A Morehouse School of Medicine graduate has opened a bookstore to uplift her surrounding community. According to a news release, Dr. Viola Lanier, who boasts a Master of Science in biomedical research and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, has launched Better Today Books & Boutique, located at 2300 Shallowford Rd., Ste. 8, Marietta, GA 30066. In a video shared on the bookstore’s Instagram page, Lanier recounts her journey to owning the storefront. It began after a spa visit, when she noticed a “For Lease” sign on the door of the location while heading home. Intrigued, she reached out to the landlord to arrange a tour. “Wasn’t too impressed about the condition, but I said, ‘You know what? This is a place.’ But I figured I could make it work, even though I was skeptical about a lot. I got it. Anyway, so we’re putting a check mark on these dreams. Y’all stick with me as you renovate,” she explained in the video. Seeing the potential, Lanier’s interest put her on the path to establishing...

A startup dedicated to preserving African languages has secured new funding. Founded in 2022 and backed by Techstars, Lingawa was established by siblings Frank Akinwande Williams (CEO) and Yvonne Williams (COO), along with third co-founder Uche Azinge (CTO). Previously operating under the name TopSet, its inception was driven by Frank’s and Yvonne’s difficulties in learning their native language, Yoruba. “As Nigerians growing up in the UK, my sister Yvonne W and I always felt a deep connection to our heritage—but also an uncomfortable distance. We struggled to speak our native tongue, Yoruba, fluently, and with that came a sense of loss and even shame,” Williams said on LinkedIn. “There’s an unspoken belief that understanding your language is tied to understanding yourself, your culture, and your place in the world. It was a feeling we carried with us for years.” He continued, “As we grew older, we realized that this experience wasn’t unique to us. Millions of Africans, Asians, and...

Melissa Bradley is turning a new leaf! Since 2016, Bradley, who was featured as an AFROTECH™ Future 50 Dynamic Investor, has been the proud founder of Washington, DC-based 1863 Ventures, which provides business development programs, coaching, mentorship, and access to capital primarily for new entrepreneurs, as noted on her LinkedIn profile. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the venture aims to create $100 billion in wealth for the “New Majority,” Black and brown entrepreneurs. This goal is reflected in its portfolio, which comprises 90% Black-owned businesses, including the following: Nubian Heumann Eu’Genia Shea Harlem Candle Co. The Black Girl Doctor Now, eight years into 1863 Ventures’ inception, the Washington Business Journal has reported that the organization’s board voted to close down 1863’s nonprofit arm, which focused on early-stage companies. Currently, Bradley is on the hunt for a partner who can take on ownership of its portfolio companies, which have benefited from an...

Playing the long game paid off for Lady London. While speaking with Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels on “The Blackprint” podcast, the Bronx, NY-born artist spoke candidly about her journey into securing revenue through brand partnerships. It all began by considering the brands she often used and researching what she needed to build relationships and land opportunities. “I started YouTubing things like how are people reaching out to brands and figuring out like who’s their key point? Who handles talent? Who handles like brand partnerships within this thing? Reaching out to them with emails, forming a deck. Get your one-sheet or your EPK (Electronic Press Kit),” she explained on the podcast. Key metrics she flagged that help individuals determine their brand value included follower count, the number of females and males interacting with content, and the top five target areas. Lady London added, “Show all the things that make you a person on one thing, and send it off to brands and say,...

Russell Westbrook is returning to familiar ground with his latest investment. The NBA player, currently with the Denver Nuggets, began his journey into the league as the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder, reports StatMuse. He spent 11 seasons with the team, becoming its all-time leading scorer with 18,859 points, according to separate data from StatMuse. “I spent a significant amount of time in Oklahoma City, so to me, that place is very special and is like a second home,” Westbrook told Bloomberg. Driven by his love for the city, Westbrook has reinvested in the community through sports and entertainment, partnering Russell Westbrook Enterprises with Christian Kanady’s firm, Echo. His contribution is estimated to be around $10 million. “My time with the OKC Thunder shaped so much of who I am, so becoming Christian’s partner and investing in the city’s continued growth is not only exciting personally, but Echo’s Sports and Entertainment...

