Detroit’s Pensole College Partners with Byron Allen On HBCU Go

Detroit’s own media mogul Byron Allen, who launched HBCU GO — a top media supplier for the 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) — formed a partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design to enable students at HBCUs to produce original content. The streaming platform will launch Pensole’s FAST channel, the first of its kind among HBCU GO colleges on the platform.

“This new partnership with Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design gives us the opportunity to shine a light on aspiring Black designers, as well as on the college’s innovative programs and events designed to create equitable access to opportunity,” Bryan Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, said in the joint statement obtained by The Grio. “We are deeply committed to showcasing all aspects of HBCU life — from education, culture, and sporting events to the unique offerings only HBCUs can provide.”

HBCU GO

The Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design’s FAST channel will be the first to offer a special platform for student-produced content to spread and bring funding for their particular universities, according to the network. This new collaboration serves as an illustration of HBCU GO’s dedication to education by exhibiting Black colleges and universities’ rich histories, viewpoints, and cultures. 

Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design

Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design is the only HBCU in Detroit. It was formerly known as the Lewis College of Business until it was revived and reopened with the “Pensole” name. The college was reestablished in 2021 under the direction of its founder, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, a well-known footwear industry figure and former senior designer for the Nike Jordan brand. The college is a pipeline HBCU for career education and professional development in the design industry. Its mission is to support young Black creatives in many industries through offering degrees in design, sustainability, business, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).