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Goodr has opened a new grocery store in Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta-based company, which combines technology and logistics to combat food waste and fight food insecurity, is the brainchild of Jasmine Crowe-Houston. “[Goodr] uses technology to solve hunger — that’s our big focus. I think we are taking a radically different approach to how this country solves hunger and food waste,” Crowe-Houston told AFROTECH™ in a 2021 interview. “A lot of times people say to me, ‘How is this a business? How can this be profitable?’ But, the main thing is people have to understand that billions of dollars get spent every year on food insecurity and trying to make sure people have access to food. But, it typically only goes to the same organizations.” She added, “And what we’re trying to do is come in and kind of disrupt that and say, ‘Listen, we’re getting a lot wrong about solving hunger if we’re always going to give money to the same people. We’re going to keep on having the same results.’ Give Goodr...
Jasmine Crowe-Houston is scaling her efforts to combat food insecurity. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she is the founder of the Atlanta, GA-based startup Goodr, which leverages technology to reduce food waste and distribute it to those in need. “[Goodr] uses technology to solve hunger — that’s our big focus. I think we are taking a radically different approach to how this country solves hunger and food waste,” she previously told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “A lot of times people say to me, ‘How is this a business? How can this be profitable?’ But the main thing is people have to understand that billions of dollars get spent every year on food insecurity and trying to make sure people have access to food. But, it typically only goes to the same organizations.” She continued, “And what we’re trying to do is come in and kind of disrupt that and say, ‘Listen, we’re getting a lot wrong about solving hunger if we’re always going to give money to the same people. We’re going to keep on...
Heinz has become a restaurant and household staple for decades. Now, the beloved brand continues to work toward a greater cause by teaming up with Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice to equip Black restaurant owners with the resources needed to win big. Thanks to a partnership between Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice, Heinz, as well as a plethora of bakers, chefs, and restaurant owners to offer grants that range between $15,000 and $25,000 to Black-owned food establishments as they work to scale and grow their businesses, a blog post revealed. “I really want to make sure that these Black-owned restaurants are seen, heard, and can build these legacy businesses,” said Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice Founder Cheryl Day. “From the heart, I want to make sure they are sustainable and that we’re offering what they need.” Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative is back for year 2 of championing and supporting Black-owned restaurants, eateries & food initiatives with our partners...
Vori is a digital B2B wholesale app that is shaking up the traditional ways of the grocery industry. Co-founded by Brandon Hill, Tremaine Kirkman, and Robert Pinkerton, the online wholesale marketplace uses its technology to modernize the process of ordering for supermarkets. Its technology is a win-win for local retailers and local distributors as it has created easy steps for wholesale ordering. AfroTech previously shared that in 2021, Vori secured $5.7 million in funding from YCombinator, Greylock Partners, South Park Commons, and more — earning Hill and Kirkman spots on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. Since the startup’s launch, the Vori team has received praise and recognition from people who have expressed that they’ve “been waiting on a solution like this their entire career.” Their innovation has led to investments including Mollie Stone’s Markets, an independent family-owned grocery store chain with locations in California — where Vori is based. The heart of Vori’s mission is...
Gunna recently went on the nationally syndicated The Breakfast Club to talk about his investiture in a Bored Ape NFT. And during the conversation, he teased that he may be creating his own non-fungible token (NFT) line in the near future. As AfroTech previously reported, Gunna is the latest rapper getting into the business of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). In December 2021, after reuniting with Crowe to do a $100,000 giveaway, it was revealed that the rapper purchased a Bored Ape NFT. The NFT, which is named “Butta,” is worth about $300,000. The Atlanta rapper also celebrated his newest collectible by getting a tattoo of the NFT and hosting a performance. And according to his statements to The Breakfast Club, he knew he had to do it in order to make a wise investment into his future. “Something just telling me like, man, just dip into this world,” he told the hosts of the New York-based radio show. “Just get into this metaverse world. You know, the future is coming. I’ve been kind of...
