Showing 31 results for:
Popular topics
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...
Nov 4, 2021
The world of social media has grown to become an interesting place for influencers, where they can build communities and become their own business-owners. While some people establish careers as influencers with intention, others like Marley Mauvais stumble into it accidentally. But carving her own lane in the digital social space has allowed her to create an unconventional, yet successful brand through fruit content creation. Mauvais — a plant-based content creator and self-proclaimed fruit influencer from New Jersey — like many young people struggled to figure out what her career path would be after college. Even after earning a bachelor of science degree in entrepreneurship from Long Island University, she still hadn’t figured out if running a business was meant for her. “I always knew I was an entrepreneur,” she tells AfroTech, but after her first business flopped she moved back home to take a year off to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. At that same time, she...
Aug 10, 2021
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...
Aug 2, 2021
Just like her father, Travis Scott’s daughter Stormi Webster might be making her own boss moves soon. In a recent video from Kylie Jenner, the reality star discusses all the entrepreneurial influences in her daughter Stormi’s life and implies that she may also be joining these women with her own business endeavor. “She’s actually launching a little secret brand soon that we’ve been working on awhile but finally it’s the pedal to the medal,” Jenner says in the video. The footage in the video also showed Stormi at Kylie Cosmetics’ headquarters along with a small kids table set that Jenner describes as her daughter’s “own office where she gets all her business done.” While details of the secret brand and how much Stormi will be involved have yet to be revealed, Jenner makes it clear that Stormi has plenty of strong men and women in her family to look up to as business owners. Stormi could potentially follow in her father’s footsteps, which have gone far beyond the realm of the music...
Jul 27, 2021
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,...
Jul 21, 2021
Google is continuing its ongoing commitment to minority groups with its latest announcement of grant-based programs — worth upwards of $25 million — to financially-back works of nonprofits and social enterprises dedicated to empowering women. According to an announcement, Google has unveiled its 2021 Impact Challenge for Women and Girls on International Women’s Day, an initiative that is working to create economic prosperity for women and girls through charitable initiatives and mentorship opportunities. Being that gender inequity has become one of the most pressing matters in our society today, Google wants this collective force of grant programs to help address systemic barriers that pose a threat to women pursuing entrepreneurial ventures and financial independence. “When women and girls have the resources and opportunities to turn their potential into power, it changes the trajectory of their lives and strengthens entire communities,” Jacquelline Fuller — President of Google.org...
Mar 8, 2021
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...
Jan 29, 2021
Most people probably want to ask Courtne Smith about her time spent as Drake’s personal assistant and member of his management team. Working closely with one of the biggest pop stars and successful businessmen as his friend and right hand probably yields some inspiring, lifelong knowledge (and we get to that). But the more interesting thing about Courtne Smith, the co-founder and CEO of the polling app NewNew, is her ability to evolve her businesses and fearlessly meet new challenges along the way. It should be noted, this isn’t Smith’s first rodeo in business or tech. A serial entrepreneur, Smith previously launched the prize giveaway app Suprize in 2018. Users were given chances to win cool items, including concert tickets, Kylie cosmetics, and Nike sneakers. Then, Smith and her business partner Filip Diarra decided brands wouldn’t give away free goods forever, so they evolved Suprize into NewNew, which allows users to personalize polls around various topics using videos, popular...
Jan 14, 2021
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...
Nov 4, 2020
Building a business is exciting, challenging — and scary. But you’ve made it this far — and can take it further as long as you keep at it. There will be challenging days ahead, but you can take your business venture to new heights by following these tips. Be persistent It’s not enough to have a vision. Every day, you must take another step to make that vision a reality. No one is going to do it for you, but as long as you keep moving forward and don’t give up, you’ll get where you want to go. Set realistic goals Anything worth accomplishing will take effort over time. Don’t let your impatience to conquer the world lead you to make impulsive and costly decisions. Instead, establish attainable goals that you can achieve each day, week, and month that take you further and further towards your vision. Build a strong team When hiring, find people whose vision and character match yours. You may find skilled workers more readily than those with character. And while you can bring...
Sep 12, 2020
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...
Apr 7, 2020
In recent weeks, Black-owned businesses have made unique adjustments to stay profitable and ensure that their products stay within the community. In the Midwest, St. Louis-based entrepreneur Oran Taylor is helping make essential products accessible for the everyday Black consumer. Founded in 2016, Taylor’s distribution company TransTaylor Logistics offers same-day delivery of Black-owned products . These products include everyday items from laundry detergent and toilet paper to alkaline water and lip balm from partnering companies True Laundry Detergent , Alkaline Lyfe water , Garner’s Garden , and Freedom Paper. In addition to the convenience and high-quality TransTaylor Logistics provides, what’s more, delivery is free seven days a week. “We are determined to create a new culture in this city and it starts with economics,” Taylor said in an Instagram post. “Black businesses in black neighborhoods selling black-owned products. Now that’s a C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y…,” Taylor said in an...
Apr 2, 2020
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...
Mar 2, 2020
When Victor Anyirah arrived at AfroTech 2018, he had no clue a conversation with friends about finding the next move after the conference, would lead to the start of a business. Often, “I hear the phrase ‘finding the next move.’ At that time, I sat in the back of the car with my friends trying to figure out what exactly determined the ‘move,’” said Anyirah. “Was it the most popular event? Was it the event that had the most people? I realized the ‘move’ was the place our community congregates. Some platforms do allow you to find experiences based on your location, mood or musical taste. However, none helped you find experiences based on your community or the communities that matter to you. That was the birth of the Movement.fm.” Launched in May 2019, Movement.fm is an event platform curating everything from brunches to art shows and nightlife events for Black millennials. Now, Anyirah along with his co-founder, Tyler Bell and Kara Reeves, the head of the curation, are making plans to...
Feb 21, 2020
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....
Feb 11, 2020