Samantha Dorisca

AFROTECH STAFF

Samantha Dorisca

Samantha Dorisca is a Houston-based journalist and photographer whose mission is to impact communities through the gift of storytelling using the written word or visual media. She completed her B.A at The University of Texas at Austin and is pursuing a M.A at The University of Memphis. Her work can be found on platforms such as Houstonia Magazine, Girls' Life Magazine, and Blacque Magazine. Samantha mainly reports on tech, trends, and entrepreneurship.

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How Carmelo Anthony Became The Jordan Brand's First Signature Athlete With His Own Shoe, Earning A Reported 6-Year Deal Worth $3.5M Annually

Basketball-player-turned-businessman Michael Jordan chose Carmelo Anthony as the first signature athlete for his well-known brand. During his high school years, Anthony was encouraged by his coach, Mike Daniel, to enhance his basketball career by transferring from his Maryland school to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA, right before his senior year, the New York Times previously reported. The former athlete became a top star while playing for the school, which was also sponsored by Jordan, per ESPN. Before attending Oak Hill Academy, Anthony says he was simply focused on playing the sport and had no clear interest in working with a particular shoe brand at the time. He had played wearing both Adidas and Nike. However, Anthony stayed loyal to the Jordan brand at the new school and even wore the Jordan shoe to an Adidas summer camp. “In the history of Adidas — and there wasn’t no disrespect to Adidas — I’m the only person that ever wore Jordans to an Adidas camp,” Anthony...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 18, 2024

Lisa Leslie Invests In A Sports Metaverse Tech Company Following Her WNBA Retirement

Upon retiring, Lisa Leslie sought new ways to move the needle in women’s basketball. The WNBA superstar and hall of famer said goodbye to the game after her 2009 season, as reported by ESPN. Recently, Leslie discussed her involvement in another industry since the big decision. During the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024 Conference, Leslie stated that she started developing an interest in the digital space shortly after her retirement. This new passion prompted her to become an investor in LootMogul, a company enhancing relationships among fans, athletes, teams, and brands through the sports metaverse, its LinkedIn page mentions. “Once I retired, you saw where everything just started to shift, whether it was the NFTs or just different ways to engage,” Leslie said during SXSW 2024. “So, I became an investor in LootMogul, which is one of the digital platforms that also can help with fan engagement and how they see it and giving fans the in-arena opportunity in a stadium or if they’re at...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 18, 2024

HBCU Graduate And NC Coffee Shop Owner Marcia Cox Donates A Portion Of Sales Toward Saint Augustine University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University graduate Marcia Cox is paying it forward to another college campus. Cox, 23, is the co-founder of Kaldi’s Coffee House and Roastery, a Charlotte, NC, business that opened in January 2024, as reported by WTVD-11. Before going out on her own, Cox had worked as a Starbucks barista while in high school and college and excelled at her job duties while fostering customer relationships, an Instagram post mentions. She runs Kaldi’s with her father, Marcus, who has an extensive background spanning over 25 years in sectors such as banking, pet retail, and coffee. He has also served as a Starbucks regional operations coach for the Midwest region, based on the Instagram post. Kaldi’s Coffee House and Roastery sells apparel, tea, baked goods such as cookies, and specialty-roasted coffee with Cox sourcing the coffee beans from Ethiopia and handling the roasting process herself, per WTVD-11. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kaldi’s...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 15, 2024

How Jay-Z’s And 50 Cent’s Reebok Reign Led Its Footwear Sales To Jump By A Reported 11% In 2003

Jay-Z is known for breaking barriers in music. However, his secret to reaching billionaire status has been his ability to succeed in areas beyond the billboard charts. Among his various ventures, he reminds the world that the shoe brand Reebok is one of the successes documented in his portfolio. According to Finurah, Jay-Z signed a sneaker deal with Reebok in 2002. In 2003, the rapper became the first non-athlete to sign an endorsement deal with the shoe and apparel company, per ABC News. At the time, record executive Steve Stoute was working with Reebok and convinced Jay-Z to accept the deal; the rapper signed on as a 50/50 partner with the brand. “Jay-Z’s not the ambassador of anything except himself. He was a partner. He was a 50/50 partner,” Stoute said in an interview on “Club Shay Shay.” The first collaboration to result from the partnership was the “S. Carter Collection,” which had a better debut than any of its previous shoes, surpassing the sales of Allen Iverson’s shoe...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 15, 2024

Nelly Defends Selling His Catalog For $50M, Even If Others May Disagree — ‘That’s Your Equity, That’s Your Gold’

Rapper Nelly is doubling down on his decision to sell his catalog. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the artist sold 50% of his catalog to HarbourView Equity Partners in 2023. The deal reportedly included singles such as “Ride Wit Me,” “Dilemma,” and “Hot in Herre” and was worth $50 million. On a recent episode of “The Shop” podcast, Nelly discussed his decision to sell a portion of his catalog, explaining that it was a move to secure his equity and build generational wealth. “You filtered both through both of those. You can never really sell anything like that forever. Technically a lease. So in like 30 years it comes back,” Nelly said on “The Shop.” “So, if I ain’t took the little 50 mil and made nothing happen in 30 years, then I need my ass whooped anyway. You hear a lot of people say, ‘I would never do it. I would never do it.’ Why wouldn’t you do it? That’s your equity, that’s your gold.” He continued, “That’s why you would never have generational wealth because what you don’t...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 14, 2024

