Autumn Adeigbo has gone from a one-woman show to a team of four, increased revenue by 400 percent, and attracted attention from A-list stars including Mindy Kaling, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kerry Washington. A year and a half ago, she raised $1.3 million in investments and set up shop in Los Angeles. Now Adeigbo, who is known for her bright designs and women’s ready-to-wear, just secured funds of nearly $3 million, led by venture capital firm Offline Ventures. This brings her total investments to more than $4 million. Brit Morin, the general
Mikayla Harris, a senior from Morgan State University, a school that breeds excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, was awarded $15,000 from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation for 2021. Harris is Morgan State University’s second consecutive scholar to win the highly competitive Astronaut Scholarship. In a nationwide selection, 60 top junior and senior STEM students across 44 universities were awarded the scholarship, which aids students with mentors, professional and personal development, and networking with astronauts, C-suite level executives, and industry leaders to help advance their careers. Harris said she applied to represent
Exclusive NFTs Of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal ‘Before They Were Pros’ Set To Go Live
NBA fans will soon have the opportunity to gain exclusive content on athletes Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Shaquille O’Neal before they became household names. Binance NFT Marketplace is set to launch the “Before They Were Pros” NFT series, which will feature “a unique time capsule video and represent a flashback of these fantastic athletes during their high school days,” according to a press release. The launch is a part of a distinguished collection produced by Total Digital Group with licensing from MediaMineLLC set to debut on Sept. 28, 2021. It
Rheaply, a startup that specializes in recycling and sourcing unused items, has just announced that it received an undisclosed amount of funding from the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Game Changer Fund. The firm also combines a resource-sharing network with a user-friendly resource management platform. The investment is meant to help the Black-owned venture build an online exchange for building products and other resources. The exchange, which is set to launch in late 2022, will enable businesses in the greater Bay Area to access surplus and salvaged resources at cost-effective rates.
Black-Owned Start-Ups Awarded $1.2M In Financial Support Thanks To The Meda Million Dollar Challenge
Three Black founders have walked away with enough money to make their businesses flourish after the largest Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurial competition in the nation picked them as winners. This is the fourth annual competition where five companies received $1.2 million in financial support. Metropolitan Economic Development Association – also known as Meda – was founded by a group of Minnesota business leaders looking to attack inequity within minority communities in the state. “Meda operates a growing Community Development Fund Institution (CDFI) that provides needed capital for BIPOC businesses
Polaris, founded by journalist Rahman J. Dukes, is on its way to becoming the first Black-owned free ad-supported streaming channel to land on VIZIO SmartCast. Duke’s platform is focused on becoming a channel that celebrates Black culture and delivers unique entertainment experiences to SmartCast users. With guidance from the Polaris board, media personality Sway Calloway – from MTV – and music historian Shaheem Reid, Polaris hopes to deliver a “superior viewing experience through authentic, meaningful content that channels the spirit of African culture and music.” It was specifically designed to uncover
Black-led Investment Bank, Loop Capital, Partners With Goldman Sachs To Help Close Racial Wealth Gap
Black-led investment bank Loop Capital and Goldman Sachs have just announced a partnership to launch a new money market fund that will benefit Black women pursuing careers in STEM. The two money market fund share class offerings will be available exclusively to Loop Capital and Goldman Sachs clients, and a portion of the revenue from the share classes will go to causes that impact increasing racial equity, according to a statement. The Loop Capital share classes will be offered as part of the Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund and
Singer-songwriter Doja Cat is taking the NFT world by storm and outselling major investor Jay Z as her single edition NFT sells for $188k – becoming the most oversized auctioned item in Tezos history. Doja first announced her first non-fungible token (NFT) collection earlier this month with green NFT marketplace OneOf. OneOf is built on the Tezos blockchain, recognized as an “energy efficient proof-of-stake network,” according to the company‘s website. It also claims to offer some of the most affordable transaction fees for users looking to tap into the world
Citi has announced its next round of investments through the Citi Impact Fund, a $200 million fund launched last year to invest in companies that are addressing some of the biggest societal challenges. Daylight, Flume, and Stackshare are among the list of companies included in the round. This brings the Impact Fund’s total number of investments to 23 companies – more than half of which are founded by women and/or minorities. Ed Skyler, Head of Global Public Affairs at Citi, said: “The portfolio of the Citi Impact Fund keeps growing as we continue to
Elizabeth L. Carter, Esq., LLC, a Black-owned securities law firm, has just launched a legal fund to support Black businesses that plan to raise capital through crowdfunding campaigns and other means. Ms. Carter, whose firm created the #BlackCapitalMatters Gift Legal Fund, is seeking corporate and individual contributions to the fund, which will help subsidize securities legal services for Black-owned businesses. It will also allow the firm to provide legal support at below-market-rate so that more Black-owned businesses can combat the disparities in investing that they often face. Black-owned entities, including businesses, nonprofits,
