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Usher’s mother, Jonnetta Patton, is opening a restaurant. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Patton had once been in business as a manager to Usher, born Usher Terry Raymond IV, for 17 years. She played a part in helping to reshape his image on his own terms, which later proved to be a wise decision. “During the time between that first record and the second record, I worked in silence. I didn’t tell the record label what I was doing,” Patton said in an interview on OWN’s “Behind Every Man.” “So now Usher said, ‘This time I’m gonna do it my way.’ So LA [LA Reid] said, ‘Okay. All right, Usher.’ See, they wanted him to be this bad boy image. Usher’s not a bad boy. That’s that whole image that they wanted. It didn’t work. So Usher said, ‘I’m gonna do it my way,’ and that’s basically what we did.” Usher released “My Way,” the album that gave him his first No. 1 record. “What you see on ‘My Way,’ you just see raw talent,” Usher said during the interview. “This is a true testament to an...
A retail incubator is opening its doors to disadvantaged founders in Kansas City, MO. Startland News reports that The Porter House KC’s 811 Retail Incubator held its grand opening on July 27, 2024. The 811 Retail Incubator space is designed to ensure entrepreneurs will find support from the ideation phase to an establishment becoming a “fully fledged” business and aims to bridge the gap between pop-up events and permanent brick-and-mortar stores, PHKC’s website mentioned. “Our resilience has paid off, and it’s rewarding to see this space provide what these businesses have been looking for,” said Miranda Schultz, PHKC’s programs director, according to Startland News. According to PHKC’s website, Daniel Smith and Charon Thompson, co-founders of The Porter House KC and Kansas City natives, saw the firsthand struggles of business owners . “We wanted to become the bridge between underrepresented businesses and their access to entrepreneurial success,” a statement on the website read. The...
Three Black women are on a mission to uplift food entrepreneurs in Dayton, OH. In March 2024, Jamaica White, Dabriah Rice, and Charlynda Scales celebrated the soft opening of their nearly five-year passion project, the 6888 (pronounced “six triple eight”) Kitchen Incubator Project. According to a press release, it serves as a business incubator that will support food entrepreneurs through a commercial kitchen, training, and business — including ingredient sourcing, marketing and distribution, and access to capital services. This initiative serves as an extension of the endeavors of their nonprofit organization, OH Taste Foundation. “We’ve been working on this for four and a half years now, and we’re just excited to be able to open up this project and offer these resources to our food entrepreneurs here in the Dayton area,” Rice said, Dayton Daily News reports. The need for the 6888 Kitchen Incubator Project became evident during the pandemic. Rice, who serves as the executive...
Launching a startup is no easy task. From coming up with an idea that can actually gain traction to creating a solid positioning statement, there are plenty of caveats that can cause even the most well-intentioned startups to fail — or at least stumble along the way. This is why getting assistance earlier on to help focus targets and strategies is critical. Enter the incubator concept . While the term is often used interchangeably with accelerators, it is not exactly the same thing. Although the end goal is to help fledgling startups gain their footing, launch and successfully enter the market, the way incubators go about it is different. Read on to find out more about the general purpose of business incubators and what is needed before applying to one. What Is A Business Incubator? Ignore the marketing speak and jargon because the concept is very straightforward. Breaking down what a startup business incubator is requires nothing more than considering what the actual piece of...
At only 17-years-old, Marsai Martin has already accomplished so much. As previously reported by AfroTech, she made history after launching her production company Genius Productions — making her the youngest Black executive producer ever. In addition to leading her company, she’s also the head boss over at Mari By Marsai — her nail line. Even with all of the endeavors on her plate, Martin is committed to supporting others as the Gen Z role model is uplifting fellow teens, according to PEOPLE.
Patreon has created a new program to help underserved creatives get themselves and their ideas funded. The creator-focused membership platform has announced Pull Up — an incubator to help creators of color not only gain access to capital but also resources and community to grow sustainable and profitable businesses — according to a press release. Anyone who identifies as a creator/ creative of color is able to join the community. Pull Up is supported by and builds on experiences of some of the biggest creators of color driving culture today including Issa Rae’s HOORAE, Amanda Seales’ Smart Funny & Black, Durand Bernarr, Jade Novah, Nicole Cardoza, Tim Chantarungsu, Blair Imani and Tina Yu, and more. “We are excited to be a part of Pull Up, powered by Patreon’s Creator Success team, who continue to be a champion for HOORAE on and off the platform,” said Issa Rae, creative partner for Pull Up powered by Patreon, according to the press release. “We share a core set of values in...
