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Could Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter have the Midas touch when it comes to the startups he touches? It depends on who you’re asking. If you ask food tech innovation company — HUNGRY — the answer could be “yes” as the Hip-Hop billionaire-backed startup has once again found its way to the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies list. It has managed to disrupt the food tech industry by providing corporate America with both amazing food and event solutions from top local chefs and restaurants. “It’s an incredible feat for a company focused on the corporate catering and events, especially given the last 2 1/2 years with the COVID pandemic,” said the company in a statement. “This year, HUNGRY came in at No. 1,218 on the 5,000-company list, making it part of the top 25 percent.”
When you’ve got Kevin Hart and Jay-Z on board, the only direction to go is up. At least that’s the case for HUNGRY, a technology-enabled food catering and delivery platform that provides healthy snacks to corporate employees. Forbes reports the subscription-based service — founded by Eman Pahlavani, Shy Pahlevani, and Jeff Grass in 2017 — has now acquired NatureBox.
HUNGRY first got a taste of the spotlight back in March 2020, at the start of what was supposed to be just a few weeks of a lockdown. At that time, the app got celebrity investors in the form of Jay-Z, several NFL players and comedian Kevin Hart in their Series B funding, which ultimately raised $20 million. But the looming threat of the pandemic weighed heavily on the founders’ minds. “Starting a business, in and of itself, is a daunting prospect,” co-CEO Shy Pahlevani told AfroTech. “But now, imagine starting a business — in the food service industry — at the start of the pandemic. We knew we were taking a gamble. But it’s a gamble we were willing to take, and it was one that paid off in the end.” The HUNGRY app works sort of the way Tinder does, in that it matches professional chefs with catering jobs. And the Series B funding wasn’t the first time that Hova’s Marcy Ventures Fund invested in the business — as AfroTech previously reported, the venture fund participated in the...
Hip hop billionaire Jay-Z continues to make power moves in business. For his latest business endeavor, the “4:44” rapper is teaming up with NFL players, including Bobby Wagner and Todd Gurley, to invest in Hungry’s $20 million Series B round, according to Forbes . View this post on Instagram A post shared by HUNGRY (@tryhungry) on Mar 5, 2020 at 6:38am PST However, this isn’t Hov’s first seat at this startup’s table. Last year, Hungry, which connects chefs with companies looking for catered meals, saw a hefty investment from Mr. Carter’s $85 million Marcy Ventures Fund . Since, according to reports, there’s an uptick in Hungry’s valuation, attracting additional interest from comedian superstar Kevin Hart. “Hungry is leveling the playing field for chefs and giving them economic opportunities that they never had before. I’m a big supporter of what this business stands for,” Hart said. Hungry was founded in 2016 by brothers Eman and Shy Pahlavani. With the help of Jay-Z, Hart,...
We talked to Felecia Hatcher, Executive Director of Code Fever, Blacktech Week and Space Called Tribe — a coworking and urban innovation lab, about entrepreneurship, ending innovation deserts and staying hungry for change. Code Fever has been introducing kids and adults to coding and resources in the tech space since 2012. The organization is bridging the gaps between technology and minority communities. Blacktech Week provides that inclusive environment in the form of a week-long national conference supporting entrepreneurs of color. And the newly-opened Space Called Tribe is one of two coworking spaces in Miami in historically black communities and/or run by black entrepreneurs according to South Florida Carribean News . Check out what Felecia had to say below, and keep an eye out for the Blacktech Week Roadshow, coming to a city near you . Photo: Courtesy of Felecia Hatcher AfroTech : When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? Did you always know it was in the cards for...
How mid-career Black tech professionals can turn raises into real returns. You got the raise. Maybe a title bump. Maybe equity. On paper, it’s progress. But a few pay cycles in, your spending’s up , family asks are louder, and your calendar feels less like control and more like chaos. The raise solved old problems. And surfaced new ones. Equity Means Nothing If You Don’t Understand It Equity sounds like a win until you’re staring at a vesting schedule you’ve never seen before. Mid-career is where the gaps show up: in your calendar, in your confidence, and in your checks. For Black professionals in tech, visibility is high but support is low. The infrastructure isn’t broken. It was never built for you . What AfroTech Insider Members Have That You Don’t Most people treat a raise like a reward. Insiders treat it like a runway. AfroTech Insider gives mid-career professionals the structure that raises don’t. Here’s how it works. Coaching That Levels You Up Monthly 1:1 sessions with HR...
Dr. D’Wayne Edwards learned knowledge was currency early on. As a young Black kid proudly repping Inglewood, CA, he refused to accept the projections others placed on him while pursuing a career in footwear design, despite having no formal college education. Still, he broke into the industry at just 19 as an entry-level designer for LA Gear, according to Southern University Law Center. Edwards attributes this to his hungry spirit and relentless drive to carve out space for himself in a field where few people looked like him. “I started to understand the the the the value of actually either asking for help or being proximity to help,” Edwards told AFROTECH™. “And then that allowed me to propel myself past them because I was hungry. And when you’re hungry, you do anything to eat…Mentally, I needed that fuel because there were a certain level of, I think, animosity for me because I felt like they looked at me like a charity case because I’m a young Black kid fresh out of high school...
