Sprout Social announces $100,000 annual contribution to Howard University to stand up the Center for Digital Business

CHICAGO, April 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprout Social, an industry-leading provider of cloud-based social media management software, today announced a $100,000 annual contribution to the Howard University School of Business for the creation and management of their Center for Digital Business, as well as related business education offerings and programming, over the next two years. This contribution will help support the hiring of the Center's Director, develop course curriculum, and provide Sprout technology to aid in student and faculty research.

The Center for Digital Business will provide a space within Howard University’s 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.

Sprout Social’s technology will support three courses for the Spring and Fall terms, including Publication Management, Introduction to Social Media Marketing and Marketing for Startups. In line with the school’s efforts to create a pipeline of diverse professionals with relevant skills and real-world experience, Sprout will also provide mentorship to students and help judge student pitch competitions.

“At Sprout, we believe it’s critical to play an active role in the development of the next generation of Black business leaders,” said Cassandra Blackburn, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Sprout Social. “Our partnership with Howard University underscores our commitment to this endeavor and reinforces our goal of advancing the equity and justice of historically underserved communities. We’re excited to be building a multidimensional relationship with Howard University and look forward to supporting students as they ascend into their professional careers within tech.”

Etoulia Burnett, Director of the Center for Digital Business at Howard University, said, "The Center for Digital Business is thrilled to have Sprout Social as a partner. As companies continue to integrate social media into their overall business strategies, it is important for students to get hands-on experience with technologies that prepare them to successfully design engagement solutions of the future. We look forward to a long-standing relationship.”

Learn more about Sprout Social’s DEI and social impact efforts here.

About Sprout Social
Sprout Social offers deep social media listening and analytics, social management, customer care, commerce and advocacy solutions to more than 30,000 brands and agencies worldwide. Sprout’s unified platform integrates the power of social throughout every aspect of a business and enables social leaders at every level to extract valuable data and insights that drive their business forward. Headquartered in Chicago, Sprout operates across major social media networks, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study 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, 12 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.

Media Contacts
Sprout Social:
Kaitlyn Gronek
Email: pr@sproutsocial.com
Phone: (773) 904-9674

Howard University:
Brittany Bailer
Email: brittany.bailer@howard.edu