Edikan Sports Academy

06/13/2026

There is no such thing as self made.

When prediction markets were little more than an idea on Wall Street, Kalshi Inc. co-founder Luana Lopes Lara found inspiration in an unlikely place: the womb of Kylie Jenner.

It was early 2018 and the internet was abuzz with speculation as to whether Jenner, the reality TV star-turned-cosmetics-founder, was with child.

Lopes Lara was interning at Five Rings, a New York trading firm, learning the art of making markets. She asked her peers what they thought of the hype - sensing an opportunity to create a novel wager - but none of the other interns had even heard of Jenner.

The firm’s co-founder talks about the celebrity buzz that sparked her interest in prediction markets, the legal battles her firm faces and Jay-Z’s advice.

Kalshi & Deel were both in my YC batch.

Both are worth $10B+ today. Kalshi $22Billion.

Nobody cared.

Kalshi was building prediction markets. Nobody was talking about prediction markets. The regulatory path seemed impossible.

I remember Tarek Mansour telling me at the time how the leading prediction market was an academic nonprofit project run by a university in New Zealand, called PredictIt.

I heard Alex Bouaziz pitching cross-border crypto payments to contractors on Demo Day. Crypto. For payroll.

Meanwhile, everyone in YC was gossiping about ZeroDown, a rent-to-own real estate tech company.

They raised at an ~$80M valuation, basically 8x what Kalshi and Deel raised. They had a team with an impressive track record in tech.

Sam Altman personally led their round. They were so “ahead” of everyone else they skipped fundraising on Y Combinator Demo Day. Never even got on stage.

Kalshi got regulatory approval against all odds. Deel pivoted and became a giant. Both are $10B+ companies.

ZeroDown isn’t around.

Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara becomes self-made billionaire.

The prediction market platform’s meteoric rise turned a former ballerina into the youngest self-made woman billionaire at 29.

Kalshi’s valuation to $22 billion, pushing Lara’s estimated net worth to $2.6 billion.

That’s why company building is the greatest game on earth.

By 80eightyVC & Edikan Moses

06/13/2026

Can you believe Nigeria 🇳🇬 didn’t qualify for this years , what an embarrassment and they opened up the field to 48 teams from previously 32, and we still didn’t make it 😔.

3 new minted Billionaires : David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, & Lionel Messi.

I’m supporting whichever teams wins the World Cup championship, just like a parent I have no favorites, all of the teams are all God’s creation 🫶🏽.

For the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California has been temporarily rebranded as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium due to FIFA’s strict corporate sponsorship regulations.

The venue is hosting six matches in total-five group-stage games and one Round of 32 knockout match.

Key Tournament Details

• Total Matches: 6
• Dates: Matches run from June 13 through July 1.
• Match Schedule & Teams: The slate includes five group-stage matches (featuring teams like Qatar, Switzerland, Turkey, Paraguay, and Australia) and one Round of 32 knockout match.

• Knockout Stage: The Round of 32 game (scheduled for July 1) could feature the U.S. Men’s National Team if they advance.

Ticketing & Weather

• Tickets: Tickets for the group-stage matches have been among the most accessible in the tournament, though availability has dwindled rapidly on the FIFA Official Ticketing Portal.
• Weather: Midday and afternoon matches have been notably hot, with summer temperatures in Santa Clara sometimes climbing into the 80s and 90s.

Getting to the Stadium
Because parking is highly restricted and traffic is heavy on match days, event organizers strongly advise taking Regional Transit and Travel Information to the stadium:🏟️

BART: Ride to the Militas station and transfer to the VTA Orange Line.
• Caltrain: Take the train to the Mountain View station and transfer to the VTA Orange Line.
• VTA: Santa Clara’s local light rail and bus system directly services the stadium (get off at Lick Mill Station or Great America Station).
@ Levi’s® Stadium
For the most up-to-date schedule, stadium policies, and matchday guidelines, visit the Levi’s Stadium FIFA
Event Guide.

By & mos

06/13/2026

Conheci Nabila Elassar mais ou menos nesta época, no ano passado; ela tinha acabado de voltar de uma conferência sobre IA e a comunidade muçulmana realizada na mesquita e insistia que eu deveria ter ido, dizendo que perdi uma grande oportunidade.

Taqiy me disse algo que jamais esquecerei. Ele falou: “E., é o seu próprio povo que vai continuar te apoiando. Os muçulmanos negros sempre ficam ao nosso lado; todos os outros são falsos e mentirosos.”

