University of South Carolina Gamecocks player Raven Johnson has secured a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Black beauty tech company Parfait. Parfait, powered by AI and facial recognition technology, aims to provide custom wig products that address two major issues: AI biases in tech and the fragmented wig-buying process for millions of Black and brown women. Founded by four women, the company has developed an algorithm to change tech interactions with communities of color. Leading New Standards For Female Athletes According to Andscape, Isoken Igbinedion, co-founder and CEO
NBA legend Dwyane Wade is leveraging his influence through an online community dedicated to transgender youth and their families. On Thursday, Wade received the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award at The Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit in South Florida, which comes with $250,000 in unrestricted funding. Wade received the award in recognition of his advocacy for the transgender community and his work with the Wade Family Foundation. Following his acceptance of the award, Wade announced the launch of Translatable. Translatable: A Safe Space For Transgender Youth Translatable, funded by
NBA legend Charles Barkley has pledged a $1 million donation to St. Mary’s Academy, where two high school students, Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Johnson, claimed to have solved a mathematical mystery. The duo’s work, unveiled at the American Mathematical Society’s Annual Southeastern Conference, presented a new proof of Pythagoras’ theorem that many mathematicians thought impossible. Jackson and Johnson have submitted their discoveries for final peer review and publication. NBA Legend Charles Barkley’s Donation After learning about their achievement during a segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes” featuring St. Mary’s Academy, Barkley was deeply moved
Lisa Leslie, a celebrated icon in women’s basketball, has ventured into the metaverse with LootMogul to transform sports fan engagement. The three-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist joins LootMogul as the brand ambassador and business partner. Bringing sports fans and influencers together This move marks a significant transition for Leslie from her days on the court to an innovative realm in the tech industry. LootMogul is a multiverse blockchain gaming platform where sports enthusiasts and influencers converge. The platform uses blockchain, NFTs, and the metaverse to provide
Robinhood, the renowned trading and investing platform, has partnered with Rich Paul, the founder of KLUTCH Sports Group and LeBron James’ agent. Robinhood ventures into sports and entertainment Robinhood is a stock brokerage that allows customers to buy and sell stocks, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies with zero commission. Announced on Thursday, this collaboration marks Robinhood’s ambitious venture into the realms of sports, entertainment, and media. The fintech firm prides itself on introducing a diverse range of first-time investors to the market, aligning with Paul’s impactful history in sports management. Meet
Tennis star Venus Williams has brought her design talents to Palazzo, a generative AI-based interior design platform bridging the gap between design and personalization. The service, co-founded by Williams, Raffi Holzer, and Edward Lando, allows users to reimagine their living spaces with the help of advanced technology. Palazzo Palazzo introduces a new approach to interior design, blending the ease of technology with design expertise. Users can upload photos of their rooms and, through a conversation with an AI chatbot, witness a convincing transformation of their space. Palazzo, currently in beta, holds vast
Tech entrepreneur Andre Swanston has become Connecticut’s first Black majority owner of a professional sports team. Meet Andre Swanston Swanston’s path to this milestone is a testament to his relentless work ethic, instilled by his father, an immigrant from St. Kitts and Nevis. Swanston ventured into the financial sector after obtaining a finance degree from La Salle University and a business degree from the University of Connecticut. He held positions at companies such as Ameriprise Financial and JPMorgan Chase & Co. However, his ambitions extended beyond the financial world. During the
Twitch streamer Kai Cenat has announced his partnership with Nike, becoming the first streamer to forge such a connection with the global sportswear brand. Meet Kai Cenat Cenat is a 22-year-old American content creator who streams on Twitch and posts videos to YouTube. He shared his first video on his main YouTube channel in 2018, and the channel now has nearly 5 million followers. Since then, he has grown his audience across two different YouTube accounts and his Twitch channel, now with 9 million followers. Cenat has also won Streamer
Black-owned StatusPRO has reached a historic milestone with a $20 million Series A funding round from Google Ventures (GV), making it one of the largest Series A of any VR gaming company. StatusPRO StatusPRO was founded by Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins and Troy Jones, who each had a unique journey that propelled them into the tech space as Black co-founders of a budding startup. Leaning on their experiences as former athletes, the duo wanted to help others better understand what it takes to compete at the highest levels from an athlete’s first point of view. Their vision manifested
Commercial real estate business owner and broker Dustin Sutton is creating a technology to benefit golfers. Sutton’s vision is to create augmented reality (AR) — enhanced smart glasses — designed and tailored for golfers through his company, RangEZ, Inc. According to the San Diego Business Journal, Sutton said the company, which is less than a year old, aims to launch its first product by the end of 2024. “Over the past seven months, this journey has transformed from a mere idea into a tangible pursuit,” he said. RangEZ Smart Glasses RangEZ smart glasses
