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Chris Paul is still working to create a brighter future for Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students. The NBA star has once again joined forces with Koia — along with Support Black Colleges — to provide students with healthier alternatives, according to Koia’s website. As AfroTech previously told you, Paul, who is also currently a student at Winston-Salem State University, first partnered with the plant-based line in 2021 to introduce Koia vending machines at the HBCU.
Nutritional food disparities are a prominent issue in Black and Brown communities due to disadvantaged socioeconomic area’s access to fewer stores. To combat this issue, 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul aims to provide these same communities with healthier alternatives. “I’m from North Carolina. So, I grew up eating after church on Sunday. I’m at my Granny’s house; we got the full spread of soul food laid out. A lot of times, eating that way is a part of your culture and history, and your way of life,” Paul shared in an interview with For(bes) the Culture . The Phoenix star shocked fans after adopting a plant-based diet preceding a career-low with the Houston Rockets for the 2018-2019 season. The newfound lifestyle produced substantial results for Paul, crediting faster recovery periods and greater stamina, The Beet previously reported. Yesterday, Paul announced a new financial venture with leading plant-based protein manufacturer Koia . The partnership aims to ensure healthy foods...
A first-of-its-kind partnership is set to open the door for a group of HBCU student-athletes. According to a press release, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has become the first HBCU to partner with The Brandr Group (TBG) — a brand management, marketing, and licensing agency — for its group licensing program. The recently launched partnership is set to create “ new opportunities for NCCU student-athletes in all 15 sports who want to use their name, image, and likeness (NIL) together with the university’s official trademarks and logos,” the press release discloses. “We are thrilled to welcome NCCU to our family as our first HBCU partner, and we look forward to working together to support Eagles student-athletes through this new agreement, “said Rick Perko, Vice President of Program Development at TBG. “There are several companies and individuals who are interested in making a difference with student athletes at HBCUs and group licensing will allow them to have the greatest...
Raising $4.25 million, co-founders Jasmine Shells and Denise Umubyeyi are two of 250 Black women to raise more than $1 million in venture capital. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, their software company Five to Nine closed a seed round led by Black Ops Ventures with participation from Slack Fund and Cleveland Avenue. To date, Five to Nine has raised $5.75 million with the help of recurrent investors such as Mike Gamson, Sterling Road, and Concrete Rose Capital. The funding will expand its product and engineering teams, strengthen its sales capabilities, and launch new customer solutions.
Companies are continuing to tap into the greatness that is Deja Kelly. The North Carolina Tar Heels point guard has teamed up with BARCODE — a plant-based beverage company founded by NBA coach and professional trainer Mubarak Malik (Bar) — for her first long-term equity deal, according to a press release. The new partnership marks multiple firsts for the star hooper as she’s also the brand’s first-ever female name, image and likeness (NIL) shareholder. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deja Kelly (@dejakelly) “Our partnership with Deja Kelly is a no-brainer,” said Bar in a statement. “Her athletic excellence and unwavering commitment to healthy living align perfectly with our missions and value at BARCODE. We’re proud to have Deja join our team and help more consumers unlock their greatest potential through nutrition and lifestyle.”
Chris Paul means business when it comes to supporting companies that help in strengthening the Black community — just take a look at his investment portfolio. In August 2021, the NBA star invested in the plant-based protein shake and smoothie company Koia to create access to healthier eating for the underserved, as previously reported by AfroTech. In the same month, Paul participated in a $3 million seed round for Misha’s Kind Foods, a Black-owned vegan cheese brand. Now, he has added another Black-owned brand to his investments. Paul has joined La Fête Wine Company as an equity partner, according to a press release. Being a businessman that’s all about inclusivity, he and the brand’s missions perfectly align. “Not only is Chris an incredible athlete and businessman, but he’s also a wine enthusiast who is vocal and passionate about representation & inclusivity in the wine industry,” said Donae Burston, Founder & CEO of La Fête Wine Company. “He is a natural fit for our team, and we...
Cam Newton is no stranger to investing. But now, the Carolina Panthers star is sharing why he chose to invest in Daring Foods, a plant-based startup that manufactures a chicken substitute. “For plant-based meat alternatives, 2021 was a breakout year, and the market is only looking more lucrative going into 2022,” he said to Fortune Magazine. “Daring Foods is developing sustainable healthier meat replacements for the most widely consumed animal protein: chicken.” Cam Newton also said that his decision to invest in the company had to do with his decision to be proactive with his health. “Being a Black man who grew up in the South, fried chicken was a staple in most diets. It was inexpensive and delicious; while not the healthiest option, we sometimes even had it twice a day,” he said to One Green Planet. “Something I hope to accomplish with Daring is to teach the Atlanta community and others the power of plant-based eating. Forming a healthy diet doesn’t need to be expensive and can...
If you’re waiting for Jay-Z to slow down when it comes to his money moves, you’ll probably be waiting a long time. According to a press release, his latest business venture is with Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul as the two businessmen have helped raise a $3 million investment round for Misha’s Kind Foods — a vegan cheese brand. The seed funding round included participation from Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners (MVP) firm, Paul and branding firm Lisa Shamus & Partners. “The mission of Misha’s directly aligns with our values,” said MVP Co-founder Jay Brown in a press release. “When we first discovered Misha’s we found some immediate synergies. We embrace companies that value sustainability, empowerment, inclusivity, accessibility, convenience, health and wellness, and personal expression.” Plant-based investments is far from new territory for both Jay-Z and Paul. According to VegNews, Jay-Z helped raise $300 million for Impossible Foods and has invested in other vegan brands such as Partake...
Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul is one of the newest faces to join digital media startup Greenfly’s latest funding round, and the perks come with some new titles. TechCrunch reports that the NBA All-Star’s investment will have him serve as a strategic investor and partner in the company through its $8.4 million strategic growth round. Existing investors in the round include Go4it Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, Alpha Edison and Iconica Partners, as well as others like Verance Capital, Higher Ground Labs, DD Venture Capital, SW19 Ventures, LinkinFirm and Allievo Capital. Greenfly’s new funding round puts the company at over $23 million raised since it was first founded by former Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Shawn Green and his cousin Daniel Kirschner — who previously served in senior roles at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission and Activision Blizzard. Greenfly is a company that considers itself a “leader in digital media monetization,”...
I n 2016, 253 venture capital funds raised $41.6 billion , a 10-year high, and invested it into promising startups. There is so much money floating around to help founders realize their dreams, yet less than 1% of venture funding goes to black founders . So how can black founders learn to appeal to venture capitalists and secure the bag for their tech businesses? This is where Founder Gym comes in. Only seven months old, Founder Gym was created to help solve the funding gap and ensure more venture capital gets deployed to underrepresented founders, including black founders. Via an intense five-week virtual bootcamp, selected founders are given the structure, accountability and connections needed to advance their entrepreneurial endeavors. In its first two cohorts, Founder Gym graduated 70 founders, 50% of whom are black. We recently asked our black founders what advice they could give to other black founders who aspire to raise capital for their business. Here is what they said: “Be...