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What began as unfamiliar territory for Haley Bryant has become her mission — to democratize access to venture capital through her work at Hustle Fund. The Boston native comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Her father worked at Bank of America in London and later launched an investment business and then a consultancy. She was inspired to bet on herself throughout her career by observing her father’s blueprint as well as that of other family members. Her mother owns a public policy consultancy, and her sister is a leader of Sick Sad Girlz Club, a community of more than 30,000 women with chronic illness. Bryant initially planned to become a journalist and attended the University of Virginia, earning a degree in media studies and communications by 2010. However, she was always drawn to technology, she says, which led her to Apple and its retail stores after college. She onboarded as an associate and, within four years, rose to senior manager, leading stores that were earning millions...
Miami-based founders Justin Elliott and Jahreem Samuels have scored an investment for their AI and blockchain-verified commerce platform. The pair’s journeys brought them together, and they became united in business through shared pain points in their respective industries. Elliott explored mechanical engineering while in high school, but in college, he shifted to marketing, maintaining an interest in web development, and eventually became the head of digital marketing and e-commerce for a jewelry company that launched several businesses. “I’ve always had my own businesses where I’ve had to learn how to build websites, learn how to do the marketing, learn about SEO, so I’ve always been on that side of things,” Elliott told AFROTECH™. “I’ve also been in music, so like engineering, technical side, and music has always been parallel in my life.” For 10 years, Elliott worked as a full-time DJ, touring globally, until the pandemic hit. At what felt like the height of his career, he no...
Black-woman-owned Prismm has secured significant funding to help families in times of crisis. Prismm Prismm is a transaction-enabled digital vault. It stores critical records that become essential during an emergency. Users can upload documents, property and asset information, and financial accounts. They can also add beneficiaries, trusted persons, lawyers, executors, or advisors as connections, granting them view-only, view-and-modify, or no access across all categories, according to the company’s website. All information stored on Prismm is encrypted using HTTPS and kept in a digital vault that can be decrypted only with an authorized user account and the correct account key. Prismm intends to protect deposits for financial institutions and automate the inheritance transfer process, which is timely given that $84.4 trillion in wealth is projected to be transferred to Millennial and Gen X heirs by 2045, according to financial services organization, Cerulli Associates. Inception...
Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has announced plans to invest at least $1 billion in Zimbabwe to develop large-scale projects in cement production, power generation, and fuel infrastructure. The announcement followed his meeting with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the capital of Harare, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, the Dangote Group’s planned investment includes a cement plant, a power generation facility, and a fuel pipeline. Business Insider Africa adds that the initiative represents one of Zimbabwe’s most significant private-sector commitments in recent years. Dangote said the timing reflects improvements in Zimbabwe’s economic environment under Mnangagwa’s administration. “Mnangagwa has turned the economy around,” he said, per the outlet. “That really gave us the confidence that this is the right time for us to come and invest.” This is not Dangote’s first attempt to establish operations in the country. In 2015, Dangote Cement...
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history may soon come to an end after the Senate approved a compromise spending bill on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, Reuters reports . Approved in a 60-40 vote, the deal — which received support from nearly all Republicans and eight Democrats — would restore funding for federal agencies that lost it on Oct. 1 and temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s push to shrink the federal workforce, blocking any layoffs until Jan. 30, 2026. The agreement extends government funding through that date, leaving the U.S. on the path to add approximately $1.8 trillion a year to its $38 trillion debt. It would also fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through Sept. 30, 2026, preventing potential disruptions if another shutdown occurs before then. Following Monday’s Senate approval, the measure now heads to the Republican-controlled House, where Speaker Mike Johnson aims to pass it as soon as Wednesday, Nov. 12, before sending it to Trump. The...
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has put its Talent x Opportunity (TxO) program on hold, marking an unexpected shift in the firm’s efforts to support founders from underserved communities, TechCrunch reports. Launched in 2020, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, the program aimed to bridge gaps in venture capital access for entrepreneurs, particularly women and minority founders, by offering mentorship, funding, and industry connections. The a16z TxO fund pause comes after five years of operations, during which the program supported more than 60 companies, per TechCrunch, including Brown Girl Magazine, food tech startup Myles Comfort Foods, and maternity tech company Villie. Participants benefitted from a 16-week training program, access to a professional network, and $175,000 in investments via a donor-advised fund managed by the nonprofit Tides Foundation. In 2024, TxO expanded to include grants of $50,000 each for three nonprofits focused on tech entrepreneurship in underserved...
Spelman College is the latest HBCU to receive funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. CBS News reports Scott signed the Giving Pledge after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She vowed to donate over half her wealth, and she has been doing so ever since, with some allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She made early rounds in 2020, with Spelman College receiving $20 million toward scholarships and its endowment. Fast-forward to 2025, and Scott has doubled down on her pledge and invested an additional $38 million in unrestricted funding. The commitment will support financial aid and the school’s technology infrastructure. “This investment is a powerful affirmation of our mission and our commitment to educational excellence and equity,” Spelman Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer said in a statement, according to CBS News. “The flexibility of this gift allows us to move more swiftly to strengthen the entire student experience,...
