Entrepreneurs in the News

The Smithsonian celebrates the work of pioneering African American entrepreneur Lula Mae Reeves.

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Bruce and Eric Bromberg, founders of Blue Ribbon Restaurants

Courtesy The Smithsonian

Lula Mae Reeves, a pioneering entrepreneur, opened her Philadelphia millinery in the early 1940s.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture has acquired a collection of hats made by 97-year-old Lula Mae Reeves, a pioneering entrepreneur who opened her Philadelphia millinery in the early 1940s. Reeves, whose clients included Lena Horne and Ella Fitzgerald, retired in 1997. "We're so lucky Lula Mae is still here to tell us her stories," says Michele Gates Moresi, the museum's curator of collections....Horror-film auteur Wes Craven is creating his first graphic novel with indie publisher Liquid Comics. "He's one of the nicest people I've ever worked with, though his films scare the hell out of me," says Sharad Devarajan, the publisher's CEO....Brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg, founders of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, are branching out from New York City. This fall, they will begin offering menu items, such as barbecue pork sliders, in 20 Renaissance Hotel lounges around the country. "We want to give our clients a chance to enjoy our food on the road," Eric Bromberg says....Ex–Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is moving his video game company, 38 Studios, from Maynard, Massachusetts, to Providence in exchange for a $75 million loan from Rhode Island. The company pledged to bring 450 jobs to the state by 2012. The move has drawn criticism from politicians, taxpayers, and manufacturers in both states....Designer Rebecca Minkoff is making her first foray into men's fashion with a line of bags and accessories inspired by her grandfather Ben Minkoff, a World War II fighter pilot who died in 1984. "We wanted to honor our grandfather and have a strong male presence in the line," Minkoff says.

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