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A love for pizza has leveled up the lives of these Black business owners. Black-owned Bird Pizzeria was featured in the New York Times’ list of best pizza shops nationwide. The roundup, which included 22 restaurants, highlighted businesses across the U.S. The pizzeria, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been in business since December 2021, Black Enterprise reports. Husband-and-wife duo Kerrel and Nkem Thompson launched Bird Pizzeria as a pop-up restaurant before entering the takeout space. The pizzeria combines the couple’s love for pizza, which they recalled was the meal they enjoyed on their first date. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BIRD (@birdpizzeria) Bird Pizzeria has plans to expand its space to allow dine-in seating for customers to enjoy their cuisine after the tattoo shop next door closed and the space became available. “We prayed about this space,” Nkem said, per The Charlotte Observer. “We’re just like, ‘Man, this would be amazing to be able to...
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...
Say whatever you want about Bryan “Birdman” Williams, but at the end of the day, he’s part of Hip-Hop royalty. Without him, there would be no Drake. Without him, Nicki Minaj would still be “Mixtape Nicki” in Queens. And without him, Lil’ Wayne’s career would have hit the skids after The Hot Boys called it a day. (“Back Dat Azz Up” proved that Juvenile, not Lil’ Wayne, was gunning for the gold.) At his peak, Birdman said that he was buying 100 new cars every six months, which he would then give away to family and friends when he no longer had any use for them. So extensive was his car collection, in fact, that when Hurricane Katrina blazed through New Orleans, he claimed to Jet Magazine that he lost five houses, 20 condos, 30 cars, and the Cash Money headquarters in New Orleans. According to The New York Post, even his “abandoned” property in New Orleans — which was all but wiped out during Katrina — is worth more than $600,000, in the condition that it’s in. So, the man knows money....
Cash Money continues to take over for the 2000s! Born Bryan Christopher Williams, Birdman is the co-owner and co-founder of Cash Money Records, a label that features a roster of some of this generation’s hottest names in rap like Nicki Minaj, Drake , and Lil Wayne. The label first gained notoriety through former artists like Juvenile, Cory Gunz, and Hot Boys and set the tone for current labels and hip hop acts whose music is evident of Cash Money’s influence on the culture as a whole. Birdman — formerly known as “Baby” — recently explained how putting out the hottest artists has provided a big return to this day, explaining how the label continues to capitalize off of its artists and even how clearing their samples is paying off big time. According to Complex, the hip hop heavyweight recently shed light on the cash flow for the record label during an exclusive with Wallo of “Where’s Wallo.” “If it has a value. That’s a value. If you don’t have a value, you sitting on some sh*t...
Africa’s health-research landscape has been steadily growing as of recently, but in order to keep this momentum going healthcare must become decentralized. For Ghanaian medtech startup Redbird, its company believes there is a better way to make medical testing in the country an easier process for both patients and doctors by introducing a simple health monitoring system. By partnering with pharmacies, Redbird is able to bring Ghanaian doctors proven rapid test technology for chronic and acute conditions that allow them to give patients a more convenient way to monitor their health wherever they are, its website reports. In order to continue Redbird’s vision of making modern healthcare more efficient, the startup has just announced a raise of a $1.5 million seed investment that will ultimately help scale the company. Participating investors in the round include Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Newton Partners (via the Imperial Venture Fund), and Founders Factory Africa, according to...
Whether you’re trying to make a little extra cash to help you get by until payday or you want to boost your savings to get one step closer to a major purchase, there are a host of opportunities in the gig economy to find a side hustle that fits your talents and schedule. Yet it’s important to remember that side hustles typically involve some expenses. For example, if you’re charging Bird scooters, that’s your electricity that you’re using to do so. Before getting started, it’s smart to tally up your total expenses and look for ways to maximize your time and funds. Not sure how to determine the costs of a side hustle like charging Bird scooters? Here’s everything you need to know. How to make money charging Bird scooters Charging Bird scooters is a gig that appeals to a lot of people because you can mostly be in charge of your own schedule — you pick the scooters up, charge them and drop them back in high-traffic areas between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. per Bird’s app. Bird refers to...
Captain Remoshay Nelson has sealed her place in history as the first African American woman to become an officer in the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds , the official Air Force flight demonstration squadron. According to Because Of Them We Can (BOTWC) , the Thunderbirds’ elite squadron has only had 332 Officers since its founding in 1953 and Captain Remoshay is the first Black woman to join the ranks. Captain Remoshay is an alumna of the prestige HBCU, Howard University, and has served in the U.S. Air Force for eight years. She credits her experience at Howard University and her Georgia upbringing in her historic success. “Even when people tell you no to your face, but your work shows where you should be, I think if you continue to work hard and go after what it is you want, you will achieve your dream. To be around people who look like me and instill a self-confidence in who I am, and walk into the world knowing where I come from and where my people come from, and where we can go, is...
