Showing 15 results for:
Popular topics
Ehime Eigbe has successfully landed her sweet treats in a major retailer. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , the Nigerian-American entrepreneur is the founder of Sweetkiwi, a yogurt brand launched in 2020. Inspired by her battle with uterine fibroids, which, at 22, she was advised might require surgery, Eigbe sought holistic alternatives. This journey led her to adopt a stricter diet and ultimately to create Sweetkiwi, a brand offering flavors such as vanilla bean, cookies & cream, mango passion fruit, hibiscus & ginger, chocolate hazelnut, and lemon blueberry parfait. “All disease starts in the gut so at Sweetkiwi we continue to work purposefully in our mission to utilize the nutritional power of food to create healthier guts, good health, and wellness,” said Eigbe in a news release shared with AFROTECH™ . View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sweetkiwi (@sweetkiwiusa) Sweetkiwi has been supported through a $250,000 deal from Shark Tank investor, Robert Herjavec, which...
Founder Marc Washington is the driving force behind a gut health nutrition brand that has raised millions. Washington has an extensive history as a leader in the consumer wellness space. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked at The Wonderful Co. as director of strategy for FIJI Water from 2005 to 2007. After a six-year tenure at Teleflora, he returned to The Wonderful Co. as its chief financial officer. His resume also includes roles as president and COO at Beachbody and CEO at Irwin Naturals. Today, he is fully focused on leading and prioritizing his own wellness company, Supergut with the venture inspired his late sister. “I was inspired to start the company in honor of my late sister, Monica. She struggled with metabolic health issues throughout her adult life before she tragically passed away far too young due to complications during a high-risk pregnancy. Her passing shook me to my core, especially as someone who spent his entire career helping people live healthier...
Tabitha Brown is thriving in business alongside her close friend. Known for her witty humor and vibrant personality, Brown has captured America’s heart through her social media presence. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, her viral video featuring Whole Foods’ TTLA sandwich garnered one million likes in just a week, ultimately leading to her role as an ambassador for the brand. By continuing to leverage her social media platforms, Brown has transformed into a powerhouse, seamlessly extending her influence into entertainment and business. As of this writing, she boasts an impressive 9.2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Her ventures span various industries, including television shows on YouTube and the Food Network. Brown’s portfolio also features Donna’s Recipe, her natural haircare company, and a signature line at Target , offering plant-based grocery items, kitchen essentials, home décor, and more. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tabitha Brown...
Maryland’s first Black family-owned wine company is expanding! As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Boyd Cru Wines is led by married couple Matthew and Jon’ll Boyd, who pursued separate career paths for over a decade before collaborating on a shared business venture in the wine industry. For over a decade, Jon’ll worked in the event planning industry, while Matthew built his career in the pharmaceutical and chemistry sectors. In the wake of COVID-19 in 2020, Jon’ll’s industry came to a standstill, leading to a greater focus on what became Boyd Cru Wines in April 2023. “I think the pivotal point for us came right about during the pandemic because that, of course for me, brought my event planning business to a very quick and fast halt as you can imagine with people not being able to gather,” Jon’ll told the Washington Business Journal. “It afforded us an opportunity to delve deeper into the wine industry, and simultaneously, I think at that time, I was seeing that there was some shifting...
Life can change at any given moment, and this was the case for entrepreneur Parker Barbee. In 2022, Barbee was laid off from his job just before the Christmas holiday. This moment of uncertainty led him to jumpstart his passion for a staple dessert in his family — banana pudding. KSL News reports Barbee is the founder of dessert sweet shop Parfé Diem, located in Salt Lake City, UT’s Sugar House neighborhood. According to its website, it features a variety of pudding parfait flavors, including banana, strawberry cheesecake, pistachio, and chocolate. It also offers shortbread cookies and a creative twist on the classic ice cream sandwich, using pudding as the filling. View this post on Instagram A post shared by parfé diem 😋 pudding parfaits (@parfediem) Now, just in time for the holiday season, Barbee’s venture has received a significant boost through the NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant, established by investor Daymond John of “Shark Tank.” The grant is $25,000 and is funded with...
Alicia Scott made history with her appearance on on “Shark Tank.” Scott, a former account executive, is the founder of the cosmetic brand Range Beauty, which was supported through a personal investment of $150, she revealed on the Foundr podcast. The company, marketed as a “clean beauty brand for the forgotten shades” and geared towards acne & eczema-prone skin, officially launched in August 2018, according to its LinkedIn. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Range Beauty (@rangebeauty) Within two months of its launch, she was contacted by a Target buyer interested in potentially shelving the product. At the time, Scott wasn’t quite ready to take that business leap, but felt validated by their interest “T hat’s where I felt like ‘Okay if a major retailer is reaching out that means I have something,'” she explained on the podcast. The company’s potential shone once more when a surge of orders followed an influencer ‘s social media post praising its inclusive shade range. At...
