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The Gathering Spot has secured strategic funding. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, The Gathering Spot, co-founded by Ryan Wilson and TK Petersen, is a private membership club that has made its way to major cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Houston. The Gathering Spot, which prides itself on creating an inviting and collaborative atmosphere, recently rolled out The Retreat, a 60,000-square-foot space that includes a pool, private dining rooms, and cabanas, all while overlooking Atlanta’s skyline. “I wanted our community to have access to the best spaces around,” Wilson said on “The Black Tech Green Money” podcast. “This is world class space that we we can go head-to-head with any favorite rooftop that you have around. It really is that sort of product. But the second thing is that I’ve always known that people connect or want to connect for different reasons.” He added, “If there’s a meaningful community conversation...
Amen Rahh, widely known as “Principal Rahh,” is a nationally recognized educator and best-selling author from Compton, CA, who first gained attention after leading a South Los Angeles high school to a 100% graduation rate. However, his mission took an unexpected turn. One of his students, Keon — an unhoused teen in foster care — had been accepted to Tuskegee University but couldn’t afford the final $480 he needed to attend. “He thought, ‘If I can get this $400, I can get out,'” Rahh told AFROTECH™. “Tragically, he lost his life before he could.” Rahh learned the news while working on his doctorate at UCLA and says the loss changed everything. “At [age] 34, I left my job and started a tech company to transform education,” Rahh said. The company — Knowlej — is using fintech innovation to reimagine what’s possible for underserved students nationwide. The Classroom To Real Life Since its 2023 launch, the fintech app Knowlej has reached more than 30,000 students, according to Rahh. He...
Despite the tumultuous landscape these days, The Gathering Spot CEO Ryan Wilson believes the tide will turn back toward prioritizing diverse communities. The U.S. has seen sweeping changes across industries. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled race-conscious admission programs at colleges and universities were no longer legal, notes NPR. In retail and big tech, companies such as Target, Walmart, Lowe’s, Meta, and Amazon pulled back on DEI commitments. At the federal level, President Donald Trump also moved to eliminate DEI programs, initiatives, and offices in the early months of his new administration, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, regardless of current attitudes being upheld, companies will ultimately have to include the Black community in their strategies if they hope to meet their goals, Wilson shares. “If you go back to 2021, 2022, some of these companies were falling over themselves trying to figure out how to get to Black consumers. And then now those same...
Chris Goode’s love for his grandmother lives on through his journey as an entrepreneur. The Kansas City, MO, native is the proud founder of the health and wellness brand Ruby Jean’s Juicery, which is making healthier food options more accessible to underserved communities. His personal call to action, and the name of the venture, was inspired by Ruby Jean, his grandmother, who stepped in to help his single mother raise four children. Ruby Jean didn’t speak much, but she showed her affection through cooking soul food, Goode explained in an interview with AFROTECH™. However, Ruby Jean developed various chronic illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, which eventually led to her being rushed to the hospital. She later passed away after her family made the decision to remove her from life support. Goode was 14 years old at the time, and since that day, he has pledged to keep her spirit alive. “The agony in myself and my mom and my siblings and my aunts, it’s something that I would never...
Jackie And Denis Asamoah are conquering the world of business hand in hand. Inception The married couple are the co-founders of FORVR Mood, a shared passion project that birthed a brand. Their company launched with distinctive candles and later expanded into a fragrance collection that includes I Am Her, You Remind Me, Hard To Get, and NDA, all intentional priced at $79. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FORVR MOOD (@forvrmood) For Jackie, it was a full-circle moment to enter an industry she believes has long been gatekept from Black founders and Black creators, she shared in an interview on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast. She remembered the first beauty product she could afford was perfume — a purchase that not only helped her bond with her mother but also proved useful in managing the hyperhidrosis (a condition that causes excessive sweating unrelated to heat or exercise) she developed at age 10. “I tie it back to bonding with my mom and also attributing it to the...
