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A game changer is someone who, through their successful impact, changes the trajectory of an industry. In the world of live streaming, “Kai Cenat” and “game changer” have become synonymous. According to CNBC, the 22-year-old streamer reportedly shattered the boundaries of live streaming with his “Mafiathon 2,” a continuous 30-day broadcast that captivated millions and set a new Twitch subscriber record. “Mafiathon 2” was a subathon — a format where each new subscription extends the stream’s duration — broadcasting 24/7 throughout November 2024. By the conclusion of it, Cenat had 50 million unique viewers and an estimated 727,700 subscribers tuned in. Tech Times reports that this number surpasses the previous record of 326,250 held by virtual streamer Ironmouse. “I love y’all so much,” Cenat said during the concluding moments of the 30-day event, per Tech Times. “Without y’all, I am nothing.” Twitch subscriptions are typically priced at $4.99 per month, offering perks like ad-free...
Once again, Kai Cenat has broken a Twitch record. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Cenat is in the midst of “Mafiathon 2,” a 24/7 stream running throughout November 2024. So far, the Twitch stream has featured guests such as Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dogg, GloRilla, Quavo, and most recently, Serena Williams. Cenat shared several goals for the stream, including allocating 20% of earnings toward the school he is building in Nigeria. He says the project was inspired by singer and streamer Ironmouse, who previously held the title of the most-subscribed creator on Twitch and also raised funds to support the Immune Deficiency Foundation. “Shout out to Ironmouse, because she inspired me to make sure to give a lot of this bread that’s coming in to a good cause,” Cent explained. To no one’s surprise, one of Cenat’s goals was to reclaim his title, which was previously taken by Ironmouse on Sept. 30, 2023, with more than 312,000 subscribers, Rolling Stone notes . Eleven days into “Mafiathon 2,”...
For anyone who gets frustrated with their partner’s gaming habits, Tee Grizzley may have some news to change your mind. During an appearance on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast , the rapper and gamer pro shared that he has “made millions” from simply playing video games. “The way to make money, you gotta know how to repurpose things,” Tee Grizzley explained, detailing how he generates income through Twitch. “Boom, you got subscribers, you got ads, you got people that can donate to you — and the sky’s the limit with all that stuff.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by VSG Entertainment (@vsgent) He continued, “With your videos saved, so you can take those videos [and] you can make content out of them on your TikTok, your Instagram, YouTube. You can [even] get a bag off Snapchat.” This isn’t the first time Grizzley has highlighted his lucrative gaming ventures. As AFROTECH™ reported, in a 2022 interview with the “Million Dollaz Worth Of Game” podcast, Grizzley shared that...
Vice President Kamala Harris proposed a substantial increase in the tax deduction for startup expenses, raising the allowable deduction for new small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000. The Democratic presidential nominee announced the proposal during a speech in New Hampshire on Sept. 4 as part of her broader economic plan to make tax filing “cheaper and easier” for businesses, Forbes reported . “As President, one of my highest priorities will be to strengthen America’s small businesses,” Harris said, according to CBS News . “We’re going to help more small businesses, and innovators get off the ground.” New startups could either use the full $50,000 deduction in one year or spread it across multiple years as they become profitable. They also have the option to use the $5,000 deduction and spread the remaining startup costs over 15 years. The proposal aims to ease the financial burden of starting a business, covering costs such as advertising, employee training, consultant and...
By capitalizing on her status as a leading beauty influencer, Jackie Aina has built the foundation for a prosperous business empire. How It Started Aina, a Nigerian-American born in California’s San Gabriel Valley, came from humbling beginnings. BuzzFeed News mentions she has six siblings, with an even split between brothers and sisters. She recalls “growing up with nothing” at times, bouncing around shelters with her mother and siblings. “Growing up, I had no leverage, I had no rich uncle,” she said, per the outlet. “We got kicked out of a shelter, we couldn’t get to another one quick enough. And when you’re a mom of seven, It’s not easy.” To change her outcome, Aina studied medicine at the California State University, Business Insider reported. That route did not pan out for Aina, and she made the decision to serve in the Army in 2008, after being convinced by her then-boyfriend. They would marry — although they later divorce — and she moved to Hawaii to live with him where she...
If you’re tapped into the streaming world, you’ve most likely heard the name Kai Cenat. As AfroTech previously told you, in February, the 21-year-old was reportedly the first Black streamer to reach 200,000 subscribers on Twitch. Additionally, he was said to be only the third person to achieve the milestone.
Sometimes you unknowingly walk into your purpose, which seemed to be a common theme for some on the main stage of the Samsung Galaxy Creator Collective 2023. The multi-day event took place March 21-22, gathering diverse content creators from all over to support them along their journeys of turning their passion into profit with 40 hours of programming. From #TeamGalaxy’s Jaden Smith and Harry Hudson speaking on maintaining your authenticity as a creator to keynote speaker Marques Brownlee, or MKBHD, sharing insight into his journey, there was something valuable for everyone to take away — whether you were an aspiring creator looking to get in the game or already established your footing. Creators like Brownlee — who happens to be the latter — appear to make it look easy, but people may not be aware of the years he’s put in to build his platform making tech videos.
