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News & Inspiration For and About Black-Owned Businesses |
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Danielle McGee, the founder and CEO of a social entreprise called Black Business Boom, and Tee Wilson, the company's Creative Director and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), have formed major partnerships to launch a training initiative that provides entrepreneurs with the strategies and services to not just survive but thrive in today's digital economy.
Charlise Freeman, a single mother and an entrepreneur from Cleveland, Ohio, gifted her son three properties and $10,000 cash for his 16th birthday to help set up his generational wealth. A video she posted of the moment when she surprised him has since gone viral has been well-praised by people on social media.
Meet Dovév Weaver and his cousin, Elliot Martin, the co-founders of Closer To Our Dreams LLC, a business development and marketing consulting company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, that is on a mission to help 10,000 aspiring Black entrepreneurs successfully launch a business this year. Their company will be mentoring and coaching success-oriented individuals for 12 weeks through their Dreams to Reality Academy, and also taking their entrepreneurship bootcamps to ten states across the country.
Meet Duane “Myko” Cheers and Danita Claytor, the co-founders of Everything Legendary, a Black-owned plant-based food brand with legendary flavor, that have just closed $6 million dollars in Series A funding. The round was led by CircleUp Growth Partners with additional investments from the venture capital arm of General Mills, 301 INC, and Mark Cuban. Also, International Entrepreneur and Record Executive, Russell Simmons joined the all-star team as a Senior Advisor.
Meet Danielle Washington and Ciara Imani May, the founders of Rebundle, a St. Louis-based Black-owned startup that creates and sells plant-based hair extensions. They have recently raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round and the funds will be used to invest in the startup's supply chain to meet the high demand for the products.
Black Sands Entertainment, a Black-owned comic publishing house and budding animation company founded by married couple Manuel and Geiszel Godoy and their associate, Teunis De Raat, were able to successfully close a $500,000 deal with comedian Kevin Hart and serial investor Mark Cuban on a recent episode of Shark Tank.
Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall, two sisters who founded an innovative career development platform called QuickHire, have raised more than $1 million in funding for the startup. They are the first Black women in the state of Kansas to ever achieve this.
Trey Brown, the 15-year old founder and CEO of clothing brand Spergo, recently pitched his business idea on Shark Tank and inked a deal with businessman and investor Daymond John for $300,000.
At just 11-years old, Caden Harris from Atlanta, Georgia, has already amassed a wealth of knowledge. His supportive parents nurtured his natural gifts and helped him launch his first business at seven years old. They encouraged him to write his first book by age eight. Caden recently purchased a 54-seat passenger bus that he is raising funds to convert the bus into his financial literacy traveling mobile unit to visit schools and create a money educational experience for area youth.
It’s been a big year for Novae, LLC, the first Black-owned FinTech company to offer 'Buy Now Pay Later' services for small businesses nationwide. In July, the company was recognized by Black Enterprise and Yahoo Finance, and the company’s CEO, Reco McCambry was named to Marquis Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Business and Finance over the summer. And earlier this year, Mr. McCambry received a proclamation naming January 19th Mr. Reco McDaniel McCambry Day in his hometown of McDonough, Georgia for his business accomplishments and contributions to the community.
Rapper Young Thug plans to build his own city with the 100 acres of land in Atlanta that was gifted to him by his manager Geoff Ogunlesi when he turned 30-years old.
Meet the founders of Novae LLC, the first Black-owned fintech company to offer Buy Now, Pay Later services to online and offline merchants under the brand Novae Financing. CEO Reco McCambry believes that these services — which are designed to fight inequality faced by minority entrepreneurs by drastically increasing sales for these partner merchants — are the first of their kind.
Meet April Ross, an HBCU graduate of Alabama State University who is now the owner of WJCN TV-33, a local television station based in LaGrange, Georgia. As an entrepreneur, she is especially proud of her success because she used to work at the same station as an intern!
Gabby Goodwin, a 14-year old girl from Columbia, South Carolina who is the CEO of and founder of GaBBY Bows, is extremely grateful after receiving an investment worth $200,000, of which $50,000 is from broadcast journalist Gayle King.
Oscar Dais, the CEO of Unity Merchant Services, a Black-owned credit/debit card processing business says that his company strives to give back to the community of professionals with similar interests. Their dedicated team brings an in-depth understanding of card processing services, constantly changing technology, and cash management to serve Black and Brown business owners who may be facing merchant service challenges.
Strive Masiyiwa, a 60-year old Zimbabwe-born telecommunication tycoon who moved to London in 2010, has officially been named as the UK's first Black billionaire, according to the Sunday Times' Rich List. He also serves as the African Union's special envoy helping secure COVID-19 vaccines for various countries throughout the continent of Africa.
Tamika Franklyn, founder and CEO of Precision Franchise, is the owner of one of very few Black woman-owned franchise brokerages in the nation. 77% of franchise business owners are white males, but Tamika aims to change this by providing knowledge, resources, and access to people of color. She has created a strategic path for entrepreneurs to find and secure proven business models at no cost to them.
Regina D. Braggs, Founder and CEO of Applause Network TV, Inc., is raising $15,000,000 with a Reg D 506 (c) through accredited investors. Incorporated in 2010, Applause Network TV has been providing streaming services consisting of original videos, live shows, and on-demand content created by a talented production team and Board of Directors with 40+ years of combined experience.
30-year old Johnathan Lacy has made history as the first-ever African American owner of a 7-Eleven franchise in the state of Nevada and in the city of Las Vegas. He says that he was able to do it with his own money and without any other investors!
Two entrepreneurial Black women — Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene, founder, and Danielle Shortt, CEO of Flat Out of Heels — continue to make history in technology and innovation. Their company, which uses advanced automated retail technology to sell stylish, machine-washable flats from innovative vending machines, is now raising at least $250K in capital to support the rollout of six new machines to scale operations.
