Hosted by Hillsborough College (HC), the 19th Annual National Believe. Build. Complete. Become. (BBCB) Summit will be held on March 4 – 7, 2026, at the Tampa Convention Center.
Blair Underwood, award-winning actor, producer and director, will keynote the highly anticipated, Dr. Sylvia Marion Carley Luncheon on Friday, March 6.
“BBCB started in 2006 as a local event for administrators to discuss how they could assist Black and Latino males who were enrolled in college, or college bound, to complete their educational journey,” says Dr. Ken Atwater, president of HC. “Since that time, the summit has grown into a leading national event that is open to all students of any background, to allow all attendees a space to network and connect with professionals who have surpassed the obstacles and become successful. The path to that success beginning with completing a college degree.”
Underwood is best known for his role as attorney Jonathon Rollins in the NBC series “L.A. Law” for which he earned an NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a drama series. He has also earned a Grammy for best spoken word album in 2009, and a Daytime Emmy Award in 2017 for outstanding children’s or family viewing series.
Additional speakers will include Damola Adamolekun, Nigerian American business executive and the current chief executive officer of Red Lobster Investor Holdings. He is the youngest CEO of Red Lobster and previously held experience in financial and operational restructuring, particularly as CEO of P.F. Chang's in the early 2020s.
Also joining the Summit will be Mark Dean, IBM computer engineer. Whose most notable accomplishments include co-creating the IBM personal computer released in 1981 and being the first African American to become an IBM Fellow, which is the highest level of technical excellence at the company.
“We look forward to hosting the National BBCB Summit with our corporate and community sponsors,” says Annazette Houston, HC’s Executive Director of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance. “I am so pleased to be associated with an effort designed to change the educational outcomes for students.”
BBCB Summit has seen more than 5,000 participants since 2006, including students from almost two dozen different states. For more information and to register for the event, visit bbcbsummit.org. Additional questions should be directed to summitregistration@hccfl.edu.
Hillsborough College serves more than 46,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. For more information, visit hcfl.edu.
Hillsborough College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Hillsborough College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Hillsborough College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 3033-4097, by calling 404.679.4500 or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Visit hcfl.edu/accreditation for more information.