50 Cent claims he received a six-figure payout from the late Steve Jobs. During an interview shared by “Tha Row TV” on YouTube, the rapper -turned-business-mogul took a trip down memory lane to recall being paid handsomely for a product placement in one of his music videos. This became possible thanks to a conversation with Jobs, who had a meeting with Beats By Dre co-founder Jimmy Iovine at his office. In the interview, he claimed that within the first 10 minutes of meeting, he was able to get his hands on an iPod, which had just been released in 2001. He then convinced Jobs that he could help market the iPod, leading to a $150,000 payday. “I told him ‘Let me see that.’ They gave it to me I said ‘What’s it called. It’s called an iPod? How many songs you said?’ ‘You think you could sell an iPod? I can sell an iPod.’ H e looked at Jimmy, Jimmy said ‘Believe it or not, the kid is gold. I don’t care whatever he says right now it’s gonna go’ and h e just went with it and gave me...
Promising opportunities are on the way for college athlete Great Osobor. ESPN reports Osobor, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, has settled on the University of Washington after entering the NCAA transfer portal. The forward previously played for Utah State University and had already expressed interest in moving to Washington after Utah coach Danny Sprinkle was hired on as the school’s newest coach, according to Fox Sports. “I would like to thank God for putting me in this position,” Osobor said, according to ESPN. “Washington will allow me to maximize my potential as a player in my final year of college basketball. Coach [Danny] Sprinkle has been with me every step of the way since I came from England, and I cannot wait to help the Huskies get back to the NCAA tournament.” Osobor’s move also signals a great precedence in the age of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. The outlet notes he has agreements, such as marketing assurances, in place that will set his NIL...
Angel Reese is in high demand. The WNBA player, who is signed to Reebok under a multi-year endorsement deal as of October 2023, shares that she had the option to sign with other shoe brands such as Nike, a familiar pattern among various greats, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Kevin Durant. “I wanted be a priority ’cause I could have signed easily with Nike,” Reese says in a resurfaced video shared on X, formerly Twitter. “I could assign easily with Jordan. But like everybody doing that. I don’t like doing what everybody do. I like to do the complete opposite. I’m bringing Reebok back.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Reebok (@reebok) As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Reese’s signing with Reebok was the company’s first major Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal. In her post, Reese shares that it will open doors for her own signature shoe to be released in the near future. She also credits her relationship with Shaquille O’Neal, who serves as...
Not signing to a record label was the stepping stone for Ludacris to invest in his artistry. Ludacris, who in his early days worked at an Atlanta, GA, radio station and became known as DJ Chris Lova Lova, would eventually catch the attention of record labels and producer Timbaland, scoring a feature on the single, “Fat Rabbit.” During a podcast interview with “Drink Champs,” Ludacris noted the attention he began to receive from record labels after that. Still, it did not translate into landing his own deal. This pushed him to dive into his pockets to release his debut album “Incognegro” in 1999. “I’ve had my moments with each of those entities, but I never signed with them,” Ludacris said. “Even with Timbaland, there was a time when I was about to get signed to Timbaland because of my first record before ‘What’s Your Fantasy.’ I was on his album, and I had a song called ‘Fat Rabbit,’ which ended up being on ‘Back for the First Time.’ So again, I went through all of these processes,...
Mercy Miller has successfully clinched a lucractive name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal. According to a press release, the high school basketball player and son of Master P is the newest brand ambassador for Sweetkiwi, a frozen yogurt company founded in 2020 by Ehime Eigbe. Miller’s selection was influenced by his role among the youth in the sports community and his shared focus areas of fitness and healthy living as a student athlete at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, CA. Together, both parties will work to influence the upcoming generation to choose healthier dessert alternatives. According to Bleacher Report and Slam, Miller has signed a $1.4 million deal. “I’m thrilled to partner with Sweetkiwi,” Miller said in a press release. “Their focus on health and flavor mirrors my lifestyle on and off the court. I’m eager to introduce these fantastic products and our shared values to a wider audience.” Sweetkiwi Founder and CEO Eigbe shared her enthusiasm about the deal in a...
The winners are in! Barefoot received a record number of applications for its latest #WeStanForHer initiatives, but only five made the cut. The 2021 New Voices + Barefoot #WeStanForHer campaign is a celebration of Black women entrepreneurs. It has a mission to support the women as the company continues to drive toward economic equity for the Black community. In a partnership with New Voices Foundation, the grants celebrate, recognize and uplift Black-women-owned business founders and their unique journeys along the way. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Barefoot Each grant recipient will receive $10,000 to go toward the development of their business as well as to support their entrepreneurial spirit. Grantees will also receive exclusive coaching and mentorship from the New Voices Foundation to help them work toward furthering their business endeavors. A new leg of the grant this year includes the amplification of the 2021 grantees’ businesses through the use of Barefoot’s own platforms and...