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Working side by side, Ameer Brown and his brother, Anthony, have made strategic strides as founders. Ameer and Anthony trace their roots to a Jewish hospital in Queens, NY, on Long Island. From a young age, rapper Nas, also from New York, was an influential figure in their lives. In their later years as founders, that admiration would come full circle. The pair, both HBCU graduates , lead Breakr—a company empowered by technology that fosters collaboration between artists, labels, brands, and creators to create successful social marketing campaigns, its website mentions. Breakr removes barriers to entry, welcoming users at any stage of their journey and supporting them with AI-powered deal presets, contract templates, and automated payment processes. “At the end of the year, our clients don’t have to do 1099s and tax compliance paperwork with thousands and thousands of influencers that they’ve contracted and worked with across the year…So they’ll make it easy for you to get the...
For nearly 30 years, Robert F. Smith’s Vista Equity Partners has invested in enterprise software companies. As AFROTECH™ previously reported , in August 2023, Smith announced that the global investment firm had reached over $100 billion in assets under management. “Since Vista was founded over two decades ago, we’ve expanded to 650+ team members operating around the world, built a comprehensive library of enterprise software best practices and much more,” Smith shared in a LinkedIn post at the time. “We’ve also been committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, creating opportunities for individuals who have traditionally been underrepresented.” As a leader championing underrepresented technologists and tech entrepreneurs, Smith was among the speakers at AFROTECH ™ Conference 2023. Joined by Base10 Partners Co-Founder and Managing Partner Adeyemi Ajao, the two founders led the panel titled “ Powering Forward: Creating A Shared Digital Future.” During the...
Career pivots are becoming increasingly common as people realize the power of not limiting themselves to one lane. This phenomenon has become particularly pervasive in the sports world, as many former athletes find themselves out of the game but adjacent to the sports they love through media, coaching, or front-office gigs. Former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson is a shining example of a successful career pivot, his path fueled by prioritizing his mental health. Burleson is a Canadian-born television host who played for the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions across 11 seasons. During his career, he completed 457 receptions with 5,630 yards and 39 touchdowns. However, his career hit a bump in 2008 when he tore his ACL, missing most of that season and struggling with his mental health. In Yahoo Life’s “The Unwind” series, Burleson shared the challenges he faced with depression during that time, highlighting his resilience in the face of adversity. “I realized how...
TMRW Sports, co-founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley, has announced a new funding round. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, TMRW Sports has secured investors such as Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Andre Iguodala, and Jayson Tatum, as well as Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V . Now, according to Bloomberg, TMRW Sports has received funding in a round led by Dynasty Equity Partners and Connect Ventures — bringing the sports, media, and entertainment company’s valuation to $500 million. “Our goal has always been to partner with world-class management teams in sports that have a big following,” K. Don Cornwell, co-founder of Dynasty Equity Partners, said per Bloomberg. “TMRW is taking intellectual property and applying it in such a way that’s going to not only get existing fans excited, but bring new fans under the tent. And, since accessibility and bringing diversity into sport is among our priorities, it’s a great fit.” According to...
Google is awarding Black and Latino startup founders who are disrupting the artificial intelligence (AI) space. The tech giant established the Google for Startups Founders Funds to ensure Black and Latino entrepreneurs receive financial assistance and necessary support to influence multiple sectors. According to information provided to AFROTECH™, each recipient will receive $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards and $100,000 in Google Cloud credits. Recipients also receive mental health resources and mentorship from Google’s experts across AI and sales. This is Google’s fifth year in funding, and it has allocated more than $50 million t o 570 Black and Latino founders. Moreover, founders who received funding support have later secured more than $590 million in additional investments. Google has unveiled its latest round of recipients, whose work encompasses using AI in preventative wildfires, keeping fast fashion out of landfills, and education. The 2024 Google for Startups cohort...
A dream deferred doesn’t equate to it being denied. Instead, it could open the door to a new dream. Coming from families of entrepreneurs, Joshua Obasohan and Neto Nwogbo, college students at the time, were brainstorming business venture ideas. They initially wanted to start a recycling company in Nigeria, their home country. Then they shifted to health care, wanting to build a hospital there. However, both ideas came with barriers and challenges to properly execute them, which led to a change of plans. “We eventually pivoted to telehealth, but then again, because of a lot of key metrics in Nigeria like the smartphone penetration rate and internet penetration, it wasn’t as feasible,” Nwogbo explained to AFROTECH™. “The tech penetration wasn’t there for the customer base that we wanted to reach and wasn’t as accessible. So then, we pivoted to a market that we know better, which is the university healthcare space.” Obasohan and Nwogbo, both 21, launched Loop Health, a telehealth...
Uncle Nearest’s presence in the spirits sector continues to rise. The whiskey company, established in 2016 by Fawn Weaver to honor Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, has scaled into 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurant s in 12 countries, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. In its latest report, Bloomberg notes Weaver aspires to own a larger share of the spirits market. This stance has motivated the company to purchase vodka maker Square One Organic Spirits. Additionally, she mentions a settled legal dispute between Diageo Plc and Sean “Diddy” Combs concerning his vodka brand as a contributing factor for her latest acquisition, noting a void in the market and the importance of having a Black-owned vodka occupy space. The market is heavily dominated by major players such as Diageo PLC and LVMH, with valuations totaling nearly $79 billion and $423 billion, respectively, the outlet mentions. Uncle Nearest continues to gain a...
