F rom The Preacher’s Wife to The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story , actor Courtney B. Vance is known for bringing memorable roles to life on the big screen and television. The Detroit native—who has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years—recently hit a major career milestone. According to Deadline , Vance was named president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Courtney B. Vance Named SAG-AFTRA Foundation President, Succeeding JoBeth Williams https://t.co/q0O0ImVsVL pic.twitter.com/IrudsOCjUI — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 5, 2019 The organization focuses on providing educational resources for artists. It is dedicated to supporting individuals who are pursuing all forms of performing arts including actors, dancers, and other artists. The SAG-AFTRA Foundation also runs a children’s literacy program as an avenue to empower youth through storytelling. Vance’s appointment was made official at the foundation’s 4th Annual Patron of the Artists Awards which took place on November 7 at Los Angeles’ Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Vance will lead the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s newly minted Entertainment Industry Council which was designed to provide support for artists throughout their careers. He succeeds JoBeth Williams who has been at the helm of the foundation for a decade. He’s excited to take on the role. “The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a vital organization and it is a privilege to shine a light on it in my new role as President. My parents raised us to be helpers and just as there are no small roles, there are no small jobs. This is an opportunity to help people and educate artists who are the backbone of our industry,” Vance said in a statement . “JoBeth set a high bar and I look forward to building upon her legacy with our new Entertainment Industry Council and our Actors’ Council. Together, we will raise increased funding for our assistance and scholarship funds, and continue creating more robust, free programs for our artists. I can’t wait to get started.” His appointment comes at a time where there is a major need for diversity within non-profit organizations. Research shows that African Americans remain underrepresented in leadership positions within that sector. SEE ALSO: Courtney Vance On His Role As Johnnie Cochran In The FX Series “The People V. O.J. Simpson” 11 Times Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance Were The Patron Saints Of Black Love [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3892470″ overlay=”true”]
O utKast has played an integral part in shaping the landscape of hip-hop culture. The rap duo will be honored for their contributions to music in a major way. According to Pitchfork , the Atlanta-based rappers have been nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Check out everyone who’s been nominated for induction into the @SongwritersHOF https://t.co/Sc75jnXucn — Pitchfork (@pitchfork) November 7, 2019 Andre 3000 and Big Boi were instrumental in making Southern hip-hop mainstream. Their 1994 debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik became certified platinum within a year of its release. Their other albums ATLiens and Aquemini both topped the charts and went platinum and double platinum respectively. In 2003 their Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album made its debut at number one. They’ve also seen success with singles like “Ms. Jackson,” “B.O.B.,” “Rosa Parks,” “Hey Ya,” and “The Way You Move.” If inducted, the Georgia natives will be honored at the 51st Annual Induction & Awards Gala on June 11, 2020, in New York City. Other nominees include Mariah Carey , The Neptunes , Motown A&R director William “Mickey” Stevenson , and The Isley Brothers . “The Songwriters Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing the work and lives of those composers and lyricists who create music around the world,” read the organization’s website . News about the nomination comes after the city of Atlanta unveiled a mural paying homage to the rappers. The mural—which is located in Little Five Points—was created by artist JEKS. The project was a collaborative effort between a mural project called the Outer Space Project and the fashion boutique WISH ATL. “The response has been phenomenal,” Malachi Garcia , who serves as the special events director at WISH, told CNN . “WISH itself is like a landmark, but when you pair it with the greatest rap duo of all time, it’s kind of overwhelming.” SEE ALSO: ‘Da Art Of Storytellin’:’ University To Offer OutKast Course 13 Fire Photos Of Andre 3000’s Style Over The Years [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3892906″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Smoove Gal / Smoove Gal With social media so saturated with products being thrown at us, it often feels like we’re in a daze just swiping on our feeds. But a few months ago, something rare happened to me. During my normal timeline graze, I came across something that grabbed my attention and made me ask myself, “Wait a minute, what is this?!” See, someone on my timeline retweeted one of the dopest structured eye palettes I have ever seen. First, shaped like a pyramid, SmooveGal Beauty’s