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Executive VP and chief marketing officer of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Melissa Proctor’s first foray into entrepreneurship is centered around wellness. UATL reports that Proctor is now the proud owner of a physician-led wellness center based in the Buckhead district. She says caregiving has always been second nature to her, a role she embraced early on while helping her mother, who struggled with obesity and suffered multiple strokes. As a high school senior and for years after, Proctor supported her mother in any way she could until her passing in 2012. “I was under the impression that if you eat well and regularly exercise, then you’d be good, but there are other things that come into play you may not control,” Proctor told the outlet. Pravida Health Proctor is fueled to create better health outcomes for others through Pravida Health, which opened July 24. The venture was also launched alongside Dr. Trevor Turner, who serves as medical director. He gained industry experience at the...
Rebundle Founder and CEO Ciara Imani May has accomplished a new feat. Rebundle It’s often an everyday struggle that sparks the next million-dollar idea, invention, or company. For May, her battle with itchy scalps resulted from wearing different protective styles. On the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, she revealed that one particular summer, while working at her first job out of college, she experienced intense scalp irritation due to using synthetic hair made from plastic. This became the stepping stone to finding a solution that was not riddled with hidden toxins, she shared. “Just had time on my hands to sort of look into it and was inspired to develop some hair extensions that would work for me in terms of comfort and safety, as well as not as harmful on the environment as the plastic,” she mentioned on the podcast. While speaking with the St. Louis Business Journal, May said she first started looking at lab samples of a few brands...
Bonded through friendship and now in business, this trio sounds unstoppable. Longtime best friends Shanna Watkins, Darean Rhodes, and Ashlyn Knox want to become disruptors in a market projected to hit $2.18 trillion by 2030, mentions Grand View Research . The trio, with varied career backgrounds, are behind Sensori, a non-alcoholic beverage launched in 2024 that will bring customers to a state of euphoria powered by functional ingredients such as kanna (a natural mood booster), reishi (for balance), lion’s mane (for mental clarity), green tea (for energy), and more. The founders tinkered with variations of their inaugural flavor, raspberry cucumber, for several months. After finding a sweet spot, they contacted a formulator and established an official partnership. Photo Credit: Sensori Several key moments led to Sensori’s formation. This included a nudge from Watkins’ fiancé at the time, Julion Pearre, who is now her husband. She shared on the “Sistervention” podcast that he...
Uncle Nearest has responded to a lawsuit that alleges it owes millions. Uncle Nearest was named the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in history by Forbes in 2024, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. It surpassed a $1 billion valuation, scaled to a 458-acre distillery, and can be found in over 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurants in 12 countries. The company was launched in 2017 by Fawn Weaver and her husband, Keith, and upholds the legacy of Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man credited with teaching Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. The company’s momentum is still faring well. Fawn Weaver revealed in an Instagram post that it has logged “double digital growth in revenue, volume, and velocity.” However, despite its continued momentum, the company faces a business hurdle brought on by a lawsuit. The Boston Business Journal reports that its lender, Farm Credit Mid-America of Louisville, KY, is seeking to have Uncle Nearest’s business placed into receivership,...
Heavy hitters are making their way to this year’s AFROTECH™ Conference. The annual tech event of the year for Black professionals, which has reached thousands of changemakers, innovators, and the next generation of technology leaders, is returning to Houston Oct. 27-31. It will be the place to be, and we encourage you to participate, whether as an attendee at a fireside chat or panel, guest at a mixer or networking event, or job seeker at the expo hall. Expect a dynamic lineup of panels and fireside chats covering Cybersecurity and Risk, Engineering, Data, Government and Civic, Product and Design, the Future of Work (HR), the Future of Health Care (AfroMedTech), Esports, Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Marketing, and Advertising. Meet The 2025 AFROTECH™ Headliners So Far This year’s programming will explore some of the tech industry’s most critical and fast-evolving sectors. Headliners include Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia State Representative who...
Entrepreneur and investor Arian Simone is turning adversity into action with the launch of Fearless Freedom. Simone, who serves as CEO and founding partner of the Fearless Fund, introduced the initiative in an Instagram video. She reflected on the legal battle her team faced starting in August 2023 — when the Fund’s grant program for Black women entrepreneurs was legally challenged over “racial exclusion,” as previously reported by AFROTECH™. “Storms don’t break us—they build us,” she said in the video. “Fearless Freedom is a bold global advocacy initiative to combat economic inequality and champion true economic freedom.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arian Simone (@ariansimone) A Global Push For Economic Access With Fearless Freedom, Simone is calling for a united effort to expand financial inclusion across borders. Designed as more than just a campaign, per her Instagram post, the initiative blends storytelling, policy conversations, and creative programming...
