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...

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...

Cash Money Records Founder Birdman experienced several losses by the age of 16, and he was determined to steer clear of any losses in the music business. Birdman, born Bryan Christopher Williams, started the label in 1991 alongside his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, according to BET. They were able to gain traction and had the support of independent distributors such as Gonzales Music and SouthWest Distribution, XXL Magazine reports. Building popularity in the South, the label caught the attention of Universal Records and signed a deal with the company on May 10, 1997, per a Max Volume Media interview Birdman gave. He later discussed the deal during an interview on the “Wilde Ride!” podcast, revealing that he was looking to retain ownership of his music due to his upbringing. “I felt like I lost everything already. I lost my family,” he explained on the podcast. “Nothing can repay me for what I already lost. I lost my mama, my daddy, my brother, my sister… I lived a hell of a life...

He made his mark in rap, now Xzibit is looking to do the same in a new industry. The “Get Your Walk On” artist, born Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, will be scaling his interest in the cannabis industry. In 2023, he launched the “Lasagna Ganja” podcast in collaboration with co-host Tammy “The Cannabis Cutie” Pettigrew, CNN reports. The purpose of the podcast was to remove the stigma associated with cannabis use and to educate listeners. When speaking on the overarching goal of stewarding these conversations, he said in an interview on “Beyond the Red Carpet with Ny MaGee,” “I’ve seen the music industry go from millions to a billion-dollar industry. And I’ve also seen cannabis, you know, take on the same journey that maybe alcohol did after prohibition. And the misinformation that can lead us to continue to be left out of things is something that I want to combat. So when I say us, I mean people of color, people who have been incarcerated for cannabis, and now as it turns into this...

When looking for a job, one of the critical things prospective employees consider is the benefits. Beyond healthcare, people hold stock options and spending accounts in high regard when choosing employment. Take, for example, the folks at Global Data Consortium.

Since the recent protests for racial justice, companies have scrambled to clean house, positioning themselves to be more diverse and inclusive. In addition, plenty of organizations have remixed their marketing to speak to a more multicultural audience. Still, some are missing the mark. According to NewsOne , former television executives Jessica D. Lane Alexander and Lori J. Hall founded Pop’N Creative “to help brands cultivate an authentic connection with multicultural audiences.” Launched in 2020, the agency focuses on digital and social content creation, experiential design, and masterful storytelling, the site reads. “We are absolutely, unapologetically passionate about multicultural marketing and helping brands get it right,” Hall told NewsOne. Both Hall and Alexander aim to help disrupt conflicting representation for Black girls in mainstream marketing, especially on the beauty of African-American attributes such as natural hair. “While I was super excited to see someone who...

Forbes recently released its 2020 World’s Billionaires List ranking billionaires according to their net worth. While some billionaires remain on top, others saw their ranking drop drastically from the previous year. The list — finalized on March 18 — features 2,095 billionaires. Here are the Black billionaires that made the list representing various countries around the world. Aliko Dangote JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images The cement and sugar manufacturing guru from Nigeria landed at No. 162 with a net worth of $8.3 billion. He is not only Africa’s richest man but the world’s richest Black man. As the CEO and founder of Africa’s largest cement producer, Dangote Cement. At 62-years-old, Dangote owns 85 percent of the publicly-traded company. Mike Adenuga Twitter Adenuga is the second richest man in Africa. He ranks at No. 286 with a net worth of $5.6 billion. He secured his wealth through oil and telecom endeavors. At 66-years-old, Adenuga’s mobile communications company, Globacom,...

Becoming debt-free is no easy feat, but by the age of 24, I was able to pay off $37,000 in student loans. Through sharing my story, I uncovered fears hidden within my friend group. A common theme was believing they had too much debt, the practice of avoiding debt, the shame of accumulating more debt, and uncertainty about how to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Once the fears were in the open, there was an opportunity to heal and grow. After helping my friends, one friend noted that the information was life-changing and too valuable not to share on a larger scale. From there, CreateFinStew was born. What began as a journey of helping my social circle developed into building a company that creatively transforms the financial stewardship of individuals and organizations. Financial Stewardship Financial stewardship is important to me and should be important to everyone because it helps foster good intentions about our present and our future. We are called to be good stewards of the...