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Spelman College graduates who were friends first and then founders seconds are taking their nail bar to new heights. Kelli M. Coleman and Anika J. Odegbo are the founders of The TEN, marketed as Detroit, MI’s first modern nail bar. The two shared a common goal of embarking on an entrepreneurial journey to build wealth, which they brought to life in 2016. “So, Anika and I are friends and Spelman sisters. We ultimately met when we found out that both of us intended to attend. We decided to room together, and the rest is history, as they say. Both Detroit natives, I grew up in Southfield, and Anika grew up in Detroit proper. We come from entrepreneurial families; we really understand the power of entrepreneurship to create generational wealth. It was always our respective goals to own businesses of our own in addition to carrying on our family’s entrepreneurial legacy. That’s sort of the origin of how we know each other, and that’s how The TEN came to be,” Coleman told the Michigan...
McDonald’s franchisee Herbert J. Thomas III is honoring his family’s legacy through his entrepreneurial endeavors. Herbert became an McDonald’s operator in 2020 and a year later had the chance to become and owner. Today, he maintains two restaurants in Ithaca, NY, and two in the Auburn area. “I’ve been up there for the last two and a half years. Lots of opportunity,” Herbert, 44, told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “The restaurants have not been able to live up to my expectations yet. However, there’s been a lot of of work, a lot of improvement, a lot of successes that we’ve had over the last couple of years.” Family Business Understanding Herbert’s path to Auburn requires looking at his early exposure to franchising , which began with his parents, Nellie and Herbert Sr., who own and operate several McDonald’s restaurants. The couple had been familiarized to this pathway from two family uncles who Herbert said were some of the first African Americans to purchase a McDonald’s. Nellie had...
Breakfast isn’t the only new wave that Taco Bell is trying its hand at! The fast-food chain has announced that it will open a business school to help its employees have access to the resources and skills that are required to become franchise owners. According to Entrepreneur, Taco Bell will partner with the University of Louisville to launch the Taco Bell Business School designed to teach employees that are working in higher-level positions the skills that are needed to own and operate a franchise of the Taco Bell chain. “It’s going to be seasoned general managers that are probably running fairly decent-sized restaurants that are qualified to be on this path,” said Taco Bell CEO Mark King.
Black-owned spirit brand Nyak has announced today its launch into new national markets in addition to its newly-formed partnership with famed rapper Young M.A. A press release reports that NYAK’s initial national debut will expand across several U.S. states such as Florida, Texas, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Delaware and Connecticut. Additionally, the brand has aligned itself with Young M.A to help represent cognac’s influence on Black and Hip Hop culture. Similar to the global impact of Young M.A’s music, Nyak also hopes to have that same effect on consumers. “Nyak is premium cognac and the culture loves cognac. We want to connect the Nyak brand to change agents in the culture…the artists who push the needle and drive our culture with their innovative artistry,” Nyak founder and serial entrepreneur Dennis McKinley says in a statement. “Our collaboration with Young M.A will be the first of many as we keep our finger on the pulse of what and who is...
Taiwan now has its first Black-owned bar and restaurant thanks to one duo. As of lately, minorities in foreign countries with a focus on culinary practices have become the subject of research as minority travelers look to find bars, restaurants, or eateries to hang out with people who remind them of home. It was this very practice that led Carl Junior and Patrick to create Arts and Crafts Bar & Art Gallery — Taiwan’s first Black-owned bar and restaurant. According to Travel Noire, both Carl and Patrick have resided in Taiwan for over a decade and have witnessed first-hand, the lack of diversity in the Taiwanese hospitality industry. Now, they’ve used their experiences to create a safe space for the Black community to connect. “It’s a place where Black people all over the island can come for good music and energy, see Black art on the walls, and enjoy craft beer and custom cocktails,” said Carl in an interview. The mission is to make Arts and Crafts Bar & Art Gallery a second home...