• Money

by Alisa Gumbs

July 19, 2026

HGTV Star Noel Collier Spills Insider Secrets Homebuyers Need To Know

The host of the new series 'Extreme Buyers Club' opens up about using real estate to build wealth.

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HGTV has a brand-new show spotlighting some of the most unusual requests ever from homebuyers, and it’s led by a top-performing real estate agent straight out of Houston.

Premiering Tuesday, July 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Extreme Buyers Club follows Noel Collier as she helps unique buyers on their house hunts: a recent divorcée seeking acreage for dozens of llamas, a ghost-obsessed couple searching for a haunted home, or a professional mermaid needing lots of water.

“To have the opportunity to host my own show on HGTV—a network I’ve watched, admired, and respected for years is truly beyond my wildest dreams,” Collier shared on Instagram.

“What started as years of building my business, serving clients, staying disciplined, walking by faith, and believing in a bigger vision has now turned into a national television platform,” she continued. “It represents sacrifice, growth, resilience, obedience, and proof that God can open doors bigger than anything you could have imagined for yourself.”

Collier spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE exclusively, sharing her best advice for everyday homebuyers to help them choose wisely, survive the process, and build wealth:

What are some of the biggest mistakes you see homebuyers make on their house hunt?

One of the biggest mistakes I see buyers make is only thinking about the now. They’re focused on what works for their life today instead of asking, “Will this home still work for me five, seven, or even 10 years from now?” Life changes—families grow, aging parents may need to move in, careers evolve, and new opportunities may require you to relocate. Buying a home isn’t just about where you are today; it’s about making a decision that supports where you’re headed tomorrow.

I also see buyers put too much pressure on finding their forever home right away. I always remind my clients that your first home is often your first investment. It doesn’t have to be your last; it should be the foundation. Build equity, let your investment work for you, and use it as a stepping stone to create long-term wealth.

Extreme Buyers Club specializes in out-of-the-box listings for wild requests, but all homebuying processes contain a surprise or two. How should buyers prepare themselves for curveballs?

Real estate is full of unexpected twists; that’s part of what makes it exciting. Whether it’s an inspection surprise, an appraisal issue, financing hiccups, or unexpected negotiations, flexibility is one of the most valuable things a buyer can bring to the table.

Preparation starts long before you write an offer. Have your financing in order, maintain an emergency fund for unexpected expenses, and surround yourself with professionals who know how to solve problems instead of simply pointing them out.

One thing I’ve learned after years in this business is that very few transactions are completely perfect. The buyers who have the best experience are the ones who stay informed, trust the process, and remember that temporary obstacles don’t necessarily mean you’ve found the wrong home; they’re often just part of getting to the right one.

If buyers are approaching real estate as the cornerstone of their long-term wealth-building plan, what should they be looking for in their next purchase?

If your goal is to build wealth through real estate, you need to have a strategy, not just a wish list. I also encourage buyers not to limit themselves to single-family homes. Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes can often be purchased with conventional or FHA financing, giving you the opportunity to live in one unit while generating rental income from the others. When you buy with a long-term strategy in mind, you’re not just purchasing a home; you’re building a financial foundation.

On the flip side, because you know what homebuyers want, you must have some great advice for sellers. What should sellers be doing to maximize their return?

Presentation and pricing win every time. Buyers want homes that feel move-in ready, and they want to feel like they’re getting value. A clean, well-prepared home that’s priced strategically will almost always outperform an overpriced home with great potential. Make the investment in your asset to yield the greatest return on investment.

RELATED CONTENT: HGTV’s Kyra Epps Returns To Chicago To Partner With Habitat for Humanity As Community Impact Partner

• Education

by Sidnee Michelle

July 18, 2026

Millions Of Student Loan Borrowers Have 90 Days To Switch Repayment Plans

Borrowers who fail to choose a new repayment plan will be automatically enrolled.

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Millions of federal student loan borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment program are being told they have 90 days to select a new repayment option after the U.S. Department of Education began issuing notices on July 15, as the administration continues dismantling the income-driven plan. The change affects borrowers whose loans have remained in administrative forbearance while litigation over SAVE has played out in federal court, Forbes reports.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, borrowers who fail to choose a new repayment plan before their individual deadlines will be automatically enrolled in the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan, an option that could increase monthly payments depending on loan balances and income. The department said borrowers can instead apply for eligible repayment plans, including the long-standing Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program.

