Credit: Tyler Twins – Black Enterprise
Credit: Tyler Twins – Black Enterpri
Cannon also believes success often comes from maintaining the ability to have fun and keep things light: “Don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself, let your guard down and be a little silly sometimes.”
The “Masked Singer” host also advised founders and dreamers to continue their philanthropy when success comes.
“Give all the talents you’ve been given to others,” Cannon said. “At some point it’s not about making money, it’s about giving money. Contribute and try to leave the world better than when you first got here. When you see a problem, use your time, money or ingenuity to solve it.”
These problems are not limited to those that can be solved or addressed with financial solutions, he said. Cannon said high achievers need to provide a refuge for others who are facing challenges in their pursuit of success.
“Create a safe space for those at risk around you. With so much going on in the world today, we need to press the pause button, zoom out, and be with each other. You have to be careful.”
Cannon also spoke about the importance of balancing health and entrepreneurship. While he recommended exercise to manage stress, he stressed that success cannot be achieved without self-control. “Health is the real wealth and should be everyone’s top priority,” he said.
“As black men, we have to deal with things that other communities don’t. A lot of it manifests as stress, but it can also morph into other things.”
Cannon, 43, is the host, creator and executive producer of VH-1’s long-running improvisational and hip-hop fusion series “Wild’N Out.” Since its inception in 2005, the show has influenced the careers of comedians such as Katt Williams and Atlanta’s DC Young Fly, and made headlines with appearances by celebrities such as Zendaya and Snoop Dogg.
Cannon told the AJC that the franchise will expand to Africa in November. “We want to expand our footprint and culture back home,” Cannon said. “The future is out there, and this is a land full of creative and talented people.”
Credit: Tyler Twins – Black Enterprise
Credit: Tyler Twins – Black Enterprises
Cannon’s company, Ncredible Entertainment, recently signed a deal with Prime Video to host and develop new shows. One of those is his podcast, “Counsel Culture,” which he will premiere on June 6th on Amazon Freevee and Prime Video. He also recently signed a brand partnership with his Buffalo Wild Wings fast food chain and premiered his car show “Big Drive” on Tubi in February.
The “Drumline” star wasn’t the only big name speaking to the Disruptor Summit audience. During an early afternoon session, rapper-turned-podcaster Cameron “Cam’ron” Giles discussed how his sports show “It Is What It Is” with rapper Mason “Mace” Betha How it became one of the most popular podcasts in sports.
The talk show podcast, which launched in February 2023 on his own podcast network Come and Talk 2 Me, began with Giles following a two-hour phone argument about sports with his childhood friend and former rap rival Mace. This is what I created.
Giles, who is nominated for a 2024 Webby Award, told the audience that he intentionally avoided the simple presentation and format conventions often seen in sports and culture podcasts.
“Most people use a microphone and headphones in their living room, bathroom, or couch,” he said. “We needed to look good, but we also needed to talk about how we talk to each other when it comes to basketball.”
Credit: Tyler Twins – Black Enterpri
Credit: Tyler Twins – Black Enterprises
Mr Giles told viewers that he had recently been told by one of his online critics that he should only discuss sports on his show. He advised viewers to persevere despite the opposition’s perceived threat.
“Don’t let anyone box you in and tell you what you can and can’t do,” Giles said. “Let the public decide whether they like the product or not.”
Other speakers included Michael Broughton, founder and CEO of ALTRO, a Black-led “financial wellness” app that aims to improve users’ credit scores through subscriptions and utility payments. was.
ALTRO is a business model that was started as a project in class while Broughton was at the University of Southern California. The app went through Y Combinator, a highly selective tech accelerator program, and received seed funding from Marcy Venture Partners, a venture capital firm co-owned by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.
“When you empower yourself, you empower others,” Broughton said. “We all think we have the potential to be better, but it can be daunting to take the first step to blaze a trail that’s not there. Having the courage to do something new makes the difference.”
Ariane Simone, founder of Fearless Fund, also attended the summit and received the Social Impact Award at the awards ceremony.
In August 2023, the Black-woman-owned venture capital fund was accused of racial discrimination in a lawsuit filed by the American Equal Rights Alliance. During her acceptance speech, Simone told the audience that Fearless Fund’s legal troubles were a temporary setback.
“When you’re a disruptor, you have to be willing to encounter disruption,” Simone said. “We’re facing disruption right now, but don’t worry. We’ll continue to be disruptors, we’ll continue to be disrupted, and we’ll continue to confront this disruption.”
Credit: Tyler Twins
Credit: Tyler Twins
The Black Enterprise Disruptor Summit, a day-long conference from Black business publications, was held May 18 at the Southern Exchange Ballrooms and is now in its second year.
“This is about our economic progress as individuals, communities, and human beings,” said Alfred Edmond Jr., editor-in-chief and senior vice president of Black Enterprise. “We think about the important problems entrepreneurs are trying to solve and the opportunities they should recognize and take advantage of.”
In addition to sessions with celebrity speakers and business leaders, participants could also receive group business coaching and take part in a 90-second pitch competition.
Debbie Dickinson, co-founder and CEO of Thermaband, won the $15,000 grand prize in the pitch contest. The startup is developing a wearable cooling and warming device called “Zone” that aims to provide relief to women experiencing hot flashes.
Dickinson said the sessions, workshops and keynote speeches will empower Black entrepreneurs to pursue their ventures despite the obstacles they face.
“The ecosystem is supportive and inspiring,” Dickinson said. “We are very unlikely to be disruptors or entrepreneurs, but we found that the recognition, insight, and encouragement validated our ideas.”
