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Howard alumni are taking over the restaurant scene in Washington, DC. In 2012, Denville Myrie Jr. began selling Jamaican jerk chicken from the comfort of his Howard University dorm room, which filled a gap for quality late night foods, according to information on his company website. Students took great interest in Myrie’s cooking, and he would carry on with the food service beyond the campus walls. He was able to hire his peers as delivery drivers when he relocated into a town house, and his employees would serve Howard University six days a week. Myrie’s vision was also aided by Kadeem Todd, who also attended Howard University and serves as a co-owner in the business, according to Fox 5. The business, named Jerk at Nite, became so successful, a food truck was purchased in 2014, with jerk oxtail serving as one of its standout menu offerings. Over time, two additional food trucks were purchased with the goal of establishing a storefront for what would become Jerk at Nite. In 2019, a...
Emmanuel Eribo made several pivots before settling on a luxury vegan sneaker and apparel brand. Business Insider reports Eribo, a self-taught coder, had studied psychology in college but saw finance as an opportunity for growth. He was able to land a finance job after learning enough about coding and did the programming for the trading floor at HSBC. He spent eight years in the sector but wanted to pivot into entrepreneurship, although it was unclear what specific route. “At first, I was very afraid to quit my job, but being an entrepreneur, that fear is constant, and you get comfortable with it,” he told the outlet. Eribo considered different ideas with the help of his brother and peers. He ultimately created a ballerina shoe brand named Butterfly Twists, which prompted his official exit from finance. It paid off as the brand eventually scaled to 32 stores across 67 countries, with 1 million pairs sold annually. However, Eribo still was not satisfied. “On the surface, we were doing...
Vice President Kamala Harris visited a beloved Black-owned restaurant in Atlanta, GA. Harris is currently campaigning after she announced her interest in running to become the next president of the United States. If she succeeds, she will make history as the first Black woman and first South Asian American to do so. Her first campaign stop was in Atlanta, GA, on July 30, 2024. According to PBS station WABE, this was her 15th visit to Georgia and her first as the presumptive Democratic nominee. “The path to the White House runs right through this state,” Harris said in Georgia, per ABC News. “You all helped us win in 2020, and we’re going to do it again in 2024.” While Harris made it her mission to energize Georgia voters, she also did the same for a local Black-owned business. 11Alive mentioned she visited Paschal’s Restaurant in Atlanta, GA. During her visit, she received a warm welcome from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Representative Nikema Williams (D-Georgia), and Democratic...
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s “love affair” with hair has led to her next venture. The eight-time Olympic medalist representing Jamaica is preparing to light up the track for the 2024 Olympics. “T his time around… I ‘ve been having a good experience with the Olympic spirit and just meeting people,” Fraser-Pryce told Jamaica Sports Nation. The track-and-field athlete has been known for sporting electrifying hairstyles in colors like orange, pink, and green. “I’ve always been obsessed with hair, from cutting to dyeing to having all-pink hair on my ID in college to being bald to braids, you name it. I’ve done it,” Fraser-Pryce said during an interview shared by women’s sports brand togethxr. “That’s been kind of my love affair with hair.” @togethxr “I’m black, any color fits me” 💅 – Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce #shellyannfraserpryce #worldathletics #hair ♬ original sound – Togethxr As she looks to secure another medal at the 2024 Olympics, Fraser-Pryce took to Instagram to announce a new...
Snoop Dogg appears to be globe-trotting. Snoop Dogg has been working as an NBC Olympics correspondent for the 2024 Paris Olympics and served as a torchbearer during the opening ceremony, NBC News reports. “I felt like Muhammad Ali,” Snoop told NBC News. “I found out that when you hold the torch, you’re a peace messenger.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) Being at the Olympics could also be a wise business move for Snoop Dogg. Over 34.5 million viewers have already tuned in to watch the Olympics over its first three days across linear networks and digital platforms, an increase of nearly 80% compared to the Summer Tokyo Olympics in 2021, The Hollywood Reporter mentioned. Snoop Dogg has been sporting shirts featuring tennis player Coco Gauff. He also went viral for hyping up Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team while wearing a Simone Biles T-shirt and his trademark sunglasses, NBC News mentioned. @nbcolympics Drop it like it’s hot! 🔥 Jordan Chiles,...