“The Department is providing borrowers with a 90-day window to select a new repayment plan,” the Education Department said in its notification to affected borrowers. “If no selection is made, borrowers will be placed into the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan.”

The transition follows a series of federal court rulings that blocked implementation of key portions of the SAVE plan, preventing the Education Department from continuing the program while legal challenges proceed. The Trump administration has since moved to wind down SAVE and transition borrowers into repayment plans that remain authorized under federal law.

The SAVE plan, introduced during the Biden administration, lowered monthly payments for many borrowers by tying payments to discretionary income and, in some cases, reducing them to $0. Millions of borrowers have remained in payment limbo as the legal dispute unfolded.

Borrowers are encouraged to review all available repayment options before their deadlines because monthly payment amounts, interest costs, and long-term student loan forgiveness eligibility vary by plan. Additional information and repayment applications are available through the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website, where borrowers can compare available options before automatic enrollment occurs.

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Administration Decides Which Professions Deserve Student Loan Assistance

• BE The Game

by Edwian Stokes

July 18, 2026

Pro Athletes Trade Playbooks For LinkedIn To Build Business Empires

Black athletes use professional networking to secure equity, venture deals, and long-term autonomy

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Professional athletes pursue business development alongside their sports careers instead of waiting until retirement. This approach applies beyond sports. Professionals in many fields can explore entrepreneurship, side businesses, or investments while advancing in their main careers. Developing business skills before a major career shift allows greater flexibility and future autonomy.

More athletes are using LinkedIn to secure equity partnerships, find venture capital deals, and build long-term autonomy before their playing careers end. LinkedIn reports a 31% increase in professional athlete users since 2021.

There’s a trending shift in the sports industry

This shift offers a model for the African American professional and business community. While Black athletes have excelled in sports, they have faced barriers to executive roles in the sports business. By mastering digital corporate networking, these athletes bypass conventional gatekeepers and move from endorsers to equity owners and fund managers. Actions include connecting directly with executives and founders through personalized LinkedIn messages, sharing knowledge in industry-specific posts, joining relevant professional groups, and requesting informational interviews to explore business opportunities. These steps help athletes build credibility, expand networks, and find paths to ownership and leadership.

NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently used LinkedIn to emphasize his transition into an executive role. As chief innovation officer at Huupe and a minority owner of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, McGrady manages his corporate reputation through his profile.

“Basketball gave me opportunities I never imagined,” McGrady mentioned in a recent LinkedIn post. “My responsibility now is to turn those opportunities into something that survives me and creates options for my children.”

For New York Knicks guard and 2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, LinkedIn is a place for both philanthropic and business achievements. Brunson, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, uses his network to promote his Second Round Foundation and recently announced an equity stake in Just Salad, the company’s first athlete partnership.

This helps athletes control their narrative and connect with institutional investors. NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins uses LinkedIn to discuss venture capital and micro-investing. As an early investor in Beyond Meat, Hopkins relies on his market research and financial expertise, gained through his studies in finance at Clemson University, to manage his portfolio and build his own investment fund.

Athletes see investment as a wise choice

“I bet on consumer brands I believe regular people will love, not just the ones that look good on paper,” Hopkins wrote, pointing to his investments in beverage startups like Olipop and Diamond Brew.

Younger players increasingly see corporate networking as essential. Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones, 24, posts twice a week to analyze game film and feature tech startups. While others focused on the NBA Draft, Jones attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France and secured an investment partnership with Robot.com.

During away games, Jones schedules meetings with local tech founders and venture capitalists, and has recently visited firms in Boston and Washington.

“The weight of each follower on LinkedIn carries a lot more than any other platform,” Jones told Front Office Sports. “Venture capital is a fairly small community… my due diligence has only increased with the increasing network.”

Corporate leaders observe that athletes’ transparency is modifying how the wider business community evaluates performance.

“They are really people who are thinking critically about their performance, about what it means to get ahead,” said Laura Lorenzetti, senior director and global executive editor at LinkedIn. “That helps everybody think about their own performance.”

For Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and executives, these athletes present a practical model for career autonomy. To get started, build a respected digital reputation by consistently updating your LinkedIn profile to reflect your latest roles, projects, and skills. Share posts about your achievements, insights, and lessons learned from your career path to showcase your knowledge and genuineness.