Somtochukwu “Somie” Agunwah wants to empower the next generation of dental students. QCity Metro reports that Agunwah, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria, to Charlotte, NC, in 2003, initially pursued a career in nursing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and worked as a critical care nurse in Washington, DC, at Howard University Hospital. However, she soon realized that nursing was not the career path she wanted to continue. “I didn’t like the lifestyle of the medical doctors that I was interacting with,” Agunwah told the outlet, referencing the lack of work-life balance and long hours. Agunwah discovered her true calling while working under a Maryland dentist. She pivoted to attend Howard University College of Dentistry, later completing a pediatric residency in Brooklyn, NY. Reflecting on her mission, she decided to focus her efforts on prioritizing children. “They are still teachable,” Agunwah explained, according to QCity...

Issa Rae has opened a new restaurant in Los Angeles. The actress and serial entrepreneur , already renowned for the community-focused Hilltop Kitchen + Coffee, is expanding her presence. With the same spirit, she brings a new energy to Los Angeles through her latest venture, Somerville. “Always wanted a neighborhood lounge to complement the special community that is View Park-Windsor Hills. The genius GVO Gentlemen said, how about a restaurant? @somerville.slauson — an ode to the classic, artistic past of Black South Central L.A? And sure, the ambience will be fantastic, but the food and cocktails will keep you coming back,” Rae said in a post shared on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Issa Rae (@issarae)   Customers can visit Somerville at Park-Windsor Hills, which GVO describes as a “progressive American dining experience.” According to the restaurant’s website, its extensive menu includes the Somerville burger, pan seared ora king salmon, and Mary’s organic...

James Harden hit the jackpot thanks to an investment decision influenced by the late Kobe Bryant. During an interview on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast, the basketball star revealed that Bryant suggested creating a pool of money dedicated to investments, including sports drink company BodyArmor. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , Bryant had invested $6 million in BodyArmor back in 2014. “Kobe basically was like ‘W e going to put a stash of $5 million and then any like business opportunities — it might be as little as $200,000, it might be $500,000 just depending on what, you know, what investment it is. But we going to put a pot together and we just going to invest our money,’ rest in peace before he passed away,” Harden explained to “Earn Your Leisure” hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. “ But BodyArmor was the beginning of that, and we seen how it is.” While it is unclear what Harden’s direct contributions were, the investment into BodyArmor was a smart move. In 2021,...

Katt Williams has purchased land to open a movie studio. During an interview with GQ, the comedian revealed he has acquired a former military base located in Alabama. It has been confirmed by Williams’ publicist, Amy Sisoyev. “I can’t disclose the amount or exact location just yet, but I can confirm that he has purchased a former military base in Alabama,” Sisoyev said via email to AL.com. Williams shared that he aims to follow in the footsteps of other celebrities, such as Tyler Perry. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Perry, a self-made billionaire, opened the world’s largest Black-owned studio. The studio, which Perry self-funded, reached a valuation of $280 million in 2023. Speaking of wanting to be next in line, Williams commented to GQ : “It’s just not fair to put all that pressure on Tyler Perry. He can only do so much.” At the time of this writing, it is unclear when the movie studio will break ground. Williams is part of a growing number of Black figures seeking to disrupt...

NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has launched a venture capital firm. According to Bleacher Report, the Milwaukee Bucks player has introduced Build Your Legacy Ventures (BYL). The venture capital firm, backed by institutional investors and tech veterans, aims to funnel investments into the sports and entertainment sectors. As noted in a press release, the firm will be “driven by the Antetokounmpo family’s dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.” “I’m incredibly energized to launch BYL Ventures as a way to give back and support the next generation of visionaries,” Antetokounmpo, founder and general partner of BYL Ventures, said in the release. “This fund is not just about capital; it’s about forging partnerships and opening my network to accelerate the growth trajectory for companies. I want to help other entrepreneurs, especially those who have faced barriers, to grow and succeed. BYL Ventures will be focused on finding people with big dreams and helping them make...

