Rashad Bilal shares details about Invest Fest 2024 and its new $100K Nipsey Hussle business grant for entrepreneurs

The 4th annual Invest Fest, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, is set to take place on Aug. 23-25. The event is a three-day conference where attendees can learn from experts of cryptocurrency, stocks, real estate, taxes, and more. You can expect to be surrounded by successful entrepreneurs and investors who can share their wisdom with anyone ready to take that next step for themselves in business or finance. This yearā€™s lineup includes Steve Harvey, Don Peebles, Daymond John, Stephen A. Smith, 50 Cent and Pinky Cole, to name a few.

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Outside of the discussions, Invest Fest is an opportunity for people to connect with industry trailblazers, network with other business owners, and even pitch their business ideas for a cash prize. The program is sticking to its mission by committing to entrepreneurship and supporting an inspiring business owner with the Nipsey Hussle Business Grant. In partnership with Microsoft and The Marathon, one lucky winner could receive $100,000 toward scaling their business.

REVOLT sat down and spoke with Rashad Bilal, CEO of Earn Your Leisure, where he shared more about the business grant, his hopes for what this means for other brands, and advice for young entrepreneurs out there. Check out the exclusive conversation below.

How did the partnership with The Marathon come about?

We kept in communication with Nipseyā€™s brother, Blacc Sam, ever since we interviewed him on the show [in 2023]. That was a big episode for us. So, you know, when we were putting together the Invest Fest lineup, I definitely wanted The Marathon to be a part of it in some capacity. The first idea was to have The Marathon as a pop-up shop. But Sam wanted to do something more impactful than just have merch there. So, I just thought we should have a pitch competition. I proposed it to The Marathon team, and they liked it. After that, we spoke with Microsoft, and they also agreed to provide some funding for it. So that was helpful.

How does The Marathon align with Earn Your Leisureā€™s mission and the goals for events like Invest Fest?

It's like a direct correlation. Nip was a big inspiration for us. He was somebody that we wanted to talk to when we first started Earn Your Leisure. Obviously, we never got a chance to do it. But everything that he embodied as far as entrepreneurship and independence, he believed in starting from the bottom and building it up brick by brick. That's like what The Marathon embodies to this day. Entrepreneurship, being self-made, and having ownership are all principles that are very important to our allegiance to Invest Fest. So, I felt like they were a perfect brand to be represented.