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Uncle Nearest is making history as the fastest-growing American whiskey brand ever, according to Forbes. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Fawn Weaver serves as founder and CEO and established the company to honor “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. The company has since received significant backing, even in the midst of Weaver’s clear stance that she has no intention of selling the business, which has grown to include a 458-acre distillery with the world’s longest bar (518 feet). Products are now featured in over 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurants in 12 countries. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey (@unclenearest) By November 2023, Weaver had raised $225 million in individual support. Per Forbes, the business is backed by 163 individual investors, providing an average check of $500,000 a person. “The most difficult thing in starting any business. It’s always the capital,” Weaver told...
Another win for Derrick Hayes. The Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks founder and CEO has secured a four-year agreement that will scale the business at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Starting in 2022, he had two portable vendor cart slots placed around the stadium and soon expanded to three. Now, sports fans will be able to visit a brick-and-mortar location in Section 107 of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and enjoy staple items such as signature cheesesteaks, seasoned fries, chicken tenders, and its newest offering, the Fried Chicken Cheesesteak. The new location will replace the carts. “We are thrilled to secure this four-year deal with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, further expanding the reach of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks,” Hayes said in a news release. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to bring our exceptional food to even more fans and event-goers. We look forward to being a proud sponsor and delivering an unparalleled dining experience at one of the world’s premier sports and...
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...
The Beyoncé effect strikes again! The world is still processing the brilliance behind the Houston, TX-born artist’s latest album “Cowboy Carter,” which features singles including “Blackbiird,” “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “Riiverdance.” The album is certainly making its mark in music, breaking records as the most-streamed album in a single day on Spotify in 2024 when it was released, People reports. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, the eighth time for the star on the chart. To no surprise, “Cowboy Carter” could be a contender for next year’s Album of The Year at the Grammy Awards too. While its status in music is clear, the album is also making its way in business. According to NBC News, Black-owned businesses have experienced an increase in demand for cowboy apparel following its release. This includes athleisure brand KIN Apparel founded by Philomina Kane, who jokingly shared as an April Fool’s prank on Instagram that the brand would be selling satin-lined cowboy...
According to the Associated Press, Atlanta, GA-based venture capital firm Fearless Fund “faced tough questions from conservative judges” on Wednesday, Jan. 31, as it fought for its grant program to further support Black-women-owned businesses. As AFROTECH previously told you, Fearless Fund was hit with a lawsuit by Edward Blum and his American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) group in August 2023 on the basis that the fund was carrying out “explicit racial exclusion” and violated the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
In 2020, Aurora James shook up the business world with a disruptive idea. As previously reported by AfroTech, the designer founded the Fifteen Percent Pledge following the murder of George Floyd to demand corporations to commit 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. Now, nearly three years later, it appears that James’ call for action has paid off.
This mother-daughter duo’s story is a testament to the power of timing.
Heinz has become a restaurant and household staple for decades. Now, the beloved brand continues to work toward a greater cause by teaming up with Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice to equip Black restaurant owners with the resources needed to win big. Thanks to a partnership between Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice, Heinz, as well as a plethora of bakers, chefs, and restaurant owners to offer grants that range between $15,000 and $25,000 to Black-owned food establishments as they work to scale and grow their businesses, a blog post revealed. “I really want to make sure that these Black-owned restaurants are seen, heard, and can build these legacy businesses,” said Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice Founder Cheryl Day. “From the heart, I want to make sure they are sustainable and that we’re offering what they need.” Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative is back for year 2 of championing and supporting Black-owned restaurants, eateries & food initiatives with our partners...
EquityCoin is not your average company using blockchain technology. In fact, they may be the only company that is not only Black and Latinx-owned but also uses the new technology to combat the homelessness crisis in America — with an ultimate goal to reach $1 billion in wealth in communities of color by the year 2030. In a press release announcement, EquityCoin revealed that their first step to creating equitable and affordable housing using blockchain technology was by creating a digital token. Its next phase of development involves the creation of what they’re calling EquityShare, which streamlines the tokenization process between the prospective unhoused buyer and real estate agents. The transactions will take place on the Ethereum -based blockchain. “By marrying blockchain technology and affordable housing, we will revitalize urban areas from coast to coast, building a more healthy, livable, and sustainable society. It’s not only important to do the work, but also to have the...
Ciearra Baker probably never thought she’d become known as the “Vending Machine Mom” when she made a Christmas Eve post on Facebook. The single mother from St. Louis, MO, quickly went viral when she posted a photo of her children with a rather unconventional “present.” “Let’s not handicap these kids making their lives easy,” wrote the woman who would become known as the Vending Machine Mom. “I’m not buying toys my kids most definitely will understand. Life is not easy and making the right choices with money & etc… So I came up with the idea to invest in a vending machine for the kids as Christmas gift #Young bosses in the making 👌💪🏽👏🏽🤑 MERRY XMAS!” Some commenters thought the idea was a good one. “I love this so much! I started selling candy at school when I was little to make my money and now I’m 24 and have a small business and I love it!” wrote one woman. Others, however, weren’t as welcoming to the idea. “Not you shaming other parents for getting their kids gifts instead of...
Growing up in poverty, James Brown understood — perhaps better than anyone — t he importance of education. He also knew that for many Black men and women like him, college was an impossibility due to finances. That’s why, in his lifetime, the Godfather of Soul wanted to use his estate to fund scholarships for those who needed it. Now, 15 years after James Brown passed away, that dream has become a reality thanks to a new deal made with Primary Wave Music. Bloomberg reports that the company — which has made similar deals with the likes of Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, and Prince’s estate — has just agreed to purchase Brown’s estate for an estimated $90 million. But this deal is not without its issues. For the past 15 years, several people — including five children of James Brown — have been battling it out in probate court to gain control of the estate. Before any money can be paid out, lawsuits must be decided and settled between current and former executors of the estate. It’s...
About a year ago, Google fired their star artificial intelligence (AI) researcher. Now, she’s bounced back with a firm of her own that received $3.7 million in funding from the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kapor Center, Open Society Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. We are @DAIRInstitute — an independent, community-rooted #AI research institute free from #BigTech 's pervasive influence. Founded by @timnitGebru . https://t.co/t7UyaVfmVH — Distributed AI Research Institute (@DAIRInstitute) December 2, 2021 The Washington Post tells the story of Timnit Gebru, a prominent artificial intelligence computer scientist who just founded Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR) . The institute, according to the outlet, “aims to both document harms and develop a vision for AI applications that can have a positive impact on the same groups.” And there’s no better person to lead that charge than Gebru, who was instrumental in noting that facial recognition...