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HBCU graduates Terry Comer and Khalil Thompson have secured new funding for their work in the NIL space. In 2021, the pair, who had an interest in college sports, united to launch NIL FanBox, marketed as the only “university-approved, player-endorsed recurring collectibles platform.” It works by sending sports fans 100% authenticated collectibles from their favorite college athletes. Its website mentions that the curated box includes three to five signed collectibles, a “Golden Ticket,” exclusive player merchandise, and digital authentication. One of its partnerships, with The University of Texas at Austin, resulted in the Longhorn FanBox, which is valued at $199 each football season and energizes fans by including “ultra-rare” collectibles and “behind the moment” interviews. Photo Credit: NIL FanBox While NIL FanBox certainly benefits fans, it also supports athletes by allocating a portion of its revenue back to them. NIL FanBox returns more than 30% of its revenue to participating...
Fanbase, founded in 2018 by Isaac Hayes III, is rapidly climbing the charts in the App Store. The Atlanta, GA-based social media company allows users to not only create content but also get paid through various mediums, including video, photos, audio, and stories, its website mentions. Additionally, through subscriptions valued from $2.99 to $99.99, users can further support creators in exchange for exclusive content. “For people who value content and community, Fanbase is a free-to-download, free-to-use, next-generation social network that allows any user to earn money from day one,” the company website reads. Moreover, users not only have a chance to participate in Fanbase but can also opt-in to become an investor. For a minimum amount of $399, users make an investment that will be “speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk , including the possible loss of your entire investment.” “I’m the only Black-founded start-up social media app that’s currently in existence...
Entrepreneur Keon Williams is making history as a franchisee. QCity Metro reports that Williams’ interest in the food business dates back to his time working in his family’s businesses in the Charlotte, NC, area. His father ran the sub shop, Chat and Chew, while his grandfather owned a hoagie shop. “I watched them, the growing pains, the goods and the bads,” Williams told the outlet. He is following in their footsteps today as the latest franchisee of Tacos 4 Life Dilworth, which has 19 locations across five states. Williams’ storefront is located in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood. By opening the location, he is making history as the youngest and first Black franchisee of the restaurant brand. “I wanted to come here. I know that there aren’t any Black businesses or food businesses in this area,” Williams said, according to QCity Metro. “I wanted to be that beacon of change and that beacon of light.” Customers supporting Williams’ 3,000-square-foot restaurant can try a variety of...
A Black-owned plaza is making its way to Quincy, FL, in Gadsden County. According to WCTV, a variety of Black-owned businesses will be joining Seaboard Plaza. The plaza’s purpose is to increase the economic activity locally and create more jobs. Seaboard Plaza will feature the following types of businesses: Food court Barber shop Hair salon Dry cleaners Construction and real estate offices Full-scale restaurant with a private bar room Event venue “This helps to employ local people. This helps keep local money local and not take it out of town. This also provides convenience to people,” Gadsden County Economic Development Director T.J. Lewis told the outlet. General contractor Latasha Murray, a Gadsden County native, commented: “We considered what other people in Gadsden County wanted. The restaurants was one of the main ones and the cleaners ’cause we don’t have a cleaners here in Quincy as of now.” Furthermore, Seaboard Plaza is being built on the same land as the former Seaboard...
Tabitha Brown is thriving in business alongside her close friend. Known for her witty humor and vibrant personality, Brown has captured America’s heart through her social media presence. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, her viral video featuring Whole Foods’ TTLA sandwich garnered one million likes in just a week, ultimately leading to her role as an ambassador for the brand. By continuing to leverage her social media platforms, Brown has transformed into a powerhouse, seamlessly extending her influence into entertainment and business. As of this writing, she boasts an impressive 9.2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Her ventures span various industries, including television shows on YouTube and the Food Network. Brown’s portfolio also features Donna’s Recipe, her natural haircare company, and a signature line at Target , offering plant-based grocery items, kitchen essentials, home décor, and more. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tabitha Brown...
