New York, NY – April 13, 2025 — The Community & Business Economic Development Corporation (CBEDC) has partnered with ENTRELETE, an AI-powered global platform transforming education, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility. This high-impact collaboration launches with a pilot cohort of 39 students at Ascend Charter School in Brownsville, NY—one of New York City’s most resilient and underrepresented neighborhoods.
This initiative introduces the ENTRELETE AI Mobile Platform, now officially incorporated into the SONIC BIZ Program—a forward-thinking education initiative created by the New York City Department of Education to empower students with hands-on business and entrepreneurship experiences. The program is the first in the United States to teach the Business of Sports within NYC Public Schools, the largest school district in the nation, serving over 1.1 million students across 1,800+ schools.
At its core is the first NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) Training Course in North America built around a student-run professional franchise model. Students become Entrepreneur-Athletes, launching branded, revenue-generating sports teams while managing real business operations, including:
- Branding, merchandising, and digital marketing
- Finance, private equity, and NIL monetization
- Event planning, recruitment, and fan engagement
- Tech innovation, food services, and media production
Profits are reinvested into international expansion, media production, AI development, and student-led ventures spanning sustainability, real estate, fintech, fashion, and entertainment.
The platform was founded by Nathaniel Wilson, Jr., a champion athlete before NIL existed, who envisioned classrooms as launchpads for ownership and opportunity, where students use tech and real-world learning to build generational wealth.
Academic Integration
ENTRELETE supports and enhances core curriculum through real-world application:
- English Language Arts: Students develop storytelling, content creation, public speaking, and professional writing skills.
- Mathematics: Students apply budgeting, forecasting, data analysis, and business modeling to manage their ventures.
The platform is an ideal fit within Career & Technical Education (CTE), STEM/STEAM, Business & Financial Literacy, and Project-Based Learning (PBL) environments.
- Audrey Bah, President & CEO of ENTRELETE, is an international real estate developer and investor, and Executive Director of the ACWAMA Foundation, which provides clean water access to schools and hospitals in Côte d’Ivoire. Her global leadership drives ENTRELETE’s cross-continental expansion and diaspora collaboration.
Laron G. Duncan, Partner and Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, leads ENTRELETE’s multi-sector expansion across the U.S. and abroad, connecting local innovation to enterprise-scale systems. Laron works to build and foster collaborations with Fortune 500 companies, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and professional sports organizations. His work is integral to ENTRELETE’s mission of empowering youth through entrepreneurial ventures and sustainable business models.
This initiative is locally championed by La’Shawn Allen-Muhammad, Executive Director of CBEDC—a visionary not-for-profit leader who has created hundreds of career pathways and earned recognition from Mayor Bloomberg’s Center for Economic Opportunity and the federal government. Under her leadership, CBEDC delivers programs in adult literacy, entrepreneurship, construction, clean energy, and homeownership education.
Ms. Muhammad also serves on the Executive Board of Howard University’s Executive MBA Program and the Board of the Black Alliance of Colleges and Employers (BACE). She is also proudly Mom-in-Chief to four children and wife to Student Minister Henry Muhammad.
“This partnership is about building legacy, not just programs,” said Ms. Muhammad. “ENTRELETE inside the SONIC BIZ Program is a new model for equity, innovation, and generational impact.”
About ENTRELETE
ENTRELETE is a global AI-powered platform that fuses education, entrepreneurship, and emerging technology. Its immersive mobile ecosystem equips students to launch NIL ventures, run real businesses, and grow as Entrepreneur-Athletes prepared for leadership in the global economy.
About CBEDC
The Community & Business Economic Development Corporation (CBEDC) has spent over 30 years revitalizing underserved Brooklyn communities through economic empowerment, small business development, and inclusive innovation.
Media Contact:
Laron G. Duncan | laron@entrelete.io | www.entrelete.io | (929) 355-4391