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Pronghorn has invested in a Black-owned company disrupting the event and spirits sector. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Pronghorn aims to pump $2.4 billion in “economic value” into the Black community by cultivating their growth in the spirits industry. With a goal in 2022 to invest in 57 Black-owned spirits brands by 2032, the firm also provides guidance to Black founders as well as employment opportunities. It is already working toward placing individuals in 1,800 roles within the sector. Pronghorn has invested in numerous companies in the spirits industry, including Tequila with Friends, Den of Thieves, Ego Tequila, and singer Ciara’s Ten To One. Joining the lineup is Eventnoire, an event management and online ticketing platform created by Jeff Osuji. According to a press release, Eventnoire has over 10,000 venues and event organizers and a network of 400,000 influencers across North America and Africa, solidifying the company as a leader within the ticketing sector that is...
Stephen A. Smith’s proudest moment was retiring his late mother. For the host of ESPN’s “First Take,” he has kept his mother in high regards due to her sacrifices raising him with a father he describes as “negligent.” In 2005, Smith was able to reward his mother when he signed a $1.3 million annual contract with ESPN to receive his own show, called “Quite Frankly,” he revealed on the “Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson” podcast. At the time, his mother had retired as a registered nurse working at Queens General Hospital in New York, NY, but she took on work at the Police Athletic League (PAL) to fund her yearly vacations because she did not have additional earnings outsides of her pension and savings. “My proudest moment to this day was that I drove straight home, and I put it in my book straight shooter, I drove straight from Manhattan to Queens, New York. I walked right in that PAL and I grabbed her by the arm and I said ‘Let’s go,'” Smith expressed on the podcast. “I looked at her boss,...
Snoop Dogg will be auctioning some of his own memorabilia. Variety reports the rapper is partnering with sports-and-music auction house The Realest — created by producer and radio host Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney — to auction off items through a project titled “ The Shiznit.” Items will include photos, Playstations, production books, autographed TV scripts, platinum discs, autographed jackets and jerseys, master recording tapes (copyrights to the music will not be included), and an autographed Death Row Records chain. “The items he is putting up are iconic,” Keeney told Variety. “Everything from lyrics, awards — like ‘Pimp of the Year’! — unreleased tapes, outfits, sample toys, photos, scripts, concert riders, even a Snoop-authenticated smoked blunt in a crazy display case and ashtray.” Furthermore, Keeney, who launched The Realest in December 2023 and raised $4.6 million in seed funding in a round led by KB Partners, has a rigorous process to ensure the offerings being sold are...
Uncle Nearest’s presence in the spirits sector continues to rise. The whiskey company, established in 2016 by Fawn Weaver to honor Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, has scaled into 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurant s in 12 countries, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. In its latest report, Bloomberg notes Weaver aspires to own a larger share of the spirits market. This stance has motivated the company to purchase vodka maker Square One Organic Spirits. Additionally, she mentions a settled legal dispute between Diageo Plc and Sean “Diddy” Combs concerning his vodka brand as a contributing factor for her latest acquisition, noting a void in the market and the importance of having a Black-owned vodka occupy space. The market is heavily dominated by major players such as Diageo PLC and LVMH, with valuations totaling nearly $79 billion and $423 billion, respectively, the outlet mentions. Uncle Nearest continues to gain a...
Almost this time last year, tech expert Justin McLeod — founder of his socially-driven marketing consultancy Surthrive — was busy launching the Square One Startup School to bring more diversity into the tech industry and generate more wealth for Black communities. Now, the program is entering the commencement of its third cohort searching for passionate startup founders hoping to transform their ideas into the next biggest profitable tech company. Following the pandemic’s massive impact on the structure of working from home, the tech world has found itself in a unique position to break geographical boundaries and allow more access to opportunities that would’ve been impossible to attain without occupying major tech hubs in San Francisco, New York, and Boston. The Square One Startup School is contributing to this new infrastructure by offering individuals equal access to information and resources to help them build successful tech startup companies, regardless of their geographical...