HBCU Yard Plug: Student Entrepreneurship & Innovation with Alexis Proctor | GSVtv Podcast

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

HBCU Yard Plug: Student Entrepreneurship & Innovation with Alexis Proctor | ASU+GSV Summit GSVtv Podcast

Date: July 20, 2026
Host: Tiffany Taylor (President, ASU+GSV Summit)
Guest: Alexis Proctor (Morgan State University, Student Entrepreneur)

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Episode Overview

This episode features a dynamic conversation between Tiffany Taylor and Alexis Proctor, highlighting the impact of the ASU+GSV Summit’s HBCU partnership on student entrepreneurship. Alexis, a business entrepreneurship major at Morgan State University and a member of the first HBCU cohort at ASU+GSV, discusses how her Summit experience inspired her to launch the HPCR Plug app—a platform designed to empower and connect students on their college campuses. The discussion centers on pathways for innovation, community building, and the enduring value of HBCU traditions in shaping entrepreneurial journeys.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal & Academic Introduction

• Alexis Proctor: Junior, business entrepreneurship major from Prince George's County, Maryland, attending Morgan State University.
  • “[I] got to learn so many amazing things and just be a part of something so great. I definitely was like, I have to come back again.” (00:51)

2. Genesis of the HPCR Plug App

• The ASU+GSV Summit directly inspired Alexis to pursue her entrepreneurial idea.
• HPCR Plug App Overview:
  • A campus-specific hub where students can find products, services, and connect for everything from hair and beauty to tutoring and internships.
  • Addresses both sides of the campus experience:
    • Students promoting their businesses in an oversaturated social media market.
    • New students seeking essential services and connections within an unfamiliar community.
  • “[My] app is going to help students find products and services on their campus…also have a community aspect where students are able to connect with each other, find different grants, internships…help students get their business legal.” (01:24 — 02:26)

3. The Importance of Networking and Connection

• Networking is foregrounded as instrumental to success, especially for young entrepreneurs.
  • “Your network is everything. And that's how I'm able to, of course, be here again today…especially being a business owner, is everything.” (02:37 — 02:56)
• The Summit offers unmatched exposure to influential peers and mentors.

4. Value and Legacy of the HBCU Experience

• Alexis comes from an HBCU legacy family; her mother also attended Morgan State (“…my mom is also a bear…”)
• HBCU values: Growth, community, pride, and foundational principles.
  • “HBCUs are just founded on greatness, founded on so many amazing principles that really resonate with me, especially my HBCU…has helped me grow in so many different ways.” (03:04 — 03:37)
• The experience is described as transformative for personal and professional identity.

5. Advice for Aspiring Student Entrepreneurs

• Be proactive in networking:
  • “Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You never know who you're standing next to…” (03:46)
  • Practical advice: Always have your LinkedIn QR code ready and be open to introducing yourself.
• Small actions at a conference can lead to big opportunities down the line.

6. Encouragement to Stay Connected

• Alexis plugs her upcoming HPCR Plug app as a resource for staying engaged within the HBCU community.
  • “Get plugged in with the HBCU Yard Plug app. It's coming very soon, y’all.” (04:17)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Summit Impact:

  • “Coming to this conference truly pushed me. It was so inspirational.” — Alexis Proctor (01:24)

• On the Power of Networking:

  • “Your network is everything.” — Alexis Proctor (02:39)

• On HBCU Legacy:

  • “My mom is also a bear. So, you know, I'm following the legacy…HBCUs are just founded on greatness.” — Alexis Proctor (03:06)

• On Student Advice:

  • “Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You never know who you're standing next to.” — Alexis Proctor (03:46)

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Important Timestamps

• [00:51] — Alexis’s introduction and decision to return to the Summit
• [01:24 – 02:26] — Explanation of the HPCR Plug app and its mission
• [02:37 – 02:56] — The importance of networking and connections
• [03:04 – 03:37] — HBCU pride and impact
• [03:46] — Key advice for students attending the Summit
• [04:17] — Call to action: “Get plugged in with the HBCU Yard Plug app.”

