While BET Was Giving Flowers to Legends, Summer Grays Was Helping the Next Generation Get Watered
From sponsoring and judging a $25,000 startup competition to walking the BET Awards red carpet, the My Butler AL founder spent the weekend at the intersection of business, culture and entertainment.
When people think about BET Awards Weekend, they usually picture the red carpet, the performances and the celebrity moments that dominate social media. What they don’t always see are the founders pitching businesses, executives making deals and creators building partnerships behind the scenes. That’s where Summer Grays spent much of her weekend.
Before she ever stepped onto the BET Awards red carpet, the founder of My Butler AL had already spent days moving through some of the most influential business and media events surrounding Culture’s Biggest Night.
Friday Started With the People Building the Culture
Friday morning began at Culture Creators, one of the first major events that officially sets the tone for BET Weekend.
Before artists hit the stage and celebrities hit the red carpet, founders, executives, creators and innovators gathered to exchange ideas, build relationships and celebrate the people moving Black culture forward behind the scenes.
Later that afternoon, Grays headed to the E-SUITE Business Pitch Competition, one of BET Weekend’s premier events for founders. Produced by celebrity financial expert Dr. Lynn Richardson in partnership with MC Lyte’s Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, the competition gives entrepreneurs a national stage to pitch their companies before celebrity judges, investors and business leaders while competing for a $25,000 grand prize.
Held at The Beehive by SoLa Impact in South Central Los Angeles, this year’s competition featured 10 finalists representing businesses across multiple industries.
Sponsors included Walmart and My Butler AL, reflecting support from both an established national retailer and an emerging technology platform committed to entrepreneurship.
As one of the competition’s judges, Grays helped evaluate which entrepreneur would walk away with the $25,000 grand prize, bringing her experience as the founder of My Butler AL and Ms. Powerhouse Media to the judging panel.
Her dual role reflected how BET Weekend has evolved into a destination where entrepreneurship commands as much attention as entertainment.
Saturday Was About Building the Brand
Saturday brought Grays to BET Media House, where she participated in interviews with EBONY, ESSENCE and Onsite!
The appearances gave My Butler AL visibility across some of Black media’s most recognizable platforms while expanding the conversation around entrepreneurship, technology and community. She later attended the BET Creator Studio Toast Reception, joining creators, founders, executives and media personalities celebrating the future of Black storytelling and digital innovation.
Sunday Belonged to the Culture
By Sunday evening, Grays arrived at the official BET Awards wearing a black gown embellished with shimmering crystals and black diamond rhinestones, joining artists, executives, creators and entrepreneurs on one of entertainment’s biggest red carpets.
Inside the Peacock Theater, BET delivered one of its strongest broadcasts in recent years, blending powerful tributes, standout performances and unscripted moments that kept the audience engaged from start to finish.
The tribute honoring Ms. Lauryn Hill brought the crowd to its feet, while one of the night’s most talked-about moments came when Yung Miami had the audience singing “Spend It” while simply presenting an award. No performance. Just a genuine crowd moment that captured the spirit of the evening.
Fashion was just as much a part of the experience, with celebrities, executives, entrepreneurs and creators arriving in bold custom looks worthy of Culture’s Biggest Night.
By the time Summer Grays stepped onto the BET Awards red carpet Sunday night, she had already spent the weekend helping founders compete for life-changing funding, representing one of the companies supporting one of BET Weekend’s premier entrepreneurship events and introducing My Butler AL to national audiences through multiple media appearances.
The cameras captured another entrepreneur walking the red carpet. What they didn’t capture was everything that happened before she got there.