Though Gunna is currently making headlines for a “beef” (which is more like a healthy debate) with rap legend Freddie Gibbs, he made even bigger headlines when he unveiled “Drip Season 4,” which dropped on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Billboard revealed that the College Park, GA native teamed up with superstar artist Daniel Arsham of New York City to create the album cover. The cover, which features a bust of Gunna, also comes complete with the rapper’s signature chain and sunglasses. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ❕WUNNA❕🥷🏻✝️ (@gunna) “I’ve been a fan of Gunna’s music for quite some time and was pleased when he reached out to me a number of months ago through DM with questions about my work,” Arsham said to the outlet. “He was very curious about how some of the pieces that I create are made. He was intrigued about the crystal materials I use and the idea of time travel and the future, present within the works. We connected in person a few times and at some point, he asked if I...
Gunna and Goodr have returned for the greater good of the Atlanta, GA community. Gunna’s Great Giveaway Foundation and Black-owned sustainable waste management platform Goodr will be providing $150 gift cards for 750 families to shop at their local Walmart this holiday season. Beginning today (Dec. 23), families in College Park (6149 Old National Hwy, College Park, GA 30349) can tap in but must have already pre-registered. In addition to the gift card, Gunna will be handing out a special gift. “Gunna continually finds ways to give back to the community that raised him,” Goodr CEO Jasmine Crowe says, according to Hype Magazine . “We at Goodr value this partnership and look forward to helping Gunna’s efforts whenever we are called upon.” Registrations have closed for the drive-thru event, and for participating families attending, they must remain in their vehicles. Masks will be required. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ❕WUNNA❕🥷🏻✝️ (@gunna) As AfroTech previously told you,...
Antwain Fowler’s legacy continues! After taking the social media world by storm with his classic catchphrase, “Where We About To Eat At?” — users fell in love with Fowler and looked forward to his mother sharing more clips of his charismatic personality. According to Christina Burns — Fowler’s mother — shortly after birth, he was diagnosed with Auto-immune Enteropathy and sadly passed away due to the illness on Nov. 21. Now, TMZ reports that she has a mission to keep his memory alive with plans of launching a restaurant in honor of the late viral sensation’s catchphrase. Burns shared that while she once considered the restaurant a dream following the family’s original viral moment, as a mother of three, she just could not find the time to do so.
Awarded for their efforts in making the world a better place, two trailblazers have received a global award. Created in 2015, the Global Teacher Prize is a $1 million award granted annually to a teacher who is making a prolific impact in the lives of their students. This year a new sister award was launched to highlight a student who is making a difference for their peers and society. Jeremiah Thoronka — a 21-year-old Durham University student — became the first recipient of the inaugural Chegg.org Global Student Prize receiving $100,000 U.S. dollars. “Words can’t express how I feel about this,” Thoronka said. The master’s student stood out from a selection of over 3,500 nominations across 94 countries due to his work centered on sustainability. Growing up in a slum camp with his mother on the fringes of Freetown, they would burn charcoal and wood to be used for light and heat, SwitSalone reports. Here is where Jeremiah Thoronka’s passion for climate change advocacy was birthed. The...
The upcoming launch of Nourish + Bloom Market is about to disrupt traditional grocery stores. In December, the Fayetteville, Georgia-based market, founded by Jamie Michael and Jilea Hemmings, will be the first Black-owned autonomous grocery store in the U.S., according to a press release. The Hemmings started their journey into the food industry after their oldest son was diagnosed with Autism. His diagnosis sparked their belief that everyone deserves to eat healthily, and they’re making it happen one step at a time. Nourish + Bloom Market aims to provide 24/7 access to healthy food, while ensuring a convenient, enjoyable experience. The grocery store will feature frictionless technology for customers to grab their items and pay without waiting in line. Customers just have to scan a QR Code from Nourish + Bloom’s app that connects to their digital wallet. “The future of grocery shopping is exciting,” Hemmings said in a press release. “Technology has transformed the way people shop...
