The Gray Matter Experience

The mission of The Gray Matter Experience is to unlock the self-determining power of Black youth and strengthen their ties to community through real world experience in entrepreneurship.

We give power to the

young generation.

Enabling them to

dream bigger, build

with strong foundations

and thrive at an early

age.

See How We Do It

Gray Matter is a 501c3 that aims to educate, empower and assist students in creating their own businesses while providing them access to resources and support to ensure students understand that their ideas are valid and vital to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Donate

The

Experience

Gray Matter is an entrepreneurial experience program for high school students across the city of Chicago. The program consists of a series of engaging workshops comprised of team building activities, group and individual tasks, discussions, guest speakers, and fun and engaging field trips.

Participating students learn business concepts from entrepreneurs and professionals and then use that knowledge to create businesses to help impact communities on the South and West sides of the city. Students are encouraged to launch their businesses and will be placed in relevant internships and mentorships to ensure their success.

Gray Matter aims to educate, empower and assist students in creating their own businesses while providing them access to resources and support to ensure students understand that their ideas are valid and vital to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Meet Our Founder

Britney Robbins is the founder and CEO of The Gray Matter Experience. Britney has worked within Chicago's entrepreneurship and tech community for the past seven years working within some of Chicago's top venture capital firms and incubators including Sandbox Industries, Lightbank and 1871. She has been recognized as one of Ariel Investment, BMO Harris and WVON's 40 Under 40 Gamechangers, Essence Magazine's Woke 100, a finalist for Ebony Magazine's Power 100 People's Choice Award, featured on Fox32, Chicago Inno, BlackEntrepreneur.com, DNAInfo Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Forbes and Essence Magazine for her work through Gray Matter.

Britney is passionate about the intersection of entrepreneurship, education and youth and believes in empowering others to use their passions and strengths to create opportunities for themselves. In 2015, she authored and published her first children's book and is working to complete the second book of the series early 2020. Britney is committed to inspiring youth to reach their full potential and aims to continue to create channels for them to do so.

Meet Our Team

Apply For The Gray Matter Experience

Gray Matter Experience exists to give opportunities for high school students to learn about and practice entrepreneurship at an early age. We hope that our students gain knowledge, access and resources to transform the way they and others view their communities. Through our programs, youth collaborate to develop solutions around problems that plague their communities and use their newfound knowledge gained through The Gray Matter Experience, to help shape their business approach.

These students are becoming well equipped to navigate through our booming technological and entrepreneurial economy. They're learning to use the resources and information gained through the program to catapult their futures to great success. They're learning to be change agents within their communities with the hope of continuing to rebuild and reinvigorate their neighborhoods as they achieve various forms of success. These students are #GMEChangers.

Think You Have What It Takes To Become A #GMEChanger?

Are You?:
• A current high school freshman, sophomore, junior or senior
• Available to attend each virtual program session
• Full of determination, able to work well in teams, not afraid to take
risks, confident, reliable and passionate about finding ways to improve your communities/city

APPLY HERE