A Black-owned cannabis dispensary has opened in New Jersey. A news release mentions Simply Pure is set to open its doors on July 27, 2024. The company was founded by Wanda James and her husband, Scott Durrah, pioneers in the space since 2004. Veriheal reported that the two launched Apothecary of Colorado and became the “first Black-owned and veteran-owned dispensary in the United States.” The dispensary, edible company, and growing facility inspired their next venture, Simply Pure in 2010. According to the company website, the cannabis company disrupted the market by specializing in healthy alternative edibles. Its products were also driven by Durrah, who worked as an executive chef, as he created the high-quality edibles, Veriheal reported. The company served locals in the Denver, CO, area through its storefront and delivery service. Now, the company is expanding to Ewing, NJ, with the launch of Simply Pure Trenton. The 6,000-square-foot dispensary will be led by Tahir Johnson,...
Vonnya Pettigrew, Hon.D., is concentrating all her interests in one place — a property building located on Baltimore, MD’s Waterfront. But that’s just the start. The Baltimore Times reports Dr. Pettigrew comes from a communications background stamped by a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland College Park. During her time in higher education she landed opportunities to intern under President Bill Clinton as a speech writer. She also interned for a television show. “It was a political show that was produced on Capitol Hill and filmed out of Reuters newswire, and so I fell in love with television and film,” Pettigrew told the outlet. Root Branch Media Group Pettigrew also learned scriptwriting and took her skills to create content for TV One and Discovery Channel. Now, she is investing in her own media empire. In 2006, she launched Root Branch Media Group, which she named for her family’s property in South Carolina. “When I established my business, I wanted it to...
Kenneth Duncan has secured a partnership with the PGA TOUR Superstore for his golf brand. Launched in Atlanta, GA, in 2019, Renegade Golf was born after Duncan saw a lack of diversity and innovation in golf marketing and country club environments, according to the company website. Duncan carries more than 15 years of experience as a golfer and nearly four years working as a management consultant for Accenture. He bootstrapped the golf venture and also tagged his business partner Drew McLeod for its vision, which formed initially as a direct-to-consumer golf bag company, Forbes reports. “A bag can really show off your identity and who you are—like an art piece. Almost all our bags are customized because that’s how the PGA TOUR players do it. You have your name, a logo and something that represents you,” Duncan told the outlet. Renegade Golf favored well among Black Greek Organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The brand overall caters to amateur golfers and...
Although Shante Frazier and Lauren Mitchell grew up in an entrepreneurial family, they never anticipated becoming entrepreneurs. Inception Frazier first worked as a consultant at PwC upon graduating from New York University in New York City, NY, with an MBA. At the time, her plan was to climb the corporate ladder with an overarching goal of becoming a partner at the company. Mitchell also worked as a consultant at Deloitte for six years, followed by an additional year at Grant Thornton. Their transition into entrepreneurship was triggered by Frazier’s opportunity to participate in a venture studio — a company that provides capital to launch startups — in the wake of COVID-19. While brainstorming a business concept, Frazier’s aunt suggested a rental company for weaves and hair extensions. After further consideration, Frazier recognized the key aspects that would be necessary to turn the idea into a venture, which included an extensive sanitation process and bringing Mitchell on...
Whoopi Goldberg is being honored. The veteran-actress-turned-television-host has received the Key to West Hollywood! The honor was a result of her commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and for her work as an entrepreneur, owning the first branded and tested woman-owned cannabis brand in California, Gold Derby reports. Goldberg’s foray into cannabis dates back to 2016. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she launched Whoopi & Maya alongside co-founder Maya Elisabeth of Om. The company existed to provide medical cannabis to those experiencing menstrual pain, according to CNN. However, that company shut down in 2020 following a string of conflicts. “They wanted to include menstrual cramps in the list of things you can prescribe medical marijuana for but the governor said that will never happen in New Jersey because our doctors only prescribe marijuana for ‘real’ pain,” Goldberg said in an interview with The Cannabist at the time. “The fact that people think of (women’s health) as a niche...