Foi assim que conheci Nabila. Depois da nossa conversa, ela entrou no carro e ficou pensando consigo mesma por que eu fingia ter marido ou namorado para quem voltar em casa — eu estava tão acostumada a fingir que não estava solteira e disponível:

Construindo a Evion, a infraestrutura para eventos excepcionais | Fundadora, Startup Universe (mais de 100 mil membros) | Ex-aluna de Stanford e Harvard

Estou guardando essa novidade há semanas.

O AI Summit em Stanford acaba de anunciar a primeira leva de palestrantes confirmados. De 30 de julho a 1º de agosto. Terceiro ano do evento no campus.

Jonathan Levin, Presidente da Universidade de Stanford
John Hennessy, Ex-presidente de Stanford, ex-diretor da Escola de Engenharia da Universidade de Stanford, Diretor do Programa Knight-Hennessy Scholars. Presidente do Conselho da Alphabet Inc.

Igor Babuschkin, Cofundador da xAI; Juju Chang, Coapresentadora da ABC News; David Hefter, Investimentos em IA na BlackRock
Max Gokhman, Chefe de Soluções de IA e Ativos Digitais na Franklin Templeton
Jeremiah Owyang, Sócio-gerente (GP) da Blitzscaling Ventures
Isabelle Hau, Diretora Executiva do Stanford Accelerator for Learning
Ahmad Rushdi, Diretor de Parcerias do Stanford HAI
John Whaley, Doutor em Ciência da Computação por Stanford e Fundador do Inception Studio; Kayvan Baroumand, Fundador da SignalRank; Jason Ma, CEO da ThreeEQ
Alvin Wang Graylin, Autor de *Our Next Reality* e Digital Fellow no Stanford HAI

Sou muito grata a cada um desses palestrantes por se juntarem a nós. Todos eles trazem uma perspectiva única e valiosa sobre o futuro da IA, sob ângulos que talvez você nunca tenha ouvido antes.

Por 80eightyVC e Moses Space Company

06/11/2026

In July 2021, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos awarded CNN contributor. & activist Van Jones a $100 million “Courage & Civility Award”.

The unrestricted, no-strings-attached grant allows Jones to disperse the funds over a 10-year period to charities, nonprofits, & initiatives of his choosing.

Jones has complete discretion over how the $100 million is distributed. He has primarily focused the funds on “trust-based giving,” flowing resources directly to underserved communities & grassroots organizations.

Financial support & stipends for formerly incarcerated individuals to help them transition back into society.

Jeff Bezos said he expects artificial intelligence to create a “labor shortage in the economy,” rejecting fears that the fast-evolving technology will put humans out of work as he launches a new venture aimed at making engineers more productive.

The billionaire founder of Amazon.com is co-leading a new AI business called Prometheus, which plans to build an “artificial general engineer” that can design and manufacture complex physical products such as a jet engine.

The new startup by Jeff Bezos seeks to build an “artificial general engineer” that can design and manufacture complex physical products.

“When Jeff Bezos gives you $100 million with no oversight committee, no bureaucracy, that’s not just philanthropy – that’s an investment in trust-based giving at its highest level,” says Dwayne Ashley, CEO & Founder of Bridge Philanthropic Consulting. “This represents exactly the kind of unrestricted funding that we advocate for with our clients. It’s philanthropy that actually empowers rather than constrains.”

Van Jones is a lawyer, activist, & social entrepreneur who co-founded Dream Corps, an organization laser-focused on dismantling oppressive systems & expanding access to opportunities. His background spans criminal justice reform, environmental justice, & economic opportunity creation.

Bezos Bats Down Al Job Loss Fears While Launching New Venture. New startup Prometheus seeks to build ‘artificial general engineer’ that can design and manufacture complex physical products.

By 80eightyVC & Moses Space Company

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

O que King Combs fez desde que seu pai, Sean “Diddy” Combs, foi preso há mais de dois anos devido à sua ganância, corrupção e arrogância? Musicalmente falando 🎤)

Nada? Absolutamente nada.

A Diageo acionou as autoridades federais contra seu próprio influenciador e cliente muito bem pago, Puff Daddy Combs; isso aconteceu porque, embora a parceria com a Ciroc tenha sido um grande sucesso...