three-dimensional Egyptian Paradise Palette ($40) boasts a whopping 24 deeply pigmented hues, ranging from an emerald green matte to a champagne neutral shimmer. With a range like that, there’s something for every look, trend and season of the year, which I adore. Even better: The EP palette was created by Autumn Hulett , a 20-year-old Black woman who attends Prairie View A&M University. (I super adore) I NEED EVERYONE TO RETWEET THIS ! The makeup community needs a 3 dimensional eyeshadow palette invented by a black woman in their households !!!! This is SERIOUS! https://t.co/ZhbpVh0MuQ — Undeniably Dope Individual (@FlyBrownHuniee) September 3, 2019 After seeing the viral tweet, I just had to know more about the woman behind the product. Doing some research, I found that SmooveGal initially started with a lash line before Hulett decided to expand to shadows. I reached out to Hulett and from our phone conversation, I was super impressed with her professionalism, eye for design and utter passion for the beauty game. Here’s what the incredible marketing major had to say about her EP palette, breaking into the industry and what’s up next. HelloBeautiful: So, please tell me. Where did SmooveGal come from? Autumn Hulett: Well, I had this job in high school, but I got fired because I didn’t want to drive across town to go to work. (Laughs) But I knew I needed money. Coming from a family of hustlers, I knew how to make it work. So I started SmooveGal and initially started selling accessories and wallets. But I was also really into beauty and I love switching up my look so people don’t recognize me. At the time, I also loved wearing lashes and would go to the beauty supply store down the road and buy a pack of $1 lashes and I would end up spending $40 because they didn’t last. I was wasting my money and that’s when it hit me that I needed to create, buy and sell my lashes. HB: Well, and being at an HBCU with so many Black women, you have the perfect market right at your fingertips. AH : Exactly. Black women are the largest consumers when it comes to beauty and makeup. Plus, [a lot] of Black women are really into lashes! So I came out with my line freshman year after I got a refund check and was like, “Let’s do this!” I started dragging a big old wagon of lashes around campus, but the wagon was too small, so I googled “hot dog” cart,” bought one for $300, fixed it up and started selling my lashes out of that. HB: That is so awesome! So you went from lashes to shadows? AH: Sophomore year I was my dorm chilling and I just asked myself what if I did a pyramid palette and what If it was 3-dimensional? OH SNAP! [Laughs). So I looked around and had all of these old lash boxes and I started cutting them and began carving out the idea. I took a mirror from an old palette and started gluing, taping and cutting holes into things. From there, I tried to get it into production and I was told no a lot. Folks told me it’s impossible and that no one would be able to create it. But I found someone who could do it. HB: Walk me through the shadows and the structure. I’ve never seen anything like it before. AH: Well, there are 24 shades, with 6 colors on each of the four panels. The middle is the mirror and it can stand up on its own, be a vanity to go or just a decorative piece in your room. HB: How did you end up picking the shadows. AH: I have a lot of friends at my HBCU that are makeup artists and I asked them did they mind using my shadows on their customers. I also wanted feedback, honest feedback such as which shadows worked better than others, which were easier to blend, you name it. I didn’t want them to let up on me. If these shadows sucked, let me know. What they told me was helpful, because I needed to make sure these colors showed up on and worked for Black women. Source: Smoove Gal / Smoove Gal HB: With names such as Isis and Nubia, what is the palette’s theme? AH: While anyone can and should use the palette, it’s an ode to Black women and an ode to Egyptian culture. That mattered to me. To do the research, make sure I got it right. Goodmorning orders are going out this morning pic.twitter.com/jfk9B35Ddx — Undeniably Dope Individual (@FlyBrownHuniee) November 4, 2019 HB: Did you expect the response to your palette to be this overwhelming? That tweet went viral girl. AH: Never! I mean, I know have this great concept, but I didn’t think it would be like that. I am just happy that people are recognizing how dope it is and looks. HB: This is such a great time to be a Black woman in beauty. From Mented to Fenty, it’s so great to see this product be part of the landscape, BUT be so different than what’s already out there. AH: Thank you. I try to stay humble because I am still a baby out here. I’m literally just someone out of Texas, an HBCU, but no one has seen this before. And God forbid Rihanna or Kylie comes out with some crazy spaceship concept, but all in all, I did this, first and I am proud of that. HB: As you should be. Finally, what’s next for you and SmoothGal? AH: Well…I can’t say too much other than it will be a whole stepping outside the box and that the next collection, which should come out next spring, will be related to the EP palette too. BEAUTIES: The EP palette is now 20 percent off ($32)! Purchase it here. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. RELATED NEWS: LET’S MAKEUP: The Lip Bar Is Coming For The Fenty Beauty Regime By Expanding To An Affordable, Full-Fledged Makeup Line Here Are 5 LGBTQ Makeup Artists And Hairstylists You Should Know And Support LET’S MAKEUP: Beauty Bakerie Launches InstaBake Line For Dewy Skin [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3061308″ overlay=”true”]