Maurice and Yashica Spears Wince are bringing healthy food options to a food desert in Milwaukee, WI, Black Business reports. Combining years of experience, the founders have partnered to open Sherman Park Grocery, the first Black-owned, full-scale grocery store in the state of Wisconsin, per Milwaukee Community Journal. It had the support of the Embassy Center MKE church and other community leaders. “Yashica worked in management at Walgreen’s, and I managed pizza franchises in Menomonee Falls,” Maurice explained to the outlet . “Our business acumen comes from those experiences. In addition, we have other real estate holdings, including a laundromat on the same block as the grocery store.” Having been raised in Milwaukee Public Schools and experienced the effects of food and home insecurities, the couple saw a need in the community for the grocery store. Spurred by that motivation, Sherman Park Grocery was established in Milwaukee, WI, with a focus on community, offering affordable,...
An idea tossed around as a light-hearted joke turned into a business. Ernest Drummond, Howard Riley, and Michael Earley developed an idea to venture into the spirits business during COVID-19, the Philly Voice reported. With Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor stores closing during the pandemic, they wanted to create their own. “Somebody brought up as a joke, ‘We should come up with our own liquor brand so we can sell to our friends and family while we were doing our little barbecues and get together stuff like that,'” Earley told the outlet. “We quickly came to the realization that that was highly illegal, and it’s not as easy as we thought — not moonshine and liquor out the bathtub.” The trio launched Diggs Boys Bourbon in 2020. According to the company website, it drew inspiration from distillers with over a century of experience making whiskey. “We use the best ingredients around to complete a unique blend of malt, corn, rye and wheat, along with limestone filtered water. This...
A love for pizza has leveled up the lives of these Black business owners. Black-owned Bird Pizzeria was featured in the New York Times’ list of best pizza shops nationwide. The roundup, which included 22 restaurants, highlighted businesses across the U.S. The pizzeria, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been in business since December 2021, Black Enterprise reports. Husband-and-wife duo Kerrel and Nkem Thompson launched Bird Pizzeria as a pop-up restaurant before entering the takeout space. The pizzeria combines the couple’s love for pizza, which they recalled was the meal they enjoyed on their first date. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BIRD (@birdpizzeria) Bird Pizzeria has plans to expand its space to allow dine-in seating for customers to enjoy their cuisine after the tattoo shop next door closed and the space became available. “We prayed about this space,” Nkem said, per The Charlotte Observer. “We’re just like, ‘Man, this would be amazing to be able to...
Entrepreneur Victor G. Harvey is behind what could be Florida’s first Black-owned distillery. According to a press release, Harvey has secured a $2.45 million loan issued by Fort Lauderdale’s Community Redevelopment Agency to create the Victory Entertainment Complex project, which will house various Black-owned businesses. The venture will cost about $6 million to build, and Harvey plans to support the rest of the cost through his personal investments. The two-story, 15,000-square-foot facility is projected to take 16 months to complete and will include a restaurant, cigar bar, whiskey lounge, event space, a rooftop bar, lounge, and a craft distillery named The Old Sistrunk Distillery, which Harvey believes to be the first Black-owned distillery in Florida. The craft distillery will include products from his company Victor George Spirits, such as VG Vodka, which is available in 44 states at retailers like Total Wine, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s. “This will bring the Black community a...
Master P is launching a health-focused food venture. On Juneteenth, June 19, the rapper- turned-businessman took to Instagram to announce the launch of Miller Family Foods. The company will promote healthy living by offering consumers better “alternatives in cereal, oatmeal, breakfast bars, pancakes, waffles and more, deliciously made with the highest quality, using natural ingredients and flavors from the earth it grows.” By design, its foods will be made without artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and colors, GMOs, and BHA/BHT. Furthermore, Miller Family Foods’ mission will be to diversify the products shelved in grocery stores. “We are evolving as a culture, we are no longer just consumers,” Master P said in a statement shared on Instagram. “We spend trillions of dollars annually with no real ownership, but that’s changing. African Americans want healthier food alternatives. I heard them loud and clear. And that’s why...