Diddy foi tomado por uma nova onda de ganância e ego, querendo agir como aquele canalha de Marcy Projects — Jay-Z — que processou a gigante de bebidas Bacardi por causa da joint venture de conhaque deles, a D’Ussé.

A empresa dele, a SC Liquor, abriu processos em Delaware no final de 2022 exigindo transparência financeira e acusando a Bacardi de má gestão da marca e de reduzir intencionalmente sua avaliação para forçar uma compra por um preço baixo.

Jay-Z entrou com uma ação inicial para obrigar a Bacardi a apresentar registros internos, documentos financeiros e detalhes do inventário físico, a fim de entender como os lucros estavam sendo gerados.

Depois que a empresa de Jay-Z exerceu sua opção contratual de vender sua participação de 50% na marca, ele alegou que a Bacardi estava travando o processo e oferecendo um valor muito abaixo do mercado pela compra — valor que ele estimava em cerca de 1,5 bilhão de dólares.

Sean Combs vasculhava o acervo de discos, álbuns, músicas e gravações com *samples* clássicos da Bad Boy para que seu filho, King Combs, pudesse viver o sonho de ser um aspirante a rapper e cantor.

Até hoje, King Combs não tem nenhuma música ou gravação original em sua carreira musical 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Um ex-amigo estava tocando músicas do King Combs no carro, a caminho de um evento em Oakland, Califórnia.

Quando voltamos, eu disse ao meu outro amigo: “É por isso que sei que ele é um otário; o que o King Combs fez para merecer estar numa playlist de músicos de verdade? Nada.”

A namorada dele — aquela de *As Visões da Raven* (Raven Tracy), que atuava com Eddie e Chelsea — é quem sustenta a casa e cuida do filho fruto desse nepotismo, com uma mãe livre e um pai preso.

Por 80eightyVC e mose

06/10/2026

Before the whole world shut down in March 2020, due to the Covid pandemic 19 shutdowns, i met Casey Qadir is the CEO of Hubly Surgical, a company she co-founded while a student at Northwestern University.

Casey is transforming neurosurgical safety with the Hubly Drill —the first single-use cranial drill with automated safety features that prevent catastrophic over-plunge injuries during ventriculostomies, one of the most common yet dangerous neurosurgical procedures.

I was heading to Berkeley, California after a Venture Capitalist class in San Francisco, California & due to how late & busy the City was I was unable to get a solo rideshare car from either or .

So i ordered an Uberpool, the ETA was only like 10minutes different & the driver only had to pick up one more person after he picked my trick up, so I requested the ride from .

The driver starts our trip back to the East Bay, California, he picks up Casey who was headed home to Emeryville, California.

I & Casey started talking about life, & what we were doing with our individual lives on this trip across the Bay Bridge, California on a scenic night.

Casey told me she had a start up company that drilled holes in the skulls of humans, & that she was headed back to school for her masters because she had just graduated & started a business.

She wasn’t even scared at all of seating with an African man on a late trip to the East Bay, California.

I didn’t tell her I was a Venture Capitalist, I told her I was headed to Berkeley, California for & , to get some rest for tomorrow’s class session.

The whole world shut down in the next immediate Month of March 2020, with stay at home restrictions, social distancing measures, & facemasks requirements.

Thrilled to share that Casey Qadir - founder & CEO of our portfolio company Hubly Surgical, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare list for 2026.

By &

06/10/2026

Bu****it “African Pride”.

Femi OTEDOLA na nice guy oh, you can’t let some things slide, especially if they are a grown adult in their mid 50’s.

Without that betrayal move is no different than .

pleaded with last year to be added onto their list of new Billionaires & they refused, they told him his bag 💼 wasn’t big enough.

He tried to use the angle 📐 - I’m a prominent businessman man from the East of Nigeria with shares in hotels, banks & energy companies.

They denied him his request, ask .

Anthony Chinwuba Okoro is a Senior Director at for ads new ventures, stores & socials.

Chinwuba came to my Basketball class & begged, pleaded with me to train his son Munachi Okoro, i refused, I told him: I don’t train Nigerian Basketball 🏀 players because their parents are all full of s**t, & dont respect my work ethic & time.

Chinwuba then went to beg my brother Ime Ekanem to convince me to train his son after I had already declined his request in my paid Basketball class for the same son.

I said : I will train him for 4 sessions only, cause I can’t trust Igbos, he had just started a new role at , that he soon left to return back to eBay.

