If you’ve been scrolling through financial TikTok or Twitter lately, you’ve probably seen the chaos—in a good way. Invest Fest 2025 just wrapped up at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, and honestly, it wasn't just another boring conference with guys in stiff suits talking about yield curves. It was a whole vibe. Over 25,000 people showed up every single day.
Think about that.
That is basically a sold-out arena crowd coming together not for a concert, but to talk about stocks, real estate, and how to actually own something. The Invest Fest 2025 lineup was basically the Avengers of Black wealth and entrepreneurship. You had billionaires like Magic Johnson sharing the stage with culture queens like Issa Rae. It’s that specific mix of "culture meets capital" that Earn Your Leisure (EYL) has somehow mastered.
The Heavy Hitters on the Main Stage
The lineup this year was stacked, but not just for the sake of having famous names. Each person seemed to represent a specific pillar of the "new economy" we're living in.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson was the big closer. He did a session called "The Billionaire Blueprint," and look, when Magic talks about business, people take notes. He isn't just a basketball legend anymore; he’s a mogul who owns pieces of everything from sports teams to infrastructure. His main message? "You build now, they live later." It's about that generational play.
Then you had Issa Rae. She's been incredibly vocal about ownership in Hollywood lately, and her fireside chat was titled "Unscripted." She talked about the reality of being a creative entrepreneur and why she launched Viarae Prosecco. It wasn’t just "follow your dreams" fluff; it was about the gritty details of maintaining creative control when everyone wants a piece of your brand.
The Full Powerhouse Roster
- Steve Harvey & Charlamagne Tha God: Their fireside chat was probably the most viral moment of the weekend. They got into it about legacy and the responsibility that comes with success.
- Jack Dorsey: The Twitter co-founder showed up via live stream for a special "Market Mondays" segment with Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. They touched on Bitcoin (obviously) and the future of decentralized finance.
- 2 Chainz: Most people know him for the hits, but at Invest Fest, he was there as a judge for the pitch competition. The man has serious business acumen in the food and fashion space.
- Fawn Weaver: The CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. If you want to know how to scale a brand from zero to a billion-dollar valuation, she’s the one to listen to.
- Tabitha Brown: She brought that "Auntie" energy to a panel called "Brick by Brick," focusing on building a multi-hyphenate empire without losing your soul.
It Wasn't Just About the Famous People
Kinda easy to get distracted by the celebrities, but the real meat of the Invest Fest 2025 lineup was in the specialized workshops. This is where the actual learning happened. BlackRock was there doing deep dives into how AI and geopolitics are shifting the markets. Fidelity hosted sessions on moving from "saving" to "investing in the next big thing."
One of the coolest additions this year was the focus on "Vibe Coding" and AI upskilling. They had a session specifically about using AI for grant writing and business growth. It's smart because, let's be real, if you aren't using these tools in 2026, you're basically working with one hand tied behind your back.
The $275,000 Pitch Competition
This wasn't some "Shark Tank" clone. The "Open Pitch" competition, partnered with the Open Opportunity Fund, was intense. Five finalists pitched live on stage for a chance at a $125,000 investment.
Two companies actually walked away with the bag this year:
- Lola Vision Systems: They’re working on AI chip technology for autonomous machines.
- Swish Vo: A healthcare platform trying to fix the gap in wellness access.
Seeing founders from the community get that kind of capital in front of 25,000 people? That’s the "Invest Fest effect" people keep talking about.
Why Does This Lineup Actually Matter?
There’s a lot of skepticism around "wealth influencers" these days. People are tired of being sold a dream. But Invest Fest feels different because of the accessibility. You have 400+ small businesses in the Vendor Marketplace. You have students from the Bronx (shoutout to the "Roads to Success" program) getting their first look at what financial freedom looks like.
The lineup matters because it bridges the gap. It puts a kid who wants to be a rapper in the same room as a real estate developer and a tech CEO. It normalizes conversations about life insurance, estate planning, and "The Deal Room"—a private space for VIPs to look at vetted equity deals.
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Actionable Insights for Your Next Move
If you missed the 2025 festivities, you can't just sit around and wait for 2026 to change your life. Here’s what the experts on stage were actually pushing people to do:
Stop Being a Consumer of AI and Start Being a Creator
Don't just chat with bots. Use tools like A.I. Enhanced Writing to automate your grant applications or your marketing copy. The speakers emphasized that AI is the "great equalizer" for small businesses with tiny budgets.
Audit Your "Legacy" Strategy
Multiple sessions focused on estate planning. It’s not a "rich person" thing; it’s a "responsible person" thing. If you own a home or a small business, you need a trust or a will. Period.
Network Outside Your Tax Bracket
Rashad Bilal said it best: "You never know who’s sitting next to you." The biggest value of the Invest Fest lineup isn't just watching them on stage; it's the person in the seat to your left who might be your next business partner.
Focus on Value Addition
Valerie Obaze (founder of R&R Skincare) gave some of the best advice on the Saturday panel. She talked about how African ingredients are often exported raw and sold back as finished products. Her lesson? The money is in the "value addition." Find a way to process, brand, or improve a raw idea rather than just passing it along.
If you’re looking to catch up, the EYL team usually releases the recordings for those who bought the live stream or VIP tickets. It’s worth the watch if you want to see the specific "Billionaire Blueprint" Magic Johnson laid out.