Solange made it clear with her widely acclaimed album “A Seat at the Table” that she’s dedicated to protecting what Black people own, and she’s just announced her inaugural free library that does just that. Under her studio and platform Saint Heron, the singer has revealed its new community library filled with rare books and art by Black creators for research, study and exploration, Variety reports . As previously reported by AfroTech, Saint Heron’s mission is to preserve, collect and uplift the stories, works, and archives of Black and brown artists within our creative communities. https://www.instagram.com/p/CU-n3_YvBEz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link “The Saint Heron Library continues the work we have been building by preserving collections of creators with the urgency they deserve,” Solange said. “Together we seek to create an archive of stories and works we deem valuable. These works expand imaginations, and it is vital to us to make them accessible to students, and our...
Bun B is headed into the restaurant business! Chron reports that the Houston rapper will open his very own restaurant i n his home city. It’s only right that Trill Burgers is the name of the latest venture for the rapper whose known to the world as “Trill OG.” Born Bernard James Freeman, Bun B is known as one half of the iconic southern rap duo, UnderGround Kingz (UGK), formed alongside the late Pimp C in 1987. The rapper has always been one to make smash hits and now his restaurant will specialize in smashburgers specifically with burgers that have super-thin, crispy-edged patties. While further details on what an official menu will look like for the restaurant, customers can also expect an Oklahoma-style burger that comes with onions fried directly into the burger patty. Initially, Bun B will partner with Afters Ice Cream’s Andy Nguyen and Sticky’s Chicken owners Benson and Patsy Vivares to bring Trill Burgers on the scene. The burger spot will first operate as a pop-up at...
This woman went from working in restaurants to creating a company that does the work for the restaurants! Sherane Chen began her first job at Steak ‘n Shake as a waitress at age 16. By age 21, she would go on to launch a business that specializes in restaurant marketing. According to Insider, today, our good sis is bringing in six figures! How did she manage to turn her business into something that was so lucrative? Chen first gained restaurant industry experience through jobs such as waitressing at the Steak ‘n Shake at only age 16. She also studied marketing and used her confidence to spot an opportunity that allowed her to combine the two and strike while the iron was hot! While she studied communications at the University of North Florida, Chen worked in restaurants, planning ahead and saving her coins because eventually, she would want to launch her own business. She worked as a waitress for years before she landed a job in marketing at a local place in North Florida by the...
Audiomack, a youth-driven music streaming platform, has announced a historic donation to the Slum2School initiative. In a press release announcement (via Business Insider), it was revealed that the company has partnered with the Slum2School initiative in Africa founded by Otto Orondaam. The Slum2School initiative is a volunteer-driven development organization that helps students in remote locations across Africa gain access to such things as quality education, entrepreneurial skills, and psychosocial support. Audiomack donated $5,000 worth of tablets and headsets to the organization, which turned out to be 40 learning sets for students. These sets will go to students in Nigeria, who were displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and who otherwise didn’t have access to the learning materials necessary to get the education they needed from home. “While the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted all aspects of our lives including the education sector, we recognize the increased gap on children...
Cornbread, a farm-to-table soul food restaurant based in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has announced that they’ve received $5M in a venture capital investment. According to New Jersey Business, the financing was led by two Black-owned venture capital firms — New Voices Fund and Trident — to help the business grow. The chain of stores — which already has locations in Maplewood, Newark, and West Mifflin, PA — is looking to expand its stores nationwide. Owned by Adenah Bayoh and Zadie B. Smith, Cornbread — whose signature dish shares its name — has a menu that includes “soul food” favorites like fried chicken, baked chicken, barbeque ribs, fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, the regional favorite po’boy sandwich, and more. “We want our farm-to-table soul food to provide comfort and convenience and to give people a feeling of the family even if they can’t be with their loved ones,” said Smith, the co-founder of the restaurant, to the outlet. “The Cornbread...