Some people know the moment they enter the workforce that, they are meant to be their own boss. Others may have known from the beginning but are waiting for the right idea to ignite a fire within them. However, waiting too long can just as easily stifle that fire. Aspiring entrepreneurs often find themselves throwing up their hands in defeat saying, “I want to start a business but have no ideas.” Most successful entrepreneurs share that it is not always about having an original idea that gets one started in business, nor does that original idea automatically equate to success. For many, it was taking an existing idea and iterating upon it; making it more efficient and polishing it. In other words, it was about starting rather than waiting for just the right moment with just the right idea. With this in mind, here are ten tech business ideas for those who want to start a business but have no ideas. Each one of them capitalizes upon existing tech that is popular and becoming more and...

While the talent of Black entrepreneurs is limitless, their access to what is necessary to reach success is often stunted. Within the movement of transforming the ecosystem, the Black Economic Alliance Foundation has joined a leading systems technology company to provide ample funding and support.

Collaboration is one of the most powerful forms of currency, and the proof is evidenced by Pharrell Williams and HEINEKEN USA. In a recent press release, HEINEKEN USA announced a partnership with Pharrell’s nonprofit venture, Black Ambition. In 2020, the nonprofit was founded to help close the wealth gap through entrepreneurship. According to the company’s website, Black Ambition “invests capital and resources in high-growth startups founded by Black and Latinx HBCU students and entrepreneurs.” To date, Black Ambition has awarded $3.2 million to 34 business owners in the sectors of technology, goods and services, healthcare, and design.

One thing about Ciara Princess Wilson? She’s going to forever reign as a hardworking multi-hyphenate entertainer. It seems as though AfroTech has been reporting on the serial entrepreneur’s business moves all year — from launching her clothing line — LITA — earlier this year to her multiple business ventures under The House of LR&C with her husband Russell Wilson. Plus, with her latest partnership, she’s continuing to be a business mogul in the making. Forbes reports that Ciara has recently joined Ten To One Rum’s founder and CEO Marc Farrell as an investor, co-owner and director for the brand. “When I get a chance to do things and projects like this, I’m pretty involved,” Ciara told Forbes. “I look a step before the actual product to work with really great business partners. For me all the boxes were checked. This is a space that not too many women occupy, and I saw a tremendous opportunity as an entrepreneur, and as a woman of color.” Ciara’s new roles for Ten To One Rum entails...

Designer and Creative Director Joe “Freshgoods” Robinson has made a name for his Chicago-based streetwear brand by building authenticity within fashion. Over the years, the self-made entrepreneur has become the people’s champ when it comes to combining the essence of his local community with a culturally-significant message, and his latest collaboration with New Balance is no different. The “Outside Clothes” collection is described as bringing back the nostalgia of playing outside during our childhood, but it’s also a nod to Robinson’s creative process and the privilege we lost of actually being outside on account of the pandemic last year. The phrase “We miss when outside was outside” is used on some of the pieces from the new collection. It is a statement that Robinson believes to be a true sentiment for many people at this time. Photo courtesy of Joe Freshgoods “I didn’t realize until last year how much the act of being outside had played a major part in my career,” he said in a...

Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Spelman College is joining its Atlanta counterparts — Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College — in a partnership that will make entrepreneurship more accessible to its students. According to a press release, the all-women HBCU is one of the latest partners of Blackstone LaunchPad — a Techstars powered campus resource connecting schools to business and entrepreneurship — for a mission dedicated to giving diverse students in the Atlanta University Center Consortium more access to tools and resources to help develop their own entrepreneurial skills. Blackstone LaunchPad was developed with support from the United Negro College Fund Inc. (UNCF), and its expansion to Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta is the latest step in the Blackstone Charitable Foundation’s commitment to increase career mobility for diverse student bodies. “Spelman’s goal is to provide our students with the competitive edge they need to excel in any field,”...

Bank of America has forged the ultimate partnership with the Black Economic Alliance Foundation, Morehouse College and Spelman College in an effort to build a new Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE) to empower the next generation of Black business leaders. A press release reports that the development of this new project — powered by a two-year $10 million grant — comes as a first-of-its-kind academic center created to “assemble, educate and empower a new class of Black entrepreneurial talent.” The idea behind the CBE is to not only provide more opportunities for young aspiring Black entrepreneurs, but also to show how important it is to come together and support a cause that’s crucial to our future in this country. “The Center for Black Entrepreneurship will help close the opportunity gaps among industry, the investment community and Black entrepreneurs. The CBE will harness the multiplier effect of education, exposure, mentorship, access to capital and opportunity,” said David...

This 11-year-old is preparing for college the right way! Hart Wilson created Candles From The Hart from the ground-up after a trip to Howard University at the age of 6. It was then that the HBCU located in the heart of Washington, D.C. became his dream school, but he knew that saving money was a must to make his dream come true. Last year he executed a plan and began to raise money through his candle business. “I got on the internet and saw that people were making different things to sell and earn money, and I settled on candles,” Wilson told Because of Them We Can. “My parents and I watched YouTube videos and started experimenting with making candles, and we figured it all out, and that’s when it all started. Wilson utilized online marketplace, Etsy, and began selling his unique candles. Scents include Cashmere Plum, which is a fragrance in honor of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Guava Fresca, Grapefruit and Mint, Tranquil Sea, and Asian Pear and Basil, plus more.   View this post on...