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It may not be a fancy title, but it sure can be a lucrative business, and one young Black woman has given the phrase “waste not, want not” a whole new meaning. Entrepreneur Rose Rice, of Pledge Waste Services, sat with Vibe Houston to educate us on a business not many even knew was out there, and has definitely inspired us to want to dig deeper into the “waste disposal” business. Vibe Houston: Tell us about yourself. Rice: I’m originally from South Park, Houston but lived in Washington, D.C. while attending college at Howard University. I had no family, no friends; it was just me venturing out. It was scary at first. The vibe on the East Coast is so much different than in Texas, so there was an adjustment period that I had to go through. But over time, I fell in love with the city and wanted to live there but I already had a job lined up back in Houston, so I moved back soon after I graduated. I earned a B.S. in chemistry, so this was my start at working in the chemistry field. Vibe Houston: What is medical waste disposal? Rice: Medical waste is healthcare waste that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious materials. Prior to the 1980’s, you could throw this waste in a general trash bin. This put entire communities at risk – from the users of that bin, to garbage handlers, to waste processors – and exposed them to any contaminants associated with that waste. Medical waste disposal is now highly regulated, and laws are in place to outline exactly how and where it should be disposed. Vibe Houston: How did you go from being a chemist to medical waste disposal? Rice: Many people view working in the chemistry field as a mundane and boring career choice but there are a lot of interesting aspects of this field. I’ve worked in many areas of the industry, and they’ve all enriched my life. One being, analyzing waste products for one of the largest waste incinerator plants in the United States. It wasn’t uncommon to see visits from customs agents – armed to the teeth – bringing in pallets of seized narcotics or 40-gallon drums filled with defective designer perfumes and clothes from big retailers. In both cases, these products needed to be properly disposed of, according to state law. It was there that I learned all about waste disposal, how big this market is and, sadly, how few African Americans were informed about this industry. Vibe Houston: Why don’t many African Americans know about medical waste disposal? Rice: To be honest, it’s not a mainstream topic. We work with business and government entities directly. There’s not a lot of discussion surrounding medical waste with the general public. However, individuals with certain illnesses like diabetes would be aware of certain aspects of medical waste disposal, such as how to dispose of syringes used for insulin injection. Vibe Houston: How has the pandemic impacted business? Rice: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of proper medical waste disposal. Containment and minimizing exposure to the virus have proven effective in stopping the spread of this disease. Our business has proven to be essential and continues to expand and grow as a result. Vibe Houston: What was your inspiration to open your own medical waste business? Rice: I realized that many businesses outside the central business district and other high traffic areas could be charged twice or even three times more for medical waste disposal services. Unfortunately, under-served and minority-owned businesses are oftentimes impacted. As a minority, I wanted to make sure that we had the same access to affordable medical waste disposal services, which is why I started Pledge Waste Services. Vibe Houston: What is unique about your company? Rice: We are the first Black- and woman-owned medical waste disposal company in the U.S. We also, proudly, have been given a new contract handling waste disposal for a Health and Human Services facility. Vibe Houston: What do you feel is the best thing about entrepreneurship? Rice: Doing something that you’re good at and making an impact within your community. It’s always a good thing to be recognized for what you work hard for. Vibe Houston: What advice would you give to aspiring, or even struggling or entrepreneurs? Rice: Be realistic about what you want and the amount of work that it will take to achieve it. Many times, new or aspiring entrepreneurs underestimate the amount of effort it takes to see results. This may tempt you to give up too soon if you had unrealistic expectations from the start. The biggest challenge with entrepreneurship is that it may take a while to finally reap the benefits of your hard work, patience and commitment are key. Don’t give up. Your success is right around the corner, even if it is not what you envisioned it to be at first. Trust the process.