Connect with decision-makers and industry leaders by sending personalized messages that highlight common interests or offer thoughtful feedback on their work. When making contact, briefly introduce yourself, highlight what you admire about their background, and explain why you would value a conversation. Maintain fiscal oversight by seeking resources on financial empowerment, taking online courses, or consulting experts to guide your business decisions.

Finally, look for ways to convert online connections into business equity by using your network to learn about partnership opportunities, request introductions, and attend online or face-to-face industry events. These effective steps help build credibility, promote meaningful relationships, and open doors to ownership and leadership.

By treating professional identity as an active asset, these athletes demonstrate that economic self-determination depends on maintaining visibility in spaces where capital circulates.

RELATED CONTENT: NBA Star Donovan Mitchell Turns Rookie Revenue Into Foundation For Black Youth Education And Sports Support

• Global

by Ida Harris

July 18, 2026

ON THIS DAY: A Global GOAT Was Born On July 18

He later became South Africa's first Black president

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Born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1917, in the village of Mvezo, South Africa. His birth name translates colloquially as “troublemaker.” A teacher gave him the name of Nelson during his school years. That would not change his spirit or the significance of his birth name. Mandela was indeed a troublemaker for good causes, fighting apartheid, for peace, and for equality. He was imprisoned 27 years due to his opposition to Apartheid. He later became South Africa’s first Black president. Nelson Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a Global GOAT, and lover of Black people transitioned Dec. 5, 2013.

RELATED CONTENT: International Day: World Remembers Nelson Mandela

• XCEL Summit For Men

by Kenneth Meeks

July 17, 2026

Set Yourself Apart, Add Global Appeal To Your Resume

Patrick Felder shows young professionals the hidden rewards of working overseas on a global assignment.

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Deciding to work overseas isn’t easy. Patrick Felder, senior vice president of Employee Success (also known as Human Resources) for Salesforce, spent many years on international assignments for several major corporations. And if you’re deciding whether or not to take an assignment, he says consider the impact it will have on both your personal life and your professional career. But if you make the leap, you must be “all in” with your decision because there is no middle ground. And when you succeed, the benefits are incredible and well worth it.

Felder told young professional men at the 2025 XCEL Summit for Men that when he sits down to interview senior-level executives, it’s very rare for anybody to have had a global assignment or worked internationally regardless of the executive’s race, age, gender, or ethnicity. Therefore, as we approach the 10^th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, BLACK ENTERPRISE offers a video excerpt from Felder’s main-stage presentation. From Felder’s perspective, if you want to set yourself apart from your colleagues, then working outside the United States is the strategy. Take a look at his short video clip. We believe you’ll be on the next flight out on an adventurous, global assignment.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Earn Your Leisure’ Expands Global Footprint With The Launch Of EYL Africa

• Technology

by Sidnee Michelle

July 17, 2026

Employers Are Using AI To Screen Job Seekers’ Online Presence

What does your digital footprint say about you?

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the hiring process as more employers adopt technology that analyzes job applicants’ public online activity before extending job offers, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The growing use of AI-powered screening reflects employers’ efforts to identify potential reputational risks while streamlining recruitment.

Hiring platforms and background screening firms are increasingly using AI to review publicly available content from social media accounts, discussion forums, and other online sources. Unlike traditional background checks, these systems can quickly analyze years of digital activity, helping employers flag posts or behaviors they believe could affect workplace culture or company reputation.

The expansion of AI in recruitment comes as businesses continue investing in automated hiring tools despite ongoing discussions about transparency, privacy, and algorithmic bias. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has cautioned employers that AI-based employment tools must comply with existing federal anti-discrimination laws, while the Federal Trade Commission has warned companies against deceptive or unfair uses of automated decision-making in employment.

According to the outlet, some background screening companies are also using facial recognition and data-matching technology to connect online accounts that applicants may have believed were anonymous. The publication reported that employers are applying these reviews beyond executive hiring to customer-facing and other public-facing positions.

AI Knows What You Did Online. Now Your Employer Does, Too https://t.co/QRQgJA4edG

— Trish K. Murphy (@nwworkplacelaw) July 16, 2026

“After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, quite a few companies came to us and wanted to know, ‘Do we have pro-Hamas people in our ranks or antisemitic people?'” Darrin Lipscomb, chief executive of background screening company Ferretly, told the outlet.

