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Tag: InvestFest

  • Issa Rae, Steve Harvey & More Share Success Secrets at InvestFest

    InvestFest 2025 recently brought together a powerhouse lineup of moguls, CEOs, and influencers, all eager to share their hard-earned wisdom on success, leadership, and building a lasting legacy. This annual festival, founded by Earn Your Leisure (EYL), transformed the Georgia World Congress Center into a hub for entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and pop culture, drawing thousands of attendees.

    Masters of Their Craft Share Insights

    The festival featured a dynamic weekend of panels, live interviews, and networking opportunities. EYL founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings described the event as the culmination of a year-long planning process, meticulously focused on delivering essential knowledge to the community. Topics ranged from AI and real estate to cryptocurrency, ensuring attendees received concentrated, valuable information.

    Beyond the main panels, InvestFest also boasted a vibrant marketplace showcasing over 400 businesses. Game-changing additions included a Deal Room and a live Open Pitch competition with a substantial $125,000 prize. Headlining speakers like Issa Rae, Steve Harvey, Charlamagne Tha God, and Magic Johnson provided masterclasses in wealth creation and self-empowerment.

    Key Takeaways from the Moguls

    Steve Harvey delivered a powerful message of self-belief, calling attendees the “chosen ones” for investing in themselves. He stressed the importance of authenticity, urging everyone to embrace their unique life stories. “God picked you a long time ago, that’s why you’re the first one in your family,” Harvey shared, highlighting the significance of their journey.

    Basketball legend and business mogul Magic Johnson shared a pivotal lesson from his youth: choosing a lump sum of cash over Nike stock. He revealed that the stock would be worth over a billion dollars today, a humbling realization that fuels his mission to educate others about financial literacy. Johnson also emphasized his relentless drive, waking at 4 AM and working tirelessly, driven by self-motivation.

    Both Harvey and Johnson underscored the importance of using personal success to uplift the community. Harvey stated, “We can make each other great,” and advised attendees to identify their God-given gifts, emphasizing that true power lies in ownership. “I would rather own ABC, than be on ABC,” he asserted.

    Charlamagne Tha God echoed these sentiments, reminding attendees of the power of authenticity. “Your journey, who you are, God put you in that unique situation for a reason,” he said. “So don’t be afraid to tell that story, that’s how you become a very authentic personality.”

    Issa Rae offered unique insights into her business acumen, advocating for “networking across” rather than “networking up.” She encourages building strong connections with peers at a similar stage in their careers, a strategy that has fueled her immense success as the creator of “Insecure.” “Every piece has been connected to someone else, and I’m not being foolish enough to think I can do every single one on my own,” Rae shared.

    The event also saw notable appearances from hosts Paige Shari, Anisa Brenee, and Miss Basketball, as well as figures like realtor Quiana Watson, Derrick Hayes and Pinky Cole, and Fawn Weaver and Tabitha Brown, all contributing to the vibrant atmosphere.

    What was your biggest takeaway from the success secrets shared at InvestFest 2025? Let us know in the comments below!

  • InvestFest 2025: Bilal & Millings Detail Bigger Event

    Get ready for InvestFest 2025! The powerhouse financial literacy event, hosted by Earn Your Leisure creators Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, is set to return to Atlanta with an even more impactful experience. This year promises bigger stages, more opportunities for lucrative deals, and a significant $125,000 pitch competition, solidifying its reputation as a premier destination for financial empowerment.

    A Year of Planning for Three Days of Impact

    Bilal and Millings are meticulously planning InvestFest 2025, taking place August 22-24 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Millings described the process as “12 months for three days,” emphasizing their dedication to creating an event that is “super concentrated on what we feel like the community needs to know.” This focus ensures attendees receive direct insights from experts on crucial topics like AI, real estate, and cryptocurrency.

    Beyond the main panels, InvestFest features a vibrant marketplace showcasing over 400 businesses. This unique space fosters networking and cultivates new business ideas, aiming to create a dynamic environment where partnerships flourish and like-minded individuals can explore ventures. Millings highlighted this concentrated approach as key to delivering valuable information and real-world connections.

    Introducing the Deal Room and $125K Pitch Competition

    This year’s InvestFest introduces game-changing additions: the Deal Room and a live Open Pitch competition with a substantial $125,000 prize. Bilal explained that the Deal Room, which debuted last year, is being expanded to connect founders directly with active investors and business leaders. “Funding is real hard to get in our community. So we have a platform, we have resources that we want to use, give opportunity to entrepreneurs,” Bilal stated.

    The pitch competition will feature notable judges, including Atlanta native and NBA star Jaylen Brown, as well as Angela Simmons. Millings emphasized the Deal Room’s significance, calling it a unique opportunity to bring together concentrated audiences interested in investing in startups, rather than keeping such opportunities exclusive.

    Challenging Perceptions and Building Community

    Bilal and Millings are keen to change the narrative around investing, countering the misconception that it’s akin to gambling. “Investing is [often thought of as] gambling, and we try to change the narrative on that. InvestFest is built on education, so as long as you have education, you’re not gambling. If you’re trying to invest, you’re just doing a calculation,” Bilal clarified.

    For those who might find the scale of InvestFest overwhelming, Millings recommended utilizing the event’s app to plan their schedule and identify key sessions and speakers. He also pointed to the powerful sense of community, where novices can find support and friendships, with attendees often helping each other navigate the festival.

    Vision for a ‘New Black Wall Street’

    The duo envisions InvestFest as a key component of a “new Black Wall Street,” which they describe not as a physical location but as a “financial ecosystem” and an online network. The InvestFest marketplace serves as a tangible example of this, fostering economic empowerment within the Black community. Millings stated, “Black Wall Street for 2025 is not a physical location, but an idea, an online network.”

    Looking ahead, Bilal mentioned the success of a previous international InvestFest in London and expressed interest in expanding the event globally, particularly to Africa. Their ultimate goal, they shared, is to impact lives by helping people change their thinking, make money, shape their families, and avoid trouble.

    Are you planning to attend InvestFest 2025? What are you most excited about? Share your thoughts and plans in the comments below!