American First Finance

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

From Childhood Tennis Courts to a $31 Million Empire: How Two Lifelong Friends Disrupted the Pickleball Industry

James Ignatowich was still winning matches, but he was profoundly unhappy with the equipment in his hands. As a four-time...

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

How Childhood Sweethearts Bootstrapped a Baby Carrier Brand to an Eight-Figure Empire in Under Three Years

For Hunter Taylor, the genesis of Mabë goes back to what he describes as "the very beginning of time." In...

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

From a Parking Lot Pop-Up to a Billion-Dollar Empire: Inside Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Rapid Rise to 500 Locations

By Jonathan Small | Edited by Dan Bova | October 14, 2026 Dave’s Hot Chicken continues to bring the heat,...