An investment firm is potentially looking to increase Black ownership in the media industry.

Similar to fellow musicians, Pharrell Williams isn’t happy with the current state of the music industry. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, the music veteran was outspoken about how there are not enough leaders who look like him in the space calling the shots nor are there many who have ownership. “There’s not enough Black leadership. There’s not enough leadership from people of color,” he firmly stated. “There’s also not enough ownership — there just isn’t. As much as the music industry has given me, when you really love something or love someone you can be honest about the things that could be better. I gotta say that the ownership with people of color it’s just not been the same. And that’s something we’re working on now.” "There's not enough Black leadership. There's not enough leadership from people of color." Pharrell Williams on increasing Black ownership in the music industry https://t.co/ZhIDZ0kUMB pic.twitter.com/zCbIxZ3Mc1 — Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) March 22, 2022 The...

African mobility is taking on a new meaning thanks to fintech startup Moove and its company mission. Today, the Nigerian tech-based vehicle financing platform — also Uber’s exclusive car financing and vehicle supply partner in sub-Saharan Africa — announced the raise of a $23 million Series A funding round to help empower more African drivers to buy and own their own cars.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Moove (@mooveafrica) According to a press release, the round was led by Speedinvest and Left Lane Capital, with participation from other investors such as DCM, Clocktower Technology Ventures, thelatest.ventures, LocalGlobe, Tekton, FJ Labs, Palm Drive Capital, Roka Works, KAAF Investments, Spartech Ventures, Class 5 Global, and Victoria van Lennep, co-founder of Lendable. Additional investors also include Africa specialist, Verod Kepple Africa Ventures and existing Moove lender Emso Asset Management. For many of its U.S.-based venture capital backers, Moove is their...

Believe it or not, Black culture is mainstream culture, but you wouldn’t know it sometimes by the way we are erased from receiving credit as trendsetters and innovators. In some cases, we are oftentimes disappointed — though not surprised — to see others profiting off of our contributions, but when it came to A’Ziah “Zola” King and her viral Twitter thread-turned-movie, she made sure she was always credited as the originator that sparked the first tweet-inspired feature film (yes, a Black woman did that). In 2015, King took to Twitter for a second time — after originally publishing the story on Tumblr and Twitter before deleting it — to share her wild and dangerous road trip story to Florida with strangers. What came of it was the greatest Twitter story ever told and a film adaptation at A24 that chronicled 148 tweets worth of friendship gone wrong, betrayal, stripping, sex trafficking and unbelievably real-life scenarios. The most important lesson from “Zola” is not the film’s...

Three-time NBA champion and retired guard Dwyane Wade has just purchased an ownership stake in the NBA’s Utah Jazz as he continues expanding his basketball legacy into the business world. According to ESPN, Wade now joins a small ownership group that includes majority owner and team governor Ryan Smith, and his wife, Ashley; investor and Accel partner Ryan Sweeney; Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes; and the Miller family, as he plans to take on an active role in the franchise to help take it “to the next level.” In an Instagram post, Wade helped break the news with a caption stating “Proud and excited to become a part of the @utahjazz family with Ryan Smith and the rest of the amazing ownership team.” “As a businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, I bring a lot to this partnership outside of my basketball experience,” he adds. “I’m excited to help take the Utah Jazz to the next level.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by dwyanewade (@dwyanewade) From free-agent...

U.S. Open winner and three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has dominated the world of tennis over the last few years, working her way up to being Forbes’ Highest-Paid Female Athlete. Now she’s channeling her business-savvy mindset fueled by her passion for women in sports to become part-owner of a National Women’s Soccer League Team, the North Carolina Courage, according to Face2Face Africa. TMZ reports that Osaka — a well-known advocate for social justice issues — purchased ownership stake in the team after being inspired by the overwhelming amount of support she’s received from other women athletes over the course of her career. The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don’t know where I would be without them. Throughout my career I’ve always received so much love from my fellow female athletes so that’s why I am proud to share that I am now a owner of @TheNCCourage ⚽️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Iz0YcVvOqz — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 28, 2021...

Timothy Webb, Jr. started lifestyle brand — More Than A 9 To 5 —  to generate more conversations around Black people’s mindset surrounding financial literacy, ownership, gentrification, and beyond. However, Webb has managed to do more than just create conversations. The 30-year-old is now actually taking problems like gentrification into his own hands through the real estate industry all while still working his day job. Outside of being in constant relationship with others, as someone who’s well-versed in the tech space, working for companies like GE and currently a company that supports cybersecurity for the federal government, he also uses his technology background to run his business. Whether it’s securing rental payments for his property through their electronic web portal or building his own website for his company, More Than A 9 To 5, Webb is equipped with the knowledge to keep things running both at the forefront and in background. “I think so many people hide behind a title...