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Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has done it again. Cécred The iconic entertainer, who earned her first Grammy in the prestigious album of the year category for “Cowboy Carter” in 2025, shows no signs of slowing down. Her influence stretches far beyond music and into the business world, where she has made a significant mark in the haircare industry. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Houston, TX, native launched the science-backed and self-funded haircare brand Cécred, drawing inspiration from her early years spent at her mother Tina Knowles’ salon. This venture highlights her entrepreneurial spirit and deep connection to the beauty industry. “Hair has always been a very big part of our lives,” Tina, who served as Cécred’s vice chairwoman, told Essence. “Just as fashion saved our family, hair is how we made a living.” The inception of Cécred was six years in the making. Its hair repair technology has led to its first line of products, which includes Clarifying Shampoo and Scalp Scrub...
Issa Rae refers to Sienna Naturals’ expansion with Sephora as a “dream come true.” Rae co-founded the award-winning hair care brand Sienna Naturals, which was first envisioned by Hannah Diop in 2012. Diop, reflecting on her own challenges in finding hair products that met her needs, recalls how clarifying shampoos fell short in restoring her hair’s health during her time on the swim team. This firsthand experience played a pivotal role in shaping Sienna Naturals, a brand founded on a proprietary clean chemistry approach that prioritizes scalp health , according t o the brand’s website. The haircare line is powered by hydrating, abiotic, pH-balanced ingredients (H.A.P.I.). “The first impression I want people to have when they use Sienna Naturals is how beautiful their hair is. So that wet-feel design is very intentional,” Diop told AFROTECH™. Photo Credit: Sienna Naturals When Rae discovered Sienna Naturals, she was in the process of learning how to best care for her natural hair...
Dave’s Hot Chicken is considering a sale that would bring the company’s valuation to nearly $1 billion. The popular fast-food chain, founded by Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan, has locations in states such as Arizona, Massachusetts, California, Missouri, and Texas. In total, the chain has over 250 locations worldwide, per Reuters. It all started in 2017 with a $900 investment that led to the restaurant’s grand opening as a pop-up in an East Hollywood, CA, parking lot, its website mentions. Its menu features chicken tenders and sliders with spice levels ranging from Lite Mild to Reaper. Sides include fries, mac and cheese, and kale slaw. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DavesHotChicken (@daveshotchicken) The company’s business model appears to be a success with each franchise earning on average $2.19 million in revenue (AUV) per year, according to Sharp Sheets. In total, its locations generate an estimated $1 billion in total annual...
Target’s shareholders claim they were not aware of the risks posed by the company’s DEI and other social initiatives. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Target is among a growing list of major corporations that have announced they are scaling back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. This has led to the removal of Target’s program that helped Black- and minority-owned businesses secure retail deals, and the company has stated it will no longer share reports with DEI groups. “We remain focused on driving our business by creating a sense of belonging for our team, guests and communities through a commitment to inclusion,” Target said, according to CNN. “Belonging for all is an essential part of our team and culture, helping fuel consumer relevance and business results.” Target’s decision has been met with criticism from shoppers. Some are taking their dollars to allies such as Costco since its board of directors and shareholders agreed to continue their DEI...
A judge is no longer considering retracting a multi-million-dollar award that rapper T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris were to receive from a lawsuit. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the couple sued children’s toy company MGA Entertainment Inc. for infringing upon the name, image, and likeness of their girl group, OMG Girlz. The group was created by T.I. and Tiny in 2009 and includes members Bahja Rodriguez (Miss Beauty), Breaunna Womack (Miss Babydoll), and their daughter Zonnique Pullins (Miss Star). Known for their colorful hair, makeup, and fashion looks, the group peaked in 2012 with their singles “Where The Boys At?” and “Gucci This (Gucci That).” MGA Entertainment Inc. released its ‘L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. (Outrageous Millennial Girls) Dolls in 2019, earning hundreds of millions of dollars in the process, and was recognized with the Toy Association’s Doll of the Year Award, notes American Bar Association (ABA). Some of its dolls, however, had closely resembled the OMG Girlz...
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...
McDonald’s is next in line for companies retracting their commitments in the DEI space. According to NBC News, the fast food giant had been intentional within the space following several lawsuits that had been filed by former Black owners for discrimination and sexual harassment. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, this included Former Oakland A’s player and McDonald’s franchisee Herb Washington. He filed a civil rights lawsuit in 2021 accusing the company of redlining and not providing similar benefits to Black store owners that white franchisees received. “There are two McDonald’s systems: one that is designed for white owners to flourish and grow and another that is designed to pigeonhole and oppress Black owners,” Washington said in 2021, per the outlet. “I will no longer give up my seat on the bus for white franchisees. After four decades in the McDonald’s system, I have been targeted for extinction. When I stood up for myself and other Black franchisees, McDonald’s began...
A Memphis, TN, restaurant owes NBA star Ja Morant a significant sum of money. Commercial Appeal reports that the Memphis Grizzlies point guard became a brand ambassador for The Wing Guru chain of restaurants in 2022, announcing the partnership via X (formerly Twitter) on March 17, 2022. “Honored to be a Brand Ambassador for @TheWingGuru. I always choose the Guru when I get wings #TheWingGuru #BrandAmbassador #GuruGang,” he wrote on X. The agreement between both parties permitted the restaurant to use Morant’s image for advertising in exchange for a payment of $6,250 a month, adding up to about $75,000 per year. However, according to Commercial Appeal, Morant’s attorneys allege that he had not received any payments starting approximately four months after the contract signing, though the company continued to profit off his likeness in locations such as Nashville, TN; Houston, TX; and Dallas, TX. Morant’s attorneys had sent a letter by November 2022 and requested for “the company to...
