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Deion Sanders, “Coach Prime,” has become an investor in one of Iowa’s fastest-growing companies. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, BLK & Bold achieved this feat for the past three years for being disruptors in the coffee industry, making it onto the Inc. 5000 list. The company was founded in 2018 by Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson and prides itself on delivering customers high-quality and freshly roasted specialty coffees and loose leaf teas such as chai, matcha, and lemon ginger, among others. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages (@blkandbold) “Accessibility to premium coffee and quality products go hand in hand, but it is important to normalize that experience in coffee,” Cezar told AFROTECH™ at the time. “When we talk about both, it’s easy to let go of the vision of the conscious consumer, especially in something as high commodity as coffee — the second-highest consumer beverage in America — but this does not have to be the case. When you...
Emmanuel Eribo made several pivots before settling on a luxury vegan sneaker and apparel brand. Business Insider reports Eribo, a self-taught coder, had studied psychology in college but saw finance as an opportunity for growth. He was able to land a finance job after learning enough about coding and did the programming for the trading floor at HSBC. He spent eight years in the sector but wanted to pivot into entrepreneurship, although it was unclear what specific route. “At first, I was very afraid to quit my job, but being an entrepreneur, that fear is constant, and you get comfortable with it,” he told the outlet. Eribo considered different ideas with the help of his brother and peers. He ultimately created a ballerina shoe brand named Butterfly Twists, which prompted his official exit from finance. It paid off as the brand eventually scaled to 32 stores across 67 countries, with 1 million pairs sold annually. However, Eribo still was not satisfied. “On the surface, we were doing...
A retail incubator is opening its doors to disadvantaged founders in Kansas City, MO. Startland News reports that The Porter House KC’s 811 Retail Incubator held its grand opening on July 27, 2024. The 811 Retail Incubator space is designed to ensure entrepreneurs will find support from the ideation phase to an establishment becoming a “fully fledged” business and aims to bridge the gap between pop-up events and permanent brick-and-mortar stores, PHKC’s website mentioned. “Our resilience has paid off, and it’s rewarding to see this space provide what these businesses have been looking for,” said Miranda Schultz, PHKC’s programs director, according to Startland News. According to PHKC’s website, Daniel Smith and Charon Thompson, co-founders of The Porter House KC and Kansas City natives, saw the firsthand struggles of business owners . “We wanted to become the bridge between underrepresented businesses and their access to entrepreneurial success,” a statement on the website read. The...
Luol Deng investment in men’s sports has led to a first in the Olympics. Deng was a former NBA player for the Chicago Bulls and committed 15 seasons, per Sports Illustrated, to the league before officially retiring in October 2019. Following his exit, Deng turned his attention towards his home country — the youngest country in the world — South Sudan, and became president of the South Sudanese Basketball Federation (SSBF), ESPN reports. “I retired and I always did my basketball camps. I know a lot of players from South Sudan and I knew that we could make it something special,” he told ESPN. “I want to help the growth of the game, but I want to use basketball to change the narrative and the stories of South Sudan, but also find a way to bring communities along and for everyone to get something inspirational behind it.” Fast forward to 2024, and South Sudan has made it to the Olympics, becoming victorious in their match against Puerto Rico on July 28, 2024. This marked the team’s...
Celebrity-backed Dave’s Hot Chicken continues to scale nationwide. The restaurant was created in 2017 by Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan. It offers customers tenders and sliders with flavor profiles ranging from mild to hot, extra hot, and reaper, alongside sides like fries, macaroni and cheese, and kale slaw, among others. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DavesHotChicken (@daveshotchicken) Dave’s Hot Chicken has received backing from notable names in entertainment. Former NFL player turned American television host and journalist Michael Strahan and Drake are investors. “I tried the food and it was amazing. After meeting the founders and hearing their story, I jumped at the opportunity to invest,” Drake said, per Bloomberg. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Samuel L. Jackson is also backing the company. “I never thought about going in the restaurant business , but I am an investor in Dave’s Hot Chicken,” Jackson said during an interview...
Young entrepreneurs are taking the world by storm and 8-year-old, Zoe Oli is no different as she uses her line of dolls, books, and accessories to encourage little Black girls around the world. According to Black Business, after struggling with her hair being “different” from her classmates,’ Zoe’s mother, Evana, purchased her a Black doll. However, there was one problem, her hair still did not look like Zoe’s. It was then that she took matters into her own hands telling her mother: “I want to make them [dolls] and start a business!” The rest was history and from that moment, Beautiful Curly Me was born! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beautiful Curly Me ™️ (@beautifulcurlyme) Within the past two years, Zoe has authored two books and created hair care products along with the creation of her beloved dolls. Beautiful Curly Me is on a mission to not only empower young girls but prioritize community service by giving back 10 percent of the proceeds to organizations like...