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Kountry Wayne didn’t originally plan to pursue comedy, but his gift led to an empire that brought him millions of dollars. The Georgia native admitted that when he entered the content and entertainment space, business was always his priority “from day one,” he said on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast. He acknowledged comedy “was just a gift” that he knew “how to monetize.” Wayne began recording comedic videos as far back as 2014. He went viral in October 2014, and by March 2015, he had 1 million followers and was touring as a comedian. He claims he was making “like a million dollars a year at the time” on the podcast. He stopped sharing video content on social media by 2017. However, COVID-19 halted his live bookings, and he turned back to social media to share content. Facebook was one of the early platforms that paid him for uploading videos. His first video led to a $70 payment from the company. “When the pandemic came, I got back to it on Facebook cause I had built that Facebook...
YouTube has taken a page from Sora’s playbook. Sora’s Remix tool, which was developed by OpenAI, used natural-language commands to edit pre-existing videos, allowing users to add, remove, or edit objects in a video, according to information shared in a YouTube video. Sora also had a “Cameos” feature , which allowed users to create and use their likenesses in AI-generated videos. However, those features are no longer available on Sora, and its web app shut down on April 26, 2026, according to the company. YouTube, owned by Google and reaching 3 billion users, is now picking up the mantle by rolling out its own “Remix” feature for Shorts. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the feature at its Google I/O event Tuesday, May 19. Remixing with Gemini Omni According to The Hollywood Reporter, users will be able to write prompts and remix an original short to change its style or add themselves to the video, without altering the video’s original context. YouTube will leverage Gemini Omni,...
Canadian-born streamer Agent 00 has forged his own lane. At 12 years old, he begged his mother to buy him a Kodak camera, he said in a YouTube video. He started taking pictures of his loved ones, took part in video competitions, and even began editing Call of Duty montages. He also started uploading NFL videos to a clip channel. One video in particular of Marshawn Terrell Lynch racked up 70,000 views, he said. That avenue came to a halt due to a copyright strike, he said during a live interview at the University of California, Berkeley, for the Microsoft Windows Campus Creator Tour. “Then I had to find my own hustle,” he explained. He started editing videos for others, providing commentary, and then sharing gaming content on YouTube, with NBA 2K putting him on the map. “I played The Last of Us. I was really good at that. I had some good videos there. Anything from like Watch Dogs, Call of Duty, you know, and stuff like that. Eventually, I landed on NBA 2K,” he said during the live...
Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredricks says he’s paying creators their worth. In 2020, the comedian created and hosted a stand-up comedy show called “Keep Your Distance.” According to an excerpt shared via Amazon Prime, it featured rising comedians and household names performing their jokes to a live audience. He noted on the “Funky Friday Podcast” hosted by Cam Newton that in Los Angeles, CA, it was common for stand-up comedians to get paid, if at all, between $25 and $50, or sometimes in the form of a drink ticket. He mentions several staple destinations for stand-up comedians that maintained those rates but, in exchange, offered the chance to be discovered by an agent or studio executive. “The idea is you have the Laugh Factory, Comedy Store, The Improv. There might be an agent in there. There might be some studio executive like, ‘We’re putting you in front of the people that going to change your life.’ Problem is that ain’t the game nearly as much. Post pandemic, those agents ain’t really...
A first-of-its-kind certification program has launched to increase trust in influencer marketing. The creator economy is valued at more than $191 billion and is expected to exceed $525 billion by 2030, according t o data from Exploding Topics. An estimated 86% of marketers have worked with paid creators based in the U.S., leading to more than 27 million people influencing consumer choices and contributing $37 billion to the creator economy, according to a press release shared by the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) nonprofit arm called the Center for Industry Self-Regulation. While these stats are promising for the future of the creator economy, the data also sheds light on a gray area. Trust is inconsistent across influencer content. In fact, only 5% of consumers “ fully trust influencer content, ” yet 58% still make purchases based on influencer recommendations, according to research from BBB National Programs. To improve trust, consumers are seeking transparency in sponsored posts....
