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The amount of work that Black founders have to put in just to be seen or acknowledged is unacceptable, which is why Isaac Hayes III is sharing his own personal story of navigating the tech world. “I think from a media perspective, it’s pretty tough trying to build this company and then not get the same visibility from [the] press that inferior startups are getting,” Hayes told us exclusively. As previously reported by AfroTech, Hayes launched Fanbase to allow Black creatives the opportunity to monetize their content. Through the photo, video, and live streaming social media networking app, users can monetize posts — something that isn’t always the norm for Black creatives whose content is used across various platforms for little to no pay. Although the app is competing against some pretty established names, Hayes says that the biggest hurdle for any startup “is always capital.” “You can fund anything to success. In the startup world, most often, they’re given money until they crest...
Determined, disruptive, and optimistic are three words that Issac Hayes III — founder of social networking app Fanbase — says define who he is. “I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life,” Hayes said. “I think to step into the space of entrepreneurship, you’ve got to be determined, you’ve got to have faith and optimism, and you’ve got to be disruptive because you’re going against the grain.” Hayes has always been the kid down to make a buck. From mowing lawns to cleaning pools, he has always been an enterprising young person. He was raised by his parents to earn his own money and continues to go down the same path throughout his journey as an entrepreneur. He may be known as the son and heir to his soul icon father’s — the late Isaac Hayes Jr. — estate. However, he first began his multi-ventured 21-year career as a songwriter-producer before ultimately transitioning into scoring music for movies and television networks. Now he’s on a new path as a CEO and first-time founder of tech...