Idris Elba Is Looking To Build A 'Smart Eco-City' Off The Coast Of Sierra Leone

British actor and DJ Idris Elba is planning to leverage technology to benefit a West African country. According to CNN, Elba is looking to build a “smart eco-city” on Sherbro Island, an island off the southwestern coast of Sierra Leone. Elba is acquainted with the area as his father was born in the country, and the English actor became a citizen himself after a visit in 2019, per BBC. The efforts surrounding Sherbro Island are being undertaken through a collaboration between Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP), a U.K.-registered company, and the Sierra Leone government to improve the area’s economic state, the island’s website mentions. Elba is also co-founder of SAP, spearheading the venture. “At some junction, my business partner Siaka Stevens, the grandson of the former president, said, ‘Look, someone needs to cultivate Sherbro Island for tourism.’ That was seven years ago,” Elba explained to CNN. “Where we are now is that we partnered with the government to figure out a plan of how...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 13, 2024

How Encouragement From Bun B Led Derrick Turton To Pivot From The Music Industry To Take On The Restaurant Business

Encouraged by rap-artist -turned-businessman Bun B, Derrick Turton elevated his interest in cooking. Turton, who was born in Brooklyn, NY, moved to Miami, FL, in 1998 and enrolled in culinary school. Upon graduation, he secured his first job as a line cook at a Red Lobster, according to The New Tropic. However, he disdained his time at the restaurant and made his exit. “I thought I was going to be a ‘Top Chef,’ and I got my first job at Red Lobster,” Turton told the outlet. “It was either Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, and [orders] were coming out of the register [nonstop]. I was just staring at it, and I was like ‘I’m out.’” He then pivoted, becoming a club promoter, which was his entry into the music scene. As he moved into record label promotion, this put him under the radar of rapper and record executive Luther Campbell, and he began to work for Campbell’s record label, The New Tropic reports. Turton was introduced to Armando Christian Perez, who is widely recognized as...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 13, 2024

House Of Representatives Approves Bill That Could Ban TikTok In The US

A ban on TikTok may be imminent in the United States. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, a 12-page bill was proposed by the House of Representatives to eliminate its use and access in the United States if its China-based parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell the platform. This would cause great disruption to many as more than 150 million individuals in the United States are TikTok users, according to the social platform’s website. The bill, which was introduced as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , serves to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications,” per CBS News. If the bill is green lit by the Senate and President Joe Biden and signed into law, ByteDance will be required to sell the platform within 180 days — or it will be banned from distributing the app and any others through its subsidiaries or firms “controlled by a foreign adversary.” On March 13, 2024, the...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 13, 2024

NFL Player Jaylon Smith Is Set To Open First Jinya Ramen Bar On His Former College Campus

It was always bigger than football for Jaylon Smith. Raised in a town like Fort Wayne, IN, Smith connected with his purpose early on, describing himself as a natural-born visionary. By age 11, he developed aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur, following in the footsteps of his mother, who ran a daycare business for 13 years, he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. Yet, that was not his only early-seeded vision. He also hoped to play in the NFL when he was 7, but he knew his calling would extend beyond the field. “I never wanted to be remembered as just being a great athlete,” Smith told AFROTECH™. Sports agent Eugene Parker, who worked with football greats including Deion Sanders, guided Smith and taught him valuable lessons. The two connected through Smith’s grandmother, Parker’s aunt. “I had to take a lot of principles of what I learned from him and just from observing him,” Smith said. “He had a huge impact on a lot of Hall of Famers, a lot of the greats that played the game. So,...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 12, 2024

Former White House Advisor Ashley D. Bell And Dr. Bernice A. King Plan To Acquire Utah-Based Bank

A new Black-owned financial institution could emerge west of Texas. The Sacramento Observer reports that the Black-led investment group Redemption Holding Co. (RHC), led by former White House Policy Advisor Ashley D. Bell, wants to acquire Holladay Bank & Trust in Holladay, UT. If planning is approved, the Utah financial institution will be renamed Redemption Bank , per the outlet . What’s more, it would become Black-owned and serve as the only Minority Depository Institution, which offers financial services to underserved populations, west of Texas. As CEO of Black-owned fintech startup Ready Life , Bell helps underserved communities start on the path to homeownership. “All of us require a bank to operate, and the reality was there was no Black-owned bank that we could sit on top of to operate with the way we’re currently constructed,” he told The Sacramento Observer. He continued, “Therefore, we are dependent on other communities and banks to allow us to do that service. So the...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 12, 2024