When it comes to taking action in supporting women, Nike’s Jordan Brand has held a steady streak. History was made in June 2021 after Michael Jordan and his brand unveiled their “WNBA Family” campaign, which marked the most-ever WNBA players to endorse the brand at once, AfroTech previously reported. “The world needs female voices, and we can’t ignore that or else we’re not growing,” Jordan previously shared in a statement. “The Jordan Brand is committed to giving women a platform to amplify their voices, which influence, inspire and push culture forward. These amazing athletes are defining a lot of things about Jordan Brand and leading a true conversation that’s impacting culture and our communities across the globe.” The brand’s dedication to advancing women has yet to cease as right before Women’s History Month comes to a close, it has launched its inaugural global Women’s Collective, Hypebeast reports.
Serving as the leading bank of Florida A&M University (FAMU) , The Wells Fargo Foundation has placed a generous contribution to spur women and minority-owned businesses. The $100,000 grant is a part of Wells Fargo’s continued partnership with FAMU to commit a total of $500,000 across Orlando and Tallahassee, FL. The funds will back the creation of a small business incubator and support the project’s staff operations, business development, and expansions goals. “As FAMU’s official bank, we are pleased to see Wells Fargo stepping up its commitment to small business development. This initiative will catalyze entrepreneurship and reap dividends for years to come,” says FAMU President Larry Robinson in an official press release from the FAMU Forward. The incubator will sow seeds of promise for many minority businesses who participate. In an interview with Tallahassee Democrat, Shawnta S. Friday-Stroud- vice president for University Advancement and director of the FAMU Foundation- noted...
While the music industry has been diving into blockchain and cryptocurrency, Jay-Z is now tapping into a collaboration that aims to make the metaverse more accessible. Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners is investing in spatial LABS (sLABS), a tech incubator that focuses on the metaverse and blockchain-based products, Billboard reports. Roc Nation vice-chairman Jay Brown and longtime venture capitalist Larry Marcus are also investing in the innovation. sLABS is founded by Ghana-born and Southern California-raised technologist Iddris Sandu. Starting at 13-years-old, Sandu has worked with big brands such as Apple, Google and Facebook. The now 24-year-old and his company’s collaboration portfolio lists Uber, Instagram, Beyoncé’s Ivy Park, Kanye West’s Yeezy, Rihanna’s Fenty line, and — as AfroTech previously reported — the late Nipsey Hussle’s The Marathon Clothing Store. https://www.instagram.com/p/CU73ZpSJqGK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link The tech incubator is set to launch its debut...
Clark Atlanta University (CAU) has announced a new groundbreaking initiative to set the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) up for future success. A press release reports that the university has launched the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) — an incubator that works to recruit and develop future presidents to run America’s 100-plus HBCUs. The first-of-its-kind program aims to preserve the legacy of HBCUs in this country and strengthen them as hubs for education, opportunity and upliftment in the Black community. “HBCUs have a clear value proposition and continue to be the standard-bearers of Black excellence across every sector of business and society. Through ELI, we are committed to identifying dynamic leaders who can advance the growth and sustainability of our institutions of higher learning,” Clark Atlanta University President, Dr. George T. French Jr. shared in a statement. “We invite leaders of industry – from Silicon Valley and Wall Street...
1863 Ventures — a D.C. -based accelerator designed to bridge the gap between entrepreneurship and equity — has just launched a 3Rs (Recovery, Rebuild, Resilience) business development program to support Black and brown business owners. A press release reports that the new program will provide over $850,000 worth of grant funding from Capital One and The Rockefeller Foundation to help minority founders reevaluate their business models and navigate their companies in a post-pandemic state. The 3Rs program aims to not just financially-back these founders, but also empower them to grow through a live and online curated business development curriculum, as well as 1:1 business coaching. “1863 Ventures is humbled to work with Capital One and The Rockefeller Foundation to help Black entrepreneurs in place. Black entrepreneurs were the hardest hit during the pandemic but received the lowest levels of investment to survive,” said Melissa Bradley, Founder and Managing Partner of 1863 Ventures,...
Rapper G Herbo continues to show love and give back to the city that raised him. In 2018, the Chicago-native purchased the building of his former school, Overton Elementary School, according to an Instagram post. Then, in 2013, Trading-U reports the elementary school was shut down, as part of a wave of public school closings. Thankfully, Herbo joined a project that helped turn it into a youth center, also serving as a music incubator and media lab for the kids. As he’s no stranger to helping his community, Herbo has even launched “Swervin’ Through Stress: Tools to Help Black Youth Navigate Mental Wellness.” His aim is to provide therapeutic resources for young adults who have experienced trauma and to raise public awareness about mental health issues. This past Saturday (Sept. 19), Herbo joined fellow Chicago rappers Vic Mensa and Chance The Rapper to do a peace walk with the kids along with a back-to-school drive. They gave away free shoes along with school supplies. Attendees were...