Building ROC the Block and Juneteenth at Raymond James
About this episode
The episode features Bolaji Ajike discussing her journey and the development of cultural programming for Juneteenth at Raymond James.
Chop Shop Show episode 147 features a lively conversation with Bolaji Ajike, founder of R.O.C. the Block, about basketball, entrepreneurship, Black business ownership, community healing, and the building of Juneteenth at Raymond James into a full week of free cultural programming. The discussion opens with Bolaji's journey from Willingboro, New Jersey, to a full basketball scholarship at Mount St. Mary's, where the discipline, fundamentals, and work ethic she learned on the court shaped how she handles business and community leadership. After a heart surgery changed her athletic path, she rebuilt her life in Tampa and launched Afroganics, a fulfillment and marketplace concept aimed at being a "Black Amazon" and connecting people to Black farms, grocery stores, stylists, and other local resources. That mission eventually evolved into a podcast, a TV network, and Rock the Block, a production company built around cultural events and community reconditioning. Bolaji explains how Rock the Block grew from a 2021 Super Bowl pop-up into an annual Juneteenth celebration at Raymond James, funded through sponsorships, partnerships, ticketed events, and a lot of self-investment. She breaks…
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