Before Mitchell McElroy became the founder and CEO of the Speed Shopper app, the Houston man was a “favorite” teacher among students, educating them in the subjects of history and technology. His expertise in technology led him to where he is today. McElroy was tired of spending hours roaming around grocery stores searching for items so, in 2017, he created an app to make things easier for shoppers. The app went viral during the COVID pandemic and has since garnered global appeal. Vibe Houston spoke to McElroy about his creation, and how others can turn their talents into lucrative businesses. Vibe Houston: Did you have experience creating apps prior to creating Speed Shopper? McElroy: I have over 15 years of web design, web development and coding experience. I created my first website and web-based business in 2002 as a freshman at the University of Houston, but this is the first app that I have ever created. Vibe Houston: How was your business impacted by the COVID pandemic? McElroy: I know that most business saw a drastic decline in sales, but I actually saw major growth. The Speed Shopper App went viral during the pandemic and tripled its users. Shoppers needed alternative ways to shop and a faster way to navigate the aisles. Speed Shopper provided that for them. Vibe Houston: So how does the app work and what’s the benefit of using it? McElroy: Speed Shopper is a shopping list app that places the items in your list in order by aisle number so that you can get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. Speed Shopper uses crowd sourcing technology to store aisle numbers for every product on your shopping list. The database of aisle numbers is then shared with everyone who uses the app. Our technology then places every item on your list in order by aisle number. Your list then becomes a tool that tells you the exact order to pick up your items so that you are in and out of the store as quickly as possible. Vibe Houston: What advice can you give other entrepreneurs? McElroy: I would say keep going and don’t give up, even if no one else understands the vision. It’s not for everyone else to understand, just as long as you believe in your business model. Also, you have to do the work. As a full-time teacher, father and husband, I had to work on my app when I could. That meant many sleepless nights. It was not easy, and it didn’t happen overnight. I launched in 2017 and, despite many pitfalls, I kept going because I knew that the app was important, not realizing how many people would grow to depend on it during the pandemic. Vibe Houston: How can we get the app? McElroy: The app is available in the Apple ITunes store and the Google Playstore. It’s available to anyone with a cell phone or tablet. Here is some more valuable information: Shoppers are also paid for using the app and there is a merchant market for small retailers who have yet to have success getting their products in major stores. When app users add aisle locations into the app, they will receive gift cards, coupons and other prizes from select merchandisers. Currently, the Speed Shopper App has over 20,335 users across 50 US states and has customers in Canada, Australia, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and United Arab Emirates.
Houston-based rapper-producer BBY Kodie has recently released his powerful new single, “Children,” via True Panther/EQT/Motown Records. The provocative, richly cinematic official video for “Children” immerses Kodie in vibrant, visceral tableaux that reference the Baroque historical paintings of Caravaggio, capturing moments in history like the the Last Supper and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The stirring video was helmed by directors Nyles Washington, Ross Constable and Elias Morrow Weinberg. The “Children” video follows “Korleone” which was named one of the best rap videos of 2020 by Rolling Stone, which said, “BBY Kodie seems quietly ascendant. With the attitude of someone who spent 2020 building in secret, ‘Korleone’ arrives almost fully realized. BBY Kodie has described himself as Houston’s answer to Drake and it’s increasingly clear how serious he is.” Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 2000, Kodie was raised by his biological mother’s adopted sister and her husband, who moved to Houston when he was two. There, Kodie grew up with jazz and soul blaring through the house. As a teenager, he discovered rappers Future, Young Thug and Lil Yachty alongside Houston legends like Lil Flip – and channeled his influences into his first beats on Fruity Loops. By high school, he was dropping a song a day on SoundCloud. He began throwing biweekly DIY shows with HVN, growing his fanbase locally and online. For the 20-year-old rapper-producer, putting words together is an art form based in the Texas lineage of flexing and freestyling. “When you grow up on that sh**, it just gets embedded in your skin,” BBY Kodie explains. “It’s like putting the ugliest words on the most beautiful beats.” Albums like 2018’s “Kodie Kardashian” and 2019’s “Vogue” marked gradual steps away from the innocent charm of his earlier songs towards a more polished artistic vision that coalesces on his forthcoming mixtape. Naming Kodie one of the best new artists, Pigeons & Planes said, “the budding talent operates on a high-octane field of his own, confident as hell and raring to bring the world to Houston.” Instagram: @bbykodie
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