Food vendors participating in Keith Lee ‘s inaugural FamiLee Day festival in May will do so at no cost, as the popular TikTok food critic and influencer has announced he’s waiving vendor fees. In a TikTok shared Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Lee said he “finally got approved.” “On what, you might ask?” he continued, explaining that the festival is now “a complete marketing platform for small businesses, local businesses, and staples of the community.” He added that “all vendor fees [are] completely waived” in what he described as a “first-of-its-kind” move — at least based on his experience. Lee said vendors will keep 100% of their sales, with the only cost being rental equipment. “Show up, sell your product, sell your food, market your business, market your social media, market where they’re going to see you at, market your location and everything, and make your money,” he said. @keith_lee125 Keith Speaks 💕 now let’s see what media talks about this 🫡 💕 @Familee Day ♬ original sound –...
Olandria Carthen has been working intentionally to build a lasting empire. Before her fame, Carthen was already setting a new standard within her family. The Decatur, AL, native became the first to graduate from high school and college. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she earned her bachelor’s degree in logistics, materials, and supply chain management from Tuskegee University in 2022. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Olandria (@olandria) It was her mother’s work ethic that was her inspiration to reach the finish line. Her mother, Felicia, gave birth to her first child at 15. She went on to have more children, and to support them, she put her own studies on hold and worked at places such as McDonald’s. “I always admired her work ethic as we were growing up. Imagine three kids, a single parent, one paycheck … We never went without … Even with me with the college thing, having to figure out how I’m gonna get my education … I had to get creative. I started sending out...
Facebook has launched a new program to place creators on a fast track to success. According to a news release, Facebook has introduced a program that will ensure creators can receive guaranteed pay and increased content reach. The program, named “Creator Fast Track,” is intended to help them scale on the social media platform. Facebook states that in 2025 alone, creators were paid nearly $3 billion, a 35% increase from 2024. The program is also in response to feedback that stated it was “daunting” for creators to transition to Facebook, the release notes. “We wanted to be able to address creators’ concerns that it would be a hard road to onboard onto Facebook and build a community from scratch and build a following,” said Yair Livne, VP of creator product at Facebook, in a briefing with reporters, according to TechCrunch. “So we set up this program to address that.” Perks for creators in the program include increased reach on eligible Reels and three months of guaranteed pay for...
Keith Lee has made his first investment in the restaurant space. Lee, a content creator with 17.4 million followers on TikTok alone (as of this writing), is known for dedicating his time to amplifying mom-and-pop restaurants and small businesses. He doesn’t seek preferential treatment, ensuring he has the same experience as everyday customers while delivering authentic reviews that have often changed the trajectory of a business altogether. Examples include Janel Prator, founder of The Puddery, who was on the brink of closing her shop until a food review from Lee went viral, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Prator was also given a $50,000 grant from Lee in partnership with Toast through its “Little Things” campaign. While Lee’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs has long guided him, he is taking it to the next level by joining his family to invest in Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, an Asian-inspired fusion restaurant and consumer products brand with 22 operating locations, according to...
Wally Sajimi has built a solid reputation as a creative strategist, innovator, and tech founder whose work sits at the intersection of fashion, culture, and experimental technology. As the co-founder of Nietzsche Labs, a New York-based venture studio built on experimentation and the pursuit of unconventional ventures that often emerge from unexpected places, Sajimi believes in challenging the status quo — even when the end result isn’t clear early on, he shared with AFROTECH™. Inspired by his time reading Friedrich Nietzsche, the studio serves as a growing umbrella for ideas, projects, and investments across multiple disciplines. For Sajimi, it’s about fluency, not dilution. How Nietzsche Labs Came To Be “I spent time at the intersection of music, fashion, and technology — watching trends get identified, monetized, and commodified by people who didn’t originate them. I wanted to build something that moved differently,” Sajimi told AFROTECH™, reflecting on how Nietzsche Labs came to...