A feature prioritizing women’s safety is launching by a major rideshare company, but there are already women entrepreneurs who have been paving the way. Uber’s Latest Feature Promoting Women’s Safety CBS News reports that Uber will roll out a “Women Preferences” feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit , which will allow women users to select women drivers for their rides. This follows just over a year since Lyft also launched its Women + Connect feature, according to a press release. In a statement, Uber confirms there was a demand from U.S. women riders and drivers who wanted to match with other women. The company had already rolled out the feature in 40 countries, fulfilling 100 trips. It’s important to note that women riders also have the option to pre-book drivers, but should expect longer wait times, as only one in five Uber drivers are women. “We would like to get this into as many cities as we can during this pilot phase,” said Camiel Irving, Uber VP of operations...
Three Black women aim to close the racial wealth gap by building the access they want to see, launching culturally grounded, community-owned business schools by and for Detroiters. According to The Michigan Chronicle, Racheal Allen, Ebony Cochran, and Jessie Hayes are determined to build lasting infrastructure for the city’s overlooked entrepreneurs — proving that real business education isn’t just about profits; it’s about economic justice, shared knowledge, and long-term change. Ebony Cochran In June, Cochran — Michigan’s first Black woman to own a Little Caesars franchise, as AFROTECH™ r eported in 2022 — founded the Detroit Wealth Club, a 7,300-square-foot community business school on the city’s east side focused on entrepreneurship, credit literacy, financial planning, and real estate, The Michigan Chronicle reports. Offering educational programming, mentorship, peer accountability, and expert networks, Cochran calls it a movement — one she’s backed with $155,000 of her own...
After four years, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, founder of the clean beauty brand Ami Colé, announced on Instagram on Thursday (July 17) that she’s winding down the company. What began as a mission to create makeup that truly works for melanin-rich skin, grew into much more. It became a movement and a metaphorical home for many, just like the salon her mother once built, she noted. In the heartfelt post, N’Diaye-Mbaye called this moment “another love letter, not a goodbye.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ami Colé (@byamicole) “We were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are,” she wrote. “Let’s not forget bomb ass products!” From the earliest sketches in her Brooklyn, NY, apartment to seeing Ami Colé’s products on Sephora shelves across North America, she noted, N’Diaye-Mbaye turned a vision into reality. “This moment is bittersweet… Thank you for everything you’ve taught me about living your dreams out loud,” she wrote. She also...
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,”...
Taylor Rooks is launching a foundation that will assist Black and brown families. Taylor Rooks Foundation According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, the two-time Emmy Award-nominated journalist and producer was inspired by the stories she has told and people she has encountered throughout the course of her life to launch the Taylor Rooks Foundation. This has led to what will be a long-term effort to support storytellers and uplift Black and Brown individuals and families through education, health, and opportunity regardless of their “zip code, background, or bank account.” The nonprofit is guided by the following pillars: REACH (educational resources, community wellness initiatives, small business support, and direct giving) RELIEVE (support for health and recovery, crisis assistance, and essential living needs) REPRESENT (mentorship for journalists, storytelling workshops, and launch of Rising Rooks Award) “I believe that equity starts with access — access to care, to...
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...
Westbrook Inc., the entertainment studio founded by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada, is entering the anime world — and not quietly. According to a report from Variety, the company has announced a partnership with the newly formed Studio Azuki, signaling a global push that connects Hollywood storytelling with next-generation anime development. The collaboration pairs Westbrook with a new kind of anime studio, one rooted in Japanese tradition, driven by fan participation, and powered by digital culture. “…Our mission has always been to tell stories that connect, inspire, and transcend borders,” Yada, CEO of Westbrook, said via Variety. “…[Studio Azuki’s] creative vision and cultural insight align seamlessly with our global strategy.” Studio Azuki is a joint venture formed by digital-native brand Azuki, manga publisher Comisma Inc., and animation house Xenotoon Inc. Each brings something different to the table. Azuki, born from an NFT project, has already...