Aisha Bowe nearly failed high school but she never allowed her dreams to escape her, leading her into space. Choosing Her Own Path In high school, a guidance counselor suggested that Bowe, a first-generation Bahamian-American, consider a career in cosmetology, since school had not been her strong suit at the time. However, it was through her father — who passed away in 2025 — that she found encouragement to pursue mathematics and reject the limited path the counselor had envisioned for her. On the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, Bowe acknowledges that the counselor’s restrictive views made her feel “demoralized,” so she chose not to apply to a four-year university and instead enrolled in a community college. Following a reality check, Bowe decided she wanted to become a NASA rocket scientist, a dream first envisioned by her father, who had initially moved to the United States to pursue this goal, notes Travel Noire. “I wanted to do...
Kevin Hart has taken over as CEO of his production company, HARTBEAT, marking the third leadership change in less than two years. According to Bloomberg, Hart stepped in just before Thanksgiving 2024 following a series of layoffs that impacted around 20 employees, nearly one-quarter of the company’s workforce. Shortly after the layoffs, CEO Jay Levine, Chief Financial Officer DJ Jacobs, and Chief Content Officer Brandon Smiley departed amicably due to disagreements about the company’s direction. HARTBEAT is a global, multi-platform media company dedicated to creating entertainment that blends comedy and culture. The company produces films, TV shows, audio series, and branded content. Founded in 2009, Hart merged his two high-growth, profitable companies, Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions, to form the current entity in 2022, per a press release. HARTBEAT was launched with a $100 million investment from the private equity firm Abry Partners, which took a minority stake in the...
Investor and “Shark Tank” judge Barbara Corcoran has high praise for Kevin Hart. Hart made an appearance as a guest judge on the show during its 13th season alongside Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner and others. The purpose of “Shark Tank” is to provide a platform for entrepreneurs across industries to pitch in front of powerhouse investors with hopes of securing their investment. Speaking of the importance of appearing on the show, Hart said, according to ABC Audio, “If I can reach back and give opportunities to others, to people of my community, to the younger generation that is coming up that should be our future leaders of tomorrow and our future groundbreakers of today and tomorrow, why not? I’m not in the business of just doing it for me. You know, I think that’s the role that we all play when we get to sit in these chairs, is the role of opportunity for not just ourselves but others.” Hart’s expertise in entertainment and business has made him an...
New beginnings are on the horizon for Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners. Founded in 2018 by Jay-Z, Jay Brown (former CEO of Roc Nation), and Larry Marcus (managing director at Walden VC), the venture capital firm invests in media, technology, products, and services that are culturally relevant and push boundaries, according to its LinkedIn profile. Its portfolio includes at least 24 companies, such as: Wheels (electric transportation company) Hungry Marketplace (food tech company) Savage X Fenty (lingerie brand) Spatial LABS (sLABS) (tech incubator) Madison Reed (beauty brand) Partake Foods (allergy-friendly food company) “Aligning with Marcy Venture Partners assists with our vision for elevating the youth as it relates to access and a means to true technological empowerment. The lasting impact of this relationship is not simply defined by the work we’re doing now, but by the immeasurable impact for generations of creators to come,” said Spatial LABS Founder Iddris Sandu at the time....
It’s been almost 12 years since the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took the lives of 26 people (20 of them children) in Newton, Connecticut. While Alex Jones, a well-known right-wing commentator and owner of Infowars, has since taken back his comments about the incident being a hoax , he still owes the families of the victims over $1 billion in personal damages after they took legal action against him for emotional distress and defamation. Despite the controversy surrounding his name , “ Jones and other right-wing commentators once on the fringe have catapulted in popularity as many people have moved away from traditional news sources,” the Associated Press notes. Thanks to those who still support him, the 50-year-old has made millions from his radio and internet shows, plus the sale of nutritional supplements, survival gear, clothing and other merchandise, keeping him afloat in tense times. Two years after filing for bankruptcy, Jones stands to lose the company he’s...
Buying a home can be an overwhelming and expensive purchase. On Friday, August 30, 2024, the current national average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 6.38%. The interest rates have gotten so high that John Hope Bryant , the founder of Operation HOPE , is trying to convince people that a 40-year mortgage plan is more fair. But when first-time homeowners and first-time investors are listening to Realtors, real estate attorneys and mortgage lenders discuss percentage rates, it may not seem as clear. That is, until new homeowners see property and interest (P&Is) really affect their monthly budget. (Varying property taxes can make budgeting even more complicated.) Photo credit: ArtTower Using Chicago as an example, if you bought a home in the Windy City right now (with very good credit between 700-739) for the city’s average home value of $305K , you’d pay about $1,729 per month for P&I. If that sounds high, the average rent in Chicago is $1,836 per month for a...
Team building and bonding between coworkers is important at work. This can be done through collaborative projects , team-building activities or employee get-togethers. Or the team can simply come together for a quick, light-hearted activity like solving these work riddles. These work riddles can also help get the brain active in the morning or provide a fun, unserious activity after a post-lunch slump . They range from short riddles and silly jokes to harder ones that will require a bit of brain power. See how many of these work riddles the team can solve. Simple And Easy Riddles Riddle: I’m not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, and I can drown. What am I? Answer: Fire. Riddle: I can only be given once, and many times not even then. The more you save me, the less you have of me. What am I? Answer: Time. Riddle: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I? Answer: Footsteps. Riddle: I have keys but no locks. I have space but no...
