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Memphis is widely considered to be the birthplace of the music we love today. It’s also the hometown of George Monger, the founder and CEO of Connect Music — a Black-owned music startup launched in 2020. More specifically, the Memphis-based company is a music monetization platform that provides distribution and publishing administration services. As Black creators are disproportionately affected by the downfalls of the industry, Monger has been dedicated to proving that music is an asset class by helping the group own their music and become profitable during today’s streaming era. The founder has gone on to have over 200 label clients and developed editorial partnerships with streaming giants Pandora, Spotify, and Apple. Addiontally, Monger has also gotten Boosie Badazz on board as part-owner of Connect Music.
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization that represents nearly 700 independent music labels, is kicking 2022 off right. For the second year, it’s launching its Black Independent Music Accelerator (BIMA), a fellowship initiative designed to amplify Black voices in the independent music community. “Black entrepreneurs have been the backbone of the music industry since the beginning of time. Allowing us to access the resources of counterparts, now opens doors to innumerable possibilities for creators that look, think, and dream like us,” shares Erinn Knight, President of Build Your Own Dreams and 2021 BIMA Fellow. “The BIMA program has made me feel seen and reflected in an industry I have felt alone in for a long time. The ongoing offerings with industry service providers, and the experts in the BIMA program, have been helpful and educational. In addition, access to all the A2IM membership benefits has completely elevated and...
Emerging indie artists are about to get the opportunity of a lifetime at one of the biggest global live music phenomenons this summer, and an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alumni-founded company is behind it all. Music Breakr — a new platform connecting artists and influencers to help “break” new music — has teamed up with Rolling Loud — the biggest festival brand in Hip-Hop — and digital finance platform Ahead for a two-year partnership to commence “Ahead Start to Rolling Loud,” a contest that offers aspiring artists the opportunity to perform live at Rolling Loud Miami 2021. This time around, the contest itself — presented in partnership with both Music Breakr and Black content creator house Collab Crib — invited any and all up-and-coming rappers to showcase their talents via Instagram for a chance to submit an original song to be judged by the Breakr team. All artists who submitted their music were then boiled down to eight finalists before one lucky artist was...
True creativity never dies, it simply pivots in the face of adversity. When the pandemic first hit last year, creative companies like Bask were forced to get innovative with its services, but the payoff proved to be invaluable to its future. Back in 2016, the independent creative agency was focused on providing full-on experiences for its party promotion services in New York. But once quarantine shut things down for in-person events, Bask made a choice to expand its creative tools into the world of digital marketing. According to founder James “Doogz” McDonald, he originally launched the agency as a means to provide an inclusive place for Black and people of color to bask and thrive freely, hence what inspired the company name. McDonald — who attended The College at Brockport, State University of New York as a broadcast journalism and sports management major — created Bask with a goal to shift the event space and, most recently, offer a new approach to digital marketing. “I figured...
Far too often do we hear stories of artists and creators having restricted access to valuable opportunities in the entertainment industry on account of gatekeepers and being out of touch with playmakers. In an effort to bridge the gaps between entertainment brands and content creators, this New York City-based tech startup has developed a new app to allow users to monetize their careers. Indie — a music discovery and fan engagement app for independent artists, big-name brands, and listeners — is addressing the opportunity gap that exists in the entertainment industry by creating a way for up-and-coming artists to get more exposure for their work. https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9g90gHUmc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Indie works to create a user-friendly multidirectional marketplace that adopts the use of content submissions, audience feedback, and brand engagement to cultivate an outlet built specifically to create more opportunities for those who may be overlooked. Indie is designed...
If you’ve spent any time staring at a television or film screen in the past few years, you’ve likely encountered some of Colman Domingo’s handiwork. The 54-year-old Academy Award winner has graced the screen for such impressive projects as “Candyman,” “The Color Purple,” “Fear The Walking Dead,” and the HBO original series “Euphoria,” just to name a few. Earlier this year, he was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world due to his powerful ethos, moving performances and commitment to creative excellence. Currently, fans are awaiting Domingo’s appearance in a myriad of upcoming works, including Netflix’s forthcoming outing “The Madness,” as well as next year’s Michael Jackson biopic . Needless to say, many fans are wondering just how much money Colman Domingo has stacked up over the course of his decades-long career. Luckily, we’ve got you covered, with a quick but comprehensive look at the revered actor’s financial portfolio, investment holdings and film...
If you’re a major country music fan, you may already be intimately acquainted with Kane Brown. The country music singer , who is currently preparing for the release of his fourth studio album The High Road , has turned many heads with his inventive songwriting, charming personality and media appearances in everything from Nickelodeon’s All That to reality competition series The X Factor . Brown currently touts a listenership of over 15 million monthly active users on Spotify alone , with chart-topping tracks such as “Miles On It,” “What Ifs” and “Heaven” serving as his biggest records. Like many modern musicians, Brown marketed himself through social media and the internet without the assistance of the major music labels, making him something of an indie darling to his growing fanbase. Since Brown has been such a hot topic lately, it only makes sense that fans would be wondering about his current net worth. Though the singer is still a rising star, it seems that he has already...
Timbaland is expanding his portfolio, stepping into the role of strategic advisor for Suno, a leading AI music creation tool. After months of actively using the platform, the four-time GRAMMY-Award-winning artist will now provide Suno with daily support for product development and strategic creative direction, as stated in a press release. The collaboration starts with an exclusive preview of Timbaland’s latest single, “Love Again.” There’s also a Remix Contest judged by Timbaland, with over $100,000 in prizes awarded to the winning remixes. Digital service providers will release the top two remixes. “When I heard what Suno was doing, I was immediately curious,” said Timbaland, who is well-known for his influence as a music producer, creator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. “After witnessing the potential, I knew I had to be a part of it. By combining forces, we have a unique opportunity to make AI work for the artist community and not the other way around. We’re seizing that...