T hroughout her entire career actress and producer Issa Rae has utilized her platform and work in the entertainment industry to empower Black women, and now she’s doing the same in the tech space. According to Variety , Rae recently invested in a Black woman-led startup. Issa Rae Acquires Stake in Streamlytics, a Streaming-Media Data Startup https://t.co/8QU69UHKH3 — Variety (@Variety) September 24, 2019 The Los Angeles-based company—dubbed Streamlytics—was founded by entrepreneur Angela Benton . The startup—which was created in 2018—utilizes media consumption data to bring transparency to the content consumed on popular streaming services and gives consumers the ability to own their data. Benton, who founded the first global accelerator for people of color, has been a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech. She hopes to use Streamlytics as an avenue to generate data that reflects the choices of viewers of color. Through Streamlytics she wants to create a space where minority consumers can not only access their streaming data but can monetize it as well. So far, the company has used data from Netflix and plans on expanding to other platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and social media sites. Benton is grateful to have Rae on board. “Having Issa involved as an owner is beyond exciting,” she said in a statement. “Her pioneering work as both a creator and as a businesswoman creating digital-first content that has transcended the internet-only medium aligns seamlessly with our company’s core values on ownership.” Rae is excited to invest in a company that will change the landscape of streaming data. She says platforms like Streamlytics are “necessary for transparency and consumer ownership.” Companies like the one created by Benton are needed as studies show that African American media usage is higher across different platforms. Black women are stepping up to invest in women of color-led startups. Actress Keshia Knight Pulliam teamed up with entrepreneur Arian Simone to launch a $5 million venture capital fund to support startups created by Black women. SEE ALSO: Keshia Knight Pulliam And Arian Simone Launch Venture Capital Fund For Black Women Entrepreneurs Black Entrepreneur Receives $1 Million Investment From Jay-Z’s Venture Capital Fund [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3887286″ overlay=”true”]
M otown Records will forever be embedded in the fabric of music and its founder is ensuring that the record label’s legacy prevails for generations to come. According to Crain’s Detroit Business , music mogul Berry Gordy has donated $4 million towards the expansion of the Motown Museum. Motown founder Berry Gordy makes $4 million gift for museum expansion https://t.co/8QoVZA0Hbk pic.twitter.com/83IrCMZde5 — Crain's Detroit Business (@crainsdetroit) September 4, 2019 The museum—which is housed inside of the record label’s first headquarters—captures the history, impact and influence that Motown has had on the music industry and beyond. It highlights Gordy’s entrepreneurial start and features the narratives of legendary artists like The Jackson 5 , Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye , and The Temptations who were instrumental in the success of the label. In October 2016, the museum revealed plans for a $50 million, 50,000-square-foot expansion. As part of the project, there would be more interactive exhibits, a performance theater, recording studios, retail shops and meeting spaces added. So far there has been $18 million raised and Gordy’s contribution is the largest from an individual donor. “I’m excited about the future of Motown Museum and happy to support it,” 89-year-old Gordy said in a release. “Not only will the expanded museum entertain and tell the stories of talented and creative people who succeeded against all odds, but it will also inspire and create opportunity for people to explore their dreams the way I did mine. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of that.” Other donors include the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, DTE Energy Foundation, and Ford Motor Co. Leaders of the museum say they want to expand their impact in the local community by fostering job creation and economic growth. Robin Terry —who serves as the chairman and CEO of the museum—says that with Gordy’s contribution the institution can move forward with solidifying itself as a world-class entertainment and educational destination. SEE ALSO: Motown Museum Expansion To Bring More Cultural, Economic Opportunities To Detroit Songwriters Hall Of Fame To Induct Jay Z, Berry Gordy, Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3886893″ overlay=”true”]