Steven Bartlett has secured historic funding for the creator economy. Bartlett, who has remained on an entrepreneurial path since dropping out of college and becoming a millionaire by 23, as AFROTECH™ previously told you, has scored an eight-figure investment for his creator company Steven.com. The company houses several divisions such as FlightStory, FlightFund, and, more recently, FlightCast, an AI-powered podcast hosting platform, as mentioned in a news release. “Steven.com is the creator holding company built to help high-potential creators grow their audience, build IP, commercialise their work, launch ventures, and provides the technology to power it all ... If you’re an aspiring creator please do get in touch,” he explained on Instagram. Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investment Group led Steven.com’s round. Philipp Freise (KKR), Second Sight Ventures, Tom Profumo (Active Partners), Magnus Grimeland (Antler), Gary Vaynerchuk, Kevin Rose (founder of Digg), Will Ahmed (Founder of...
Howard University intends to use its latest investment to train medical professionals. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received $80 million in unrestricted funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, according to The Washington Post. She previously invested $40 million in 2020. Scott has been making her rounds across several HBCUs, including Morgan State University. Her $63 million investment in the HBCU was the largest in the school’s history (individual or organizational), as AFROTECH™ previously reported. As it relates to Howard University, Scott’s investment has led to “a boost of confidence,” according to Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president. “It also says that what you’re doing, based on our own evaluation, we think is important. And we think you’re doing it well enough that we can trust you with that type of gift,” Frederick said. The investment will train medical professionals at Howard, one of four HBCUs with a medical...
Atlanta-based Goodr Co. is stepping up for the community as millions are set to experience a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In an Instagram video shared Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, Goodr Founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston issued a call for help. “As many of you may have heard, millions of people will lose their SNAP benefits in just a few days, including hundreds of thousands right here in Metro Atlanta ,” Crowe-Houston said. “What this means is that their grocery budgets will disappear overnight. At Goodr, we’re stepping up to fill the gap,” she continued. The tech-enabled sustainable food waste management company has launched the Goodr Community Fund, allowing the public to make a direct impact. For a $10 donation, donors can sponsor a “grab bag” meal that feeds a family of four. For an additional $5, Goodr will deliver groceries and meals directly to seniors and families. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goodr Inc (@goodrco)...
Tech company Bending Spoons is set to acquire one of the internet’s early pioneers, AOL. Based in Milan, Italy, Bending Spoons, known for apps such as Evernote, a note-taking platform, and Remini, a photo-enhancement application, is purchasing AOL from private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, The Wall Street Journal reports. The deal comes after Bending Spoons’ recent expansion, which included securing $2.8 billion in debt financing for AOL and other investments. As part of the deal, AOL could be valued at $1.5 billion. Bending Spoons said it plans to maintain and develop AOL’s operations over the long term, according to the outlet. The company also owns Brightcove, a video distribution and analytics platform, and recently announced plans to acquire video platform Vimeo for $1.38 billion, TechCrunch reports. In a statement, per The Wall Street Journal, Bending Spoons described AOL as an “important and beloved business with a brand that has stood the test of time.” The outlet...
Is Walmart closing on November 1st? Many people are curious — and increasingly concerned — as the government shutdown continues with no clear end in sight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a notice on its website that the shutdown will cause Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to stop being issued starting Nov. 1, 2025. According to Newsweek, this could lead to a major drop in consumer spending for Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer. “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01,” the USDA wrote on its website. The department attributed the continued shutdown to Senate Democrats’ failure to act. “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” the notice adds. “They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition...
The federal government shutdown has entered its fourth week and is now threatening one of the nation’s most widely used assistance programs. According to USA Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will stop going out on Nov. 1 if lawmakers do not reach a deal to reopen the government. The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 following a congressional impasse over funding and healthcare policy, is now the second-longest in U.S. history, with hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and just as many others working without pay, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Agencies that rely on annual appropriations are running low on resources. The USDA confirmed that SNAP, which provides food assistance to more than 40 million Americans, has exhausted its budget for November and cannot legally draw from emergency disaster funds to cover regular monthly benefits. And even if it could use some of these...
NFL running back Saquon Barkley has invested in AI data center startup Crusoe, joining other investors in the company’s $1.4 billion funding round, which values the startup at more than $10 billion, per Business Insider. According to the outlet, Crusoe, which calls itself “the AI Factory Company,” develops clean-energy-powered data centers for artificial intelligence. The company integrates energy sourcing, AI-optimized construction, and proprietary cloud services. Its Crusoe Cloud platform is used by AI startups, including Together AI and Fireworks, to provide computational resources for AI model training and data processing. Investors in the funding round also include Nvidia, Valor Equity Partners, Mubadala Capital, and Founders Fund. Details about Barkley’s individual investment were not disclosed, per Business Insider. The funds will support the expansion of Crusoe’s renewable-energy-powered data centers for large-scale AI operations. Barkley, who plays for the Philadelphia...
Black Operator Ventures (Black Ops VC) is working to close the Series A funding gap for Black tech founders. Black Ops VC is a venture capital firm led by a Black team of co-founders with a shared mission to “invest in extraordinary founders solving complex problems with software,” its CEO, James Norman, said in conversation with AFROTECH™. Norman and Black Ops General Partner Sean Green sat down with AFROTECH™ to discuss the firm’s vision, leading oversubscribed seed rounds, opportunities in today’s investment landscape, and more. The duo met nearly a decade ago in Los Angeles. Green was among the early cohorts of Transparent Collective, which supports Black, Latinx, and womxn entrepreneurs with raising early-stage funding, and Norman serves as its chairman. Call To Action Realized Before their paths formally aligned, the pair charted unique territory. Norman launched his first company at age 16, an online retailer for car and home audio. He had always been interested in building...