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Ray Allen turned down a lucrative offer as a rookie to sign with Nike. The California-born athlete was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996 during the first round as the fifth pick, according to ESPN. He was traded that same day to the Milwaukee Bucks with a three-year rookie contract valued at $6.2 million, per Spotrac. Allen’s earnings helped him remain level-headed when he was receiving offers from FILA and Nike. He already had his mind set on Nike and was not even swayed by a six-figure offer from FILA, despite having a prior sponsorship deal with the company. “ I almost ended up wearing FILA. My agent at the time tried to make me accept a check for a $100,000 but they were telling me they were going to give me a signature shoe,” he told Sports Illustrated in a 2017 interview. “It was either FILA or Nike at the time, and (FILA) told me (I’d get) the signature shoe for five years years but the first two I had to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, steals or assists....
Similar to how Michael Jordan’s name and likeness helped Nike to become heavy in the culture, Grant Hill rocking Fila made the footwear company blow up in the ’90s. Though the former NBA star signed with the brand, there was once a Nike deal on the table. During an interview on “Knuckleheads” podcast, Hill recalled initially being sold on Nike and speaking with its founder Phil Knight, who had the vision for the brand’s global expansion.
Rejection led Druski to bet on himself. The comedian and content creator, born Drew Desbordes, has brought belly laughs to the masses. His content creation journey started by propping up a phone in his mother’s home. Today, the grind has led him to establish a loyal fanbase, which includes over 20 million followers, and changed the course of his life trajectory. He went from being a broke college student to being named among the 2025 Forbes’ Top Creators list — with an estimated $14 million in earnings — all while self-funding his dreams. “A lot of those skits, you get nothing in return money wise, because it goes on TikTok or Instagram or X or Facebook. It’s a big sacrifice, but it’s worked for me so far,” Druski said during an exclusive interview with AFROTECH™. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DRUSKI (@druski) The decision to self-fund his own ventures followed after several rejections while attempting to seek a traditional deal. While he isn’t opposed to that route,...
Tennis champ Coco Gauff continues to win and inspire. For the past two years, Gauff has been the highest-paid female athlete in the world, AFROTECH™ previously reported. The 21-year-old earned $30.4 million in 2024, which includes her prize earnings and endorsement deals such as Naked Juice, Bose, Wheaties Cereal, Carol’s Daughter, and Rolex. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ROLEX (@rolex) The Atlanta, GA, native won the 2025 French Open on Saturday, June 7, in Paris, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 to secure her second Grand Slam singles title after winning the 2023 U.S. Open. The win marks Gauff’s 10th career title and first Women’s Tennis Association title of the year. Earning $2.9 million from this win brings her total prize earnings to $27.3 million, according to Sportico. She took to Instagram to reflect on what the win meant to her, shedding light on the doubts she had previously held and overcome. “Waking up and starting to realize it was indeed not a...
Black inventors and entrepreneurs have played a crucial role in shaping industries, improving daily life, and driving technological advancements, often overcoming systemic barriers to bring their ideas to life. Despite facing discrimination and a lack of recognition, many Black inventors revolutionized everything from agriculture and medicine to transportation and communication. Their innovations continue to impact the world today, proving that ingenuity and perseverance can break through any obstacle. Garrett Morgan: Innovator Of Public Safety Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor whose creations have saved countless lives. Born in 1877, he is best known for developing the modern three-position traffic signal, which introduced a warning light between “stop” and “go,” significantly reducing accidents. This invention was later patented and sold to General Electric. Morgan also invented the gas mask, which he originally designed to protect firefighters from smoke inhalation. His...
Allen Iverson has made history in the world of memorabilia. Iverson is recognized as a legend in the NBA. He retired from the league in 2013 and was later inaugurated into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His name remains influential today, extending his impact beyond the court. The Virginia native currently serves as Vice President of Reebok Basketball (as of 2023), working alongside the President of Reebok Basketball, Shaquille O’Neal, to shape the next generation of the game. “We gonna do big things. We gon’ work hard. We gon’ give people what they want. We gonna take care of our youngsters,” he said in an interview uploaded to YouTube. Iverson’s involvement with Reebok also includes a lifetime deal. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he initially signed a 10-year deal valued at $50 million when he was drafted to the league, securing a spot with the Sixers. In 2001, he earned a lifetime deal after the team made its way to the finals and earned MVP. He now receives...
Having a game plan always pays off. Anderson Douglas, a Houston, TX-based professional with a background in engineering, has spent nearly a decade working as a sales consultant. At one point in his career, he transitioned into the tech industry but stepped away for some time until November 2024. “I felt like the position that I was in, it was great pay. I just wasn’t maximizing my potential in regards to having an engineering background,” he told AFROTECH™. Douglas applied to countless tech roles and was receiving rejection emails. However, his fate would change during his attendance at AFROTECH™ Conference held in November 2024 in Houston, TX. Douglas purchased a corporate ticket, and his approach for the conference was to build authentic connections rather than focus solely on leaving with an offer. By engaging on the expo floor and having less formal follow-up conversations at events, he strengthened his connections with recruiters. He also leveraged a 15-second elevator pitch,...
