Spill is allowing its users to have a stake in its success. As AFROTECH™ previously reported , the social media app was created by Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown who had both worked for Twitter. In 2022, Terrell was laid off around the time Elon Musk had acquired the platform now known as X, while Brown had exited the company in 2020. Terrell says the focus in Spill’s creation was to support his colleagues and to answer a personal call, which was branching out to build a new platform. “Starting as a non-technical founder, that was a pretty daunting challenge. And I think it was that mindset of just determination that no matter what, I’m going to figure out a way to make something,” Terrell shared on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. “If I don’t raise a dollar, if I got to do whatever, everything starts, I think, from that particular mindset, and that is what’s magnetized.” He continued, “I think the type of energy that...

Let’s be honest—when it comes to beauty, Black women have always been the standard, even if the industry has been slow to give credit where it’s due. But while some are still playing catch-up, Danessa Myricks Beauty has already rewritten the rules—and ensured we’re front and center in the narrative. From melting down drugstore makeup in her kitchen to landing on Sephora shelves across the globe, Danessa Myricks didn’t wait for anyone’s permission. She built her own table—and now the world’s pulling up a seat. From “Accidental Artist” to Beauty Powerhouse Myricks didn’t come from a legacy of wealth or beauty school credentials. She came with hustle, vision, and a deep belief that makeup should be for everyone. According to her Closers 2025 Time Magazine feature, after getting laid off from a publishing gig, she took a chance on creativity and started doing makeup—teaching herself through trial, error, and audacity. Her early kits? Straight-up DIY magic. Melting down products to...

Snoop Dogg and his son Cordell Broadus are winning in business together. Among their shared ventures is Dr. Bombay Ice Cream. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the brand was inspired by a moment of frustration Snoop Dogg experienced while trying to mix different flavors during a bout of the munchies. Now the ice cream brand, which hit the ground running in July 2023, comes in countless flavors such as: Strawberry Cream Dream Baked Blueberry Muffin Tropical Sherbet Swizzle Peanut Butter Jelly Time Iced Out Orange Cream Syrupy Waffle Sundaze S’more’s Vibes “Ice cream is more than just a snack to me; it’s a way to chill, relax, and get happy. That’s exactly what I want Dr. Bombay Ice Cream to do. Bring a smile to your face and ease your mind. I’ve poured my heart and soul into perfecting these first seven flavors…,” Snoop Dogg said when launching the brand, according to Dairy Foods. Blavity reports that the company has expanded into Walmart and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and...

Snoop Dogg is a marketing machine. The rapper, who is also a serial entrepreneur and the owner and CEO of Death Row Records, kept himself busy over the summer as the torchbearer and NBC Special Correspondent during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Snoop Dogg’s screen time included travel with the U.S. men’s basketball team, which concluded with a segment about the team’s synergy in conversation with sports commentator Mike Tirico. He also shared some viral moments, including a swim lesson with 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps and his attendance at the gymnastics qualifying round, which sparked a dance moment with Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles.   Speaking of his appointment he told The Associated Press, “This opportunity was nothing but a chance for me to show the world what it’s supposed to look like when you put the right person in the right environment.” It appears NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics has led to a significant boost for its parent company,...

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...

Will Drewery previously worked with Tesla and now works for himself through his own technology company. From Tesla To Building His Own Technology Company Silicon Valley Business Journal reports Drewery worked with Tesla in 2013. Among his contributions to the company includes sourcing $3.5 billion in equipment to its plants based in Fremont, CA, and Buffalo, NY, over a five-year period. TechCrunch mentioned the delivery, testing, and installation of equipment was a process that could often take months or even a few years for companies that lacked the team members or tools. “This is why I felt the market needs a Diagon,” Drewery told TechCrunch. He later transitioned to work for Astra and recognized discrepancies in the market that would lead him to launch his own company, Diagon Technologies. What he recognized were issues with the sale of manufacturing equipment — including satellites, rockets, batteries and semiconductors — from some other countries due to national-security...

Byron Cogdell Sr. is scaling his million-dollar business. According to Buffalo Business First, he is the founder of The Hoagie Stop, a Buffalo, NY-based venture he began after committing 15 years to the restaurant industry, including 10 years at Cole’s. His motivation to start his own business came from grilling and selling hoagies right in his backyard. He also prepared his own sauces. Now the business has grown to three establishments, with two located in Buffalo at 220 Allen St. and 183 Hertel Ave., and another at 2195 Clinton St. in West Seneca, NY. All locations opened between 2021 and 2023. Furthermore, a fourth Buffalo location is set to open in September 2024 at 2285 Main St. The venture has faired well for Cogdell, crossing $1 million in revenue, the outlet notes. Now, he is preparing for new scenery, because he is moving to Dallas, TX. He became fascinated with the city after visiting his mother-in-law. Now, he plans to open a restaurant in that city too. “We were just...

Jordan Brand is Nike’s best-performing division. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Jordan Brand continues to rise, tracking $4.7 billion in fiscal year 2021. At the time, this equated to a 31% increase and marked its highest yet, with growth in every region, including double digits in North America, according to WWD. The following fiscal year, Jordan Brand earned $5 billion. “We’re empowered to grow this brand and make the most of it in geographies around the world,” explained Craig Williams, the president of Jordan Brand at the time, per WWD. “And that’s where the distinctiveness and the independence — if you want to call it that — come into play. But we are turbocharged by being a part of a great global company called Nike Inc. It helps us to efficiently get things done in a way that if we were an independent company, we wouldn’t have that luxury. So it’s important for me, when I think about it with the team, to be both collaborative to take advantage of the wealth of...