Scooter sharing giant Bird is laying off about 5 percent of its workforce, according to the Information. About 40 employees in the 900-person company were let go for cost reasons. Bird quickly expanded throughout 2018 and has raised almost $400 million so far. Now the company is scaling back scooter fleets in Los Angeles and other cities. Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden told the Information that the company is now focused more on being fiscally responsible. According to TechCrunch, the layoffs were part of the company’s annual performance review and those impacted will be offered severance and other benefits. “As we establish local service centers and deeper roots in cities where we provide service, we have shifting geographic workforce needs,” a Bird spokeswoman said to the Information. Ride-sharing companies have had scooter and bike companies under their watchful eyes as they look to expand to other transportation divisions. Back in December, Uber was in talks to acquire the company...
Things have gotten so bad with the #BirdBox Challenge that YouTube has updated its policies to explicitly prohibit pranks that could cause harm to people. “Content that encourages violence or dangerous activities that may result in serious physical harm, distress or death violates our harmful and dangerous policy, so we’re clarifying what this means for dangerous challenges and pranks,” a YouTube employee said in a blog post . “YouTube is home to many beloved viral challenges and pranks, but we need to make sure what’s funny doesn’t cross the line into also being harmful or dangerous.” In December, the #BirdBox Challenge went viral after the Netflix original of the same name was viewed by thousands of people. People have posted videos doing a range of activities while blindfolded including reenacting scenes from the movie and driving — which has obvious safety concerns. Netflix even stepped in to stop people from participating in the challenge. Can’t believe I have to say this, but:...
It’s been over a week since the Netflix Original, Bird Box , gained popularity online. Fans have been doing the “Bird Box Challenge” — walking around aimlessly while wearing blindfolds — and it’s starting to get dangerous. Now, Netflix is asking its fans to stop. People have posted videos doing a range of activities while blindfolded including reenacting scenes from the movie and driving — which has obvious safety concerns. Netflix issued a statement this week on the challenge: Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes. — Netflix (@netflix) January 2, 2019 This isn’t the first time a product or company has inspired a challenge or social media trend that turned dangerous. Last year’s Tide Pod Challenge went viral after YouTubers filmed themselves eating the product....
Ride-sharing giant Uber has a possible multi-billion dollar deal in the works to purchase the scooter-sharing company Bird, according to the Information. Uber already has a minority stake in Bird competitor Lime, which highlights a significant effort to enter the scooter industry. The company also has its hand in the electric bicycle-sharing industry with its JUMP feature, which lets users rent bike rides. As more companies like Maven and ZipCar look to enter the ride-sharing space, industry leaders Uber and Lyft are finding new ways to revamp their offerings. Uber’s competitor Lyft has also taken strides in the scooter and bike-sharing spheres. Lyft acquired Motivate, the New York-based bike sharing company, for $250 million in November. The company also offers a scooter-sharing service in Denver, Arlington, V.A., Santa Monica, C.A. and Washington, D.C. To keep users hooked in such a competitive industry, both companies have also expanded to rewards, loyalty programs, and other...
Chances are you’ve seen Bird in your city. You might even have ridden one for fun on a beautiful day, or for a quick and inexpensive ride when you needed to get somewhere in a crunch. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like working at the startup transforming the way people get around, we spoke to Rodney Gainous Jr. and Alona King — software engineers at Bird— to get a deeper look inside. Landing at Bird Gainous moved to LA in January and noticed the high number of people riding scooters around town. After a friend finally convinced him to unlock a Bird, he realized how enjoyable the experience was. He further researched the company, reached out to Travis VanderZanden, CEO of Bird, who introduced him to Justin Balthrop, the CTO. Shortly after, Rodney was working on the iOS and Android apps as the youngest and one of the 10 first members of Bird’s engineering team. Alona King began to see Bird as an affordable, accessible means of transportation that was going to completely change the...
NBA legend Magic Johnson relies on his intuition when it comes to making business deals. The billionaire holds stakes in several teams, including MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, MLS’s Los Angeles Football Club, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, NFL’s Washington Commanders, and NWSL’s Washington Spirit, AFROTECH™ previously reported. He most recently expressed interest in owning the New York Knicks, telling ESPN “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith that he’d be “first in line” if current Knicks owner James Dolan ever put the team up for sale, according to Fadeaway World. Last year, Johnson expressed his excitement about joining the Washington Spirit’s investor group. “I’m so excited to join the Washington Spirit’s investor group at such a pivotal time in the club’s history!,” he said in an Instagram caption. “Partnering with a visionary like Michele Kang and her team to advance the growth of the Washington Spirit and the NWSL is an incredible opportunity.” View this post on Instagram A post shared...