Travis Scott is having quite the week in the city of Houston. As the rapper prepares for his Astroworld Festival, he’s also making time to give back through his Cactus Jack Foundation. In conjunction with Houston Independent School District, the rapper unveiled Cactus Jack Gardens at Young Elementary School Wednesday, Nov. 3, Houston Chronicle reported. According to the Cactus Jack Foundation’s website, the garden aims to provide students “agricultural, economics, and nutritional skills to combat food insecurity.” Students will have a gateway to dive into food, nutrition, agriculture and entrepreneurship under the initiative. “It’s kinda crazy that we’re able to bring this to the elementary school and allow kids to have that same experience I was having when I was a kid,” Scott said, according to The Houston Chronicle. “I just love to see this community grow up and get into a very good spot, where it’s a super safe and creative environment for these kids.” The debut was a family...

For many Black entrepreneurs, the true path to economic freedom and independence starts with the launch of a business – but entrepreneurship doesn’t have to stop at one venture. Just take it from serial entrepreneur Ryan Fletcher, a former A&R executive juggling multiple thriving business endeavors. Fletcher — a Brooklyn native and graduate of Purdue University — grew up surrounded by music, so naturally he believed his calling was to get involved in the music and entertainment industry. After working at places like Def Jam Recordings and Downtown Records, he started dabbling in his own side hustles that quickly turned into buzzing businesses like Yacht Club Company — a Black-owned yacht experience based in Tulum — and ECOGAVE — a biodegradable straw company. In addition to helming his own businesses, Fletcher is also one of three co-hosts of the Guys Next Door Podcast — a show that details the experiences of millennial Black men today. All of these ventures are a part of Fletcher’s...

Creativity and leading should go hand in hand, but some young CEOs struggle with this. Malachi Fuller, founder and CEO of Hyyer Creative Consulting Agency, shares his insight on how he maintains his creativity while leading a business at a young age. Hyyer Creative is a boutique creative agency that specializes in targeted content development and production, marketing, and strategy for creative entrepreneurs and businesses rooted in urban millennial culture. The Maryland native graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a degree in criminal justice. Fuller moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduation, where he decided to make a big career change. “I had a strong background in entrepreneurship and creating content, so LA felt like the best place to grow and do something with that,” Fuller told AfroTech. Fuller said it took him some time to figure out what he was good at once he got  to the west coast. Hyyer Creative was birthed from Fuller’s niche for photography,...

From faith the size of an unwanted blemish grows a Beyoncé-stamped skincare brand, and that’s on serial entrepreneur Dorión Renaud. The Beaumont, TX native founded Buttah Skin for men, women, and non-gendered people in 2018 after stumbling upon a self-mix set of natural ingredients that finally faded his hyperpigmentation. Now, after bootstrapping his business for two years, Renaud’s skincare collection — fully loaded with a serum, sonic brush, toner, several creams, and beauty bars — is a beloved brand made for “melanin-rich skin,” specifically. “Everyone from the director of the shoots to the stylists to the makeup artists is all Black, and that’s the only way that this brand is able to be successful,” he tells AfroTech. “We are inclusive, but it’s so important that I work with people that understand our beauty and culture to be able to shape the beauty industry.” By the summer of 2020, while already serving a growing customer base, Buttah Skin popped up on virtually everyone’s...

Being an entrepreneur starts with a vision. But the path towards transforming it into reality is filled with challenges. And to realize that vision isn’t just a matter of technical skill or access to capital. It’s a matter of actively cultivating the internal qualities that will strengthen you as an entrepreneur — traits common to some of the most successful businesspeople. These qualities include: Passion The fuel for your success, your passion will keep you going even when times grow tough. And it will help you get others to buy-in, from investors to team members to customers. Persistence There will be plenty of days when you feel like quitting. But you must keep moving forward, even when it feels like you’re treading water. And while your success may not come when or how you want it, you won’t win at all if you give up. Resourcefulness At times, entrepreneurship may feel synonymous with problem-solving. You’ll need to figure out how to stretch every dollar, solve production...

Earl G. Graves, Sr. — founder and publisher of Black Enterprise (BE) — has passed away at 85-years-old. According to Black Enterprise, his son and BE CEO, Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. said his father transitioned “quietly” at 9:22 p.m. on April 6 after fighting Alzheimer’s Disease. The legendary entrepreneur is considered a Black business pioneer and champion of financial literacy. Through his lifetime Graves’ passion for uplifting and educating the Black community led him to establish Black Enterprise magazine in 1970 and steer it to become one of the leading voices in the world of business. With a $250,000 business loan Graves’ grew BE to become a reliable resource for African American entrepreneurs. He created a go-to platform that provided encouragement as well as sought after information on how to navigate business endeavors. In Graves’ best-selling book, “How To Succeed In Business Without Being White,” he details the foundation of his mission and why he created BE magazine. “The...

There has been a significant increase in Black women-owned businesses in recent years. According to Fast Company, Black women are starting businesses at a remarkable rate in all industries but remain underfunded. While women sometimes apply for personal or business loans for venture capital, there are a number of grants and contests that will help fund the abundance of entrepreneurial dreams springing forth with less financial requirements and hangups attached. Fund your business ASAP with these five opportunities for free money. Legacy Award Have you considered what your legacy will be? Essence and Pine-Sol have teamed up to offer a Black woman entrepreneur a $100,000 award in order to take her business to the next level. Whether it’s a jewelry design business, a start-up food truck or a newly established record label, to take home this hefty grant, the business must simply be registered. Build your legacy and apply by April 15, 2020. Amber Grant Named in honor of the memory of...

Content creator and director Jourdan Guyton does not believe in the word “no.” Throughout her career as an actress and content creator for network television, she longed to see programs that reflected the stories and the faces of women who looked like her. Tired of waiting, she decided to take the reins. Guyton and a former colleague from her television past joined forces to explore programming beyond network television. In 2017, the pair launched “Two Grown,” a web series that explores the hijinks of two young women of color experiencing the personal and professional highs and lows of life in New York. “The web series space leaves room for full and vast credibility. You can tell stories that aren’t limited the way they are in mainstream media. It’s a powerful platform for people of color, because it’s not limited in space or duration,” according to Guyton. When “Two Grown” began, the two co-creators took on multiple roles in front of and behind the camera, along with a small crew....