Praxis Labs has been acquired. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the company was co-founded by AFROTECH™ Future 50 honoree Elise Smith and launched as an “immersive practice-based platform that drives inclusive, engaged, and higher-performing teams” powered by AI. Praxis Labs’ product offerings are Pivotal Practice, which helps managers to improve their critical human skills, and Pivotal Experiences, 15-30-minute perspective-taking simulations intended to increase empathy and provide a practice ground for workplace scenarios, its website mentions. TechCrunch notes the company’s client pool includes eBay, Zoom, Amazon, Google, and Target. “For me, it’s how do we use technology to help us become even better humans, to help us be able to give feedback across differences, to navigate difficult conversations, to provide performance feedback and expectations with accountability and care in a way that actually serves us all better, that creates more value for everyone, doesn’t cause harm,”...
After being laid off from Google, DeMarcus Edwards decided to become the founder of an AI company. The Howard University alumni, with both a master’s and Ph.D. degree in computer science, has completed residencies at Netflix, Apple, Meta, and Google X in order to gain industry experience around adversarial machine learning, per The Dig at Howard University . This field is focused on manipulating a machine learning system through malicious inputs to attack or disrupt their function, according to Tech Target. DARE Labs It was ultimately Edwards’ role at Google, tasked with creating an AI-assisted exoskeleton alongside teammates, that would spark his transition to becoming a founder. He was laid off from the tech company and bootstrapped his own defense-tech startup, Atlanta-based DARE Labs, alongside his best friend Branford Rogers in April 2023 . Within this area of work, Edwards also has received guidance from Danda B. Rawat, Ph.D., his mentor and the associate dean for Research &...
New funding has been raised to improve intercity travel across Africa. BuuPass Founded in 2017, BuuPass markets itself as a digital ticketing platform for bus, train, and flight purchases, its website mentions. Its inception was sparked during the 2016 Hult Prize Challenge, a global student competition that asked students that year to create something that would “better connect people to goods, services, and resources.” For company co-founders Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, this equated to making transportation more efficient in Kenya. “We’re building the infrastructure that makes modern travel work across Africa. Every new route, every operator, every integration strengthens the network,” said Sonia Kabra, co-CEO of BuuPass, according to Techcabal. The platform requires four simple steps for users, such as entering their travel dates, after which they will be shown various travel routes and pricing, per its website. Once the user selects an ideal route, they can book directly on...
A woman-owned trading finance platform is now positioned to scale its footprint in Africa. Liquify Established in 2023 by Nadya Yaremenko and Alberta Asafo-Asamoah, the Ghanaian company is the “f irst fully digital trade finance platform on the continent,” its website mentions. It exists to connect small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa with capital markets across the globe. The Condia reports that the platform allows exporters to turn unpaid invoices into cash in the same day while investors can tap into a high-yielding asset class with the added perks of short maturities and low market correlation. What’s more, Liquify has integrated AI into its due diligence process to create more competitive rates for exporters selling to investment-grade buyers along with lower operational costs. “We built Liquify to unlock the $120 billion trade-finance gap holding back Africa’s most dynamic SMEs,” Yaremenko (CEO) said, according to The Condia. $1.5M Raise Liquify has already financed $4...
Entrepreneur Jordyn Weaver is bridging the gap between creators and Black-owned businesses. Forefront Weaver, who comes from a non-technical background, built a team to help her bring Forefront’s vision to life. The company was founded in 2020, initially operating within the social commerce industry. Consumers could discover and shop Black-owned brands and also invite their friends into the process. On the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast, Weaver said while the platform still carries this sentiment, it has pivoted its focus to creators. Forefront markets itself as a “content and creator marketplace for the culture.” Emerging brands looking to connect with culture and tap into influencer marketing organically could benefit from the platform. Influencer marketing is projected to be a $480 billion industry, according to Goldman Sachs. Creators can onboard the platform and have the chance to interact with BIPOC brands to spark gifted, paid and UGC partnerships, according to the...
