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This young entrepreneur is collecting back-to-back wins! As AfroTech previously told you, Lily Adeleye celebrated a historic feat last year. The mogul became one of the youngest Black owners to have their brand featured in Walmart stores. Now, Lily’s business relationship with the multinational retail corporation is continuing with Lily Frilly set to release a second line of products, according to a press release. The partnership is a reflection of Lily’s ongoing commitment to her entrepreneurial path, which began by fleshing out ideas and sharing what products she hoped to one day create as soon as she could walk and talk. What’s more, the seven-year-old has proven dreams can be achieved at any age and she hopes to challenge more girls to inspire those around them.
Are Adele and Rich Paul the next Hollywood power couple? With rumors abounding about Adele and Rich Paul’s engagement, Pretty Little Thing has released a blog that has compiled a list of the top-earning Hollywood pairs of 2022. “We’ve looked at the couples’ combined social following, social engagement, Google search numbers, media coverage, and combined net worth to determine which couples officially reign over the others. And these are the results,” Pretty Little Thing said about their findings. Power couples are the perfect example of a true partnership. The couples that get their money together, stay together — and we absolutely believe that Black generational wealth in our lifetimes is 100 percent possible, even if they don’t always look as we expect. Dollars and cents wise, Adele and Rich Paul would definitely be amongst the most powerful pairs in Hollywood. In terms of “power couples,” they’d be joining the likes of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Cardi B and Offset, and LeBron and...
She’s not new to this, she’s true to this! Founder and CEO of The Mane Choice, Courtney Adeleye is a natural go-getter. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan — which she calls her foundation — is the place where she learned “if one door doesn’t open, there’s always another opportunity.” The wife and mother of three built her hair brand from the ground up through her own curiosity and specialized knowledge base. She joins AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast host Will Lucas to discuss the home-based-hobby that’s now grown into a multi-million dollar business, how she’s using her own insight to help others, and gives advice for people like herself who are trying to scale their own businesses within the beauty industry. As a graduate of the University of Michigan and a registered nurse by trade, she used her background and expertise in science to hone in on the ingredients and products that would produce the best results to help many other women improve their own hair health. “I...
Lily Adeleye isn’t your typical six-year-old. In fact, she’s the youngest CEO to have her products available at Target . According to Face2Face Africa , the young entrepreneur runs Lily Frilly , a girl’s fashion brand. The girly collection offers a variety of items, including dresses, hair bows, lunch boxes, and backpacks. The accessories , in particular, are carried at the major retailer. “I own my own company,” she told Black Enterprise of her achievements. “I don’t just like it, I love it.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lily Frilly ™️ (@lilyfrilly) Luckily for Lily, she gets her business savvy from her mama, Courtney Adeleye , the founder of the Black haircare line, The Mane Choice. As the mompreneur dominated the hair industry, Lily became inspired to pursue her own ventures as early as three-years-old. “From the time Lily was 3, I knew then she had a business mindset,” the eldest Adeleye said . “At an early age, as she watched me build a successful business from...
Technology is enabling fans to immerse themselves in the music of legendary artists like Janet Jackson. The “Anytime, Anyplace” songstress is currently headlining a residency at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, NV, running through May 31, 2025. Fans can relive 42 of her timeless hits, including “I Get Lonely” and “When I Think of You.” The latter, released in 1986 as the third single from her “Control” album, became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as Billboard notes. Jackson’s Vegas residency carries deep significance. Her career began when she was seven years old at MGM Las Vegas. She performed alongside sisters Rebbie and La Toya, as noted in Las Vegas Magazine. “I will always have a very, very special place in my heart for Las Vegas. I started my career here 51 years ago. I love you so much,” Jackson said during her performance on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Photo Credit: Resorts World Theatre L-Acoustics With a career spanning five decades, Jackson’s passion for performing...
Many of the top successful founders all share something in common: sacrifice. Whether it’s sacrificing time, energy, or something else. For Calendly Founder and CEO Tope Awotona, he put his earnings on the line. As previously shared by AFROTECH ™, Awotona drained his bank account and 401(k) to build his scheduling company from the ground up. What’s more, he faced countless rejections along the way when seeking venture capital but kept pushing ahead. “Being a foreigner really helped,” the Lagos, Nigeria, native said, according to Inc . “I grew up in a country where 99 percent of the people looked like me, so race wasn’t something I consciously thought about. It’s good to have that mentality. You can dwell on all the reasons you shouldn’t do something or why it’s harder for you. Or you can just go out and do it.” The hustle and grind led to multi-million-dollar investments, which transformed Calendly into a billion-dollar company. For founders seeking to reach success like Awotona’s...
Druski is investing in his dreams. Druski, born Drew Desbordes in Columbia, MD, began his journey by posting skits on Instagram under the handle druski2funny. The comedian’s social presence has continued to rise. 2020 served as a pivotal year, with his skits generating 1.5 million views and catching the attention of celebrity figures such as Jack Harlow, Odell Beckham Jr., and Drake, making a cameo in the rapper’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” (2020) video, Complex reports. On Instagram alone, Druski’s following has grown to 8.2 million. Additionally, his comedic footprint has led to a net worth exceeding $1 million as of 2023. As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, the feat is a result of ventures including live shows, tours, and partnerships with companies including teampixel, RGG Studio and SEGA, and PrizePicks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DRUSKI (@druski) Despite his success, being a comedian was not initially a goal post for Druski until he found himself depressed as a...