NFL Star Randy Moss is scaling his presence in the restaurant space. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Moss became an investor in Brittany Tolliferreo’s Philadelphia, PA-based restaurant chain, Chick-A-Boom, in 2023. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Tolliferreo reached out to Moss via direct message, and then he later liked a sponsored Chick-A-Boom post in 2022, sparking further conversation. “We got on a couple of Zoom calls, and he came here, tasted the product, and loved it. From there, he became my partner,” she told the outlet. Speaking on the investment in a press release, Moss commented: “I’m a chicken lover. Not only was I impressed by the food, but after hearing Brittany’s story and understanding that a lot of our same goals and morals align, it was only right to invest.” Today, Moss is expanding his involvement in the company, now operating under the name Crisppi’s Chicken. In December 2023, he brought the restaurant to his home state with the help of Tolliferreo...

If you’re at all familiar with the phenomenon of cleantok – the corner of TikTok dedicated to videos of people cleaning their houses – you’ve undoubtedly seen the Scrub Daddy. That is, of course, if the trending sponge isn’t already lurking in or near your kitchen sink. Scrub Daddy, the smiling sponge that revolutionized the cleaning industry, is not publicly traded, making it challenging to pin down an exact valuation. While the term “ net worth ” is often used to describe individuals, for a company like Scrub Daddy, it’s more accurate to talk about its valuation or market value, which reflects the worth of the business based on its assets, revenue, and growth potential.  Here’s a look at what the grinning cleaning icon is worth in 2024. From Humble Beginnings To Household Fame Scrub Daddy was originally designed for industrial use but transformed into a consumer product after founder Aaron Krause realized its potential for household cleaning. The sponge’s unique ability to change...

Founder Telfar Clemens has always resisted conforming to the fashion industry. Divorcing Fashion Industry At Inception Early on, he embraced a bold sense of individuality, developing his own unique style that set him apart. This nonconformity often clashed with the uniform policies of the schools he attended, and he was similarly uninterested in following the traditional dress codes of his Liberian heritage. “I always have been interested in clothes. I’ve always had my own perspective on what I wanted to wear… I come from West African parents. I’m from Liberia and there’s a certain way of how you should dress and how you should carry yourselves and I completely was not with that, ” Clemens mentioned on “The Breakfast Club.” In 2005, Clemens introduced the world to Telfar, a New York-based unisex fashion brand designed to stand apart from the traditional fashion industry. From the outset, he distanced himself from the industry, viewing it as too closed-minded to embrace the...

Cliff Vmir continues to build on his success as a seasoned hair stylist. Turning His Passion For Hair Into A Brand Vmir began showing interest in hair care at 8 years old. However, at 14, when his parents separated, he fully committed to his passion. This allowed him to financially support his mother, who had been out of work for three months due to a knee replacement. “It wasn’t until my mom and my dad split up completely, when I was 14, that I was able to kind of go in full-throttle and understand that this isn’t something that I wanna just play around with. This is something that I can make money from,” Vmir told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “It’s crazy ’cause it’s something that I love to do… I also feel like with my mom and my dad splitting up, it was just kind of something that financially I wanted to help my mom. So not saying that I was forced into it, but I felt like it was only right for me to just use what I have to get what we need, and I was able to kind of help support...

Queen Latifah is helping a Black woman-owned soul food restaurant receive a well-deserved blessing. During a taping of “Street You Grew Up On,” hosted by actress Kerry Washington, it was revealed that Latifah selected Newark, NJ-based Vonda’s Kitchen to receive a $10,000 financial award. The investment is made possible through a partnership between fintech platform Intuit QuickBooks and Washington, aimed at fostering discussions around entrepreneurship, community, and mentorship. As part of the initiative, featured guests are given the opportunity to select a small business to receive funding, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. As a Newark native, the selection was full circle and Latifah emphasized its importance, believing the funds would be well-used under the leadership of owner Vonda McPherson. According to the company website, McPherson transitioned into entrepreneurship after a corporate career with Fortune 500 companies, opening her first restaurant in 1988....