From sponsoring and judging a $25,000 startup competition to walking the BET Awards red carpet, the My Butler AL founder spent four days at the intersection of business, culture and entertainment.
Most people think BET Awards Weekend is about celebrity sightings.
They’re only seeing half the picture.
Behind every red carpet is a week where entrepreneurs pitch companies, creators build brands, executives make deals and innovators pursue opportunities that can change the trajectory of their businesses. While millions tuned in to celebrate music’s biggest stars, another stage was quietly shaping the next generation of Black entrepreneurs.
Few people experienced both sides of that story quite like Summer Grays.
Before cameras captured her arrival at the BET Awards, the founder of My Butler AL, a social networking and lifestyle platform focused on creating authentic connections and real-world opportunities, spent four days moving through some of the weekend’s most influential events. From walking the Culture Creators carpet to helping judge a nationally recognized business competition, participating in the BET Media House press circuit and closing the weekend on the BET Awards red carpet, Grays’ schedule reflected how BET Weekend has evolved into far more than an awards show.
Where Culture Meets Commerce
Grays opened the weekend at Culture Creators, an annual gathering that brings together executives, founders, entertainers and innovators shaping Black culture beyond music.
Before the first BET Award was handed out, the event created space for conversations around ownership, collaboration and leadership. It has become one of the week’s premier networking destinations, connecting business leaders with creators whose work continues to influence culture.
For Grays, it was the first stop in a weekend that would place her at the center of conversations about entrepreneurship, media and innovation.
Helping Build the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Friday’s focus shifted from celebration to opportunity.
The E-SUITE Business Pitch Competition has become one of BET Awards Weekend’s premier entrepreneurship events, giving founders the opportunity to showcase their companies before investors, executives and industry leaders while competing for funding and valuable exposure.
Produced by celebrity financial expert Dr. Lynn Richardson in association with MC Lyte’s Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, the competition was held at The Beehive by SoLa Impact in South Central Los Angeles and featured 10 finalists pitching their businesses for a chance to win $25,000.
Sponsors included Walmart and My Butler AL, bringing together both an established national retailer and an emerging technology platform in support of entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
As founder of My Butler AL and Ms. Powerhouse Media, Grays also served as one of the competition’s judges, evaluating each founder’s presentation, innovation, leadership and long-term growth potential before helping determine which entrepreneur would receive the competition’s top prize.
Rather than simply attending another BET Weekend event, Grays played an active role in creating opportunities for the next generation of business leaders.
Taking the Conversation National
Following the competition, Grays continued her weekend at BET Media House, where she participated in interviews with EBONY, ESSENCE and Onsite!
The appearances introduced My Butler AL to audiences following one of the biggest weekends in Black entertainment while placing the platform before three of Black culture’s most recognizable editorial brands. The conversations centered on entrepreneurship, innovation and building meaningful community through technology.
She later attended the BET Creator Studio Toast Reception, joining creators, founders and digital innovators celebrating the future of Black media and storytelling. Official event photography documented her appearance, adding another milestone to an already packed weekend.
Closing the Weekend on Culture’s Biggest Stage
By Sunday evening, Grays brought the weekend full circle.
Wearing a black gown embellished with shimmering crystals and black diamond rhinestones, she arrived on the official BET Awards red carpet, making appearances at both the signature BET arrivals and the Hyundai-sponsored step-and-repeat before taking her seat inside the Peacock Theater.
Once the show began, the energy inside the building never let up.
BET delivered one of its strongest award shows in recent memory. The tribute honoring Ms. Lauryn Hill brought the audience to its feet and became one of the night’s defining moments. The crowd stayed engaged throughout the evening as the celebration of Black music and culture continued.
The moments kept coming. While presenting an award, Yung Miami had the entire audience singing “Spend It” without ever performing the record, creating one of those spontaneous BET Awards moments that had the theater buzzing.
From the performances to the tributes, the atmosphere inside the Peacock Theater felt electric. Celebrities, executives, entrepreneurs and creators all arrived dressed to the nines, making fashion just as much a part of the evening as the awards themselves.
Grays was part of that celebration, but her weekend had started long before the cameras focused on the red carpet.
By the time she arrived at the BET Awards, she had already spent the previous days helping judge a $25,000 startup competition, supporting one of BET Weekend’s premier entrepreneurship events through My Butler AL and introducing the platform to national audiences through interviews with EBONY, ESSENCE and Onsite!
While the world celebrated the artists who continue to shape the culture, Summer Grays spent the weekend investing in entrepreneurs working to shape its future.
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