There was lot of issues with payments from a Senior Director from & . Tony would hide in the bushes & grass to watch me train his son in the gymnasium & then show thanking me later.

I would just laugh at this clown, 🤡, he is the one that thought my brother all this evil s**t 💩 he be doing, & thinking 💭 they slick.

I grew up with this guy Ime (he’s not a dawg like me), nah inside group chat 💬 dem dey teach am work.

Ime told me : he respects Tony’s advice because Tony told him to go work at , when he couldn’t decide after he left .

So who go be minority for that new side, Hausa no dey go, Yoruba no dey go.

Na Calabar people, Akwa Ibom people, Bayelsa people, Rivers State (Port Harcourt), Kogi people 🤔 for Biafra enslavement - Bayelsa State (Yenagoa), Delta State (Asaba)Edo State (Benin City).

My brother told me Chinwuba went & got braces 😬 at mid 50s, he wants to be a VP now, t

06/09/2026

damikujembola & I attended Pastor Toure Robert’s Church in Los Angeles, California because we both dating sisters at the same damn time in Toyin Ogunleye & Adura Tayo Ogunleye ~ Said Man!

The past few days have been something. We’ve never been one to go after press or seek fame for the work we do. The focus has always been on the brand & the culture.

So it was very humbling getting this interview from & . However, the most surprising thing was the response from you guys, our tribe! | really just want to appreciate everyone for the texts, reshares and love! It has been overwhelming. It is great to know that the work we are doing is actually been seen.

Also want to thank the squad for putting in work daily to make this possible. There is definitely no Timi & Dami without you! We are small but mighty and I truly believe there is nothing we can’t do.



As CEO of Amplify Africa, Dami Kujembola is on a mission to create global representation for African talent and the diaspora, & connect them to their homeland.

The contribution of the African diaspora to the continent’s GDP cannot be emphasized enough. A total of $45 billion was remitted to sub-Saharan Africa in 2021 accounting for a 6.2% increase from the previous year according to the World Bank.

Dami Kujembola, the CEO & Co-founder of Amplify Africa, is the man on a mission to harness these resources & connections further & bring about economic impact in Africa.

“A Congresswoman offered to speak at the first event and gave us certificates that legitimized our events and we started hosting the Afro ball gala in partnership with her office.

At its core, Amplify is an entertainment/media company, born out of Kujembola’s passion for entertainment law & providing better representation and red-carpet treatment for African artists who travel to Hollywood to receive prestigious awards like the BET Awards.

From there, the parties got bigger & more prestigious, such as when they partnered with the United States Congress to throw a gala as a way to promote Africa to the world.

By &

06/08/2026

Champion Agent for Dion “Champ Cheese 🧀 “ Waiters in 2020 🫵🏽 turned Venture Capitalist by .

Omri Casspi is an NBA Champion turned Venture Capitalist.

Omri Casspi & Dion Waiters were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2012-2013 & 2014-2015 NBA seasons. Both players are now retired from professional basketball.

Their Time in Cleveland

• Initial Overlap: Casspi was acquired by the Cavaliers from the Sacramento Kings in 2011.
Shortly after, Waiters was drafted 4th overall by Cleveland

Teammate Dynamics: The pair played under head coach Byron Scott, providing wing depth during Kyrie Irving’s early seasons. Casspi’s role fluctuated, & he eventually left to join the Houston Rockets, but they reunited briefly during the 2014-2015 season before Casspi was waived & subsequently signed with the Pelicans.

Omri Casspi finished his career back in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv, officially retiring in 2021 as the first Israeli-born player in the NBA.

Dion Waiters: Proved to be a microwave scorer, later having notable stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder & the Miami Heat. He signed with the Los Angeles Lakers during their 2020 championship run before concluding his NBA career.

PointFive just raised a $60M Series B led by Accel. $100M
raised to date.

Every company is now an Al company. Which means every company is about to meet a compute bill it never budgeted for - cloud, data platforms, model inference, and now coding agents running around the clock inside the enterprise. Most teams cannot see where the money actually goes.

That is the gap PointFive closes. The Al Efficiency OS, from the cloud to coding agents. It continuously improves efficiency across cloud infrastructure, data platforms, Al workloads, and agents, puts spend in plain language anyone can understand, and ships optimizations at scale.

Proud to be backing Alon Arvatz, Gal Ben David, and Amir Hozez, alongside Accel, Index Ventures, Salestorce Ventures, Entrée Capital.

By &