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Fuze Fund Opens $30M VC Fund to Lower Ranked Entrepreneurs

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Utah Black Chamber Of Commerce, Conference, entrepreneur


Fuze Fund, a Black-owned enterprise capital firm, has launched a $30 million fund called Fuze Venture Growth Fund I, LP, in hopes capital gap amongst starting entrepreneurs– according to the press release.

The platform is designed to provide capital, strategic support and resources to support minority, veteran and women-led startups, subject to approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Early on in its subscription journey, the corporate opened the door for accredited investors to come on board not only with a financial contribution, but in addition to join a growing system that gives founders with mentorship in hopes of achieving long-term success.

“At Fuze Fund, we are guided by the belief that innovation knows no boundaries. However, we have seen that too many talented founders from underrepresented communities have been sidelined due to a lack of access to funding,” said Fuze Fund founder and managing partner Dr. TJ Breeden. “Our goal is simple: ignite potential. We don’t just support start-ups – we invest in people, communities and the next generation of breakthrough ideas.”

Breeden served as leader of Emerging Entrepreneurs, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing entry-level training in underrepresented communities with veteran and minority populations.

“When I led Emerging Entrepreneurs, Inc., I saw firsthand how difficult it was for underrepresented founders to access the funding and support they needed to succeed,” Breeden explained of his time at Syracuse University. “Even though several years passed and I continued my doctoral studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the hope of launching the fund never left me. Less than four months after defending my doctoral dissertation, Fuze Fund and its flagship venture capital fund were established in the fall of 2021 and in the middle of the pandemic.”

Research shows that minority founders received just 1.1% of enterprise capital funding in 2022. It’s a percentage dropped to just 1% in 2023.

For the founder, providing capital is simply step one, because the whole ecosystem needs to be transformed. “Our goal is to create a comprehensive ecosystem where diverse founders receive the guidance, resources and partnerships they need to confidently navigate and scale growth,” Breeden said.

Currently a part of the “American Speakers Program” sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Breeden hopes to expand his program to U.S. embassies and consulates all over the world. The goal could be to collaborate with leaders, officials and experts in the sector in hopes of beginning a conversation on issues affecting business owners.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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A former Netflix marketing executive turned reality star is launching a wig brand

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Bozoma Saint John, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills


Bozoma Saint John takes his Fortune 500 marketing skills to his own empire. The former Netflix marketing executive launched her own wig and hair care company, Eve By Boz.

Saint John, 47, has already reached historic highs in her profession. After leading the marketing departments of tech giants like Apple, Uber and Netflix, he wants to start out his own empire.

She left the favored streaming platform in 2022 after which published a memoir about how, along with her premature daughter, she lost her husband to cancer. Healing from losses, Saint Jan wants to start out a legacy that honors her past and future.

She saw a gap within the hair care industry, particularly wigs, where women of color owned businesses. Especially for products aimed toward diverse women, with the identical demographic leading the best way, the trouble was too sparse for Saint John.

“Women of color and black women don’t really have a voice in the production process, they are the ones consuming the majority of the product,” she said.

Understanding this need, she began developing her line within the spring of 2023. She attended a hair show in Guangzhou, China, with a hair stylist to attach with vendors. She traveled across the continent to learn more about sourcing products.

After doing her homework, Saint John decided to speculate in herself and lift money to launch her wig enterprise. She’s put about “a few million” into the business, but she has the knowledge to succeed.

“I’ve worked for big enough companies and I have a lot of inventory in a lot of places,” she explained. “It’s time to reinvest in myself and that is exactly what I made a decision to do. Besides, I can have total control. I don’t need anyone telling me what to do.”

Saint John’s is changing the sport by offering additional lace colours for wigs. Diversifying color decisions will higher serve customers of all skin tones, which also stays a priority for Saint John.

“I don’t want to go on YouTube or Google and watch 14 million videos of black women and women of color working in kitchen pharmacies dyeing lace to match their skin,” she says. “My intention is for other companies to see the success of this company and follow suit.”

Eve By Boz will premiere in Saint John’s other project, an entry as a solid member on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” While it’s a coincidence, Saint John welcomes the eye for a product he considers a winner. The 171-piece Eve By Boz collection is now available exclusively on her website.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Average homebuyers are now the oldest and wealthiest in history

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AND latest report details the grim reality in which America goes on to tackle the housing shortage and financial obstacles for people wanting to own a house. According to the National Association of Realtors, homebuyers are older and wealthier than ever before, and the average age of homebuyers is at an all-time high.

The median age of buyers rose to a high of 56, up from 49 in 2023. The median age of first-time buyers rose to 38 from 35 in 2023, and the age of repeat buyers rose to 61 from 58 in 2023.

“Highlighting the barriers to entry into the housing market, the average age of first-time homebuyers has hit an all-time high of 38. In the 1980s, the typical first-time homebuyer was around 20 years old,” the report said.

But age is just not the only factor that has increased. It can be the average income of buyers.

“Over the past two years, first-time home buyer household incomes have increased by $26,000. “This year’s report shows that the median household income for first-time homebuyers was $97,000,” the report said.

The racial gap for homebuyers is growing

Unfortunately, there continues to be a racial gap between white and black homeowners.

“Overall, 83% of buyers were white/Caucasian, up from 81% last year,” the report said. Only 7% of recent buyers identified as black/African American.

According to A report mortgage lending to Black Americans declined by 16% in 2022. Mortgage denial rates, nonetheless, increased by 2.6 percentage points.

The report reveals one other dramatic change: buyers with children are less more likely to purchase homes.

Of all homebuyers, 62% are married couples, 20% are single women, and 8% are single men. The percentage of buyers with children under 18 dropped to the lowest level and amounted to 27% of all buyers.

The report shows that multi-generational housing stays popular, with the highest percentage ever of individuals purchasing a house that may accommodate multiple generations at 17% of all buyers. The commonest reasons are savings, elder care and the return of young adults.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Cryptocurrency is rising after Trump’s election

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Cryptocurrency surges following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America; although he was already on the rise, its momentum is upwards on account of the market’s interpretation of Trump’s guarantees around cryptocurrency.

According to , although no political party fully trusts cryptocurrencies, Trump has positioned himself as president of cryptocurrencies.

The Republican Party has followed Trump’s lead in fully embracing digital currencies.

In a video he posted on social media in August, Trump promised that the United States can be the cryptocurrency capital of the world.

“This afternoon I’m unveiling my plan to make sure the United States is the crypto capital of the planet. They need to strangle you. They need to put you out of business. We won’t let that occur,” Trump said within the video.

“They” is unclear, but with Elon Musk within the ear, the cryptocurrency industry will likely receive favorable policy proposals in the subsequent iteration of the Trump administration.

The market seems to suggest that the longer term president and the strong support for cryptocurrencies from certainly one of his key advisors is a great development for cryptocurrency investors.

Indeed, in keeping with Susannah Streeter, director of cash and markets at investment research firm Hargreaves Lansdown, the market is experiencing “euphoria” after the election.

“His (Trump) pledge to go all out on crypto has sent Bitcoin to new, stunning heights,” Streeter said in a research note published on November 11.

Streeter continued: “He has made a comeback in supporting the industry and now vows to show the United States into the crypto capital of the world. Bitcoin speculators are betting on a more lenient regulatory environment and expect authorities could create a crypto reserve fund, helping boost sustained demand.

In a previous research note, Streeter also noted that “Investors should only dabble in cryptocurrencies with money they may be prepared to lose. Because we have seen these wild swings previously.

According to the Associated Press, Trump did too promised to remove Gary Genslerhead of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gensler has been critical of the cryptocurrency in his role, prompting the federal government to crack down on it and calling for greater oversight of the extremely volatile digital currencies.

In October, Gensler criticized the cryptocurrency field generally during a discussion at New York University School of Law.

“We try to enforce the law as it stands… This is an area where there are a lot of scammers, a lot of scammers and a lot of scams,” Gensler said.

Mauvis Ledford, CEO of Sogni AI, a Singapore-based technology startup, said the Trump administration they might adopt cryptocurrency to spice up economic growth.

“It is likely that the Trump administration may explore the use of blockchain technology to increase transparency and efficiency in government operations, particularly with Elon Musk in an advisory role,” Ledford said. “There could also be initiatives to promote the adoption of cryptocurrencies to stimulate economic growth and attract technology-enabled investment.”

However, Ledford also has reservations about how far Trump will go in favor of digital currencies.

“But I personally don’t believe anything Trump says, and blockchains actually allow for the creation of rules that everyone has to follow, which I don’t think Trump particularly likes about the government he runs.”

Ledford noted that cryptocurrency is rising in popularity, which should help legitimize it as more technological barriers are erected.

“Large corporations are integrating crypto payments, and advances in blockchain technology are making transactions safer and efficient. Additionally, regulatory frameworks are evolving that might provide greater stability and legitimacy within the cryptocurrency market.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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