The report also found that removing an online presence altogether may raise additional questions during the hiring process. 

“Where it starts to be a liability is when it’s very clear that you used to have a presence and now you don’t. As a hiring manager, that would invite inquiry,” Vinda Souza, chief marketing officer at RefAssured, told the newspaper.

As AI continues to influence recruiting, workplace experts say job seekers should assume that their public digital footprint may become part of the hiring conversation. Rather than attempting to erase their online history, experts recommend maintaining a professional and authentic public presence while regularly reviewing privacy settings and publicly accessible content.

RELATED CONTENT: Just How Ubiquitous Will Artificial Intelligence Get?

• News

by Sidnee Michelle

July 17, 2026

Sen. Raphael Warnock Gets Law Passed, Limiting Private Equity Purchase Of Excess Single-Family Homes

The law prohibits private equity firms that own 350 or more existing single-family homes from purchasing additional existing houses.

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Large private equity firms will no longer be able to expand their portfolios of existing single-family homes under a new federal law aimed at easing competition in the housing market for prospective homebuyers, CBS News reports.

The measure, led by U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., became law July 11, as part of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The legislation took effect after President Donald Trump allowed the bill to become law without his signature, a process permitted under the Constitution when a president takes no action during the allotted review period while Congress remains in session.

The law prohibits private equity firms that own 350 or more existing single-family homes from purchasing additional existing houses. Companies found in violation may face civil penalties of at least $1 million or three times the value of the home purchased, whichever is greater.

Newly constructed homes are generally exempt from the restriction. Warnock said the legislation is intended to help families compete in a housing market where institutional investors have increasingly acquired residential properties.

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A post shared by Ben Crump (@attorneycrump)

“I hear from Georgians across the state who have been clamoring for action from Washington on the affordable housing crisis, and this legislation is proof that when we center the people instead of the politics, we can get good policy done,” Warnock said in a statement.

The issue has been especially pronounced in metro Atlanta, where institutional investors collectively own more than 72,000 single-family rental homes, according to the outlet. Analysts say the growing presence of large investment firms has intensified competition for existing homes, particularly affecting first-time buyers who often cannot match all-cash offers.

In addition to the restrictions on corporate home purchases, the broader housing package includes provisions designed to expand the nation’s housing supply. Those measures encourage local housing development, support factory-built housing, promote the redevelopment of underused commercial properties into residential units, and strengthen housing initiatives for veterans.

RELATED CONTENT: New York City Housing Reforms Reflect Growing YIMBY Movement

• Contributor Network

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 17, 2026

The Most Undervalued Asset In Black America Isn’t Money—It’s Narrative

Narrative isn't separate from economics. 

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By Constance Harper and Shantell Hinton

When we talk about Black wealth, we almost always talk about money. We measure homeownership, business ownership, wages, investment portfolios, and the racial wealth gap. Those conversations matter. Financial capital has always been essential to our collective freedom.

But I believe we’ve overlooked another form of capital that quietly determines whether financial capital can flourish at all: narrative.

Before investors place bets, they believe a story. Before neighborhoods are revitalized, someone imagines possibility. Before policies change, public imagination shifts.

Before markets move, narratives move. Capital follows belief. And belief is built through story. For generations, Black communities have produced extraordinary wealth—not simply in dollars, but in creativity, innovation, mutual aid, cultural production, entrepreneurship, spiritual wisdom, and radical imagination. Yet the stories most often told about us continue to emphasize scarcity over abundance, pathology over possibility, and crisis over creativity.

Those stories are not benign. They shape where investment flows. They influence whose businesses receive funding. They determine whose neighborhoods are considered “up-and-coming” and whose are deemed disposable. They influence hiring decisions, philanthropic priorities, public policy, and even what our own children come to believe is possible for themselves.

Narrative isn’t separate from economics. Narrative creates economic conditions. Which means narrative itself is a form of capital. And perhaps one of the most undervalued assets Black America possesses.

As our nation continues to celebrate its 250th birthday, I find myself asking a different question than many institutions are asking. Not simply: How do we tell a more inclusive American story? But rather: What stories are we investing in today that will become the inheritance of Black communities seven generations from now?

The Black Radical Tradition has always understood that liberation begins long before laws change. Our ancestors imagined freedom before they experienced it. They sang it before they could vote it. They preached it before they could legislate it. They painted it, quilted it, danced it, organized it, and whispered it into existence long before the world recognized its possibility.