Former NBA teammates and Hall of Famers Tracy McGrady and Vinca Carter have invested in the Buffalo Bill’s organization, which is currently valued at $4.2 billion, per Forbes. According to a post shared on the team’s official Instagram account, the Bills announced 10 limited partners to join the franchise, marking the first time the team has added limited partners. According to ABC News, the group was approved on Dec. 11, 2024, by owners Terry and Kim Pegula, who purchased the team for $1.4 billion in 2014 and will retain a 79% stake. The Buffalo Bills’ ownership group now includes three former Black professional athletes: McGrady, Carter, and former U.S. Men’s National Team soccer player Jozy Altidore. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) Check out the breakdown below. McGrady McGrady is no stranger to the world of business. After retiring from the league in 2013 with $130 million in career earnings, he expanded his portfolio into real estate,...
Leading with integrity over the dollar sign is food reviewer Keith Lee’s mantra. Keith Lee is renowned for his social media presence, where he shines a spotlight on small-owned businesses , helping them gain widespread attention. With 16.8 million followers on TikTok and a staggering 794.2 million likes (as of this writing), his influence is undeniable. Beyond amplifying businesses, Keith is also known for his restaurant reviews, many of which have gone viral. His reviews carry significant weight, often referred to as the “Keith Lee Effect” — a phenomenon where his endorsement can skyrocket a business’s popularity, while a less favorable review might have the opposite impact. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , Keith Lee’s platform played a pivotal role in supporting Soul Prime Chicago, founded by Shonya “Chef Royce” Williams. At the time, the restaurant was facing financial struggles just four months after opening, struggling to pay its staff. Following Lee’s video, customer...
Snoop Dogg and his son Cordell Broadus are winning in business together. Among their shared ventures is Dr. Bombay Ice Cream. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the brand was inspired by a moment of frustration Snoop Dogg experienced while trying to mix different flavors during a bout of the munchies. Now the ice cream brand, which hit the ground running in July 2023, comes in countless flavors such as: Strawberry Cream Dream Baked Blueberry Muffin Tropical Sherbet Swizzle Peanut Butter Jelly Time Iced Out Orange Cream Syrupy Waffle Sundaze S’more’s Vibes “Ice cream is more than just a snack to me; it’s a way to chill, relax, and get happy. That’s exactly what I want Dr. Bombay Ice Cream to do. Bring a smile to your face and ease your mind. I’ve poured my heart and soul into perfecting these first seven flavors…,” Snoop Dogg said when launching the brand, according to Dairy Foods. Blavity reports that the company has expanded into Walmart and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and...
Certain innovations shaping the world today owe their existence to the ingenuity of Black inventors. Among these notable figures stands the luminary Garrett Morgan, whose groundbreaking invention of the three-light traffic signal revolutionized urban transportation safety. Marie Van Brittan Brown’s pioneering work was developing one of the earliest home security systems. Additionally, Alexander Miles’ creation of automatic elevator doors is proof of the profound impact of Black inventors, alongside countless others who have left their mark on various fields. Sometimes the work of these heroes goes unnoticed in society. Black History Month serves as an annual reminder to amplify the voices of these changemakers, a mission that has become paramount for Kobie Fuller, a general partner at Upfront Ventures since 2016. Work In Venture Capital His work in amplifying Black voices has been a constant across his more-than-20-year career in venture capital, which began one year after he...
Chick-fil-A has announced that it’s offering $5 million in grants for non-profit organizations. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the popular True Inspiration Awards™ grant program has made its applications available, which you can download here. The company said that grants totaling $5 million will be spread across 34 not-for-profit organizations and that Black-led non-profits are encouraged to apply. “There are incredible nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada working to address key issues that disproportionately affect communities of color in the areas of education, homelessness, and hunger,” said Rodney Bullard, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc., in the press release announcement. “Through our annual True Inspiration Awards, we are honored to help these organizations, based in the communities we serve, extend their impact, helping to pave the way for greater opportunity and equity.” After eligible non-profits...
The son of two escaped slaves from Virginia, Lewis Howard Latimer was raised in Massachusetts. Latimer’s father was found by his owner and tried, though he was eventually allowed to purchase his freedom in Massachusetts. However, the outcome of the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford U.S. Supreme Court case, which held that slaves must be freed from the state in which they were enslaved to be free, caused the elder Latimer to fear for his safety. His father fled to protect his family, and Lewis Latimer and his family split up, with the male children living on a farm and his sisters staying with a family friend. At 16-years-old, Latimer joined the Navy for two years, and after receiving an honorable discharge, he went to work at a patent law firm, eventually becoming a draftsman. In 1873, Latimer married Mary Wilson Lewis; they later had two daughters. A year after his marriage Latimer, co-patented a new toilet system for railroad trains. Two years later, he was hired directly by Alexander...