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...
Krystal’s fourth South Carolina location opened in Orangeburg on Monday, Dec. 9, thanks to a partnership with Charlamagne Tha God — also known as Lenard McKelvey — and his wife, Jessica Gadsden-McKelvey. The couple are spearheading a five-store expansion of the quick-service chain across South Carolina, with the grand opening of the new Krystal location set for Dec. 20 — an event that will include Charlamagne Tha God himself, according to a press release. The new Krystal slider restaurant, located at 1486 Chestnut St., will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the media personality and entrepreneur, the project holds personal significance. “Orangeburg is special to us because it’s the home of South Carolina State University, my mother’s alma mater, while my wife’s father is an alumni of Claflin University,” he shared ahead of the store’s opening. “I also have an honorary degree from SCSU, where I established the Ford Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, so it’s a blessing to...
A new Detroit, MI, coffee shop has opened its doors. Crain’s Detroit Business reports Charity Dean, president and CEO of the Michigan Black Business Alliance, has launched Rosa Cafe + Market at 222 Third Ave. This isn’t Dean’s first venture either — she previously opened a Rosa Cafe, named after her great-grandmother, in 2022. “We just wanted to make sure we were open for the people,” Dean explained to the outlet. “There’s been a lot of excitement about the new cafe, so we wanted to get it open.” The new 800-square-foot storefront, which is currently being stewarded by five employees, is in a luxury residential property close to the Detroit River. The Cafe will be able to seat nearly a dozen customers at once inside while more can gather in its outdoor patio. Customers can expect to sip on various coffee items including an Ethiopian house roast coffee made by Faust Haus Roasting Co. Additionally, there will also be snacks and food options available for purchase. Dean is looking...
A Morehouse School of Medicine graduate has opened a bookstore to uplift her surrounding community. According to a news release, Dr. Viola Lanier, who boasts a Master of Science in biomedical research and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, has launched Better Today Books & Boutique, located at 2300 Shallowford Rd., Ste. 8, Marietta, GA 30066. In a video shared on the bookstore’s Instagram page, Lanier recounts her journey to owning the storefront. It began after a spa visit, when she noticed a “For Lease” sign on the door of the location while heading home. Intrigued, she reached out to the landlord to arrange a tour. “Wasn’t too impressed about the condition, but I said, ‘You know what? This is a place.’ But I figured I could make it work, even though I was skeptical about a lot. I got it. Anyway, so we’re putting a check mark on these dreams. Y’all stick with me as you renovate,” she explained in the video. Seeing the potential, Lanier’s interest put her on the path to establishing...
Ira Salls is an inspiration for her history-making role as a McDonald’s franchisee. Salls, a Cincinnati, OH, native, graduated from Northern Illinois University and later earned both an MBA and a master’s degree in public administration from Northwestern University. She secured her franchise title in 1991, as she explained during an interview with WHAS 11 in 2021. Before becoming an owner and operator, she first worked at the fast-food chain as an accountant. “I was hired by McDonald’s because I already had a degree and (was) a CPA. McDonald’s was forward thinking, and they wanted Black CPAs working in their accounting department,” she recalled to the outlet. Salls’ pivot to owning her own McDonald’s locations led her to become the first Black woman franchisee of the chain in Kentucky and Indiana in 1991, the Louisville Business Journal reports. She would go on to become one of the company’s most successful operators, managing six locations in Louisville, KY. She also understood the...
Malcolm Jenkins is not slowing down in the fast-casual food space. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the former NFL player leads Disrupt Foods, a multi-unit franchise developer and operator of quick-service restaurants. According to his LinkedIn, the goal is to create franchising opportunities for Black and brown communities. “If there’s a mission for me and how I’m moving now, what I want to have an impact on is really educating people on the power of group economics. People when they have success, most of the time they do it as a collective family, as a community. Owning businesses in their own communities,” he said. “When you look at [Black communities] we don’t own the majority of the businesses in it. We don’t own homes most of the time. It just continues to push us into pockets of poverty that are harder and harder to climb out of as an individual,” he told WHYY News. Leading by example, he established Disrupt Foods in 2016 alongside his business partner, Joe Johnson. “In 2016...
After hosting several pop-ups, Amanda Harth and Felton Kizer now have their own storefront. Block Club Chicago reports the pair are now proud owners of Monday Coffee, located in Chicago, IL’s North Lawndale neighborhood. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Monday Coffee (@drinkmondaycoffee) Prior to opening the storefront, the founders had been making their mark in the area through various pop-ups, including events at Soho House Chicago and the Obama Foundation, since launching the company in October 2020. The pair were creating what they believed to be a “safe space.” “Being able to be in North Lawndale and serve a community, create a safe space through art, and continuing to use coffee as a vehicle is basically the foundation of Monday Coffee,” Harth told the outlet. “It’s important for Black people, Brown people, to have a safe space to exist. With the pandemic, a lot of those spaces disappeared.” For a two-year period starting in 2021, customers could find Monday...