Black futures have always been built through radical imagination. That imagination deserves investment. Not as charity. Not as branding—as infrastructure.

This conviction shaped the work we are building through the Deaconess Foundation‘s Narrative Network. Rather than treating storytelling as a communications strategy or a marketing campaign, we asked a different question: What if we invested in the relationships, creative ecosystems, and cultural archives capable of sustaining Black imagination long after any individual grant has ended?

The answer became a nine-month Narrative Lab bringing together artists, organizers, filmmakers, writers, cultural strategists, and trusted community leaders to create something larger than content. We are cultivating narrative infrastructure. That infrastructure looks like filmmaker Cami Thomas and the My Friends and I cohort producing The Solution is Beautiful, a documentary that reframes Black wealth not as accumulation, but as “love through action.” Instead of reducing communities like Kinloch, North St. Louis, and the East Side to stories of disinvestment, the film explores the food, memory, rituals, relationships, and cultural inheritance that have sustained generations despite structural inequity. Wealth, in this telling, is measured as much by what communities preserve as by what they possess.

It looks like Trevor Smith, Yoni Blumberg, Kristian Blackmon, and the BLIS Collective producing the Abundance Zine—a polyvocal publication that challenges the myth that scarcity is inevitable. The project argues that Black communities already possess extraordinary assets: creativity, relationships, knowledge, and collective wisdom. Scarcity, they remind us, is often a political design rather than a natural condition.

It looks like Stevie Selby, Rosa Parks, and the Warm Cookies of the Revolution cohort creating This Is Our City, a living archive documenting the emotional interior of a city through poetry, photography, visual art, and community storytelling. Rather than preserving buildings or institutions, they are preserving belonging itself—the relationships, acts of care, and collective imagination that make a place worth fighting for. Each project stands on its own.

Together, however, they reveal something much larger. They are creating cultural assets. Archives. Artifacts. Evidence.

Not simply documenting where Black communities have been, but preserving how we imagined ourselves free while we were still building that future. This, to me, is where philanthropy—and all institutions concerned with Black economic prosperity—must evolve.

For decades we have invested in programs, services, and systems. Those investments remain essential. But if we want Black wealth to compound across generations, we must also invest in the infrastructure that sustains imagination itself. Who preserves our stories?
Who documents our innovations? Who records our neighborhood wisdom before it disappears? Who archives the futures we are dreaming today?

Because if we fail to invest in those questions, someone else will answer them for us. Too often our communities become historical only after tragedy. Our archives begin with oppression. Our stories become valuable only once they are safely in the past. I reject that premise. I believe Black communities deserve living archives. Living memory. Living imagination.

The cultural wealth we create today should not wait for historians to discover it decades from now. It should be stewarded now. Protected now. Expanded now. This is what I mean by narrative capital. Narrative capital is every story that expands what our children believe is possible. Every film that humanizes rather than stereotypes. Every publication that refuses the logic of scarcity. Every archive that preserves Black brilliance before it is forgotten. Every relationship that strengthens the ecosystem from which new stories emerge. Like financial capital, narrative capital compounds. Its dividends may not always appear on quarterly earnings reports. But they appear in public imagination. In policy. In investment. In entrepreneurship. In belonging. And ultimately, in freedom.

As we commemorate America’s 250th birthday, perhaps the most important question isn’t what story this nation tells about itself. Perhaps it is whether we are willing to invest in the stories that future generations of Black children will inherit about themselves because financial wealth alone cannot sustain Black futures.

Those futures also require narrative wealth—the radical imagination, cultural memory, creative ecosystems, and collective stories that teach each generation not only what we survived, but what we dared to build. The most undervalued asset in Black America isn’t money. It’s stories that make new economies, new communities, and new futures imaginable.

Shantell Hinton is a Narrative Strategist. Constance Harper is the Vice President of Strategic Impact & Innovation at Deaconess Foundation.

• Money

by Selena Hill

July 17, 2026

Adults Under 30 Are Saving Money By Living With Their Parents

Living with parents is increasingly becoming a strategic financial decision for young adults.

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For decades, moving out of your parents’ home symbolized independence and the start of adulthood. Today, that milestone is being delayed as millions of young Americans grapple with the rising cost of living.

