Venita Cooper and Vincent Sanders have created an AI-powered sneaker resale price-prediction startup – Arbit. According to their website, Arbit is the only price prediction model designed to empower sneaker buyers to get fair prices in the resell market. They collect real-time prices from trusted sites, providing pricing insights and trend analysis that allows users to shop prices on one app. Arbit’s Journey Cooper’s passion for sneaker culture began in 2019 when she opened Silhouette Sneakers and Art in Tulsa, which attracted attention from Brian Brackeen in 2021. After more than four years in the business, Cooper announced
Black Tech Nation Ventures (BTN.vc), a venture firm based in Pittsburgh, has announced the final close of a $50 million inaugural fund. BTN.vc This fund specifically targets software startups led by founders from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, female, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. BTN.vc’s founding in 2020 resulted from a collaboration between three serial entrepreneurs, Kelauni Jasmyn, David Motley, and Seán Sebastian. The focus addresses the long-standing issue of inequity in funding and anticipates significant returns within the venture industry. “We set up BTN.vc to equip and train a
