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Cameron Johnson remembers being stationed every few years during early childhood. Therefore, he understands the stresses and challenges that come with new beginnings firsthand. He eventually learned how to make any new place feel like home. Now, Johnson wants to alleviate the pressures of a fresh start through Nickson. Founded in 2017, the “Uber of furniture” does all the work so you don’t have to. Courtesy of Nickson “The idea was to help people and empower their fresh start. Life is hard and a place to call home should be easy, so that has been our ethos since day one,” Johnson told AfroTech exclusively.
A Harvard business school graduate has created the “Uber of Furniture” and raised $12 million for his efforts thanks to a little help from President Barack Obama’s former financial advisor. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that Cameron Johnson — who graduated from Harvard Business School — founded a company called Nickson in 2017. By providing “furniture as a service,” Nickson’s clientele can make their spaces move-in ready in as little as three hours. “Nickson was founded to enable frictionless relocation and afford people the opportunity to instantly have a place to call home,” Johnson said in a statement provided in the press release. “Our Series A fundraise represents a milestone that will be a catalyst for growth—we are now capitalized to meaningfully service demand and rapidly scale.” What makes Nickson have such a great “Uber of Furniture” model is its hands-off approach to moving. While the idea had its germination back in 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic made it...
When Darryl Sharpton started his football career — a career, it should be noted, that spanned several years and saw him go from the Houston Texans to the Arizona Cardinals — he already knew that he wasn’t going to be an athlete forever. But his entrepreneurial spirit compelled him to start other businesses while he was still playing on the football field — which, he said, was more in line with what his family expected of him. “When I first joined the NFL, people were surprised that I actually did so,” he told AfroTech exclusively. “Throughout college, I owned a lot of websites — some I kept, some I ‘flipped’ — and one of the websites I owned was a furniture website. For me, that was more in line with what I wanted to do, because I always like selling people things that they need in everyday life. So I maintained the sites while I was playing ball, but I really only got back into it after I was done with the NFL.” Darryl Sharpton — the nephew of the Rev. Al Sharpton, whom the former...
IKEA just announced its new Överallt furniture collection is set to launch in May. The collection will feature a host of African designers from five different nations. Överallt was showcased during the Design Indaba Festival in Cape Town, the same place where IKEA originally teamed up with African decor designers. The upcoming launch includes work from Sengalese fashion designer Selly Raby Kane, South African textile designer Laduma Ngxokolo, and Kenyan design office Studio Propolis. IKEA’s move comes after other retailers have started major partnerships with Black designers and Black-owned brands. For Black History Month, Target launched Heritage and Heroes products designed and curated by some of its Black employees. Överallt has also been inspired by African culture and, more specifically, areas for socializing. Check out some of the featured pieces here: Photo: IKEA Photo: IKEA Photo: IKEA Photo: IKEA
Imagine waking up every morning, excited to pour your passion and creativity into a venture that not only pays the bills but also makes a meaningful impact on the world around you. From cutting-edge tech startups to eco-friendly initiatives, this list is curated with a diverse array of business ideas that cater to various interests, skill sets and market demands. You don’t always need a fortune or years of experience to get started, but you will need to do some focused networking and freshen up your tech knowledge. With determination, resourcefulness and the right guidance, you can transform these ideas into thriving enterprises. Basics Of Starting A Business There’s a lot more to starting a business than just having a great idea; it involves careful planning, execution and a good dose of passion. The entrepreneurial journey is often filled with uncertainty, but it can also be rewarding. Welcome the challenges that come with starting a business. You’ll gain personal growth and a...
Michael Jordan is moving forward with a lawsuit demanding better outcomes from NASCAR. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Jordan became an owner of a NASCAR team, 23XI Racing, in September 2020 . According to NBC Sports, Jordan’s team — also owned by driver Denny Hamlin — operates under NASCAR’s charter system, which demands its 36 charter teams compete in all events. For their participation they are granted incentives such as payments, but this is contingent upon the team’s presence, performance in that event as well as over the course of the most recent three seasons, and the season-ending points fund. Despite the listed incentives, teams are not fairing well under the current structure, per AP News. In fact one team, Furniture Row Motorsports, was led to sell its charter for $6 million just a year after becoming the Cup Series winner in 2017 because it could not make a profit. Despite concerns, 13 organizations moved forward to sign NASCAR’s 100-page renewal contract on the...
The NFL has been through a lot of changes since being founded in 1920, from the number of teams in the league to the players hoping to bring home the coveted Super Bowl rings every year. As legends and hall of famers announce their retirement , the NFL continues to entertain and make room for new talent to shine, such as Jahmyr Gibbs. Born on Mar. 20, 2002, the Dalton, Georgia native was a force on the football field long before he was drafted in 2023. As a high schooler, Gibbs rushed for 897 yards and ten touchdowns in his sophomore year; as a senior, the young athlete led the state with 2,554 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. He’s constantly finding ways to improve his game, which is just part of what propelled him through his rookie year with the Detroit Lions . Read on to uncover more about Jahmyr Gibbs’ net worth and his biggest achievements so far. As A High Schooler, Jahmyr Gibbs Had Multiple Offers To Play College Football (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty...
