Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken is heading to his home state of New Jersey. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the former basketball-player-turned-serial- entrepreneur became a co-owner of Big Chicken in 2018 and opened the first location in Las Vegas, NV, alongside his friend Matt Silverman and agent Perry Rogers. Since, thanks in part due to its popular menu items including chicken tenders, various chicken sandwiches, crinkle-cut French fries, and mac n’ cheese, the business has proven to be a success and has adopted a franchise model. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 312 Craves (@312craves) Big Chicken signed a 20-unit development deal in partnership with H&D Group Investments to expand to Michigan in 2023, Franchise Times reports . Prior, a 50-unit deal had been signed to open storefronts in Texas, with locations already springing up in the city of Houston and nearby Richmond. It can also be found in California and on Carnival Cruise ships. View this post on...

Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, founded by Derrick Hayes, is crossing state lines. The restaurant, which was born from Hayes’ interest in cooking while in the kitchen with his grandfather, notes Forbes, has scaled from a 700-square-foot gas station in Dunwoody, GA, to multiple locations across Atlanta, GA, including the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In 2023, Hayes’ had cemented a deal that pivoted the business to a franchise model allowing the restaurant to further capitalize off its success. By doing so, 10 restaurants are already set to form across central Florida as former PepsiCo executive Derek Lewis signed a franchise agreement with Hayes in January 2024, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Now, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is poised for even further growth in light of its newest establishment opening at 8552 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28213, its first out-of-state location, according to a press release provided to AFROTECH™. “From a humble gas station start to expanding across state...

Founder Wilglory Tanjong has Beyoncé’s attention. On April 7, 2024, the “Cowboy Carter” singer took to Instagram sharing two posts where she is seen wearing a Willie Nelson T-shirt, platform boots, and a jacket with a print of the American flag. She also accessorized the look with a luxury handbag designed by Tanjong and launched through the founder’s company, Anima Iris. This marks the second time Beyoncé’ has sported the brand since 2021, per CNBC. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ANIMA IRIS (@anima.iris) “ANIMA IRIS IS BEYONCÉ APPROVED… AGAIN !! Beyoncé really loves Anima Iris, no cap all facts,” Tanjong said on Instagram. “I know y’all will ask so YES, I’m releasing the bag we made just for Bey and I’m naming it the Cowboy Carter ZAZA. Available now on animairis.com…AHHH BEYONCÉ APPROVEDDD.” While Beyoncé’s interest in Anima Iris is certainly noteworthy, it is also a testament to the labor of love behind Anima Iris, which was born while Tanjong was traveling in...

Major changes may be on the way for Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners. The rapper’s venture capital firm, established in 2018, was created to build “innovative businesses and mass-market brands,” its company website mentions. Its areas of investment focus on sustainability, inclusivity, empowerment, accessibility, and health and wellness. As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, its investment portfolio includes at least 24 companies such as Wheels, an electric transportation company; Hungry Marketplace, a food tech company; and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie brand. MVC also participated in a $33 million funding round for premier beauty brand Madison Reed in 2022 and backed 24-year-old technologist Iddris Sandu to embolden his tech incubator, Spatial Labs. “Aligning with Marcy Venture Partners assists with our vision for elevating the youth as it relates to access and a means to true technological empowerment,” Sandu said at the time. “The lasting impact of this relationship is not simply...

A new day has begun in Detroit, MI, thanks to the leadership of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. For nearly a decade, the Motor City hasn’t had a full-scale Black-owned grocery store, Detroit Metro Times reports. Now, in May 2024, Detroit People’s Food Co-Op, the first Black-led co-op grocery store in Detroit, has opened its doors. As Detroit is one of the major U.S. cities that faces a significant shortage of food access, Detroit People’s Food Co-Op offers fresh, local grocery items, a deli, and a coffee bar. The outlet details that the store’s fruits and vegetables are sourced from four Black-owned farms in Michigan. In addition to providing quality food and health and wellness products, what makes the grocery store special is that anyone age 21 and over can become a member and have ownership in the co-op. On May 1, 2024, it had over 2,700 members and counting. “This is not something you’re invited to. It’s literally yours,” said Lanay Gilbert-Williams,...

Reading is one of the fundamental skills required for youth to excel academically. However, there has been a rising number of children who struggle with literacy skills. According to The Nation’s Report Card, only 33% of fourth-grade students could read at or above the basic reading level as of 2022. To be a part of keeping students motivated to read, Beanstack, formerly known as Zoobean, stepped in. Founded by husband-and-wife team Felix Brandon Lloyd and Jordan Lloyd Bookey, the edtech startup was created to not only support children’s reading growth but also grow their overall love for reading. The drive to launch the company stems from the founders’ background in education. In addition to Bookey serving as Google’s head of K-12 education outreach, Lloyd had worked in the public school system. He started out as dean of students at the SEED Public Charter School, where he was named Washington, D.C.’s “Teacher of the Year.” Then, in 2007, Lloyd was selected for Echoing Green’s...

Venita Cooper’s passion for sneaker culture has led her to become an entrepreneur -turned-tech-founder. In 2019, Cooper opened Silhouette Sneakers & Art in Tulsa, OK, after working as a K-12 educator in the Mississippi Delta through Teach for America. She was brought to Oklahoma because her parents decided to retire, Cooper told AFROTECH™ in an interview. With no entrepreneurial background, the thought of launching her own business never crossed her mind until 2018, when the idea of opening a sneaker store was presented to her. “At first I thought it was crazy ’cause I was like, ‘I’m not an entrepreneur. I’ve never done anything like that before,'” Cooper said. “One of the things that I’ve learned is that to start a business and to run a business, to me, the No. 1 skill is the ability to make good decisions consistently and quickly. I always ask investors and other founders who have successful companies, what is the characteristic that they can identify as that No. 1 characteristic...

Amid the attack on venture capital investments to Black businesses, Hello Alice has come out on top. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the fintech platform — created by Elizabeth Gore and Carolyn Rodz — that has helped small businesses through capital, had been named in a class-action lawsuit filed by America First Legal, Mitchell Law PLLC, and Ashbrook Byrne Kresge LLC in October 2023. The company was targeted for partnering with Progressive Insurance Co. to offer up to $25,000 in grants to 10 Black-owned businesses. “We were founded on the principle of equality, with the aim of ensuring that everyone — women, men, people of color, U.S. Veterans, and more — have an equal opportunity to launch their businesses and pursue the American Dream,” Hello Alice shared at the time in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “From Texas to California to Florida to New York, small business owners are the most trusted voice in America and a critical engine of our economic growth. Today our...