You may know Detroit rapper Danny Brown from his electrifying music, his energetic collaborations with acts such as JPEGMAFIA, Run The Jewels, and Eminem, or even from his self-titled podcast venture . The underground rap legend has garnered a reputation for his gut-busting sense of humor and his boundary-pushing bars, having amassed a following of just under 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone . From his numerous business ventures in the entertainment industry, Danny Brown has seen massive financial highs and lows, and currently touts a net worth of over $4 million, per Celebrity Net Worth . Now that “The Danny Brown Show” podcast is blowing up and the Detroit-born artist is seeing more new fans than ever before, it seems like as good a time as any to take a brief deep dive into his financial portfolio. We’ll see what we can learn from his long and storied career. Let’s examine Danny Brown’s revenue streams, endorsement deals , and other forms of income contributing to his...
Brent Faiyaz and his business partner Ty Baisden have invested in Black women-led S.T.E.M. companies. Through Faiyaz’s Lost Kids label, the artist entered into a 50/50 partnership with Baisden, who serves as his manager, Billboard reported. The agreement also allows both parties to operate various business ventures. “That was basically our handshake to one another in the beginning,” Baisden told Billboard. “Those projects and his tours are the financial seeds for Brent and me to go out and make individual investments.” Under Lost Kids, their most significant investments are in the real estate markets of Atlanta, GA, and Dallas, TX. The pair has also invested in at least 20 startups, including Athletic Greens, Therabody, Audio Shake, and Seed. “And the great thing is three of those four companies — Seed, Audio Shake, and Athletic Greens — are led by women,” Baisden told the outlet. The commitment to women-led businesses does not stop there. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the duo...
Kyle Morrand had an idea while living with his roommates. Now he’s turned it into a $2 million vision. The founder leads 302 Interactive, an Orlando, FL-based development studio leveraging game design and emerging technologies to create interactive media, its LinkedIn mentions. It connects clients to resources that supports augmented reality mobile applications, game development, virtual reality and immersive experiences with the aid of its in-house team of developers, designers, and artists. “…The business is a reflection of my own life, ambitions and creativity,” Morrand explained in an interview with Entrepreneur. “…I get to spend my days reshaping our relationship with technology to design lifestyles that are more playful and ultimately eliminate some of the symptoms of depression and anxiety that seem standard to modern-day living.” He says the idea dates back to his time at college in Apartment 302 where he lived with two roommates who were also passionate about gaming. “…The...
Former pharmacist Brittney Mikell will be making history in her next chapter. WCCO-TV reports Mikell exited her role in pharmacy after experiencing burnout. She then decided to purse her passion in brewing and landed a role as an assistant brewer at La Dona Cerveceria in Minneapolis, MN. “I didn’t feel like I was making the impact that I really wanted to in healthcare,” Mikell explained to Eater Twin Cities. “I woke up one day and realized that this could be a really cool place where I could make an impact. You only really live once, so I decided, let’s just pivot — why not?” Mikell maintained bigger aspirations while working at La Dona Cerveceria, referring to herself as “a huge dreamer,” per WCCO-TV. She plans to become the first Black woman to own a brewery in Minnesota. This is significant as just 1% of breweries in the U.S. are Black-owned, Essence reports. Additionally, of the 200 breweries in the state, few are owned by women or people of color, WCCO-TV mentions. “The...
Shayna Atkins is a multi-generational entrepreneur now leading the third-fastest-growing company in the Midwest and the fastest in Illinois of 2024, according to Inc. magazine. She credits her interest in entrepreneurship to her mother, who owned several businesses on the West Side of Chicago, IL, including a pager shop in the early ‘ 90s. During this time she recalls being exposed to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as she would program beepers at the shop. “I used to program beepers when I was young. Like those were some of my early science experiments for school, and also help her out at the shop,” Atkins shared in an interview with AFROTECH™. “I would actually program, like turn on and turn off, pagers using a DOS program at a very, very young age. Those two things I think really reduce the barrier of fear around both STEM as well as entrepreneurship.” In high school, Atkins developed a liking towards physics and selected the field for her...
Entrepreneurship is often romanticized, but it is no easy journey. Beyond simply creating an idea that seems unique enough to launch, it is not cheap to be your own boss. Starting a business has several fixed costs that can quickly add up, such as legally forming a company, paying for legal protections like patents or trademarks, and, of course, marketing and promoting your business. This is where bringing in outside investors can be a smart move. Investors not only represent a cash infusion , but if founders are wise, these people can also help market, promote, and grow a business. However, finding people who are not only willing to invest in a young company but also have enough resources to support a fledgling firm can be difficult. So, where is a startup to start with finding investors? Create A Business Plan Serious investors are not interested in blindly investing in a business — even if they are relatives and friends (who are usually the initial seed investors for any...
Entrepreneurship is a long, arduous journey that’s rarely linear. And, for Black entrepreneurs the process can be even harder. It’s no secret that minorities and female founders often struggle to secure capital when compared to white male founders. Even attracting as much visibility in mainstream media as other businesses — including social media growth — can be harder. Plus, not having a network of fellow entrepreneurs who understand the challenges can make the entire experience lonely. Daymond John, a serial entrepreneur, understands this process all too well. From his days launching the iconic streetwear apparel brand FUBU to parlaying his business acumen into the investor niche, John learned from his growing pains. Now, he wants to help other Black-owned businesses navigate those issues. From Hollis, Queens, To The Tank Today, John is a household name, thanks to his tenure on the ABC’s “Shark Tank.” But many people are familiar with him from FUBU, a streetwear brand he started...