WSSU graduate selected for renowned Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program
Recent Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) graduate Nia James was selected to participate in the distinguished Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), a weeklong immersive experience designed to increase opportunity in business education and leadership.
James, a native of Centreville, Va., is the second WSSU student to be accepted into the program since 2019. She was introduced to the opportunity through her then Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) campus advisor, William Gibson, who encouraged her to apply. Gibson, now director of corporate/foundation engagement for the university, was selected for the program in 2019.
During the program, James engaged with Harvard’s signature case study method, analyzing real-world business challenges and discussing them with peers and professors.
“This sharpened my critical thinking, decision-making and communication skills,” James said. “I also gained insight into what it truly means to be in spaces where mutual intelligence is appreciated and encouraged.”
Equally valuable was the sense of community, she said. “I had the chance to connect with some of the most driven, talented and diverse future leaders from around the world. Our shared experiences, conversations and collaboration gave me a renewed sense of motivation and belonging in spaces where people who look like me are still underrepresented.”
The 2025 SVMP was open to all academic disciplines for college junior and seniors graduating in the classes of 2025 and 2026. James graduated in May, earning a bachelor’s degree in sport management with a concentration in communications.
She was a member of the WSSU volleyball team; president of the Caribbean Student Association and the Sport Management Club; member of the UNC Association of Student Government; and a TMCF yard ambassador.
She is studying for the Law School Admission Test with plans to attend law school and combine her passion for sports, business and social impact. She recently started her first post-grad role as a McLendon Fellow at Howard University Athletics, where she works as an athletics revenue manager.
“Personally, SVMP boosted my confidence. Being selected out of thousands of applicants and representing my HBCU – Winston-Salem State University – proved to me that I belong in top business spaces and that my perspective matters. I left the program with a stronger sense of direction and clarity about pursuing an MBA in the future, and a powerful network of peers and friends to support me along the way,” James said.
“Nia James is the kind of leader who lifts as she climbs,” Gibson said. “Her selection for the Harvard SVMP program is a reflection of her drive, vision and commitment to bettering herself as a future leader. These are qualities I recognized immediately as her advisor and as a past participant myself in 2019,” Gibson said.
She acknowledged Gibson and the WSSU Office of Career Development Services for always seeing her potential and for sharing opportunities such as this one. She also recognized the Sport Management Department – chair Dr. Dennis Felder and professor Dr. Rennae Stowe – for always supporting her endeavors.
“I truly would not be the person I am today without the department and this university,” James said.
She also thanked her WSSU athletic trainer, John Lavender, for literally saving her life. James made headlines before her graduation for crediting Lavender with being alive today. After suffering a knee injuring during a volleyball game in 2022, she suffered chest pains. Lavender’s insistence on the doctors performing a CT scan revealed blood clots in her lungs.
“Had it not been for WSSU, I would not be here today. I will never take that moment for granted,” she said.
Click here for more information about the Harvard Summer Venture in Management Program.