An exclusive collection is set to support Black designers on the rise. HubSpot and NTWRK have joined forces for a fashion drop at INBOUND 2022 — an annual event that brings industry leaders together — according to a press release shared with AfroTech. The creative talent behind the drop’s curation is Antoine Gregory. As the founder of Black Fashion Fair, a platform dedicated to Black designers and Black-owned brands, the creative was beyond fitted for the collaboration. Additionally, Gregory has worked with the likes of Akris, Dolce & Gabbana, Pyer Moss, Fubu, and Telfar. “Antoine Gregory’s Black Fashion Fair is a great example of a business that puts its mission at its core – and they’ve scaled while maintaining purpose,” Amy Marino, HubSpot’s Global Head of Brand Marketing, said. “We’re inspired by Antoine’s accomplishments and excited to partner once again with NTWRK to co-create a one-of-a-kind collection that amplifies these talented designers and their stories.”
When it comes to tapping into the power of how intersectional sports is, Wale Ogunleye has been at the forefront especially now as the Head of Sports and Entertainment at UBS, a global financial services company. In 2021, the former NFL player spoke with AfroTech and shared how he’s teaching financial literacy to today’s athletes. Now, Ogunleye recently hosted a fireside chat for UBS — along with Jane Schwartzberg — where he spoke with U.S. Olympian Allyson Felix. When Felix made the daring move to depart from her Nike deal due to their lack of support for pregnant female athletes and new mothers, her leap of faith was a wake up call for action heard across the nation. The gold medalist’s courage and advocacy for women and motherhood is what specifically moved Ogunleye to feature her for UBS. Photo Credit: Vivien Killilea “The sports world intersects with corporate America and corporate America puts their limitations and marginalizes women and people from diverse backgrounds,”...
It’s always a brighter day whenever women of color secure funding. Project Entrepreneur, a UBS program, and Hello Alice, a platform helping small business owners, have recently added to the underrepresented group’s trail of success. To play a part in helping to close the equity gap and promote access to capital for Black and LatinX female founders of color, Democratizing the Friends & Family Round program was announced in October 2021. According to a press release, kicking off the season of 2022 wins, the program has awarded $1 million in grants to 40 female founders.
Instagram is creating more ways for creatives to get to the bag! The social media network has announced that it will kick off a test of subscriptions for its U.S. users, per reports from Variety. “This will help creators earn more by offering benefits to their most engaged followers like access to exclusive Lives and Stories,” said Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook and chairman/CEO of its parent company Meta in an official post sharing the news. “I’m excited to keep building tools for creators to make a living doing creative work and to put these tools in more creators’ hands soon.” Only a small portion of those U.S. -based creatives will be able to set a monthly price (at their discretion) and unlock a “subscribe” button via their profile. Creators will have eight different price points to choose from, which range from 99 cents to $99.99 per month. Courtesy of Instagram The new feature, titled Instagram Subscriptions, will also allow creators to manage what content will be...
In a press release, Jumpstart Nova has announced that it has closed a $55 million oversubscribed fund to invest exclusively in Black founded and led healthcare companies nationwide. Jumpstart Health Investors (JHI) were joined by global institutions such as Eli Lilly and Company, HCA Healthcare, Cardinal Health, Atrium Health, Henry Ford Health System, LHC Group, Meharry Medical College, and American Hospital Association. The fund was launched alongside partners Bank of America, Pinnacle Financial Partners, FirstBank, Ingram Industries, Truxton Trust, and Vanderbilt University. “We’re excited about the potential of Jumpstart Nova and to serve as one of its strategic health care partners,” said Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, President, and CEO of Meharry Medical College, according to a press release. “Particularly, in the world of health care, the small percentage of minority-founded and led businesses—5 percent—is almost reflective of the percentage of Black physicians practicing in...
Apple is kickstarting Computer Science Education Week by announcing a new program that will propel the future generation of STEM leaders. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America will now have an opportunity to teach students how to code through Apple’s latest collaboration. Now thousands of students across 12 U.S. cities will code with Apple’s Swift — an easy-to-use program designed to turn ideation into an application. “At Apple, we believe education is a force for equity, and that all learners should have the opportunity to explore and develop coding skills for their future,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, according to an official press release from Apple. “Together with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we’ve already introduced thousands of students to innovative technology experiences, and we are thrilled to expand our partnership to bring coding with Swift to even more communities across the country.”
HubSpot has a history of helping to scale companies. Now, it’s continuing to run the race with its latest investment into Black-owned businesses, families, and communities. According to a press release, the platform will invest $7.5 million to support Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and help close the racial wealth, health, and opportunity gap. The funds are what’s left of HubSpot’s $20 million social impact investing commitment and will continue its efforts to dismantle systemic racism by imposing change through four key pillars — introspection, investment, inclusion, and impact. “Through our conversations with MDIs, we’ve learned about their missions and the unique challenges they face in lending and gaining access to a recurring revenue stream,” said Kate Bueker, CFO of HubSpot, in an official statement. “We have a responsibility to our Black employees, customers, partners, and investors to help create more economic opportunities and we’re proud to partner with J.P....