Entertainment

Miss Money’s Rise to Stardom

Published

6 years ago

July 18, 2019

Pennsylvanian rapper, Miss Money, hails from Pittsburgh’s Hill District, an impoverished neighborhood in the city. The Hill, as it’s known, is one of the major cultural centers of African-American life in Pittsburgh and a historically important place for jazz music. Miss Money’s childhood in the district was turbulent and troubled but despite the early challenges she faced in life, she has managed to make a name for herself at home and abroad.

Miss Money became a ward of the court at the age of just 5 after her mother was charged with attempted murder. She found herself being moved in and out of shelters, foster homes and detention centers where she was never content to just keep her head down. It was while staying in one such group home, Auberle Shelter, that the star potential in the boisterous young Miss Money was spotted. She was then casted as the lead in several Christmas plays and theatre functions, putting her in front of crowds of hundreds of people. Miss Money thrived in front of the crowds and gained an appetite for performing. In 2006, Russell Simmons spotted her at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in her hometown and gave her direct supportive feedback.

In 2009, she went on to win Bragging Rights Awards and began to catch the attention of several A&R agents from big labels, who had noticed that she was beginning to create quite a stir in the local scene. In 2011, Miss Money traveled to California to discuss distribution with Warner Bros. Later that year, she was flown out to France to sign with Sony Madison Music in Paris. Big Ali was already signed to Madison Music, and this led to a number of featured collaborations with Miss Money.

Her increased exposure was followed by numerous award nominations in the following years. In 2016, she won the Akademia Music Award for Best Song – ‘Fell in Love,’ and performed at, the Akademia Gala event in Los Angeles. She toured with other big names from her hometown like Jimmy Wopo and Flatline Nizzy when they headlined with Memphis Bleek in Baltimore.

Miss Money’s next major hit was ‘On the Nephs,’ which has spread her Hill neighborhood lingo far and wide. The song became a favorite across South Africa for its trap-reggae vibe and received constant airtime on both South African television as well as the radio. Her music was also being played on BET and MTV networks in the US. Her latest track, ‘MrsParker,’ continues in this dance-hall style and has a catchy hook and polished music video.

Miss Money adds of her successes to date, “I wouldn’t say I chose this career; it chose me. It was like I kept walking into musical opportunities and naturally had the gift with crowds of people, creativity, performance, and words. I continued to strive in this career to get the voice and message out through expression for those of the same background and as a way out of the poverty living lifestyle. It became therapeutic and rewarding at the same time.”

Her next big collaboration is with Boosie Badazz titled ‘Pull-Up,’ which is set to drop in summer 2019. Watch this space for more.

Entertainment

Going Public: The Groundbreaking Series Transforming How Americans Invest

Published

1 month ago

May 16, 2025

Jonathan Grilli

In a media landscape saturated with reality TV and startup showcases, Going Public stands apart, not just as a show but as a movement. Now in its third season, the interactive series invites viewers to do more than just watch entrepreneurs chase success. It gives them the tools and the opportunity to invest in startups in real time, democratizing access to early-stage funding and reshaping how ordinary Americans engage with entrepreneurship and wealth-building.

Launched by Todd M. Goldberg, a former MedTech executive who hit a frustrating wall while preparing his company for a Nasdaq IPO, Going Public was born from a moment of personal disillusionment.

“When I brought a list of interested friends and colleagues to the Chairman of the Board,” Goldberg recalls, “he explained that all the IPO shares were reserved for institutional investors. That was my epiphany. I just knew that was wrong. Regular people should have a chance to invest in IPOs, but it needed to go even further.”

That insight became the foundation for Going Public, a hybrid of entrepreneurial storytelling and financial access that offers retail investors a seat at the table usually reserved for venture capitalists and insiders. The show brings audiences inside the capital-raising journey of startups, often before they go public, and leverages a powerful innovation: its “Click-to-Invest” feature.

“The bottom line with Click-to-Invest is that it’s seamless,” says Goldberg. “Viewers can go from watching the show to literally clicking a button. It feels more like a Shopify or Amazon checkout than a traditional investment process.”

This accessibility is central to the show’s mission: to educate, inspire, and empower everyday people to participate in early-stage investing. Unlike financial news channels that target seasoned traders, Going Public merges entertainment with financial literacy, using real startup stories to highlight the risks, rewards, and realities of entrepreneurship. It’s financial content with emotional stakes, real people, and tangible outcomes.

Season 3 reflects how far the show has come and where it’s going. With more celebrity involvement, including gaming icon Ninja backing the cashew milk startup Nutcase, and a strategic partnership with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Going Public has widened its reach while deepening its cultural relevance.

“How do you make this mainstream?” Goldberg says. “The concept was The Apprentice meets Shark Tank meets IPO, but with a twist. Viewers aren’t just spectators, they’re stakeholders.”

The show’s selection of featured companies is another defining element. Startups are chosen not just for their growth potential but also for their mission, relatability, and cultural resonance. In Season 3, that includes everything from disruptive wellness brands to tech-enabled platforms, each paired with guidance from top-tier venture capitalists and Silicon Valley mentors.

This season also introduces a livestream finale, a format innovation designed to create a real-time, high-stakes environment where viewers can watch, decide, and invest together. It adds urgency and community to the investing experience, aligning with the show’s values of transparency and participation.

One of the most surprising and meaningful outcomes has been the personal stories from viewers who never imagined themselves as investors. “We’ve heard from teachers, nurses, and even students who said this was their first time investing and they felt confident doing it because the show made it accessible,” Goldberg shares. “It’s not just about money, it’s about empowerment.”

Looking ahead, Goldberg and his team have ambitious plans. They aim to expand the format to new platforms, explore international adaptations, and build out educational tools so viewers not only invest but understand what they’re investing in. The goal isn’t just more participation. It’s smarter participation.

In a world where capital often feels distant, technical, and exclusionary, Going Public brings the financial journey down to earth and into the hands of the people. It’s not just a show. It’s a redefinition of how business stories are told and how wealth can be created and shared.