Carmela Hawkins

Italee Lucas is a former North Carolina Tarheel Women’s Basketball player, and she was also the 21st pick by the Tulsa Shock in the 2011 WNBA draft. She now plays overseas for the Angolan Women’s National Basketball team. Lucas has quite a few accolades under her belt, but now she can also add successful investor to that list. I was fortunate enough to spend some time talking with her to understand how she began investing and what she has learned about the process by working with the experts. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. AfroTech: When you were drafted into the WNBA, did they have anything in place to teach rookies about personal finance? Italee Lucas: They didn’t, and that’s one of the things I’m even talking to my agent about now. I did end up changing agents three times, and I think it’s important for the agents, especially for the women, coming out to be partnered with either a financial advisor or some type of additional capitalist. When I first came...

Many may know Trevor Booker from his days playing basketball for the Clemson University Tigers. Many may know him from his nine-year tenure in the NBA, playing for various teams such as the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and most recently, the Indiana Pacers. While he has had a tremendous basketball career, what many do not know is that Booker is also a venture capitalist, owning his own firm JB Fitzgerald with partner Jonah Baize. I was able to catch up with Booker to learn what he had to learn about finance prior to starting his firm and what motivated him to seek to become a billionaire. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. AfroTech: So, what was your knowledge level of finance and investing prior to the NBA? Trevor Booker: My knowledge level prior to the NBA — ooh, I would have to say, it was definitely not as high as it is now. I knew a little bit from going to college and taking classes, you know, about investment and finance, but it...