Self-taught baker Ashley Huston is opening her own shop in Philadelphia, PA. For Huston, it all started as a child. She was interested in tinkering with recipes that were as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she told CBS News. “I would try to change things up and recreate things,” she shared with the outlet. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Huston decided to open a micro bakery as a side hustle. According to her company website, she offers a variety of cakes, including flavors like red velvet, cookie butter, chai-spiced carrot cake, and unique options such as matcha cake paired with strawberry lavender jam, matcha custard, and condensed milk buttercream. She also sells cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and savory pastries. Her creations have even won her Philadelphia Magazine’s 2024 Best of Philly baker — not to mention she caught the attention of the legendary Patti LaBelle. Huston had the honor of making the cake for LaBelle’s 80th birthday. “We decided on...
Derrick Rose is truly living up to his name. The former NBA point guard is hosting a pop-up flower shop in Chicago, IL, on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Rose’s Flower Shop will be open for “one day only,” from noon until 4 p.m., according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Welcome to Rose’s, the No. 1 flower shop in Chicago . How can I help you?” Rose teased in an Instagram reel announcing his venture. “A dozen roses? Coming right up. … We’re open for business. We can do that. We got you. It’s on the house. We appreciate your business.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Derrick Rose (@drose) Rose, a Chicago native, began his NBA career with the Bulls , where he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 Draft. He made history as the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning the award in 2011 at 22 and 6 months old, the Commercial Appeal reported. While Rose is giving the community their flowers in the city where it all started, the Bulls are honoring him in return. The Bulls shared...
Costco is doubling down on its decision to maintain its DEI policies. This comes amid several major companies retracting their commitments, such as Google. CNBC reported that Google had established new programs to empower Black staffers following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. At the time, its CEO, Sundar Pichai, stated the intention “to build sustainable equity for Google’s Black+ community, and externally, to make our products and programs helpful in the moments that matter most to Black users.” The company aimed for a benchmark of 30% of leadership being composed of underrepresented groups by 2025. However, in the years since, Google has fallen significantly short of that goal by reducing staff and shrinking programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as has its parent company Alphabet. By mid-2023, DEI job postings by companies in general were showing a downward trend. Job site Indeed offered data that revealed a drop of 44% in postings compared to the...
Several Black women-owned businesses are making their way to JFK airport. According to TRBusiness, six small, women-owned businesses based in New York will now have a new home at Terminal 8 (T8) due to a $125 million redevelopment program. They were selected through an accelerator program launched by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) Airports. The chosen entrepreneurs were also offered adaptable deal structures and smaller storefront spaces to minimize entry hurdles and lower design expenses. “Helping local businesses access concessions opportunities at Terminal 8 is an asset for our passengers, who will enjoy products unique to New York that are made and sold by local artisans and vendors,” said Dominic Lowe, US chief operating officer of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, per TRBusiness. “These six local women bring the energy and enthusiasm of a small business owner to Terminal 8 while offering one-of-a-kind products, which are made right here in New York.” Lowe added, “Working with the...
Spelman College graduates who were friends first and then founders seconds are taking their nail bar to new heights. Kelli M. Coleman and Anika J. Odegbo are the founders of The TEN, marketed as Detroit, MI’s first modern nail bar. The two shared a common goal of embarking on an entrepreneurial journey to build wealth, which they brought to life in 2016. “So, Anika and I are friends and Spelman sisters. We ultimately met when we found out that both of us intended to attend. We decided to room together, and the rest is history, as they say. Both Detroit natives, I grew up in Southfield, and Anika grew up in Detroit proper. We come from entrepreneurial families; we really understand the power of entrepreneurship to create generational wealth. It was always our respective goals to own businesses of our own in addition to carrying on our family’s entrepreneurial legacy. That’s sort of the origin of how we know each other, and that’s how The TEN came to be,” Coleman told the Michigan...
