NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has launched a venture capital firm. According to Bleacher Report, the Milwaukee Bucks player has introduced Build Your Legacy Ventures (BYL). The venture capital firm, backed by institutional investors and tech veterans, aims to funnel investments into the sports and entertainment sectors. As noted in a press release, the firm will be “driven by the Antetokounmpo family’s dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.” “I’m incredibly energized to launch BYL Ventures as a way to give back and support the next generation of visionaries,” Antetokounmpo, founder and general partner of BYL Ventures, said in the release. “This fund is not just about capital; it’s about forging partnerships and opening my network to accelerate the growth trajectory for companies. I want to help other entrepreneurs, especially those who have faced barriers, to grow and succeed. BYL Ventures will be focused on finding people with big dreams and helping them make...

David “Slim” Penn Jr. has opened a cannabis shop in Pasco, WA. Penn’s journey into entrepreneurship began as a child, according to the Tri-City Herald. He would mow his neighbors’ yards and had a paper route. “I remember those 20-pound papers,” he told the outlet, embellishing the weight of newspapers in the past when they were larger and heavier. Today, that business mindset has carried over into the cannabis space. Penn is now a franchisee of Lucky Leaf Co., which is owned by his friend David Morgan, who has stores in Spokane, WA, and Pasco. Penn had previously backed Morgan when he was looking to challenge the city to allow for legal cannabis sales to adults back in 2022. The following year, a council approved removal of the ban and permitted the legal sale of cannabis, paving the way for three storefronts including Lucky Leaf Co. Now, Penn will operate his own store alongside his partner Jamie Badden, who serves as the manager of the store. To get the shop up and running, they...

Meghan Markle has been intentional about investing in female-led companies over the years, The New York Times reports. Markle, a former actress and Duchess of Sussex through her marriage to Britain’s Prince Harry, has taken advantage of the limelight to provide greater visibility to brands. A bag she wore from Scotland brand Strathberry after her engagement in 2017 was sold out in 11 minutes. She said that moment “changed everything in terms of how I then looked at putting an outfit together.” It has led her to become more intentional about what brands she aligns with and wears. Markle also mentioned, “Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting. That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like,...

A retail incubator is opening its doors to disadvantaged founders in Kansas City, MO. Startland News reports that The Porter House KC’s 811 Retail Incubator held its grand opening on July 27, 2024. The 811 Retail Incubator space is designed to ensure entrepreneurs will find support from the ideation phase to an establishment becoming a “fully fledged” business and aims to bridge the gap between pop-up events and permanent brick-and-mortar stores, PHKC’s website mentioned. “Our resilience has paid off, and it’s rewarding to see this space provide what these businesses have been looking for,” said Miranda Schultz, PHKC’s programs director, according to Startland News. According to PHKC’s website, Daniel Smith and Charon Thompson, co-founders of The Porter House KC and Kansas City natives, saw the firsthand struggles of business owners . “We wanted to become the bridge between underrepresented businesses and their access to entrepreneurial success,” a statement on the website read. The...

Conquering fear has led to great success for Mia Davis. For over a decade, Davis worked in corporate America, specifically in marketing, according to Business Insider. However, the exhausting challenges that come with working a 9-5 combined with motherhood sparked something in her. It made her want to “fight” for her dreams and not lose herself and ambition.

Maria Toler is behind one of the largest women’s health funds, according to Shoppe Black.

The power of second chances can be seen at Old Skool Cafe in San Francisco, CA.

Wu-Tang Clan has made it clear that they are nothing to f —k with since the release of their debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” in 1993. Nearly three decades later, nothing seems to have changed, at least not for original member Raekwon. While the legendary emcee was one of the leading rhyme assassins for the groundbreaking New York hip-hop group, he also reached great success as a solo artist starting with his platinum-selling debut, “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” — a.k.a “The Purple Tape.”