T he late legendary basketball player Chuck Cooper was a trailblazer who broke color barriers in the realm of sports. 35 years after his passing, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native has finally received a long overdue honor. According to Celtics Wire , Cooper was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Chuck Cooper, first black NBA player, enshrined at Hall of Fame https://t.co/3JNtPnaEDl — The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 7, 2019 Cooper was a second-round pick during the league’s 1950 draft; making him the first African American player to enter the NBA. He was selected by the Boston Celtics. Before he launched his NBA career, he broke racial barriers at the collegiate level while playing at Duquesne University where he was an All-American and became the first Black player to compete in a basketball game below the Mason–Dixon line. Cooper—who had a 6-foot-5 and 210-pound stature—spent four years with the Celtics and also had stints with the Milwaukee Hawks and the Ft. Wayne Pistons. His journey in the NBA was no easy feat. He had to deal with racist taunting from crowds and was banned from restaurants and hotels due to the color of his skin. After his time in the NBA, he played with the Harlem Magicians basketball enterprise but eventually ended his sports career after suffering back injuries from a car accident. Several basketball legends were in attendance to honor Cooper including Bill Russell , Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Isiah Thomas , Julius Erving , Dominique Wilkins , and Ray Allen . “The NBA’s color barrier was broken, and the game of basketball forever changed,” said Cooper’s son said during the induction ceremony. “It truly amazes me how the early African American pioneers played at such a high professional level while having to sacrifice, endure, and withstand the overt racism and social injustice of that time period.” Black athletes who have forever changed the landscape of sports are finally being recognized by the organizations they’ve impacted. Cooper’s induction comes weeks after a sculpture of Althea Gibson —the first African American to win a Grand Slam title and the first Black person to win at Wimbledon—was recently unveiled outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York during the U.S. Open tennis tournament. SEE ALSO: Statue Paying Homage To Tennis Legend Althea Gibson Unveiled At U.S. Open NBA Star Kawhi Leonard Donates One Million Backpacks To Underserved Children In Los Angeles [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3886893″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Comedy Central Exclusive Bashir Salahuddin & Diallo Riddle Interview Most everyday people only care about the stars but it’s the Diallo Riddles and Bashir Salahuddins of the very small and very white world of Hollywood that power everything we love about the talent-thirsty industry. Once upon a time (seemingly before Al Gore invented the internet orrr something like that), you never met the creatives, visionaries or showrunners behind your favorite shows, but now, more than ever before, they’re on the forefront of promo campaigns like our new favorite duo Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin who went from “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to cultivating their very own Comedy Central show. A refreshingly authentic series about Chicago called “South Side” that’s hilarious when it’s not revealing the heart, soul and beautiful sense of community that make the city so special. Billed as an aspirational comedy, the series follows two friends who just graduated community college with dreams of taking over the world but there’s one small problem: They’re stuck at Rent-T-Own–an endearingly run down rent-to-own store that attracts the south side’s most ridiculous characters (who, in one episode, refuse to return an X-Box). Think Donald Glover’s “Atlanta” but in Chicago (which you undoubtedly will) until you realize the series has a different energy that makes it completely unique. That, and the naturally funny cast of regular-smegular people from the community sprinkled into cleverly written episodes. As fans of great TV, we loved the music, zippy editing, cinematography, relatable characters in relatable situations, guest stars (we won’t spoil it), attention to very Black details and classic ’90s sitcom feel that set the tone for an amazing interview with two of Black Hollywood’s brightest talents. How did you get your big idea to Comedy Central? [Bashir] “South Side was very organic. Diallo and I always wanted to do a show about one of our hometowns–we actually developed a couple ideas around Atlanta (where I’m from) unfortunately we hit some walls with those. And then, with “South Side,” we really looked around the landscape and tried to figure out who was filming comedies that felt unfiltered and pure and we just felt like between The Chappelle Show, Key & Peele–we just felt like Comedy Central just kept making shows where you were seeing great stuff and it felt like the comedians were really doing the jokes the way they want to do them, how they want to do them. At the same time, whenever I’m home for Thanksgiving and Christmas I would be hangin’ out with my boys and just lmao and it kinda reminded me of the friendship me and Diallo have and other friendships that he has and it’s like ‘wait a second, we have all these great, funny people in our lives’ and if you ask most people who the funniest