In a world chasing clicks, Andre Byers is building systems.

Not apps. Not hype. Systems.

From Washington DC’s community corridors to the cutting edge of augmented reality, Byers’ ventures are laying the foundation for a future where commerce meets community, and legacy becomes infrastructure. Whether it’s New Era Ventures, NEAR delivery, AIP (Augmented Intellectual Pursuits), or the family-founded hunnybunny boutique, Andre’s mission is clear: build with purpose, pass with power.

From Urban Roots to Regenerative Tech

Byers’ journey didn’t start in Silicon Valley or an Ivy League dorm. It started in Kansas City, Missouri—at a time when the urban core wasn’t a gentrifying hotbed of boutiques and bike lanes, but a warzone of divestment and neglect. “As a kid,” Andre says,

“I used to wonder how they could let us live like that.”

That curiosity grew into action.

Over the years, Andre moved through the ranks: from academic researcher and professor at Howard University, to leading neighborhood investment as Director of DC’s Great Streets Initiative. But it was legacy—his daughters, his faith, and the limits of government work—that pushed him toward ownership.

“As hard as I was working, there was no way for me to amass that work and pass it down… Ownership became the only path forward.”

The NOVEL Thread: Why His Ventures Matter

Byers is not just launching companies—he’s launching proof points.

1. NEAR Delivery:

A hyper-local delivery platform built for creators, makers, and neighborhood entrepreneurs. Using wind- and solar-powered vehicles, NEAR lowers the barrier to entry for product-based businesses in underserved areas. It doesn't just move products—it moves possibility.

2. AIP (Augmented Intellectual Pursuits):

AIP Evolution is Byers’ flagship augmented reality software designed for smart glasses.  On October 18, 2024, Byers filed for patent protection and originally developed AIP to help couriers navigate deliveries hands-free, the platform now represents a scalable solution for logistics, safety, and human-AI co-performance. It’s not AI replacing the worker—it’s AI enhancing them.

3. hunnybunny Boutique:

Founded with his daughters, hunnybunny is a sustainable skincare brand that began with a father’s love and a child’s sensitive skin. Now, it’s an award-winning D.C.-based boutique redefining youth entrepreneurship, Black-owned product innovation, and eco-friendly business models. Their latest venture? A patent-pending “Save Mars” soap container to reduce single-use plastics. (Patent protection file date: April 4, 2022)

“The goal is to build pyramids,” Andre says. “Things that will still be standing

5,000 years from now.”

Innovation at the Intersection of Ownership and Equity

In traditional economic development, wealth creation often begins and ends with job creation. But Andre challenges that logic:

“Why are we always trying to increase income in a capitalist society? Capitalism is about ownership—rent, interest, profit. We need to stop preparing people to earn wages and start preparing them to build equity.”

This principle is the throughline across his ventures—and the force behind the NEAR platform’s ability to transform anyone with a product (even if made in a kitchen) into a legitimate business owner with instant market access.

With zero sign-up costs, real-time tracking, and neighborhood-focused scaling, NEAR Delivery becomes more than a logistics service—it’s a regenerative commerce network.

Enter AIP: Tech That Knows the Street

When handheld devices slowed down NEAR’s couriers and caused dropped packages, Andre did what great founders do: he built the solution himself.

No hardware provider had what he needed, so he coded the first version of AIP’s smart glasses software in-house, from scratch. That decision has now positioned AIP to lead in the augmented delivery intelligence space—with applications far beyond DC.

Think: hands-free urban workforce, route optimization, proof-of-delivery automation—all running through wearable AR.

And while AIP is still in its early stages, patent protection is underway. The vision is Mars-level scalable.

“I want our product to be the first on the planet,” Andre says. “Universal readiness is the endgame.”

What's Next for New Era Ventures?

Andre’s current challenge isn’t ideas—it’s visibility. “No one knows we exist,” he says.

That’s why NOVELCITY News is spotlighting this work now—because NEAR, AIP, and hunnybunny aren’t isolated ventures. They’re building blocks of something far greater: a system designed to regenerate neighborhoods, prepare families for ownership, and bring Black-led innovation to the global stage.

Whether in media, tech, supply chain, or sustainable commerce, investors and ecosystem builders should be paying attention. Byers isn’t building the next app. He’s building the next era.

Learn More & Connect

Website: newera.ventures

LinkedIn: Andre Byers

About This Article

This feature is published under NCN | LOCK THIS, part of NOVELCITY News’ 12-environment editorial system for understanding, protecting, and scaling novel ideas. It also aligns with MOE2M (Mars on Earth, Earth to Mars)—our flagship series exploring entrepreneurial readiness for universal innovation.

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