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Takeaways

• Student entrepreneurship at HBCUs is thriving, with organizations like ASU+GSV catalyzing real change.
• Network-building and community support are crucial for young founders.
• Conferences such as ASU+GSV are not just events—they are launchpads for new ideas and enterprises.
• HBCUs instill lasting values and networks that echo beyond the campus.

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Transcript

[A]

Hi, everyone, and welcome. My name is Tiffany Taylor, and I have the pleasure of serving as the president of the ASU GSB Summit. So one of my very favorite parts of this work is our HBCU partnership. It's an initiative that's focused on expanding access, exposure, and real pathways for HBCU students across education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. And what makes this conversation so incredible is that Alexis was a part of our very first cohort, and she's now back as a student ambassador, helping to shape the experience for a new cohort of students from HBCUs across the country. And so, Alexis, introduce yourself and tell them a little bit about what you're studying and what made you say yes to coming to the Summit.

[B]

Yes. So, hi, everyone. My name is Alexis Proctor. I am a junior business entrepreneurship major from Prince George's County, Maryland, and I go to Morgan State University. And what made me come back was just the amazing experience I had last year. I had so many great connections that I still have to this day, and I got to learn so many amazing things and just be a part of something so great. I definitely was like, I have to come back again.

[A]

Yes. So tell our viewers a little bit about the business that you're launching because of you coming to the Summit.

[B]

Yes. So, because coming here, it truly inspired me to go after my dream and built my app called the HPCR Plug app. And this is something that I wanted to do since my freshman year, but coming to this conference truly pushed me. It was so inspirational. And essentially, my app is going to help students find product and services on their campus. I had both perspectives coming into college. I was trying to figure out how I can put my business out there specifically to my college campus. But it's hard because social media is so oversaturated. And then on the other end, I'm sorry, on the other hand, going to a different town, you know, I didn't know where to get my hair done or get my nails done on campus. So it's basically going to be a hub where you can find anything on your campus that you need, such as getting your hair done, tutors, whatever the case may be, and also have a community aspect where students are able to connect with each other, find different grants, internships. And also, my main thing that I really want to do is help students get their business legal.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

So when you think about where this particular partnership can go in the next five, 10, even 15 years, what's one of your greatest hopes for that?

[B]

Yeah, my greatest hope is just to continue to have the amazing connections, because, honestly, your network is everything. And that's how I'm able to, of course, be here again today. So just being able to be in a space where I get to connect with so many amazing people, like the connections, especially being a business owner, is everything.

[A]

Yes, I love it. Yes, I love it. So let's zoom out a little bit. Tell us a little bit about what it means to you to attend an hbcu.

[B]

Oh, my goodness. That means everything. Everyone in my family went to hbcu, and my mom is also a bear. So, you know, I'm following the legacy. And it just means everything because HBCUs are just founded on greatness, founded on so many amazing principles that really resonate with with me, especially my hbcu. So it just means everything to me. And I would say going to HBCU has helped me grow in so many different ways. I know if I wouldn't have went, like, I wouldn't be with who I am and where I am today. I love it.

[A]

If you had advice for students who are considering, right, Attending a conference like the ASCGSE Summit, what was one piece of advice that you would give them?

[B]

Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You never know who you're standing next to. So don't be afraid to introduce yourself and speak to People. Connect your LinkedIn. Have your LinkedIn QR code with you at all times. Get as many connections as you can because there's somebody right next to you that can help you. Maybe in the next month or year. You never know.

[A]

I love it. Well, thank you so much for sharing a little bit about your experience, and I hope you all stay tuned to the great work that we're doing with historically black colleges and universities across the country. Thanks, folks.

[B]

And get plugged in with the HBCU Yard Plug app. It's coming very soon, y'. All.

[A]

That's right.