50 Cent Files 70-Page Complaint For Alleged $6M Scheme That Nearly Cost Him His Spirits Company

50 Cent’s spirits venture was nearly at the brink of closure, according to Fox 5 in New York, NY. The outlet notes that the rapper and “Power” executive producer has been in a court battle over the loss of millions of dollars in an alleged embezzlement scheme. A 70-page New York State Supreme Court Complaint alleges his company, Sire Spirits, lost revenue due to being overcharged by distiller Beam Suntory, which then split the profits with Mitchell Green, the former director of brand management for Sire Spirits. The complaint claims the loss is estimated to be over $6 million. “Because these illicit commissions were baked into the price of the product, Sire Spirits overpaid on taxes, overpaid on customs and duties, overpaid on insurance, which are marked towards the value of the product,” Sire Spirits Attorney Craig Weiner said, according to Fox 5. Furthermore, Beam Suntory’s chief commercial officer, Julious Grant, is being accused of wearing various hats, including Beam Suntory’s...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 12, 2024

Why Deion Sanders Rejected A Reported $750K Check And Signed With Nike Instead For Significantly Less Money In 1992

Second chances can apply to your personal life and business , which was the case for Deion Sanders and the footwear and apparel corporation Nike. In 1992, while playing in the National Football League (NFL), Sanders signed an endorsement deal with Nike, according to Sports Illustrated. It was reportedly worth $250,000 for the first six months, per Sportskeeda. However, Sanders was presented with another offer for significantly more money from the 1980s shoe brand British Knights. According to CantonRep, it was a $750,000 cash grab. “I almost did that, I was close,” Sanders said in a 2017 interview with Complex. Sanders also had the option to sign with LA Gear. Ultimately, Sanders settled with Nike in 1992, and his deal reportedly increased to seven figures within six months of the initial signing, Sportskeeda notes. “Nike came on with the bag, too,” Sanders told Complex. In 1993, Sanders was granted his own signature line, “The Nike Air Diamond Turf,” Sports Illustrated mentions....

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 11, 2024

Nelly Reflects On When He Was Able To Retire His Mother, Who Worked In Fast Food For Over 30 Years  — 'That Was Very Rewarding'

When rapper and singer Nelly first found success , he wanted to share it with his mother. Nelly, whose given name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was born in Austin, TX, but raised in St. Louis, MO. He adopted a “hustler” mentality as a teenager from witnessing his mother balance jobs in the fast food industry, he shared during an interview on “The Shop” podcast.  He revealed his mother, Rhonda Mack, helped him secure his first job at a food truck when he was 14 years old while she worked as a manager at the McDonald’s in Clayton, MO. At the time, Nelly was saving up to attend his high school’s homecoming. “She said, ‘Yo, I can’t give you a real job, but on the weekends they got a truck… She said, ‘I can give you a job there.’ I said, ‘Oh, I’ll take it.’ And the owner would pay me $25… I wound up getting about $140 by the time homecoming came,” Nelly recalled on “The Shop.” In high school, Nelly also found a position at McDonald’s by working at the grill, he told Access Hollywood. His...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 11, 2024

Cordell Broadus' Champ Medici Arts Fund Scholarship Award Selects University Of The Bahamas As Recipient To Support Artists In The Web3 Space

Cordell Broadus persists in his quest to foster opportunities for artists. On Thursday, March 7, 2024, Broadus was seen in The Bahamas to distribute scholarships through t he Champ Medici Arts Fund, a $1 million philanthropic initiative in collaboration with the Tezos Foundation. The purpose of the financial commitment is to ensure “emerging and legacy musicians and artists” are supported in their creative endeavors on the Tezos blockchain, the foundation’s website mentions. “The power of community is at the center of everything I create,” Broadus told AFROTECH™. “My vision and the inspiration behind the fund have been to provide opportunities and access to new technology and innovative forms of artistic expression for up-and-coming artists, especially for minority groups.” Broadus’ focus on the country follows years of visitations, igniting his desire to support local artists in a meaningful manner. Hence, the University of The Bahamas (UB) emerges as one of the recent recipients...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 8, 2024

Rashad Bilal And Troy Millings Have Developed A Financial Literacy Curriculum That's Set To Rollout Across 10 Public Schools In The Bronx

Co-hosts of the “Earn Your Leisure” (EYL) podcast are bringing more financial education to the masses, and it’s a full-circle moment. During an interview with Bloomberg, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings revealed they are piloting financial literacy courses in 10 public high schools in the Bronx neighborhood in New York City. Reflecting on their own adolescence, they recalled the lack of exposure to such education. They have also observed minimal change in the schools today, reinforcing the importance of the curriculum. “If you think about New York City, the capital of capitalism, but financial literacy is not mandatory in schools, and the school that we went to, there was no financial literacy 20 years ago, and there’s no still financial literacy to this day,” Bilal, a financial advisor, explained, according to Bloomberg. “So, we developed a financial literacy curriculum for different modules: investing and financial literacy; entrepreneurship; savings; investing; credit.” EYL’s...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 7, 2024