The Wall Street Journal reports that 49% of Americans under age 30 lived with at least one parent last year. That’s a 12% increase since 2019, according to data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking. Nearly one-third of those living at home were 25 or older, signaling that multigenerational living is becoming a long-term financial strategy rather than a temporary stopgap.

The trend comes as home prices remain above $400,000 nationally, rents continue climbing in major cities, and many young professionals struggle under the weight of student loan debt and rising everyday expenses. Even those who contribute toward household costs often pay significantly less than they would living independently.

“Everything is just out of reach,” 28-year-old Megan Talley, who lives with her mother in suburban Atlanta, told the WSJ. “If a young person wants to live alone, you could do it, but you would be dead broke at the end of the month.”

Unlike previous generations, many young adults say the stigma surrounding living at home has largely disappeared. A spring survey by financial services firm Thrivent found that 55% of young adults who moved back home did so out of financial necessity, reflecting the growing acceptance of the arrangement. For 33-year-old Samantha Stobo of Miami, living with her mother has become both financially beneficial and socially acceptable. “No one ever judges me,” she told the WSJ. “The conversation tends to be more like, ‘That’s awesome, and I bet you’re saving money.'”

Experts say the trend is reshaping American life in ways that extend beyond personal finances. Temple University psychology professor Laurence Steinberg, author of You and Your Adult Child, told the newspaper that living with parents has become a “dominant living arrangement in America” for this age group. The shift is influencing when young adults marry, purchase homes, and have children, as well as how developers design new housing.

Some states, including California and New York, have loosened regulations around accessory dwelling units, often called granny flats, creating additional housing options for adult children and aging parents alike.

For Carmen Johnson, who lives in the Detroit area, moving back home during the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a financial blessing. By eliminating rent and sharing grocery expenses with her family, she’s been able to invest more in her music career while saving for a future home.
“COVID flipped the script,” Johnson said. “It’s a blessing in disguise.”

As the cost of living continues to outpace wage growth for many younger workers, economists say multigenerational households may become less of a transitional phase and more of a defining feature of modern adulthood. Once considered a setback, deciding to live with a parent as an adult is increasingly being viewed as a practical path toward long-term financial stability.

RELATED CONTENT: Gen Z And Millennials Are Ditching Corporate Jobs For Franchises

• Entrepreneurship

by Sidnee Michelle

July 16, 2026

Alabama Students Turn $1 Into Thousands Through School Entrepreneurship Challenge

The challenge began with two dozen students who were given $1 and seven days to generate at least $100.

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A group of Alabama high school students transformed a $1 investment into profitable businesses during a weeklong entrepreneurship challenge, demonstrating how creativity, community connections, and determination can outweigh access to startup capital. Their experiences are featured in the documentary Learn to Earn: A Student’s Journey From $1 to $100, according to Entrepreneur. 

The entrepreneurship challenge began in February 2024, when approximately two dozen students were each given $1 and seven days to generate at least $100 through legal business ventures. The exercise encouraged participants to identify opportunities in their communities, develop customer relationships, and solve problems with minimal financial resources rather than relying on traditional startup funding. 

Among the participants was Darrick Ramsey, who launched a pressure-washing and auto-detailing business after reconnecting with local business owners he had previously met through his school’s entrepreneurship program. Ramsey earned $2,065 during the challenge while balancing his academic responsibilities.

“I kind of overbooked myself,” Ramsey said to the outlet. “I really got to see the community coming together. It was just great.”

Another student, Alexis Jordan, surpassed the challenge’s financial goal by cleaning churches and local businesses while selling Kool-Aid-flavored pickles, a snack that quickly attracted customers in her area.

“It’s weird,” Jordan said. “But a lot of people bought them. Everybody bought them.”

The challenge’s impact extended well beyond the initial competition. Ramsey now teaches physical education while continuing to operate his business, PeerPressure. Jordan founded Blended Threads LLC to promote awareness of juvenile diabetes, published the children’s book Why Did Diabetes Pick Me, and regularly shares her experience living with the disease through speaking engagements.

Organizers said the project was designed to teach students practical business skills by demonstrating that successful ventures can begin with limited financial resources. Participants said the experience reinforced the importance of persistence, networking, and recognizing unmet needs within their communities—lessons they continue to apply long after the challenge concluded.

RELATED CONTENT: Tupelo High Schoolers Enroll In Career Academies To Kickstart Career Experience