South African brewer Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela wants to see more diversity within the beer industry. Nxusani-Mawela is the founder of Tolokazi Premium Beer & Cider, which offers a variety of beers and ciders that honor the legacy of African female brewers and is inspired by the Tolo Kingdom’s history of brewing, according to information shared on her LinkedIn. She began brewing back in 2007 after obtaining a microbiology degree from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Pretoria, mentions AP News. She also found that she was able to put her science background to good use with brewing. “I sort of fell in love with the combination of the business side with the science, with the craftsmanship and the artistic element of brewing,” she told AP News. This led Nxusani-Mawela to receive further education at the Institute of Brewing and Distilling between 2006 and 2014. By 2019, she positioned herself as a founder within the brewing industry and also owns a brewery that sits in...
Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper are returning to Detroit using their business as a tentpole. The Morehouse College graduates are the visionaries behind Eastside Golf, a golf apparel lifestyle brand launched to bring more attention to youth golfers and energize interest in golf among those who don’t commonly play the sport, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The pair did not have a background in fashion, but made the risky move to quit their full-time corporate jobs in America to put everything into the venture, according to AFROTECH™. That move has fared well for the entrepreneurs. Their business secured $3.4 million in funding in 2024 through a round led by EP Golf Ventures, a partnership between the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) and Elysian Park Ventures. The pair also debuted a footwear collaboration with Nike in 2024 and have secured partnerships with the MLB, NFL, NBA, Mercedes-Benz USA and Jordan Brand, AFROTECH™ previously reported. What’s more, the...
Anthony Anderson is succeeding in business alongside fellow comedian and “Barbershop” castmate Cedric the Entertainer. AC Barbeque The pair fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming owners of a lifestyle barbecue brand named AC Barbeque in 2022, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. According to the company’s website, the brand seeks to uphold pillars of Black excellence and family tradition while helping consumers improve their grilling skills through tools, flavor and community. Speaking on the transition from acting to entrepreneurship, Anderson emphasized that the key to successfully navigating the food industry is surrounding oneself with business-minded individuals who understand how to identify opportunities for success. This was during an interview with AFROTECH™ while at the Essence Festival of Culture — presented by Coca-Cola — in the New Orleans Caesars Superdome. “To know what you don’t know and to prepare for that and to surround yourself with people who are much smarter...
Former college athlete Santia Deck has created a platform she wishes were available while in high school. Deck has launched an all-in-one recruiting and NIL application for overlooked high school athletes , according to Winning Her Way, the sports-focused media company she founded. Recalling her high school days, it was difficult to connect with track college coaches in Texas, she mentioned on the platform. Without a clear blueprint, countless hours were spent sending highlight reels to coaches, just hoping for a response. “When I was a high school athlete, I wanted it so badly. To run track at a college in Texas. To get seen. To get a shot,” she said. Now, Deck has launched Winning Your Way Recruiter. The app will make it easier for college athletes to not only connect with college coaches, but also capitalize on their names, images or likeness (NIL), something that was non-existent during her time playing college sports. The app is available for $15 per month, and high school...
This Black-owned restaurant received a stamp of approval from Jay-Z and Beyoncé! Taste Kitchen + Bar Downtown Houston’s Taste Kitchen + Bar is a beloved Southern comfort and brunch restaurant owned by University of Houston alum Chef Don Bowie. Its current location is situated in downtown at 420 Main St. and opened in 2022. Customers can line up as early as 8 a.m. for brunch items that include peach cobbler waffles, steak and eggs, and elevated grits. Also featured on its menu is smothered chicken, greens, candied yams, jerk lamb chops paired with smoked gouda mac and cheese, cajun or smothered fries, and also various cocktails desserts. “At Taste, we don’t just serve food—we serve soul,” Bowie told Houston Style Magazine. “Each dish tells a story rooted in tradition, culture, and celebration.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taste Kitchen + Bar (@tastekitchenbar) Taste Kitchen + Bar has seen an influx of customers over the years, but over the weekend, Bowie received...