Norland James and Dr. Amina Gilyard James are taking the words “power couple” to the next level! According to Black Enterprise, the pair have become owners of a newly acquired Quality Inn in Memphis, TN. The 70-room property was purchased by the couple for $3.85 million, and it’s reportedly thanks to a cohort of first-time Black hotel investors.
It’s one thing to launch a business, but a whole other thing when that business is in an industry that is highly competitive and hard for startups to scale. During this week’s episode of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast, host Will Lucas walks us through navigating spaces in the beauty, barber, and wellness industries. Lucas speaks with both Courtney Adeleye, Founder and CEO of The Mane Choice, as well as Squire co-founders Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant about some of the things they’ve witnessed firsthand as leaders in their respective industries.
When Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton, and Off-White announced that Virgil Abloh passed away on Nov. 28, 2021, the world was in shock. Few (if any) knew that the acclaimed fashion designer was suffering from a rare form of cancer known as cardiac angiosarcoma. But according to CNN, Kanye West — his longtime friend and collaborator — honored his friend in his weekly Sunday Service when news of Abloh’s death hit the wires. Kanye West dedicates his latest Sunday Service to the memory of Virgil Abloh 🕊 pic.twitter.com/WS91D3JQ01 — digitalfeedmedia (@digitalfeedtv) November 29, 2021 “West’s ensemble choir sang a moving rendition of Adele’s “Easy on Me,” the single off her latest album, “30,” in his honor,” reported the outlet. “The message, “IN LOVING MEMORY OF VIRGIL ABLOH, THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF DONDA,” appeared on the screen during a live stream of the service.” In his lifetime, he was a boundary-breaking fashion designer who also wasn’t afraid to court controversy. His...
Look out — teen entrepreneur Gabby Goodwin in building an empire. Gabrielle “Gabby” Goodwin is the 14-year-old entrepreneur and “CEO of Confidence” behind GaBBY Bows and Confidence by Gabby Goodwin. She is also responsible for saving little Black girls across the world when it comes to losing hair bows as the mastermind behind the first patented and non-slip double-face double-snap barrette (her products can even be found in retail giants like Target). Courtesy of GaBBY Bows When she isn’t teaming up with her mother to run her business, Goodwin is just the normal teenager living life to the fullest while being all about her paper at the same time. In a recent interview with AfroTech, as the South Carolina native headed home from her first day of high school, she discussed her journey into entrepreneurship, a recent surprise from Gayle King, and what’s next for her company.
Black women are changing the game when it comes to entrepreneurship! When we aren’t running the show in a “traditional” career, Black women have mastered the art of the side hustle which now represents the future of business, and reiterates the importance of having the resources needed to be successful business owners. According to PRNewswire, Boss Women Media has joined forces with Creme of Nature and the two have launched a four-week Home Hustlers: Beauty Edition Program geared toward women who aim to take their small business to the next level. The virtual program will be held every Saturday in May and will include panel discussions led by entrepreneurs which include The Honey Pot’s Beatrice Dixon, mogul Courtney Adeleye, and boss-chick Angela Simmons. Workshops will run for two hours touching topics like diversifying your revenue, fundraising, running an online business, scaling, and writing a business plan. “Our mission is to create a space for Black women and empower them as...
This little lady is the youngest in charge! According to PRNewswire, Lily Adeleye is officially the youngest founder amongst Walmart’s Black-owned business initiative through her children’s accessory line — Lily Frilly. Lily is taking after her mogul mother, Courtney Adeleye — Founder and CEO of The Mane Choice — as she’s experiencing her brand’s second retailer launch success since hitting Target shelves last year. “Lily Frilly started out as a brand my daughter Lily and myself created, as I have always believed it’s important to let your children follow their passions, whether that be art, sports, or in this case, growing a business,” shared Courtney in an official press release. “Now, Lily Frilly has become so much more than just that – it’s become a brand children love, as well as a symbol of inspiration and confidence for young girls as well as for the black community. It’s amazing to see what kids can do, and we’re so glad Walmart is providing this platform to give Lily Frilly...
Karen Civil continues to be the epitome of #BlackGirlMagic! According to Black Enterprise, the media and marketing maven teamed up with Martell Cognac to continue the celebration of Black History and commemorate Women’s History Month. Together the two created 115 trunks that highlight products created by Black women. The items — which were hand-selected by Civil — were delivered to women of color who are smashing ceilings in their respective fields. While the trunk spotlights Black women-owned businesses, Civil also notes that Martell paid for all of the featured items. “They understood the importance of highlighting female-owned Black businesses, [and] not just the popular ones, but new ones that we should also shed a light on,” said Civil in an interview with Black Enterprise. Each trunk includes a bottle of Martell coupled with items like a box of coffee and a gold mug from Cool Coffee Clique made by The Mane Choice’s Courtney Adeleye , rose herbal infused oil from Herlistic...