A new report has revealed the list of cities across the globe where the highest number of millionaires reside . In May 2024, Henley & Partners released the “World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2024.” According to the firm’s Group Head of Private Clients Dominic Volek, seven out of the top 10 cities listed are in countries that host investment migration programs , which work to foster foreign direct investment in return for residence or citizenship rights. “You can secure the right to live, work, study, and invest in leading international wealth hubs such as New York (NY) , Singapore (Singapore) , Sydney (Australia) , Vienna (Austria) , and Dubai (UAE) via investment,” Volek said, per a press release. “Being able to relocate yourself, your family, or your business to a more favorable city or have the option to choose between multiple different cities across the world is an increasingly important aspect of international wealth and legacy planning for private clients. The more...
It was never about the money for tennis legend Serena Williams. During an interview on Bloomberg Originals’ “The Deal” podcast hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, she recalls forgetting to pick up her award checks after winning tournaments, necessitating friendly reminders from her accountant. “When I started tennis, first of all, I’m from Compton, CA, and I remember playing on these courts, and my life was great. I never felt like I needed anything. So for me, money was never a motivation,” Williams told the hosts. “I remember when I first started, back in the day, they used to write out checks after you won your tournament. And I would always forget to get the checks. And so at the end of the year they would always have to say, ‘Serena, we have all these checks for you.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ And at the time, I had an accountant who would be like, ‘Serena. They sent me all these checks that you would forget to get from the tournaments.'” Instead, Williams was more focused...
Piersten Gaines’ Pressed Roots is now on location No. 4 and counting. Houston Chronicle reports that the blowout bar for textured hair has opened a new salon in Houston, TX. Located in the Centre at Post Oak, the new spot accommodates 50 hair stylists, the outlet details. Before having four brick-and-mortar locations in Dallas, Arlington, Plano, and now, Houston, Gaines and the Pressed Roots team did popups around the time the company’s vision first came to life in 2018, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. After having her share of poor experiences at hair salons, Gaines created the company’s business model to fill the void of access to affordable, quality styling for textured hair of all types. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time in salons, and the level of services just do not match the money we’re spending,” Gaines told Fortune. “Our goal is to make quality hair care accessible.” Moreover, to ensure that hair health, time, and top-tier customer service are prioritized for...
In less than five years, The Folklore has set itself on a path of consistent evolution. Launched in 2018, founder Amira Rasool created her company as an e-commerce retailer to help African fashion designers gain more economic opportunities . Now, in addition to Africa and the diaspora, The Folklore is catering to more marginalized communities and pivoted to a B2B wholesale platform that’s expanded its services. Moreover, new and existing investors have joined in for its expansion. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, The Folklore has raised $3.4 million in a seed funding round, bringing its total amount raised to $6.2 million. As previously shared by AFROTECH™, in 2022, the company raised $1.7 million in a pre-seed funding round — making Rasool one of the youngest Black women to raise over $1 million in a pre-seed round for a fashion and lifestyle brand. The Folklore’s seed round was led by early-stage VC firm Benchstrength, the press release discloses. Fellow...
In the digital age, the term “popcorn brain” has emerged as a metaphor for how our attention shifts from one thing to another, like the popping kernels in a bag of popcorn. Coined by researcher David Levy in 2011 , it explains the overstimulation caused by technology , leading to constant distraction and difficulty in focusing. Popcorn brain describes how our attention rapidly shifts from one thought to another. Similar to our day-to-day lives, the metaphor mirrors the fast-paced environment created by the digital world. Our minds become overwhelmed by the constant influx of information from various sources, resulting in stress and restlessness. What Is The Average Attention Span? According to CNN , Dr. Gloria Mark, a leading expert in informatics at the University of California, Irvine, states that our ability to concentrate is declining. In her book, “ Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity,” Dr. Mark emphasizes decades of research in...
As a leader in cybersecurity, Zinet Kemal is paying it forward to the next generation. Originally from Ethiopia, Kemal moved to the United States in 2013 with her husband and oldest son, who is now 14, due to a diversity visa lottery. She had previously worked in the legal field and had to make a career change when she came to what she deemed as the land of opportunity. Kemal took this opportunity to nurture her fascination with technology, believing it had the power to improve lives, she told AFROTECH in an interview. She enrolled in a local community college in Saint Paul, MN, and took a computer programming course, which she describes as a “complete reset.” By 2016, she had earned an associate’s degree at Saint Paul College, a community and technical college, in computer programming and transferred to Metropolitan State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science. By her senior year, Kemal had stumbled upon the cybersecurity field by representing her school in a...
When it comes to finding innovative ways to connect with fans, The Weeknd continues to be on top of it. According to a press release, the musician has teamed up with Binance — a cryptocurrency exchange company — for “the first global concert tour to integrate Web 3.0 technology for an enhanced fan experience.”