For Justin Laboy, it’s all about ownership. Laboy was raised as the youngest of five siblings in Queens, NY, and his lived experience made him competitive and highly motivated, he shared in an interview with AFROTECH™. He admitted he didn’t have much growing up, but sports became his roadmap to opportunity. He played basketball at a private high school and later at ASA College during the 2011–2012 season before a brief stint with KK Pelister Bitola Basketball Club in Macedonia. When Laboy returned home from playing overseas, he began promoting parties at New York nightclubs that often sold out. He was making several thousand dollars a week and learning the ropes of marketing in the process, he told AFROTECH™. “To get people to an event is difficult … I was able to convince people to do that … I’m really good at gathering people and starting conversations,” he noted. Revolt Being a gatherer also translated into his online presence. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laboy shared...
Five Black designers are redefining denim through a bold collaboration between Gap and Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) that pushes boundaries and celebrates individuality. Launched on Feb. 13, 2026, the 20-piece collection is available on Gap.com and in select Gap store locations, according to a news release. The collection features styles ranging from $98 to $148. The five designers — Daveed Baptiste of Daveed Baptiste, LaTouché of LaTouché, Igdaliah Pickering of IGDALYAH, Waina Chancy of Atelier Ndigo, and Nicole Benefield of Nicole Benefield Portfolio — each present a four-piece capsule. Every collection highlights the designer’s distinct approach to artistry, construction, and material innovation, the news release states. Together, they transform denim into wearable art that merges storytelling, heritage , craft, and individuality, it notes. “Denim has always been central to Gap’s place in culture,” Mark Breitbard, president and CEO of the Gap brand, said in a statement. “This...
Entrepreneur and multidisciplinary artist Temi Coker — whose clients have included Google , Netflix, and Adobe, according to his website — is using culturally resonant art and sustainable, innovative methods to redefine how art, heritage, and home design intersect. Known for creating designs that celebrate both his Nigerian roots and African American identity, Coker has transformed his artistic vision into the 18-piece Temi Coker Home Collection, available exclusively at Walmart. Centered on his family — his wife and two children — the collection embraces emerging technologies at a time when many view them as a threat, while emphasizing duality and honoring the multiple facets of Coker’s identity. Each piece creates space for others to see themselves reflected in the work. “Being able to bring in technology as a tool to solve a problem, I think that’s what it should be used for,” Coker told AFROTECH™. As a business owner and product founder, he sees technology not as a replacement...
Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredricks was fired for pursuing his dreams, and it’s paid off. The comedian reflected on his journey in a post on X following his appearance at the 2026 American Black Film Festival Honors, where he served as a host. He stated, “I used to work at the bank. Now look at me.” The initial post sparked mixed reactions, as some perceived that he was criticizing 9-to-5 workers. He clarified that he doesn’t look down on full-time jobs, pointing to several benefits that include financial and healthcare stability, 401(k)s, and holiday pay, but added further nuance that he had been fired from the bank for his desire to be in the entertainment industry.” There is nothing wrong with working at the bank 9-to-5. I specifically got fired from that bank for specifically saying I want to be an entertainer. Now that wasn’t wise of me. I know that now,” he admitted in the video shared on X. “I kind of knew it when I told my wife, ‘They asked me what my dreams were at a one-on-one...
Hannah Bronfman is opening up about her experience as a first-time fund manager. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Bronfman became an angel investor in 2017. She is also a content creator who has been working in social media for over a decade, with 148.7 million followers and 6.6 million likes on TikTok alone. This also afforded her a unique opportunity to be gifted equity in companies in exchange for marketing, she noted at AFROTECH™ Conference 2024. She has invested in more than 70 companies, including Monte’s Fine Foods, Golde, and Topicals. Conteur Capital Now, Bronfman is entering new territory in the world of investing, becoming a first-time fund manager. She is a general partner at Conteur Capital, an investment firm focused on women’s health, technology, and health services. Bronfman offers a candid look at her journey in the new Amazon documentary series, “ The CEO Club” , where viewers get a front-row seat to her efforts to raise $40 million in capital for the venture...