person they know is they’ll say ‘oh my cousin is hilarious, my auntie is so funny’ and, you know, it’s like ‘well, let’s put those people on camera’ So, we really developed a show about these two guys who are fresh out of community college and now they wanna take over the world. So, you know, it’s a blue collar vibe but it’s really starring a lot of Chicago people who have not even done a lot of acting–just naturally funny people. …my wife is in, my brother is the main character, two of my boys from high school are in it, Diallo is it, a lot of our family and friends are in it… and it’s just people in our lives who make us laugh naturally and what we ended up with was this really hilarious show that shows people a side of Chicago they don’t get to see, especially the south side, and showing people that we can have fun and we can laugh and be light and silly and all those things… And it’s still as authentic as something heavier. I know a lot of Chicago-based shows deal with pretty tough stuff and it’s like ‘yea, that stuff has a place and then we also have a place too where we can have fun’ because I think there’s nothing wrong with enjoying ourselves” We have to ask this question–because, working in this space we know you had to present this to people who may not look like us -[Diallo] Oh yea! Yes! We don’t want to say the room was mostlyyyy white buttttt –[Diallo and Bashir] “It was all white!” (laughs) [Bashir] “The President of Comedy Central, you know, he’s just somebody who really gets it and came to us four years before we pitched the show and was like ‘look, I think you guys are great if you ever wanna do a show come and see me–let’s figure something out’ Sometimes people say that and what thats means–and I think this is what you’re speaking to–it means they wanna throw some names on there that’ll satisfy some sort of diversity interest but ultimately still develop something that looks like everything else and has the same tired vibe as everything else. Kent Alterman of Comedy Central was the opposite–he was like ‘no, no, what do yall really want to do and he actually championed it and supported it and there were definitely a lot of notes and things we had to figure out but every single frame of that show is our vision and I think it shows in what you saw and doesn’t feel like something that was watered down. The City of Chicago is not a soft place–it’s a hard place–and I think luckily for us our comedy is a hard, sharp comedy that’s about some tough stuff BUT they were super supportive and like ‘tell your truth’ And so, the answer to your question really is that we just made the right choice in who we partnered with and I would encourage all people who are developing projects to really think hard about who you work with because if you make the right choice the person will help you create value and broaden what you’re doing in a wonderful way And if you make the wrong choice you’ll look up and wonder like ‘what is this we made this looks nothing like I wanted to make -[Diallo]- “Yea” – so we got lucky” Do you talk to other showrunners and creators in the space? [Bashir & Diallo] “All the time!” [Bashir] “We literally just hosted Issa Rae at the Clusterfest in San Francisco and she couldn’t be more of a delight and an intelligent, genius showrunner and helluva talent. And to be able to just chat with her about the process of showrunning and to know that we have a somewhat similar background because we got our start doing web material and she got her start on Awkward Black Girl–she created it and was doing her own thing–and to know we share the DNA of people who did their own thing before TV figured us out–that was special” What would be a success, in your eyes, for “South Side?” [Bashir] “For me, I always tell people that what you see about Chicago on the news is a small piece of a very big pie and we’re gonna give you the rest of the pie. And, you know, we feel like if the city of Chicago, especially Black Chicago, if more and more people start to think first ‘hey, isn’t that the funny place where everybody is really hilarious and has a good time’ vs. ‘hey, isn’t that the place where I just saw somebody who got hurt on the news’ You know, that is beginning to move the dial in the right direction. I don’t just want people on the outside to see that and think that about Chicago. My deeper goal is to have the people who actually live there begin to also self-identify moreso–which they already do but you just don’t hear about it–but self-identify moreso as a place of joy, as a place of comedy, in the same way Harlem is all about culture, specifically Black culture [Diallo] “I’m the only person involved in the show who didn’t grow up in Chicago but, as a person who didn’t, I can guarantee you that not only will you come out of it feeling like you know a lot more about Chicago but you’ll also understand all the ways that the south side of Chicago has similarities and relationships with all the other south sides of Atlanta, Inglewood, North Philly–all the neighborhoods where we are–you’ll understand the humanity that exists in Chicago and you’ll be a lot less likely to believe lies that get spread when people say it’s all violence and mayhem” Source: Comedy Central “South Side” debuts tonight at 10:30/9:30c on Comedy Central!
