The California Gold Rush began on Jan. 24, 1848. Jump to the year 2022, and with the invention of social media, society is now living in the intellectual property gold rush age.
Entrepreneurs Bryyce Harris and Jeremy Newkirk want to harness this newfound power and help Black creators and entrepreneurs reap the financial benefits of their creativity and innovation.
$ix Figure Makeover is a television show executive produced by Harris and Newkirk and directed by filmmaker Christina Cooper. When asked to describe the concept, the intrepid trio said it is ABC’s Shark Tank meets MTV’s Making The Band.
“The show will highlight creators and change the narrative of what Black moguls are and how we should be redistributing our information, knowledge, wealth, skills, talent, ability, and resources to people who deserve opportunities,” explains Newkirk.
Together they created a platform called Cover360ixty™ that will be an incubator where business ideas and talent are accelerated to attain monetization of brands, products, and services.
Over five years ago, Harris and Newkirk created the Cover360ixty™ as a “business made easy” platform. Based on their professional journeys, they have aided many creative entrepreneurs. One central question that always surfaced was, “how do I get started?” Both young men understood that many people lack the skills, information, and knowledge to succeed. Newkirk even observed that young children are eager to master money-making skills.
Newkirk works as a computer scientist and manages billion-dollar projects through his IT company. He partnered with Harris because of his savvy business mind, interest in tech, and combining their network.
The series television director Christina Cooper adds, “I loved the purpose behind this idea concept and knew it could help so many future entrepreneurs in their endeavors. I know how difficult it can be [to be] the CEO of my brand Island Gal and my production company. It takes a lot to be a successful entrepreneur, so I want to be a part of a project that will assist others in the process and [secure] connections.”
Skeptics have asked Harris and Newkirk how they can consider themselves moguls when they are not overabundantly wealthy. Still, the young men personify the adage, “your network is your net worth.”
“It’s all about access, and information has power. We lack information in this culture, and we have information that we’ve networked in, bridged, and reached out and are willing to share with the culture and community so that we can expand as one and be united,” says Harris, an entrepreneur and artist who is the younger brother of Atlanta hip-hop star T.I. The Grammy winner will provide cameos throughout the series.
Newkirk also explains that the platform will be available to non-violent offenders and young business-minded pre-teens starting at age 12 up to college age. He intends to share his knowledge of the 24 project management skills with each participant to show them how to take an idea and make it into a reality.
They will select the top creators out of the bunch and highlight them in the television show to demonstrate their “capabilities, skills, and ability to connect.”
The men have a deep Rolodex of connections filled with millionaires and billionaires possessing a wide range of skills from entertainment to product and fashion creation, tech, and sports that they will funnel into their mentorship program. The purpose of the mentorship program is to accelerate a person’s idea to a viable business, and it lasts for 30 days with a 45-day extension for exceptional cases.
Cover360ixty™ offers two apps for people; one app is to watch the show and submit and register a business idea. The other app is for participants accepted into the mentorship program. They will have access to a network of creative moguls, dialogue with their senior adviser in Los Angeles, and answer artificial intelligence questions to help the creators stay on schedule. Creators will also post to the message boards and meet with the executive committee for an hour to gain guidance and a blueprint for success.
“Our platform consists of our website, our recruitment tool, and our back-office tool, which we call the creative campfire. We take your idea in an incubator-style program and bring executives and moguls together to mentor you hands-on. From there, you pitch to the executive board. If you qualify, we induct you into our Entrepreneur Mogul Program, allowing you to come to our private meetups, masterclasses, shadow moguls, and all of the resources we have to grow your business into a six-figure or more success.” Creators will then become a part of Harris and Newkirk’s network, where they are referred to other business owners and talent.
Creators admitted to the mentorship app will be able to search through exclusive opportunities, watch and read creative content and books, and attend innovative mixers for pitching every other Saturday in Beverly Hills, California.
“We’re interested in looking for somebody that has a disruptive idea that could shake up the culture in a positive way,” says Newkirk.
For more information, visit www.cover360ixty.com and its app to watch episodes and register.