Taking into consideration its network of entrepreneurs, T.D. Jakes Enterprises has launched an accessible marketplace. In 2023, the social impact holding company set out to support underrepresented entrepreneurs by addressing a critical gap. Despite the efforts of stakeholders driving meaningful change, there were no centralized systems or platforms to provide comprehensive resources. This need inspired the launch of the Good Soil Movement in April 2023. “What we didn’t find was one centralized space where entrepreneurs can not only network but actually get access to capital, access to back office support, legal help, accounting support, business plan development, understanding where they fall on the capital continuum… So out of that, we created Good Soil,” Michael Phillips, chief operations officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, told AFROTECH™. Nourysh Good Soil has set an ambitious goal: to empower 1 million small business owners to generate $1 million in revenue each. To advance this...
A Black-owned pharmacy has opened in Toledo, OH. After seeing health disparities within communities during his residency with Kroger, pharmacist Anthony Pattin was driven to provide better access to underserved citizens. At the time, Pattin had already completed an undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences and a PharmD from the University of Toledo, Toledo Blade reports. “One of my first projects was looking at African-Americans’ perceptions of vaccines,” he told the outlet. “I learned a lot. One thing is, not everyone feels the same way. I had a group of people who wanted vaccines but said ‘As a matter of fact, when I go to the pharmacy, they don’t offer it,’ and that’s how I found out that there are some pharmacies, even in their community, that didn’t offer that service. So that was a disparity — that you were saying that maybe they don’t want the service, but they don’t have it available.” While Pattin took note, the idea for a pharmacy was catalyzed by an elderly neighbor...
Seasoned tech executive Omar Johnson is leveraging his experience to revolutionize how brands market themselves. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Johnson’s exposure to technology was initially limited to video games and consumer electronics. However, his inquisitiveness grew and ultimately helped him secure roles with major tech giants. “A lot of my curiosity was sort of like self-driven,” he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. Tech Journey Johnson’s interests also lay in marketing, leading him to earn an MBA from Emory University in 2004. Following a brief stint at Campbell Soup Company as an associate brand manager, he transitioned to roles with brands such as Coca-Cola and Nike. At the latter, he began as an assistant brand manager before being promoted to content manager of advising and innovation, which remained his focus. “Find the most important things that the company is betting on for the future and work on those things,” Johnson explained. “I always had that sort of lean when I was at...
NBA star Jimmy Butler has brewed his love for coffee into a storefront in Miami, FL’s Design District. After teasing the concept for some time, the Miami Heat star officially opened his first BigFace Coffee shop on Dec. 5, 2024, according to Axios. The café boasts a chic interior design, a selection of merchandise including hats and jerseys, and an outdoor courtyard featuring ample seating. “This is a dream of mine,” Butler said at the grand opening, CBS News reported . “I get to come in here, chill out, meet people, vibe out, and become friends. Coffee is life. It’s how I start my mornings, watching my daughter play while I enjoy a cappuccino. For me, that’s the quintessential coffee experience.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Marzocco USA (@lamarzocco.usa) Besides Butler, other basketball figures at the grand opening included Carmelo Anthony , Heat center Kevin Love, and former NBA guard Brandon Jennings, according to Axios. DJ Khaled and French footballer...
Shaw-naé Dixon is behind a popular soul food restaurant in Staten Island, NY. Dixon’s interest in cooking dates back to her time in the kitchen with her grandmother, her website reads. She would continue to nurture her skills at church and a local soup kitchen. “My grandmother was a dietician for over 40 years, and I know that my grandmother taught me a lot of different recipes when I was growing u p,” Dixon said during an interview with Bon Appétit . “ And it wasn’t necessarily about the recipes and the food, it was about the technique and making sure that I could feed a lot of people at one time. “ In her adult years, Dixon first pursued a career in education. For over a decade, she was a teacher. However, she was pushed into her true calling of becoming a restaurateur after spending time in a coma. “Following a very, I won’t say difficult time, but a pivotal time in my life when I was in a coma, when I woke up, I said, ‘ Chase your legacy and not the luxury.’ Opening up a...