F or Black entrepreneurs Dave Salvant and Songe LaRon what started out as an app idea to help individuals who struggled to find a good barbershop has transformed into a platform that is changing the landscape of the barber experience. According to Tech Crunch , they raised $8 million for their app SQUIRE during their first round of venture capital financing. Barbershop management platform Squire raises $8 million Series A round https://t.co/ERefXxiZke by @meganrosedickey pic.twitter.com/Hq6HAjLg49 — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) June 25, 2019 Salvant and LaRon are seasoned entrepreneurs who through their own experiences discovered that the process of finding a good barber can often be inefficient. The two decided to team up and develop a solution. The app—which was founded in 2015—connects barbers and customers. Through SQUIRE, individuals can find barbershops in their area, read customer reviews, and book appointments. Customers also have the opportunity to pay for their haircuts through the app. SQUIRE goes beyond simply booking haircut appointments, it provides barbers throughout the country with the platform to sell products and promote their brand. There is a wide range of shops that are included in the app’s directory, including large high-end shops and small locally owned businesses. The app was launched in New York and expanded to cities like Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It now features barbershops in 28 cities. Since its inception, there have been $100 million in transactions processed through the app. The fundraising round was led by Trinity Ventures. “Millions of men need haircuts daily and are looking to find the right barbershop, but the process is usually unnecessarily hard and time consuming,” said Salvant in an interview with Forbes . “SQUIRE lets you locate a barber, schedule your appointment and pay from anywhere you are, now making the process quick and convenient.” The entrepreneurs plan on putting the money raised towards marketing and hiring engineers to work on the app’s infrastructure. “In talking to customers, we realized there was a lot of opportunity to build value in a backend management system,” LaRon said in a statement, according to TechCrunch. Both LaRon and Salvant are carving out a space in an industry that is worth billions. According to Statista , the barber industry is expected to be valued at $26 billion by next year. SEE ALSO: Black-Owned Barbershop Pays Off Debt For Students In Charlotte ‘You Next’ Project Illustrates The Impact And Influence Of Black Barbershops [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3881358″ overlay=”true”]
F or Black entrepreneurs Dave Salvant and Songe LaRon what started out as an app idea to help individuals who struggled to find a good barbershop has transformed into a platform that is changing the landscape of the barber experience. According to Tech Crunch , they raised $8 million for their app SQUIRE during their first round of venture capital financing. Barbershop management platform Squire raises $8 million Series A round https://t.co/ERefXxiZke by @meganrosedickey pic.twitter.com/Hq6HAjLg49 — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) June 25, 2019 Salvant and LaRon are seasoned entrepreneurs who through their own experiences discovered that the process of finding a good barber can often be inefficient. The two decided to team up and develop a solution. The app—which was founded in 2015—connects barbers and customers. Through SQUIRE, individuals can find barbershops in their area, read customer reviews, and book appointments. Customers also have the opportunity to pay for their haircuts through the app. SQUIRE goes beyond simply booking haircut appointments, it provides barbers throughout the country with the platform to sell products and promote their brand. There is a wide range of shops that are included in the app’s directory, including large high-end shops and small locally owned businesses. The app was launched in New York and expanded to cities like Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It now features barbershops in 28 cities. Since its inception, there have been $100 million in transactions processed through the app. The fundraising round was led by Trinity Ventures. “Millions of men need haircuts daily and are looking to find the right barbershop, but the process is usually unnecessarily hard and time consuming,” said Salvant in an interview with Forbes . “SQUIRE lets you locate a barber, schedule your appointment and pay from anywhere you are, now making the process quick and convenient.” The entrepreneurs plan on putting the money raised towards marketing and hiring engineers to work on the app’s infrastructure. “In talking to customers, we realized there was a lot of opportunity to build value in a backend management system,” LaRon said in a statement, according to TechCrunch. Both LaRon and Salvant are carving out a space in an industry that is worth billions. According to Statista , the barber industry is expected to be valued at $26 billion by next year. SEE ALSO: Black-Owned Barbershop Pays Off Debt For Students In Charlotte ‘You Next’ Project Illustrates The Impact And Influence Of Black Barbershops [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3881358″ overlay=”true”]
This week in 1990, David Lynch’s transcendent series Twin Peaks first debuted on television, forever changing the landscape of serialized TV. What better time, then, to look back at ten of the greatest nude scenes that the notorious director has filmed for screens both big and small! Here are our Top Ten David Lynch Directed Nude Scenes!… read more
