Entrepreneur creates app to highlight black & brown businesses around the country -

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland man created an app called “LoKul” (local) to culturally connect people and the services they use anywhere in the country.

“Its harnessing our life-style in one place,” said Jay R. Fogle, tech and marketing director of Lokul.

Fogle created the LoKul app that helps anyone find a business or service but it’s geared to the African American community.

You can find it in any app store so if you have an iPhone or Android you can just download it.

“If you’re looking for a barber shop, you click here. It’s going to pull up automatically the closest barbershop in your area. This one is 4.5 miles away. If you would like to see this barber’s work, scroll down and we have examples of their work,” he said.

He did the interview in a business, Black Box Fix, he signed up to join his app during the course of our talk.

It’s an quick, easy process and no matter where you are you can find a convenient product or service.

“If you’re looking for a restaurant, if you’re looking for a salon or barber shop, if you go out of town and you and the girls are having lot of fun I need to get my makeup back right then you can find a salon no matter where you’re at. It’s going to pull up the location to where you’re at. Right,” he said. “As long as they’re registered with us they’ll pop up.

Dee Hopkins’ son owns two Black Box Fix locations, one at the Glen Village complex on East 105 and the site in Legacy Village.

It has been operating there for a couple of years. Hopkins had this timely advice and opinion of the app.

“Put the nails on there. I didn’t see that. But, we’re always looking for something, someplace to stay, a good restaurant especially if you’re out of town. Yeah, that a good idea,” he said.

Fogle, a 30 something business owner, took the advice of famed author, educator and adviser to multiple presidents Booker T. Washington when he said blacks should cast down their buckets where they are, meaning use your skills and start a business where you live.ADVERTISEMENT

“We have it where you can subscribe month to month. You can do six-months or a year at a time. It’s very inexpensive. It works out to be less than a dollar a day,” he said.

Fogle is in the process of signing up black business around the country.

Right now he had businesses using his LoKul app in Greater Cleveland, Dallas, Columbus and Chicago.

Download Lokul Here: