Anyone who has made a little money will tell you the importance of investing. And what better to invest your time and energy and money in, then a tech venture? Here’s a look at Black celebrity tech ventures that are quietly becoming major moves for these celebrities.
Black Celebrity Tech Ventures You Should Know
Lupe Fiasco
Chicago bred, Lupe Fiasco is an acclaimed rapper, record producer, and music educator. First gaining recognition on Kanye West’s 2006 single “Touch the Sky,” he has since built a remarkable career, with his own hit songs like “Superstar” (ft. Matthew Santos) and “The Show Goes On.” By 2007, he would appear on the original XXL Freshmen Cover. His debut album, Food & Liquor, was nominated for four Grammy awards, with “Daydreamin” winning Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
In addition to his music career, Fiasco has served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute and a visiting professor at Yale and MIT, where he shares his Hip-Hop expertise and addresses social issues.
In August 2023, Lupe Fiasco collaborated with Google to launch TextFX, an AI-powered tool designed to enhance creativity in rap and Hip-Hop. TextFX aims to help rising artists by combining AI with creative language techniques used by artists like Fiasco. The project includes ten unique prompts, such as simile creation, alliteration, and exploring different points of view, to demonstrate the creative potential of AI in the music industry. This collaboration not only boosts the creative aspects of modern music but also supports young artists aspiring to follow in Fiasco’s footsteps.
The Google Team highlights the process of working with Fiasco:
“Some of Lupe’s techniques, such as simile and alliteration, draw from the canon of traditional literary devices. But many of his tactics are entirely unique. Among them was a clever way of creating phrases that sound identical to a given word but have different meanings.”
Dr. Dre
Driving off his music career, in 2008, Andre Romell Young, popularly known as Dr. Dre, along with American music executive Jimmy Iovine, founded the iconic Beats Electronics that we know of today. The goal was to invent headphones that deliver the best sound quality for any music lover. Combined with a sleek and stylish design, the Beats headphones quickly popularized, especially among younger demographics, valuing the Brand at $1 billion in just three years.
In 2014, Apple acquired Beats Electronics for $3 billion, making it the highest valued acquisition of Apple to date. The successes of the Beats Electronics demonstrate Dre’s vision and commitment to further venturing his musical interests with his entrepreneurial and tech mindset as he founded a company that revolutionized the audio and music industry with recognition worldwide.
Will.I.Am
William James Adam Jr., more popularly known as Will.I.Am, is not only involved in the media industry as a musician and producer, but he is also involved in the technological and entrepreneurship sectors. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he founded and led the Black Eyed Peas since 1995, achieving massive hits with “Elephunk” and “Monkey Business.” As a solo artist, he also found success with songs like “Songs About Girls.”
Still, Adams attended Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program, gaining leadership and entrepreneurship skills. Leveraging this experience, he founded tech company, i.am+, in 2013 which focuses on inventing creative products that combine fashion with technology. Some of its products include the EPs Bluetooth headphones, designed to align with vinyl records, these headphones allow for high-quality music along with a stylish design.
Just ten years later, Will.I.Am launched another company called FYI Studios, in May of 2023. FYI studios is a communications platform that helps build creative communities while maintaining organization. It allows one to organize, collaborate and communicate, while integrating AI to enhance the user’s productivity & creativity. It is made so individuals can easily manage their digital assets—anything stored or transmitted digitally—and ease the flow of communication without the need to bounce through various tools.
Gabrielle Union
Born in Omaha Nebraska, Gabrielle Union is an actress, author and advocate. She began her career in the 1990s appearing in hit teen films such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Bring It On. More than a 90s it girl, Union is also a passionate advocate for women and LGBTQ+ equality, receiving the President’s Award from the NAACP due to her persistent humanitarian efforts.
Union is a key investor in Kinly, a fintech company dedicated to providing financial aid and services to lower income communities, especially Black millennial women, aiming to close wealth gaps in society. Her commitment in Kinly emphasizes her commitment to empowering underprivileged communities through innovative fintech technologies.
