportunity and wealth gap through entrepreneurship.”
“There’s so much brilliance out there that never gets seen,” Pharrell said. “That’s why we built Black Ambition, to make sure talent doesn’t stop at potential.”
The event also paid tribute to Black Ambition CEO Felecia Hatcher and gathered investors, artists, and rising founders, capped off with a surprise performance by Chance the Rapper.
During a fireside chat between Williams and Mellody Hobson, moderated by Hatcher, Pharrell opened up about his upbringing in the projects and navigating ADHD.
“I hate politics; it’s a magic trick that isn’t real. I don’t believe in either side, because if you’re on either side, you’re supporting division,” he said. “We can’t just be the inspiration for American capitalism; we need to start capitalizing on that.”
Hatcher added, “We just received the keys to the city, and keys are supposed to open doors. But for many founders, those doors often stay closed.”
Williams replied, “That’s what we want to do with Black Ambition.”
According to The Miami Herald, Black Ambition was created by the 13-time Grammy winner as a national initiative connecting Black, Hispanic, and under-resourced founders with major companies, mentors, and clear paths to capital.
The outlet noted that the program aims to close long-standing access gaps by offering entrepreneurs not just financial backing, but what Hatcher called “access to high level mentorship and resources and community.”
“Because you can’t build a business by yourself. We take a holistic approach to help entrepreneurs,” she said.
This year’s conference — held in Miami for the first time — awarded $1 million to 25 winners chosen from a pool of 25,000 applicants. Hatcher emphasized that their mission is to help founders build “the right type of connections.”
“The assets are here,” she said. “A lot of them fly under the radar. We’ve never been absent from business. The amount of doors closing are the result of not having the right support.”
She added that South Florida has a rich pool of Black tech talent, but in-person connections are vital because, as she put it, “South Florida has a trust issue when it comes to diverse entrepreneurs, specifically Black entrepreneurs. When I say people don’t trust, that’s where investor relationships happen.”