A Black architectural firm is behind the first-ever 3D-printed home in Detroit, MI. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, a 988-square-foot, two-bedroom project launched in October 2022 has reached its finish line. The 3D-printed home was built thanks to nearly $160,000 in funding from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program for materials and a partnership between the Black architectural firm developArchitecture, furniture store Gardner White, and robotic construction firm Citizen Robotics. Citizen Robotics and developArchitecture also engaged BIPOC individuals in 12 aspects of the home-building process. “It’s rewarding to finally share our pilot home because 3D printing is the future of architecture. 3D printing will eventually become a standard method across the industry, and Detroit is the perfect landscape for this type of innovation,” said Bryan Cook, founder and CEO of developArchitecture, in the press release. The...
Father-son duo John and Joshua Johnson are behind a multi-million-dollar furniture and interior design firm securing major contracts. Inception The pair is leading Space Continuum, a venture that John started in 2016 after working decades in corporate roles. During an interview with AFROTECH™, John noted he evolved from working in corporate America to dealerships where he planned construction projects and offered design and installation services. He was then approached by top manufacturer company MillerKnoll to start his own dealership in Chicago, IL, which would help to increase its minority presence in the sector. “A lot of the corporate clients were saying, ‘Listen, we have initiatives that we need to meet and we’re asking, how can you help us meet those particular initiatives?’ With me already being in the marketplace and with my history and experience, everyone knew of me. So, they approached me and asked, would I consider becoming a MillerKnoll dealer, which I did. And we have...
Venus Williams is offering a new way to plan decorating your home. Fast Company reports that the tennis champion has co-founded Palazzo, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup for interior home design. The company comes after Williams founded V Starr, her interior design firm, in 2002. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Venus Williams (@venuswilliams) Launched in beta, Palazzo aims “to be the first step in redesigning a room or starting a larger home renovation.” “We want to make design fun and easy,” Williams said, according to the outlet. “If you talk to anyone who says, ‘I’ve just gone through a renovation,’ they’ve about had a heart attack. We don’t want that. We want people to be able to see [the design], feel confident about it, and have fun with it.” She added, “Our vision is to create a space where everything home is in one place.” Alongside Williams are co-founders Raffi Holzer, CEO of Avvir, and Edward Lando, founder of Pareto Holdings. The way Palazzo works,...
Getting into the tech business is becoming more appealing with every success story we come across. Technology is the future and it will only continue to be that way as it evolves. Common folk with an idea and a dream are taking their unique tech startup ideas and turning them into a profitable business . It can truly happen for anyone willing to put in the work and pursue it with the right amount of determination. However, it is first essential to have a promising idea. Tech startups can operate across various industries, from healthcare and finance to education and entertainment, aiming to disrupt traditional models, improve efficiency, or create entirely new experiences for consumers or businesses. These startups often seek to address a specific problem or need in the market using technology as a fundamental component of their solution. Good tech startup ideas do not need to be something a person is highly knowledgeable about or skilled in; the idea just needs to be original and...
In 1986, the Commodore 64 had become the bestselling single personal computer model of all time. More than 17 million were sold, including one to my parents. I remember the C64 and its place of prominence in the living room of our home in Cleveland, OH. It was there even when there wasn’t any furniture (And I was on it a lot). That Commodore 64 was my first real exposure to computing and it helped catalyze my interest in technology. A few years after college I dove into startup life, and from there I went on to build a career in cybersecurity, to become a CEO, and it all led me to my role today, which is to help Microsoft identify the partnerships and investments that will shape the future and tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. Unfortunately, many people do not have access to technology, even in 2023. The Pew Research Center estimates that today in America, four out of ten low-income households are without computing devices of any kind. A 2022 National Urban League...
Growing up in a Black household, you likely heard the phrase “don’t jump on my furniture.” And as much as many people tried to adhere to the rule, for some, jumping was a natural passion and interest. That passionate sentiment could be said for Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles. With an early interest in the sport since the age of six, Biles, no doubt, took Kriss Kross’ lyrics to “Jump” literally. The Olympic star began competing in competitions by capitalizing on her affinity for gymnastics. It earned her initial first-place prize on vault at the 2012 American Classic, landing her a spot to compete at the 2012 USA Gymnastics National Championships. Biles would be named to the U.S. Junior National Team that same year. After mastering the aerodynamic sport, Biles would earn gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Olympics. She also has won various other world championships. While her sports career is impressive, Biles has leveraged her success as an athlete to make investments and...
Trick Daddy is in a world of hot water — and this time, it’s with the courts. The rapper and former radio show host — who hit a world of a mess when he got stung by the BeyHive after snarking that its Queen, Beyoncé, couldn’t sing — is in default on his Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing. Court documents obtained by Radar Online reveal that Trick Daddy owes nearly $23,000 to bring his Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing current. He has 45 days to cure the debt, or he will be deemed in default. If he fails to come up with the nearly $23,000 owed to the courts, his bankruptcy will be discharged, and collection efforts can begin anew on his assets. And that’s not all he owes. According to the outlet, he’s delinquent by $300,000 to the IRS. He also owes $60,000 in back child support. What’s more, the “Naan” rapper revealed to the courts that he has more than $800,000 in debts, but less than $400,000 in assets. He’s underwater on his South Florida home — though he owes $435,000 on the home, the...