Breaking into Hollywood can feel like navigating a maze with no map, especially for Black students looking to make their mark behind the scenes. But now, one of the industry’s most respected executives is offering a guiding hand.
Jeff Friday, the visionary founder of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and CEO of Nice Crowd, has launched Ask Jeff, a new mentorship initiative designed to give African American college students — particularly those attending HBCUs — free career advice and professional guidance.
This isn’t your average career program. Ask Jeff offers students the rare chance to connect one-on-one with Friday himself, gaining insight from a leader who’s spent nearly three decades building pathways for Black talent in entertainment. Students can submit an interest form, upload their resumes, and send in their questions to get started. Once selected, they’ll schedule a personalized virtual session with Friday for tailored mentorship and industry insight.
The idea for Ask Jeff was born out of a real moment. In 2023, Friday delivered the commencement address at Howard University’s School of Communications and told graduates to reach out if they ever needed advice. Many took him up on it, asking about everything from breaking into the business side of film to navigating networks and opportunities. That outpouring of curiosity and ambition sparked the idea to turn his open-door offer into a formal platform for students nationwide. We love to see it!
Through Ask Jeff, students can ask about careers in distribution, marketing, finance, management, or live event production – essential areas where Black representation remains limited but crucial. While the program isn’t a job placement service, it offers something far more valuable: trusted, hands-on mentorship from someone who’s been where they are and climbed all the way up.
“For nearly three decades, my mission has been to create pathways for Black talent in Hollywood,” Friday shares. “Ask Jeff is my way of extending that mission directly to students who are hungry for advice and perspective. When I graduated from business school and wanted to break into entertainment, there were very few people I could turn to for career guidance—especially on the business side. I just want to make sure today’s students have more resources than I had.”
With Ask Jeff, Friday continues his legacy of empowerment — cultivating the next generation of Black executives, producers, and industry leaders who will shape the future of entertainment. Questions to Jeff Friday can be directed via Google form HERE
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